Matthijs de Ligt had a below par game despite Holland winning well (Image: getty)
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has downplayed Matthijs de Ligt’s mistakes during their victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, insisting there’s no need to make “a big deal” out of it. Despite conceding two goals due to De Ligt’s errors, the Dutch team scored five times, securing all three points in Eindhoven.
Among the goalscorers were Manchester United defender Joshua Zirkzee and Liverpool striker Cody Gakpo.
Bosnia equalised through Ermedin Demirovic, who capitalised on De Ligt’s poor defending. The centre-back’s questionable positioning played Demirovic onside.
Furthermore, De Ligt was caught off guard for Bosnia’s second goal, allowing Edin Dzeko to make it 3-2, leading to a tense finish for the Dutch side. However, Koeman defended De Ligt, highlighting the roles of other players.
Koeman stated: “Xavi Simons should have done better. He was marking their left midfielder and suddenly walked away from him. Of course, the centre-backs are positioning themselves wrong too.”
Matthijs de Ligt twice opened the door for Bosnia to score (Image: getty)
When asked about De Ligt’s performance, Koeman added: “He himself realises that he was in the wrong position. This should not happen, but mistakes are part of football. I think it is unfair to make a big deal out of it.”
The defender candidly acknowledged his shortcomings as he remarked: “I think you know how I feel.. we won.. but then comes the individual part. I should have done better at their second goal, and I know that. I don’t really know what happened. I should have cleared the ball but I kept having doubts during the play. It’s just f****d.”
Adding to this self-reflection, he said: “If this game is a missed opportunity for me? I don’t know.. I just try to do my best.”
De Ligt, keen on redeeming his early promise from his Ajax days where he was instrumental in their Champions League semi-final journey, has faced challenges while at Juventus and Bayern Munich.
Now back with former manager Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, De Ligt looks to recapture his form that once made Europe’s top clubs vie for his signature. However, he’s off to a rocky start, with the team suffering a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in his sole appearance before the international break.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has expressed doubts about De Ligt, especially given his £40million transfer fee and lacklustre performances in Germany. Scholes pointed out: “He’s not played for them. That’s a big concern for me, especially when Eric Dier’s playing in front of him. I’m not joking; that is a massive concern for me.
“You’re bringing in players for £40m, £50m, okay, just because he’s played for them three or four years ago… Juventus got rid of him; he wasn’t good enough at Juventus, he obviously hasn’t been good enough for Bayern Munich. He’s coming to us almost like a second-rate defender now.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1945762/Man-Utd-Matthijs-De-Ligt-Koeman