Matthijs de Ligt’s club form finally earned him a return to the Netherlands national team, and after playing in a back four, he set the record straight on Ruben Amorim’s back three.
Coming into the season, all eyes were on Matthijs de Ligt and whether he would be able to showcase the form that once had people comparing him to Franz Beckenbauer.
Just about three months later, De Ligt has surpassed even the highest expectations by becoming a true leader with his performances.
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman finally rewarded De Ligt for his club form by handing him a comeback game nearly a year after his last one.
Matthijs de Ligt talks Ruben Amorim’s system
De Ligt was widely expected to be the fulcrum of the back three under Amorim, but as Harry Maguire’s importance grew, he shifted to the right.
The wide centre-backs are expected to be more than just defensive walls in Amorim’s system, and it’s a role the Dutchman has taken with both hands.
However, the job profile when he returned to his national team was different, as Koeman plays a flat back-four with full-backs.
De Ligt started in the 4-0 win against Lithuania and performed well, looking at home in a back-four system, and he used this game as an opportunity to set the record straight on Amorim’s back-three.
He said: “We play with a five-man defence at Manchester United, but on paper, we defend with four. It didn’t feel awkward today; it felt the same as always. I can play in both systems. I’m more experienced with a five-man defence now; the more experience you have, the easier it gets.”
De Ligt’s versatility makes him a huge asset
De Ligt doesn’t just feel comfortable playing in a back-three and a back-four; he’s also adept at playing different roles within those systems.
In a back four, he can step out and meet the attacker higher up the pitch to win the ball back, or drop back to defend the last man and dominate the box.
In a back three, he can sit as the central centre-back in possession who functions as a defensive midfielder in possession, or hang back while his wide centre-backs create overloads in the attacking phase.
He is equally as capable of being that wide centre-back, adding bursting runs to his game with a deceptively good final ball when he reaches the final third of the pitch.
Add to that his leadership intangibles and newfound penchant for scoring headers from set-pieces, and it’s easy to see why there’s a genuine case to be made that he’s the best defender in the league right now.
He’s doing all this for a Man Utd squad still not entirely comfortable in their system, and concedes too many goals. The ceiling of De Ligt when the team clicks with him is frightening.
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