Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt’s surprise managerial record has once again come to light following Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick’s dismissal. The Englishman was relieved of his duties this week following a dismal start to the new campaign.
Having finished third in the Premier League last season under Carrick, the Red Devils are now 18th after 10 games this campaign. They have just one win in the league and three across 15 games in all competitions.
United have struggled all over the pitch, but their inability to keep out goals has also been an issue. The English giants have managed just one clean sheet in all competitions, which came in the 4-0 win over Sabah in the Champions League in September.
They have conceded 19 goals in the league and 30 across all competitions. Of course, there can be an argument that the Red Devils have missed one of their key defenders in De Ligt this season.
De Ligt has struggled with injuries of late
De Ligt arrived at Old Trafford from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024 under the watch of former manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutch defender was signed as a possible replacement for Raphaël Varane, who left United at the end of the 2023/24 season.
De Ligt has since managed 58 appearances in all competitions, registering three goals. He was particularly decisive for the Red Devils in the first half of the 2025/26 campaign, during which he was arguably the best defender in the league.
Unfortunately, the 27-year-old aggravated a back issue in December last year and only recently returned to full fitness. In his absence, the English giants underwent another managerial upheaval, with Carrick replacing former head coach Ruben Amorim.
With the Englishman now vacating his position and recent reports suggesting that Mauricio Pochettino is set to take charge, De Ligt’s managerial curse appears to be in full effect at the Theatre of Dreams.
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
| Apps | 14 | 2 |
| Minutes | 1215 | 87 |
| Starts | 13 | 1 |
| Sub appearances | 1 | 1 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 |
| Non-penalty goals | 1 | 0 |
| Assists | 0 | 0 |
| Goals + assists | 1 | 0 |
| Minutes per goal | 1215 | – |
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| xG (PL) | 1.38 | – |
| xA (PL) | 0.83 | – |
| xG + xA (PL) | 2.21 | – |
| Avg rating | 6.95 | 6.33 |
| Shots | 9 | 0 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 0 |
| Shot accuracy % | 33.3% | – |
| Conversion % | 11.1% | – |
| Passes | 645 | 38 |
| Accurate passes | 565 | 34 |
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Pass accuracy % | 87.6% | 89.5% |
| Key passes | 3 | 0 |
| Dribbles attempted | 2 | 0 |
| Dribbles completed | 1 | 0 |
| Dribble success % | 50.0% | – |
| Tackles | 19 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 15 | 1 |
| Tackles + interceptions | 34 | 1 |
| Blocks | 7 | 0 |
| Duels | 122 | 2 |
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Duels won | 77 | 1 |
| Duels won % | 63.1% | 50.0% |
| Dribbled past | 6 | 0 |
| Fouls won | 5 | 0 |
| Fouls committed | 6 | 0 |
| Offsides | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties won | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties conceded | 0 | 0 |
De Ligt’s strange managerial record
De Ligt has played under a new manager in every season in his career, and Pochettino’s impending arrival is set to add to that record. The Argentine is set to be the 12th different manager the Dutch defender has played under in 10 years.
Surprisingly, he has never played under the same manager for two complete seasons!
De Ligt broke into the senior side under Peter Bosz at Ajax in 2016, before Marcel Keizer replaced him in 2017. Erik ten Hag took charge in January 2018, and the Dutch defender forged a stellar partnership with him at the Johan Cruyff Stadium.
In the summer of 2019, De Ligt left for Juventus, where he played under Maurizio Sarri before Andrea Pirlo was handed the job in 2020. The Bianconeri legend was removed from his position at the end of the 2020/21 season, with Massimiliano Allegri taking over in Turin in 2021.
The following summer, De Ligt left the Serie A giants to move to Bayern Munich, where he started under Julian Nagelsmann before Thomas Tuchel took charge in March 2023. The Dutchman played under the German manager the following season before leaving in the summer of 2024 to be reunited with Erik ten Hag.
De Ligt has already played under three managers at Old Trafford
Unfortunately, former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag lost his job within a few months of De Ligt’s arrival, before Amorim took charge at Old Trafford in November 2024. The Portuguese was relieved of his duties in January 2026 in favour of Carrick.
De Ligt made only two appearances under the English manager this season and is now preparing to welcome Pochettino. United fans will hope that the Argentine can finally break the Dutchman’s curse while also guiding the team back to the top.
Featured image by Marco Luzzani via Getty Images
