Matthijs de Ligt WILL succeed at Man Utd under Ten Hag unlike flop ex-team-mate, says former Red Devils coach
MANCHESTER UNITED summer signing Matthijs de Ligt won’t flop at Old Trafford like Netherlands team-mate Donny van de Beek.
That is according to ex-United coach Rene Meulensteen, who is adamant De Ligt’s “different” personality will help him rise to the challenge.
The centre-back and Van de Beek burst onto the scene in 2019 at Ajax under current Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag where they won a domestic double and just missed out on the Champions League final.
The Dutch duo’s stunning performances earned them immense attention and so De Ligt moved to Juventus that summer while the playmaker joined United after a £40million deal in 2020.
Van de Beek, though, failed to live up to expectations as he was loaned out twice to Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt and couldn’t find his old form even after Ten Hag reunited with him in 2022.
The 27-year-old’s Old Trafford nightmare finally came to an end this summer when he moved to Girona after a mere two goals and two assists in 62 appearances.
De Ligt then moved to Manchester after a £43m deal with Bayern Munich, and Meulensteen insists the defender won’t go down the same path as Van de Beek.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant manager is adamant his fellow Dutchman is well “equipped” for Premier League football.
Meulensteen told SunSport on behalf of Free Bets: “Matthijs is a whole different person, different position, personality.
“When Matthijs came through with Ajax he was young, and they made him captain quite quickly. He was a strong influence on the back, strong defender, powerful, not afraid to go forward.
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“I was always a massive fan of Matthijs de Ligt, and it wasn’t surprising to me that a big club would pick him up. Juventus did, but then it was interesting to see that eventually he led his career to Bayern Munich.
“Good signing by them, he fit well there. However, Matthijs’ career seemed to get a bit sidetracked there as other players got the preference.
“I think he’s equipped for the Premier League football, because of his physique and he’s a young player with experience in Champions League.
“It’s going to be interesting run of developments in the upcoming games whether Ten Hag is going to go for a partnership with De Ligt and [Lisandro] Martinez which means [Harry] Maguire is falling by the wayside again.”
Meulensteen believes Van de Beek’s stint at United didn’t work out primarily because he plays in the same position as captain Bruno Fernandes.
And the ex-Fulham boss claims the midfielder could never be a “difference maker” like Fernandes.
Meulensteen said when asked why Van de Beek didn’t succeed at United: “A combination of things, because Donny became a bit of a victim of the fact that he plays in similar areas as Bruno and its very similar situation to Mason Mount when he was trying to find his feet.
“Bruno has shown his worth and importance to Manchester United, so he’s not going to move away. And he’s a better player for the Premier League and Manchester United than Donny van de Beek.
“Donny is a solid player, but in Manchester United you need difference makers.”
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Why De Ligt is the perfect Man Utd signing
By Lee Scott
One of Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag’s biggest headaches has been fixing their leaky defence.
Despite still not being anywhere near his peak years De Ligt has built considerable experience so far in his career with Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich and he has 45 caps at senior level for the Dutch national team.
While he is not necessarily a highly modern ball playing type of defensive player he is a player with the defensive strengths and instincts to help shore up a United defence that was, at best, leaky last season.
He has a great ability to read the game which was one of the biggest issues that we saw from the United defensive unit last season.
De Ligt is also a master in one-on-one situations, who shows strength and intensity in his duels.
The Dutch star does a good job in keeping things simple and tends to make good decisions in possession.
The pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt makes perfect sense for United and for Ten Hag as a young defender who is still to reach his peak.
He has considerable experience at a high level and he understands the game model and system of play of the manager.
Click here to read our full analysis on De Ligt joining Manchester United.