Matthijs de Ligt image 4

Matthijs de Ligt Netherlands flag

2024-25 Performances

View full 2024-25 profile

5.9 Season Average Rating
Appearances
36
Clean sheets
9
Goals
2
Assists
0
Yellow cards
4
I like him. He is a no non-sense defender. Always puts a shift and has a very good work rate. He made a couple of very good tackles today. I would just like him to take a bigger role leading the back line. He is a natural leader and can do more from that perspective. He’s also a better goal scorer than our strikers.

Was the best on the pitch along with bruno.
 
V.O. said:
Great game. MOTM for me.

Tackles and blocks all over the place, and looks to be learning when to step up effectively from that wide CB position and win the ball in midfield as well.
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Same, I was disappointed he wasn’t even given a mention by Shearer when he chose Bruno. Bruno certainly changed the game for us but De Ligt was flawless barring a couple of passes.

His switches of play and following his man into midfield was great to see too. It gives me confidence that the players are learning his system and we’ll see gradual improvement as the season goes on.

I always thought he would suits the CCB position more, but after today’s showing he’s certainly demonstrated that he’s more than capable with the ball and defending wide channels to be RCB.
 
We need to get him at CCB with Yoro and Heaven either side, and let him lead it.

It’d boost us massively having two athletic players, and a left footer at LCB.
 
There are those brainfart type moments that make me concerned about him but today he was very good. If he can be more consistent in the middle of the three with Maguire as a deputy for the role, for the time being I can live with that. Ideally we want to be looking at other areas this summer so him, Heaven, Yoro, Maguire, Maz will hopefully be okay going forward for another season while the midfield and forwards are retooled.
 
Ezkay said:
He can be a defender that sometimes progresses the ball, he cannot be OUR progressive passing defender next season
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agree. He's at his best when the defnce is under pressure but if we want to play proressively we need quicker defenders
 
He understood the assignment of being part of a back three. He was happy to launch himself out into their half and break up play and those turnovers were when we were most dangerous.
 
He can really tackle can't he?

That instance where Lindelof fell on his arse and he swooped in was trademark De Ligt.

Bam.
 
I have said for months that the fundamental biggest problem with our line up is Maguire in the middle of the 3. I understand why he is there but Amorim will live or die by his decision to keep playing him.

De Ligt is much better (regardless of what UK TV pundits Ram down your throat). He is way more proactive and aggressive as a front foot defender. Had another good game yesterday. Him in the middle of a 3 Yoro right and Heaven left looks good to me. All look fit and aggressive and proactive defenders which will move the whole team 10 yards up the pitch. That’s the difference in the midfield having to cover 20 yards of space vs 40

That will help our attack (players closer to each other) whether or not they are good enough and can take advantage of that I am not sure

It will also make us far more difficult to counter attack against IMO
 
automaticflare said:
I have said for months that the fundamental biggest problem with our line up is Maguire in the middle of the 3. I understand why he is there but Amorim will live or die by his decision to keep playing him.

De Ligt is much better (regardless of what UK TV pundits Ram down your throat). He is way more proactive and aggressive as a front foot defender. Had another good game yesterday. Him in the middle of a 3 Yoro right and Heaven left looks good to me. All look fit and aggressive and proactive defenders which will move the whole team 10 yards up the pitch. That’s the difference in the midfield having to cover 20 yards of space vs 40

That will help our attack (players closer to each other) whether or not they are good enough and can take advantage of that I am not sure

It will also make us far more difficult to counter attack against IMO
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I get what you’re saying, but I think Maguire’s biggest issue as a central in this set up is not speed or proactiveness, which are probably much more important for the wide CBs in this system. Maguire would actually be more exposed as a wide CB here, quite the opposite in comparison to Southgate’s back three, were the roles were very different and the back three much narrower.

It’s his ability to step into midfield in the build up which is more the issue. Still, I think he’s actually better than De Ligt in that respect, but still to slow of movement and of wit to suit the demands.
 
Much better game from, more aggressive in the tackling, closing of space, some really nice switches of play and good interceptions.

That half space between RCB and RWB is still a mess though. Mazraoui had a poor game for me. Any orthodox wide player and a full back in support basically causes havoc in those areas in our formation. Grim watching.
 
Thought he was excellent against Fulham in what for me was probably his best performance for us. He put absolutely everything in so it’s unlikely he will be ready to go again on Thursday.
 
I hope he can find more consistency. For me, he's been our best CB this season, but the bar is low. He can have games where he looks really solid, and others where he just doesn't really look anything all too great.

Playing him and Maguire together isn't ideal, as they are similar players with similar deficiencies to their games.
 
Robbie Boy said:
I hope he can find more consistency. For me, he's been our best CB this season, but the bar is low. He can have games where he looks really solid, and others where he just doesn't really look anything all too great.

Playing him and Maguire together isn't ideal, as they are similar players with similar deficiencies to their games.
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Agree, I think Maguire needs to go back to the bench and come on as a back up. Let the Yoro-De Ligt-Maz trio work it out for the rest of the season so they can get a good understanding next season. At least we'll have a better idea of what we actually need in the future. Maguire has only 1 year left we have to start acting like he's not gonna be here in near future.
 
His clearance while in a heap on the floor was fantastic

Reminded me of the time Phil Jones tackled Giroud whilst simultaneously falling arse over tit
 
I like him. He’d have been great in a 4-4-2 about twenty years ago. Not so sure if he’ll ever be one of the top defenders in the modern game though. But more than good enough for where we are currently at.
 
tomaldinho1 said:
Solid. Yoro + a new CB with pace on the other side of him will make a good 3
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Yeh I do think he’s now grown into the middle of a three, the first few games he did that I wasn’t so sure, but he’s becoming more confident in attacking the ball and does just seem like a leader.
 
macheda14 said:
Yeh I do think he’s now grown into the middle of a three, the first few games he did that I wasn’t so sure, but he’s becoming more confident in attacking the ball and does just seem like a leader.
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Just has a no shits given attitude to boshing people/tackling, a lost art.
 
I like his long passing ability but it's his tackling that really stands out, looking at the Opta stats for the league this year, he has a successful tackle percentage of 74%, versus 36% for Yoro and 54% for Maguire. Also with same number of games played as Maguire, he's on less than half the number of bookings, for me this is a sign of better positioning and not having to make rash tackles because he's caught out.
 
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Looked very good again. Loved that clearance he made lieing on the ground.

Don't like him and Maguire in the same team, think De Ligt more of a leader when he's in the centre with Maguire not there. Can see why we've done it recently given the amount of goals via corners we've conceded and being so poor aerially through the team.

De Ligt and Yoro should be nailed in the back 3. The other place is up for grabs, ideally a taller, quicker version of Martinez.
 
Solid signing. There was a lot of talk about his injury record before signing him but he’s one of our most reliable players and first name in the team now. Last game against Fulham when he tracked back and did a sliding tackle was one of his highlights this season.
 
He looks a very good defender to me. Could be a smart signing after all. Him Yoro & Martinez is a good back 3 for next season.
 
Cutch said:
Looked very good again. Loved that clearance he made lieing on the ground.

Don't like him and Maguire in the same team, think De Ligt more of a leader when he's in the centre with Maguire not there. Can see why we've done it recently given the amount of goals via corners we've conceded and being so poor aerially through the team.

De Ligt and Yoro should be nailed in the back 3. The other place is up for grabs, ideally a taller, quicker version of Martinez.
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Heaven should play with them as the LCB.
 
VivaRonaldo85 said:
He looks a very good defender to me. Could be a smart signing after all. Him Yoro & Martinez is a good back 3 for next season.
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We just need this back three consistently. Unfortunately, with injuries, it didnt happen often and this obviously disrupted the back line and de ligt. He had to be shifted between the 3 spots at the back which doesn’t help. A consistent back three of yoro-de ligt-martinez would be solid
 
VivaRonaldo85 said:
He looks a very good defender to me. Could be a smart signing after all. Him Yoro & Martinez is a good back 3 for next season.
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Nah Martinez prob should fall in to the category of don't count on for starter minutes but just as squad options. I do like de light though and think he will be just fine here
 
VivaRonaldo85 said:
He looks a very good defender to me. Could be a smart signing after all. Him Yoro & Martinez is a good back 3 for next season.
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We will probably have Martinez next season as he won’t be fit enough to sell. But he should be moved on, as soon as we can.

He’s not tall enough, not quick enough, not fit enough. He’s not been good enough. He has some good games, but that doesn’t make up for the rest. Been a bad signing.
 
foolsgold said:
I like his long passing ability but it's his tackling that really stands out, looking at the Opta stats for the league this year, he has a successful tackle percentage of 74%, versus 36% for Yoro and 54% for Maguire. Also with same number of games played as Maguire, he's on less than half the number of bookings, for me this is a sign of better positioning and not having to make rash tackles because he's caught out.
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I think being a better athlete than Maguire helps the yellow card situation. Maguire just struggles to get there on time and so ends up committing a foul.

My only worry with De Light is that I'm waiting for the injury. We're asking a big CB to put a hell of a shift in every week. It doesn't look sustainable for his body type.
 
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