Jaap Stam is eager to see Matthijs de Ligt get back to his best form in a Manchester United shirt.
Matthijs de Ligt has started his second campaign as a Manchester United player.
With one win in four games, De Ligt will be hoping that Ruben Amorim’s team can turn things around, especially after a turbulent 2024/25 campaign that saw United finish 15th in the Premier League and lose the Europa League final against Tottenham.
De Ligt played just two minutes in two games for the Netherlands during the recent international break, which suggests he has slipped down Ronald Koeman’s pecking order in the national team.
Now, De Ligt is back at United and is likely to start in the Manchester derby, but there are still question marks about his form back in the Netherlands.
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Matthijs de Ligt forced to go back to basics
Former United defender Jaap Stam doesn’t believe the Red Devils are making life easy for De Ligt because he has been forced to go back to the basics.
Stam worked with De Ligt as a young defender during his time at Ajax, and he believes the centre-back has been unable to reach his previous heights since leaving Amsterdam.
Big moves to Juventus and Bayern Munich didn’t quite go to plan, but De Ligt joined United, hoping to get back to his best.
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Stam has been keeping a close eye on De Ligt and feels he is a victim due to the circumstances surrounding him.
“Against Arsenal, Matthijs was traditionally strong and accurate,” Stam told Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad.
“The tricky thing at United is that it’s hard to see what’s expected of defenders. It’s often a deadlock. The conditions to excel aren’t really created.
“You can’t really talk about potential anymore. Matthijs is smart and mature and should be a key player by now. I sometimes miss the confidence in defense and in the build-up that he had at Ajax.
“But I’m sure he still has that. Sometimes you’re insecure because of what’s happening in front of you. I know that feeling. Always covering for you and expecting the same in return but not getting it.
“Then he goes back to the basics, even though he’s a fantastic defender who keeps going. I hope he continues this trend, and we’ll see the old Matthijs again.”
De Ligt record vs Man City
De Ligt will make his fourth appearance against Man City today.
The Netherlands international played against City twice in the Champions League as a Bayern Munich player, but the German side failed to win any of those games.
However, De Ligt missed the first meeting against City as a United player last season with a foot injury.
The 26-year-old started against City at the Etihad and recorded his first win over Pep Guardiola’s side.
Hopefully, De Ligt can record a second win over City this evening.