Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has demanded the team step up after a miserable start to the Premier League campaign as more pressure piles on Ruben Amorim's job
13:11, 15 Sep 2025
Ruben Amorim is under mounting pressure at Manchester United
Ruben Amorim is under mounting pressure at Manchester United(Image: Matt West/Shutterstock)
Matthijs de Ligt has ordered Manchester United to start winning - to help stop talk of Ruben Amorim getting sacked.
United have been left humbled and humiliated for the second time this season following Sunday's crushing derby defeat at Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's men cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win, to pile even more pressure on United boss Amorim.
The fallen giants have won one league game this season, to find themselves down in 14th place in the table - just one point above the relegation zone.
To make matters worse, United also crashed out of the League Cup to minnows Grimsby Town on penalties, in what was one of the club's most embarrassing defeats of all time.
The pressure is mounting on Amorim, who endured a nightmare first season as United boss after replacing Erik ten Hag 10 months ago. And De Ligt knows United have to start picking up some results - starting with the trip to Chelsea this weekend.
Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt demands more from his Manchester United team-mates
He said: "Hopefully, in the next game (United can improve). We're working hard every day, so hopefully we can get there quickly.
"We just have to work hard. We have to improve as a team and hopefully get better. We have to prove it - otherwise it's no use.
De Ligt insists City deserved to win - after making the startling admission their neighbours have better strikers up front. Despite United spending a fortune on Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer.
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He added: "In the first half, I think they were the better team. But they didn't have a lot of chances. 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.
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"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.'