Matthijs de Ligt briefly spoke in the mixed zone following Man Utd's defeat to Man City in the Premier League on Sunday.
Erling Haaland battles with Matthijs de Ligt(Image: AFP or licensors)
Matthijs de Ligt believes Manchester United's players "must prove" they can be a success with Ruben Amorim.
Amorim was appointed from Sporting Lisbon last year and oversaw the worst season at the club for 51 years. Amorim needed to start the new campaign with positive results, but has got off to a poor start.
United have taken just four points from their four Premier League games, which means they have made their worst start to a season since 1992/1993 with Sir Alex Ferguson in charge.
Manchester City secured a comfortable 3-0 win in the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking after the game, Amorim said United will have to change their manager if they want to change their style, leading to more speculation about his future at Old Trafford.
De Ligt spoke after the game before leaving the Etihad. “In the first half, I think they were the better team. But they didn't have a lot of chances," he said.
"I felt we had a lot of opportunities to create chances. We just couldn’t make the last ball count. In the second half, they scored the 2-0 pretty quickly. But then we went 3-0 down in a rather clumsy fashion.’’
When asked whether United are on the brink of gaining more confidence, De Ligt responded: “Do you see the difference? Do you feel like we’re on the brink of that?
"Hopefully in the next game. We're working hard every day, so hopefully we can get there quickly.
"We played better in the second half, but they were definitely much better. And they have quality players up front. That makes all the difference."
United's win against Burnley before the international break eased the pressure on Amorim, but the heat has cranked up again following a humiliating defeat in the Manchester derby.
United will play Chelsea, Brentford and Sunderland in the Premier League before the October international break, which is expected to be a chance to assess Amorim's future.
De Ligt was asked about dealing with external noise and explained: “As we've always done, we just have to work hard. We have to improve as a team and hopefully get better."
He also answered a question on whether Amorim would be a success. “We have to prove it, otherwise it's no use," he said.
Erik ten Hag faced intense pressure at the start of last season. Ten Hag kept his job after winning the FA Cup and survived the September and October international breaks, only to be sacked on October 28.
Amorim must secure wins before the next international break. "My message is that I am going to give everything," Amorim said at his press conference after the derby defeat.
"I will do everything, always thinking about what is best for the club. That was always the same message. It is not my decision, the rest (on whether United change manager). Until I am here, I will do my best. I really want to win games. I am suffering more than them."
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