Matthijs de Ligt made his first start for Manchester United against Liverpool. There were reasons to be positive despite the loss.
Manchester United brought in Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern United in the summer, bringing in a centre-back who will prove to be a very steady performer over the course of the campaign.
Being ‘steady’ is not quite enough for Matthijs De Ligt, a player tipped for greatness. Manchester United fans are optimistic he will reach elite levels.
For 35 minutes against Liverpool, the signs were there of a potentially superb partnership with Lisandro Martinez. De Ligt looked controlled, firm in the tackle, and comfortable in possession.
Two individual errors from Casemiro then put United on the backfoot, conceding twice, and those looking to shout about United’s dominant new centre-back will have to wait for another day.
Verdict on Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt’s performance against Liverpool was a topic of conversation on the club’s in-house channel MUTV, with the Netherlands international showing some promise.
Former United midfielder Sammy McIlroy gave a positive verdict, commenting: “I was quite pleased with De Ligt, I thought he had a comfortable game.”
McIlroy was less impressed with others, commenting: “I think a couple of mistakes has cost us. You can’t do that. You’ve got to score when you are on top.
“The second goal is the killer. Ten Hag’s got to look at that, we gave Liverpool the leg up to win the game, we’ve got to cut them out.”
Former United defender David May said he liked how De Ligt started the game, and did not dwell too much on the second half, where he was booked, and taken off with 20 minutes to go.
May said: “In the first half I thought De Ligt was excellent”.
Erik ten Hag showed his De Ligt confidence
Matthijs de Ligt is expected to play a key role for United, with manager Erik ten Hag giving him a vote of confidence by selecting him ahead of Harry Maguire.
This was De Ligt’s first start in a Manchester United shirt, and this selection was an indication he could get a run of games after the international break.
Leny Yoro will come into the mix eventually when he returns from injury, but until then, De Ligt is expected to now be first choice alongside Martinez.
Liverpool were tough opponents, with United their own worst enemies in midfield. Manuel Ugarte should do a better job of shielding the defence when he is fit to feature, and we should see the Dutchman build on the positives he showed on Sunday.
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