Matthijs de Ligt | Match Discussion Thread 2024/25

Another very good performance last night. He’s turning into a real leader.

I much prefer seeing him the centre with Maz and Yoro either side. Don’t think him and Maguire particularly work together back there.
 
Yeah feel with Maguire it's probably best that it's one or the other as neither is blessed with speed.

I think De Ligt was signed as the replacement for Maguire and he looks to have settled in well.

He did very well to recover from a slip towards the end of the game. Managed to adjust his feet and still hook the ball away and stop it getting to the attacker.
 
To play the Amorim way as CCB speed is not required. Ball control and vision are. Maguire and De Ligt have neither.

We need ball playing CB's - players who are very comfortable on the ball, not treat it like a bomb.

At Sporting his players were all very comfortable being pressed and they'd send it back to the keeper if no option was available centrally, who would then send it back to one of them, and repeat until the way through the middle opens up. With our current GK and CB's the chances of doing that are zero.
 
If Amorim wants to have a front 3 that presses he needs defenders who can recover in the channels as that's where teams will look to target us. De Ligt I think has just enough pace to manage that and really as the central man in the 3 he shouldn't be the one chasing people in the channels. He's pretty quick over long distances but I think he's a bit slow off the line so can be caught a bit flat footed over the short distances.

In Premier League football you need speed the teams in this league are so good on the counter you can't afford to be slow and most teams now have 2 or 3 good quality players to come off the bench for the last half hour to keep testing you.

Our current goalkeeper is one of the best keepers in the world with his feet it is the one thing he's genuinely good at.

The issue with coming out from the back is the outfield players none of the centre backs with the exception of Martinez can play quick passes through pressing players to get out. Far to often within 2 or 3 passes we are back at the keeper who's then having to kick long.
 
Our current goalkeeper is one of the best keepers in the world with his feet it is the one thing he's genuinely good at
I think that's what people say, when you watch, no chance is he.
 
There is absolutely no way you believe that?;

He is excellent at short stuff his long range stuff is pretty average. Unfortunately he is forced to kick long to often because when he goes short he ends up with the ball back at his feet again because our defenders/midfielders can’t play through teams.

Confidence on the ball in his box under pressure is very good. Can think of maybe 2 goals where he’s played us into trouble with a bad pass out. Both in European games 1 last season 1 this season.

Ederson is probably the benchmark for keepers with the ball in play he isn’t Ederson but i do feel he’s better than most of the others.

The ball at his feet doesn’t worry me at all.
 

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