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Matthijs de Ligt’s summer signing was not universally popular given his past ties with Erik ten Hag and the fact that he had not progressed since leaving Ajax as many had predicted.
But the Dutchman has performed well since arriving in Manchester and arguably put in his best shift for the club during the FA Cup defeat to Fulham last Sunday.
With the club languishing in 14th position in the Premier League and out of both domestic cup competitions, it has turned out to be a nightmare season for the Red Devils.
The Europa League represents the 20-time English league champions’ last shot at silverware this season while also providing a pathway into the Champions League next season.
De Ligt’s rallying cry
And the Dutch defender urged his teammates to forget what had happened in the past during this tumultuous campaign and to give it their all against Real Sociedad in the Round of 16 first leg tie on Thursday.
“That is the consequence [Champions League qualification] if you win the tournament. That is our main goal. We need to take it game-by-game. We have to put everything on the line to win the game and hopefully we will get a good result tomorrow,” De Ligt said during the pre-match press conference which was also attended by Ruben Amorim.
When asked what has gone wrong for the club, the Netherlands international admitted that the players have underperformed but also pointed to luck not being on their side at times.
“We would have expected a little bit better than it is at the moment. We know we have not been good enough and we try to improve things. It is also something, in the end, a little bit to do with luck. We know we have to improve.”
The players have been rightly criticised and the atmosphere around the club has turned toxic, something the Dutch defender also alluded to when asked about the current situation at the club.
Players need to keep working hard to overcome bad times
De Ligt has the experience of playing for giants like Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich before arriving at Old Trafford so he knows how to handle the negativity when things are not going according to plan.
His advice for the younger members of the squad was to keep working hard to improve.
“We have encountered a lot of pressure and a lot of criticism. For me, it is not something different as I have been at clubs where you are expected to win titles. You have to keep going, you have to work hard and you have to improve.”
Hopefully, the three-time European winners can get their act together for the game at Reale Arena, their season depends on it.
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