There have been a lot of changes at Manchester United over the past year, with the biggest coming in the dugout when Ruben Amorim became head coach in November.
It has been a difficult first six months for Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League and reached the Europa League final before losing 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspur.
It wasn’t the end to a turbulent season that Amorim wanted, as it meant there would be no European football for the 2025/26 campaign after falling short domestically and in the Europa League, despite having a last-chance saloon attempt at qualifying for the Champions League.
United’s first team are having to learn a different style of play under Amorim, after the squad was constructed previously by Erik ten Hag, who was sacked following a dire start to the 2024/25 season.
Photo by Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez/Soccrates/Getty Images
Photo by Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez/Soccrates/Getty Images
Matthijs de Ligt adapts to back-three under Ruben Amorim
It was not the debut season Matthijs de Ligt imagined he would have when he joined United from Bayern Munich last year.
The Netherlands international was brought to Old Trafford by Ten Hag, before Amorim took charge in November, but there is hope for improvement ahead of the new campaign.
De Ligt missed the end of the season due to an injury sustained at Brentford, but the centre-back still managed to make 42 appearances and will be fit and ready to return for the start of pre-season next month.
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One of the biggest talking points from the season is how United switched to a defence featuring three centre-backs after Amorim arrived at the club. That means De Ligt has had to play alongside two central defenders, rather than one.
De Ligt reveals that it is the biggest change he has witnessed under Amorim, at least on a personal note, because the attacking players in the squad may have noticed something else.
“For me, personally, obviously going from a two-man defence centre-back to a three-man defence,” De Ligt told ManUtd.com.
“That’s obviously a change. So yeah, you change the way you play. The positions look the same but they are still quite different.”
De Ligt will hope to be part of a team that is renowned for winning more football matches next season. United will have fewer midweek fixtures, and the players will have more time on the training ground with Amorim’s staff to work on implementing his changes to the team.
Matthijs de Ligt career stats
Injuries have been De Ligt’s biggest issue throughout his career.
Nobody can question the 25-year-old’s ability as a defender, having played for multiple top clubs in Europe, but he has been unfortunate with injury setbacks.
It only became an issue for United towards the end of the season as De Ligt missed the run in, including the Europa League final.
Club Games Goals Assists
Manchester United 42 2 0
Juventus 117 8 3
Ajax 117 13 7
Bayern Munich 73 5 2
Matthijs de Ligt stats by club
Most of De Ligt’s injuries came at Bayern Munich, which explains why he only made 73 appearances during his time at the German club.