Manchester United central defender De Ligt was interviewed today and talked about his preferred formation.
Manchester United coach Amorim has been severely criticized for insisting on using a five-back defensive system (three central defenders paired with two wing-backs). Some people believe that the Portuguese coach needs to be pragmatic and change back to the traditional four-back system to ensure results.
Early this morning, in the last World Cup qualifier between the Netherlands and Lithuania, De Ligt partnered with Van Dijk in the four-back four and played the entire game, helping the Netherlands defeat their opponents and qualify first in the group. After the game, De Ligt was asked about his preference and he insisted he had no preference.
He said: "No, I don't have any preference. We play five backs at Manchester United, but on the tactical board, we defend with four. It doesn't feel awkward to play four backs today. It feels like usual. I can play in both systems. Now I am more experienced in the five-back system. The more experience I have, the easier it is to play."
The Netherlands has now qualified for the World Cup. After the game, De Ligt expressed his joy of starting for the national team for the first time since last November: " Is this a comeback? Well, sort of. I wasn't selected last time and I haven't started for a long time, so I'm happy to start today and the season is going well so far. "I'm not sure if it's a comeback season, but I feel good and things are getting better at the club and it's great to be rewarded with a start for the national team. The World Cup is still far away and the key is to stay healthy, which is the most important thing for everyone."