Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has praised Ruben Amorim’s blunt approach and feels it will benefit the club in the long run.
While Amorim has found winning matches difficult since he arrived from Sporting in November, he has delivered some of the most withering statements about United during his short time in charge.
After the 3-1 home defeat by Brighton in January he claimed his side were “probably the worst in Manchester United history”.
In the aftermath of the Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, he said he would walk away without talking about compensation should either the club’s hierarchy or the fans feel it was the best way forward.
On the recent post-season tour of Asia, Amorim accused his players of being “chokers” after their shock defeat by a South-East Asia select XI.
De Ligt, who skippered Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, feels that, because of his nationality and the Dutch reputation for blunt speaking, Amorim’s words are positive.
“I’m from Holland so I like it,” he said.
There was no backdoor entry to the Champions League thanks to the Tottenham reverse, meaning United miss out on European football and the finances that come with it next season for only the second time since English clubs returned to Uefa competition in 1990.
After delivering just seven Premier League victories after arriving at the club in November, Amorim will start the new campaign under intense pressure.
However, De Ligt feels the work Amorim is doing around the first-team group will pay dividends.
