Matthijs de Ligt Understands Fans' Frustration at his Rocky Juventus Start

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt has said he sympathises with fans who are disappointed with his start at the club, saying he "would also be angry" if he was in their position. 

De Ligt, 20, joined the Bianconeri from boyhood club Ajax in July 2019 for €75 million—the fourth-highest fee paid for a defender—but his first half of the season in Turin wasn't as comfortable as many predicted.

The Netherlands international told Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia): "It's normal, it's all normal. If I had been in their shoes, I would also be angry at such mistakes. But as a player these are problems that shouldn't interest me. I just have to think about working to improve myself, understand if I'm making progress or not."

He gave away a decisive penalty for a handball when Juve drew 1-1 at Lecce on October 26, and he was lucky not to gift another one week prior, in a 2-1 win over Bologna, via Premier Sports (UK viewers only):

Manager Maurizio Sarri kept his new signing in his first XI despite the criticism, and the centre-back's improvement from November onwards has rewarded that faith thus far. Merih Demiral—who joined Juve from Sassuolo this past summer—has also earned support to start more regularly.

De Ligt captained Ajax to the semi-finals of last season's UEFA Champions League, as well as winning the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup. He made his senior international debut in 2017 and has already amassed 23 caps, garnering attention for his maturity in the past couple of campaigns.

The youngster was recently awarded the 2019 Kopa Trophy by Kylian Mbappe—winner of the 2018 accolade—recognising the Dutchman as the best under-21 in the world last year, via France Football:

De Ligt was an unused substitute in back-to-back league wins over Sampdoria and Cagliari, but he's since regained his starting place following an injury to Demiral.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a decisive brace in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Parma to help lift Sarri's side four points clear at the top of Serie A. Sportswriter Carlo Garganese also singled out De Ligt for praise:

Juventus have lost only once in 20 league outings this season, but Inter (17) and Lazio (18) have each conceded fewer than their 19 goals thus far.

De Ligt's contract in Turin doesn't expire until 2024, and the consensus at the time of his signing was that Juventus had captured arguably the most promising defender in Europe.

The player is again starting to display his maturity on the field, and his response to those critics off of it suggests he has the desire to recapture his former best.