Pundits: His career is over – I think we made a mistake because he can’t be making the same mistakes over and over again

Pundits: His career is over – I think we made a mistake because he can’t be making the same mistakes over and over again

The international break has seem many Manchester United stars shake off their club misery to impress in national team colours, except one.

 

The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Noussair Mazraoui, and Joshua Zirkzee have had standout games for their national teams but Zirkzee’s teammate hasn’t had it so easy.

 

Matthijs de Ligt started off the break by making a mistake vs Bosnia and Herzegovina which made that game nervy until two late goals saw the Netherlands win comfortably.

 

He was called out by Ronald Koeman afterwards but the faith was kept and he started against Germany where the situation worsened.

 

Mistakes continued and this time, Koeman took the nuclear decision of taking him off at half-time and his international career is already being declared, at least for the time being.

 

Matthijs De Ligt of the Netherlands looks dejected after conceding the team’s second goal during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League A Group A3 …

Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images

Van der Vaart rips into Matthijs de Ligt

It won’t help that the Netherlands didn’t concede a goal in the second half and erased the one-goal deficit to draw the game.

 

The emotions were running high post-match and former Dutch international-turned-pundit Rafael van der Vaart made a grave prediction about the Manchester United man.

 

Van der Vaart stood with analyst Pierre van Hooijdonk for NOS and laid into the player, saying that this is one mistake too many and Koeman will finally take a decision.

 

 

Van Hooijdonk said: “He had a similar moment in the beginning, where he actually loses the ball in a simple way by means of a pass. And then it happens a second time. That is terrible for De Ligt.

 

“Ultimately, top sport is very tough, and then it’s over. We all think De Ligt is a great player, but how often has this happened to the Dutch national team? And at almost all crucial moments. At some point it stops, especially when you have competitors who are of a high level.”

 

 

Van der Vaart’s three-word response to this analysis had an air of finality to it as he said: “This is fatal”.

 

Unpacking the situation

 

While the rival fans and pundits are eager to write obituaries for De Ligt’s career after two bad games, it is worth noting that De Ligt’s international career began in a similar fashion.

 

He made a horrendous mistake on his debut in a nightmare loss to Bulgaria and the player he has become since then isn’t unknown to anyone.

 

Moreover, there are mitigating factors here. Man United fans jumped to De Ligt’s defence pointing out the same.

 

He is working his way back to full match fitness while acclimatising at a new club and playing for the country after a long time.

 

Ultimately, a player as highly rated as De Ligt doesn’t become bad overnight and if anything, getting dropped from the Netherlands squad benefits United two ways.

 

He becomes driven to win his place back and impresses at United, and he gets to rest during the international break which is next month again.

 

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I’m mad at myself for what happened there’ I wanted to be a legend at the club

 

Last year, Morgan Schneiderlin opened up on his regret over his failed Manchester United spell, which lasted less than two seasons.

Morgan Schneiderlin

Morgan Schneiderlin is “mad” at himself for how his Man United career panned out (Image: Getty Images)

Morgan Schneiderlin revealed he is haunted by his Manchester United tenure and said he’ll regret it until the “end of his life”. The former French midfielder, 34, said he dreamt of becoming a club legend at Old Trafford but failed to make the grade during his forgetful 18-month spell there.

 

His rise began at Southampton, where after joining in 2008, he played a key role in back-to-back promotions for the Saints and later turned heads with his Premier League performances. This paved the way for a high-profile £27million transfer to United in July 2015, with Schneiderlin believing it was the start of the golden period of his career.

 

Despite being a regular pick for Louis van Gaal in his first season, Schneiderlin’s dreams crumbled when Jose Mourinho took the helm, reducing his playing time to just 147 minutes across the 2016/17 campaign. His faltering career saw him quit United for Everton in January 2017, before having stints at Nice, Western Sydney Wanderers, and finally A. E. Kifisia, before officially announcing his retirement last month.

 

Speaking to the Daily Mail last year, Schneiderlin said he still harbours deep regrets over his decision to leave the club in 2017, admitting he is “mad” at himself for not fighting for his place and not playing with the freedom he craved. “I know if I played to my full potential, with freedom, I would not be in Australia right now. Maybe I would still be at Manchester United.

 

“When I signed, I wanted to be a legend there. That is why I am mad with myself and it will be hard until the end of my life. My friends ask, ‘Why are you saying this? ‘ But I know myself and what I can bring. I know this time at Manchester United affected me for the longest period in my career.

 

“I was so frustrated I couldn’t give what I wanted. I had a period after at Everton when I didn’t lose the fire, but I lost a little bit inside me, I am not going to hide that. I should have managed it better.

 

“You work so hard to be at the top, top level. A lot of people were telling me I would be one of the top players in the world. I had the gut feeling that I had everything to be a top player in the world. Not being able to reach that level will stay with me forever.”

 

Morgan Schneiderlin

Morgan Schneiderlin spent just 18 months at Old Trafford (Image: Liverpool Echo)

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The Frenchman, who won the FA Cup and Europa League in Manchester, confessed that not reaching his full potential will haunt him forever: “You work so hard to be at the top, top level. A lot of people were telling me I would be one of the top players in the world.

 

“I had the gut feeling that I had everything to be a top player in the world. Not being able to reach that level will stay with me forever,” he said.

 

In total, Schneiderlin spent 12 years in English football. The bulk (seven years) was spent at Southampton, while a further three-and-and-half were spent at Everton following his United exit. His form for Southampton earned him a France call-up, and he made his debut for his country in 2014. He ended up earning 15 caps for France, all of which came between 2014 and 2015.