Jamie Carragher Explains How Matthijs de Ligt is Causing Man Utd Problems

Jamie Carragher has sharply criticized Matthijs de Ligt for being frequently “out of position” as Manchester United continues to struggle. The £43 million summer acquisition from Bayern Munich, who rejoined his former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, has had a rocky start at Old Trafford.

While De Ligt has shown some flashes of potential, including scoring his first goal for United against Southampton, the team’s recent 3-0 defeat to Tottenham highlighted significant flaws in his game. On *Sky Sports*’ *Monday Night Football*, Carragher analyzed De Ligt’s positioning during the match.

During his analysis of Tottenham’s opening goal, Carragher pointed out De Ligt’s failure to close down space, which allowed his international teammate Micky van de Ven to enter the penalty area and assist Brennan Johnson. Carragher stated:

“I’ve noticed this with De Ligt and a lot of centre-backs. I don’t understand why they don’t fill the space… If De Ligt goes over, Martinez comes across. He’s looking over his shoulder—forget that! It was a brilliant run, but van de Ven ran because he saw the space.”

Carragher also highlighted a moment when De Ligt was slow to challenge Timo Werner, a recurring problem throughout the game. He observed that De Ligt’s positioning leads him to make risky tackles, which increases the likelihood of receiving yellow or red cards.

Paul Scholes Shares Concerns About De Ligt

Carragher is not the only one expressing skepticism about De Ligt. Former United midfielder Paul Scholes has also questioned whether the Dutch defender is a significant upgrade over Harry Maguire. Scholes commented:

“He might be slightly better, but it’s not a massive improvement where you think, wow.”

Both Carragher and Scholes are concerned that De Ligt’s early performances indicate Manchester United’s defensive issues may continue, despite the considerable investment in the player.