Defender says Amorim’s system can’t work without players putting in sufficient effort
Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has said he and his teammates must take responsibility for their poor showing against Brentford on Saturday.
Ruben Amorim’s side fell to a humiliating 3-1 defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium and focus was turned once more on the manager’s insistence on a 3-4-3 system. Critics say the United head coach’s approach is making his team worse.
However, De Ligt admitted the players themselves must look inwards.
“We can’t say the goals we conceded, or the chances we conceded, are because of what… I don’t know, you guys always talk about the system,” said De Ligt.
“It also has a lot to do with focus, concentration, and if that’s lacking in key moments it’s going to make a difference.
“Of course, I mean it’s always easy to look to the manager, but in the end the players on the pitch have to do it.”
United have now lost 17 in 33 Premier League games and are yet to win successive league matches under Amorim. This season they have lost three in six so far, winning only two, most recently the 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the previous matchweek.
“[We are] really disappointed because all week we were speaking about keeping the momentum going, getting another win under our belt,” said De Ligt.
“If you lose this game, it’s a big blow obviously. A lot of time the same song, but we have to stick together. It’s the most important thing.”
