Matthijs de Ligt has been one of Ruben Amorim's trusted players in the past 11 months and the Manchester United defender has opened up on the relationship between the pair
Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt has opened up about Ruben Amorim's reign at Manchester United
View 2 Images
Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has provided an insight into how the dressing room feels about Ruben Amorim after a sluggish start to the Premier League season.
United are currently 10th in the Premier League after seven games with just three wins. Before the international break, the 2-0 win over Sunderland had eased the pressure on Amorim after he became one of the bookmakers' favourites to be sacked.
This weekend, United travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the Premier League, looking to pile more misery on Arne Slot, who has lost his last three games. Last year, Amorim came away from Merseyside with a 2-2 point against the soon-to-be champions thanks to Lisandro Martinez's late leveller.
Talk continues to surround Amorim's future at Old Trafford. Bruno Fernandes has recently admitted that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's backing of Amorim brings stability to the club.
De Ligt, who was signed just before Amorim's appointment nearly a year ago, has followed Fernandes' words by revealing his relationship with the United boss. Speaking to The Telegraph, the Dutchman explained the importance of the communication between the players and manager.
"I have a good relationship with him [Amorim] because of this, because he's quite direct and I am quite direct with him," he said. It's about honesty and also in honesty you can say things that are sometimes not so good and you accept that also, you know, because it's the only way. Communication and clarity is the most important thing in a team."
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim has won just three Premier League games this season
View 2 Images
De Ligt was also asked about Amorim's consistent 3-4-2-1 system, something he has publicly declared he won't be changing. "We're improving as a team," he said.
"In modern football even if you play a back four almost all teams play by building with three defenders. And we do often defend with four defenders.
"It's always easy to say 'system this, system that'. But, in the end, it's always adaptable in the game. There's no situation where the system is always the same in the game. In that way of being flexible and in the structure we have to find a way to get everything right and make everything happen."
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.