Matthijs de Ligt highlights difference between Erik ten Hag at Man Utd and Ajax
Summer signing Matthijs de Ligt played for Erik ten Hag on his best days in coaching at Ajax and is now experiencing the Man Utd chief's lowest days at Old Trafford
by Alan Smith · The MirrorMatthijs de Ligt has claimed Erik ten Hag is “for the most part” the same head coach he was at Ajax - but the under pressure Manchester United boss has had to show more resilience in the Premier League.
Summer signing De Ligt has arrived at a club flirting with crisis mode following a dire set of early-season results, with United languishing 13th in the Premier League after six games and only two wins.
They are struggling to score and conceding cheaply - leaving Ten Hag with only two games to save his job, according to reports.
That begins with a Europa League trip away to Porto on Thursday evening and a tricky visit to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
And while United’s players are said to be convinced that they can turn things around under Ten Hag, a number of potential successors have already been linked.
But asked ahead of the Porto fixture if he notices any difference between Ten Hag now and when he was a serial trophy winner at Ajax, De Ligt said: “Yes, for the most part. But the resilience in the Eredivisie is very different than here in the Premier League.
"Every club here has a manager at a very high tactical level, and you have to be able to respond to that.”
De Ligt, 25, won one Eredivisie title under Ten Hag and also saw the team reach the Champions League semi-finals only to be beaten by Tottenham in a shock collapse in Amsterdam.
Ten Hag, meanwhile, insists he is not feeling stressed about his job being at risk and knows that he is a proven winner.
At his pre-match press conference ahead of the Porto clash, he said: "I'm not anxious [about losing my job]. We're in here together. We made an agreement this summer, the ownership, the leadership, and we are all behind it.
"We have proven that in the last two years that we win and I have proven in my career that I always win. In the last six years I have eight trophies. In all my six seasons, there were always trophies."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches 'lowest price' Premier League package
£43 (was £52)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £216 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the 2024/25 season with crystal clear picture quality.