Nemanja Matic

[The Mak 4,459]

Some people I know said to me that barnes just tried to pass and matic kicked the ball with his leg and the leg of barnes just moved forward naturally.

Actually yh xCech is right somewhat, looks at the gif movement Barnes's leg was kind of already swing as a result of passing the ball, Matic was running at full speed to stop co collision was inevitable. On the face of it still looks a red card worthy though for me.

Yes, that does explain the initial collision, but the only way for Matic's leg to bend like that is if there is significant pressure put into it. If it was just his movement for a pass then he would just scraped up his leg with his studs and they both would've went down no problem. However, Barnes clearly wanted to leave a bit on Matic and he's done a lot more than that, whether he was fully aware of what he was doing or not.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

I think Cesc would be ok going forward. I saw glimpses of his self today. He saw a lot of the ball and was passing around ok. That's why we had 70% possession numbers. I think he is struggling with the final ball. The big difference I see between 2014 and 2015 is that he is not going far forward. Probably because of the Tottenham and Liverpool games he is concerned that we will get caught up in a counter attack. Earlier in the season we were playing worry free, confident that Matic, Cahill, and Terry would do the job. But the Spurs game feels like a turning point this season

I think his holdup play under extensive pressure is absolute shit. And thats a problem for someone who is key playmaker and eventualy a big problem for team.

[petr.breu 1,618]

He should do this...

https://vine.co/v/OQhh17a5zPB

[mannyfreshh 164]

no matic and no mikel.. who starts next week?

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

I thought Matic controlled himself brilliantly tbh. All he did was just push the dude. There is no way I would have been able to restrain myself if I was on the end of a tackle like that. I would have definitely kicked the motherfucker too after he was on the ground.

Barnes is a coward of the highest degree imo. From the get go, he was intent on injuring someone and the referee let him.

[Stats 7,053]

I really hope the club appeals this. Barnes has done one of the worst challenges you can see in football and luckily Matic has avoided serious injury. I expected his reaction to be worse but he only pushed him to the floor. Yes, it is a red card offence but retrospectively we and Matic have a right to an appeal. You wouldn't find one player who is on the receiving end of that sort of challenge just walk off and get on with it. That is a challenge that could of potentially kept him on the sidelines for months. Other players would have reacted much worse and I hope the FA use their senses here and understand in the heat of the moment and how serious the challenge was, maybe a bit of leniency should be shown. If they are expecting a player to be like "let's be best mates" after a challenge like that then they are a bunch of twats. Happy to see non-Chelsea fans be giving support to Matic as well which is pleasing. I fully hope we put in a justified appeal.

[Fulham Broadway 16,835]

Speaking on Radio 5 Live, Chris Waddle appealed for common sense to be applied to Matic, who is set to miss next weekend's Capital One Cup final against Spurs.

'Any player in football would have reacted the same, a leg breaker, the red card should be rescinded if common sense prevails,' the former England man said.

[Jase 43,479]

Speaking on Radio 5 Live, Chris Waddle appealed for common sense to be applied to Matic, who is set to miss next weekend's Capital One Cup final against Spurs.

'Any player in football would have reacted the same, a leg breaker, the red card should be rescinded if common sense prevails,' the former England man said.

As if the FA have any in common sense in them. Doubt whatever appeal we throw at them would knock some common sense into their head.

[gary gordon 1,777]

I love how most of the armchair experts here say they would have done the same. Players at this level are suppose to be very disciplined. This is his job. He's not some has-been park footballer. He let his team mates down and let the supporters and the club down. He will now miss a cup final and two important league games that are now must wins because of his brain snap. Very dissapointed in him.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

I love how most of the armchair experts here say they would have done the same. Players at this level are suppose to be very disciplined. This is his job. He's not some has-been park footballer. He let his team mates down and let the supporters and the club down. He will now miss a cup final and two important league games that are now must wins because of his brain snap. Very dissapointed in him.

Just because he gets paid to play does not suppress basic human reactions. Sorry, but what Matic did was right. Just such a shame that he didn't KO Barnes before he went off the pitch.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

I love how most of the armchair experts here say they would have done the same. Players at this level are suppose to be very disciplined. This is his job. He's not some has-been park footballer. He let his team mates down and let the supporters and the club down. He will now miss a cup final and two important league games that are now must wins because of his brain snap. Very dissapointed in him.

I'd highly disagree on that. At the end of the day he's human. Disciplined or not, he is not a robot. Everything goes out of the window. I'm appalled at the fact that Barnes did that and didn't even show the slightest remorse. He walked away like he'd collected his daily wages. His leg bent for fucks sake. Over the span of a week, we almost lost two players if they lifted their legs off the ground a second later. To top that Atkinson didn't even give a shit. I hate how people go on about the fact that it's his job. So what? You can't buy emotion.

If anything, everyone is disappointed in the fact that he got red carded, but the fact that anyone can blame him for it and go too hard on him is unbelievable.

[Fulham Broadway 16,835]

As if FA have any in common sense in them. Doubt whatever appeal we throw at them would knock some common sense into their head.

Its good to have an-ex England international having a pop at the 'suits', someone they respect defending Nemanjas position - putting his head above the parapet.

JE SUIS MATIC !

[The Mak 4,459]

I love how most of the armchair experts here say they would have done the same. Players at this level are suppose to be very disciplined. This is his job. He's not some has-been park footballer. He let his team mates down and let the supporters and the club down. He will now miss a cup final and two important league games that are now must wins because of his brain snap. Very dissapointed in him.

I'd highly disagree on that. At the end of the day he's human. Disciplined or not, he is not a robot. Everything goes out of the window. I'm appalled at the fact that Barnes did that and didn't even show the slightest remorse. He walked away like he'd collected his daily wages. His leg bent for fucks sake. Over the span of a week, we almost lost two players if they lifted their legs off the ground a second later. To top that Atkinson didn't even give a shit. I hate how people go on about the fact that it's his job. So what? You can't buy emotion.

If anything, everyone is disappointed in the fact that he got red carded, but the fact that anyone can blame him for it and go too hard on him is unbelievable.

Despite his reaction being rather natural, we also have to think about the type of mentality José is putting the players in (particularly recently with all the decisions against us): 'battle mode', 'everyone against us', etc.

Getting players psyched like that can reap the benefits but it can also cause situations like this. Think of Ramires in general last season; José and the rest of the backroom staff kept on hyping him up by referring to him as some sort of midfield 'enforcer' and in almost every game he would be the one most likely to be sent off.

You can't take the good without the bad.

[!Hazard! 3,394]

Absolutely terrifying tackle and Matic is so lucky not be using crutches for the next 6-8 months. As what comes to reaction, it is obviously not a one the club wants to see but just because your weekly salary is of biblical proportions doesn't mean you should/could abandon all basic human emotions. And it was just a shove at Barnes, and not even a tough one. Just like Jose put it at Sky Studio today, the consequence of that shove for Barnes is absolutely nothing. Matic could have seen his life's work as a footballer flushed down the toilet. Either get a ban Barnes, or cancel Matic's 3-game ban.

[lucio 5,418]

I love how most of the armchair experts here say they would have done the same. Players at this level are suppose to be very disciplined. This is his job. He's not some has-been park footballer. He let his team mates down and let the supporters and the club down. He will now miss a cup final and two important league games that are now must wins because of his brain snap. Very dissapointed in him.

I remember costa suffered a potential leg breaker in pre season. He didn't violently react, which would have been more defensible than during the most crucial stage of the season.

[Stats 7,053]

I love how most of the armchair experts here say they would have done the same. Players at this level are suppose to be very disciplined. This is his job. He's not some has-been park footballer. He let his team mates down and let the supporters and the club down. He will now miss a cup final and two important league games that are now must wins because of his brain snap. Very dissapointed in him.

Alright. We are all Malcolm X and you are Martin Luther King.....

His "brain snap" could of easily been a consequence of a leg snap. Maybe you are one of a kind but it is ridiculous imo to assume he should just get on with the game. It was a horrific challenge. You say "players at this level are suppose to be very disciplined"... yes and was Barnes disciplined when he did that potentially leg breaking challenge? No. It was reckless. Be serious mate,

[Parky 739]

Does anyone know Barnes twitter name ?

[Pacquiao 1,834]

Vertonghen just pushed Noble in the face and doesnt even get a yellow, and Matic gets a straight red for pushing Barnes in the back, am i missing something here?