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Sunday 12 January 2025 02:00
Matthijs de Ligt has admitted that Manchester United must improve from defending set-piece situations, but remains hopeful for the year ahead.
After a string of four consecutive defeats which included goals conceded from multiple corners, the Reds started 2025 in a more positive manner with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield, which included a strong defensive display from set-piece situations.
Looking back at the difficult period for United, the Netherlands international admitted to it being a frustrating string of games.
“It wasn’t easy in open play to outplay us, because I felt that we were really well positioned,” began De Ligt when speaking to Ian Irving recently.
“Obviously games get decided not only from open play, but also through corner kicks. We’ve conceded some goals from crosses as well, but these are things we try to work on and improve.
“(Corners) can sometimes come with a little bit of uncertainty where you have to make a decision in a split second, and if you make the wrong decision it normally ends up as a goal.
“We lost four games in a row, and I’m the first to say that this is not good enough, and that we have to do much better, but at the same time we have to stick to the way of playing.
“We have to stick to the progress we had before, and to try and find the solutions to fit into the system to get the results”.
Our result last time out at Anfield showed a much stronger performance from the team, and de Ligt admitted that it’s something to build on.
“I think the only way for us to come out is to work hard, to improve as much as a team and to believe that it is possible to get the results.
“We have had an amazing amount of support from the fans, even in the bad times, so I’m not worried about that, but I think we can get back on track again, and I can only say we will do everything with what we can do in each situation, and hopefully get the results we need soon.
De Ligt and his teammates will return to the Emirates on Sunday, where the Reds conceded two goals from corner situations last time around.
With Amorim having more time on the training pitch since then, United’s defence will have continued to improve from set-piece scenarios.
Our FA Cup 3rd round fixture kicks off on Sunday at 15:00 GMT.
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Sunday 12 January 2025 02:00
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