I honestly don’t think De Ligt should be the central defender in a back three especially with Maguire and Yoro in the squad.

 

The role demands calmness on the ball and discipline in positioning, and that’s not where De Ligt is at his best. 

He’s naturally aggressive, he loves stepping out, pressing high, and trying to win duels early, which makes him far more effective playing wider.

If you look at Maguire and Yoro, both are more composed in possession and read the game with patience. That’s exactly what you want in the central role. 

Think back to Rio and Vidic: Rio handled the ball-playing and composure, while Vidic thrived on aggression. Right now, De Ligt is being asked to play “Rio’s role” when his game is much closer to Vidic’s.

The smarter balance is simply by playing Yoro or Maguire centrally depending on the opponent. Yoro if you need pace and stability, Maguire if you need dominance in the air. 

Then let De Ligt play wide, where his aggression doesn’t leave us exposed.

That’s how you get both stability and bite in this backline.