Nemanja Matic

[Rhino's Skin 972]

Matic has to cover for both Ivanovic and Cesc, talk about a stressful job. It doesn't really leave much room for even a small dip in form.

Replace them with Baba and Ruben and I think he would improve instantly.

Matic does not and has not been covering for Ivan.

[The Skipper 20,593]

This. People who aren't a fan of Matic would argue that it is ludicrous to say he is a top DM or compare him to Busquets for example. Any DM in our team with Fabregas being exposed how he is would struggle. Matic is not our main problem. If we had Verratti or Modric in the double pivot, Matic would look a lot better but Fabregas is not suited to playing in the double pivot. He is suited to a 4-3-3. I see Fabregas as more of a liability than Matic in our team.

He didn't struggle so much last season when he was on form...

Look, Cesc doesn't help but that doesn't explain Matic's poor form. Can't blame Fabregas for it. Matic has been awful himself.

[The Skipper 20,593]

IMO, our best midfield three is Cesc, RLC & Matic. RLC perfectly balances and complements both players in a midfield three tandem IMO.

[Oscar 441]

IMO, our best midfield three is Cesc, RLC & Matic. RLC perfectly balances and complements both players in a midfield three tandem IMO.

How? RLC doesn't have the workrate of neither oscar or rambo. The speed/stamina of rambo and the ability to press like Oscar..

If anything, having him would expose Cesc more because of his lack of workrate defensively.

[Oscar 441]

Agreed, however Matic would be a huge improvement over the fernandos

Don't think so.

Matic has better positioning and strength than Fernandinho, however, that is all I would say. To me, a fit and inform fernandino is more important to City than yaya is now.

[Oscar 441]

This. People who aren't a fan of Matic would argue that it is ludicrous to say he is a top DM or compare him to Busquets for example. Any DM in our team with Fabregas being exposed how he is would struggle. Matic is not our main problem. If we had Verratti or Modric in the double pivot, Matic would look a lot better but Fabregas is not suited to playing in the double pivot. He is suited to a 4-3-3. I see Fabregas as more of a liability than Matic in our team.

So, now Verratti can play in the pivot and Cesc cannot???

[lucio 5,418]

How? RLC doesn't have the workrate of neither oscar or rambo. The speed/stamina of rambo and the ability to press like Oscar..

If anything, having him would expose Cesc more because of his lack of workrate defensively.

He is capable of a good defensive shift (liverpool) , has athleticism and technique. He is fast for a man of his size.

[Oscar 441]

He is capable of a good defensive shift (liverpool) , has athleticism and technique. He is fast for a man of his size.

Being fast and having good workrate is not the same thing.

Ramires is probably the fastest guy on the team and can put a better shift defensively and can wreak more havoc as b2b than RLC can.

[DYC. 7,542]

Yaya is quality, but he is also City achilles heel. He represents why they struggle in Europe. Teams that take the game to city will find that Yaya is huge liability defensively, and cannot influence a midfield against quality midfield opposition. PL is different story since barely any team has the quality to play proactive against them, and the quality of midfield is not there. Or is controlling the midfield in the game plan of most managers in the PL.

Isn't it funny how Yaya has bossed games in the PL but has looked so ordinary in Europe? Tactically, he's just not there. He has technique, plenty of it, but he becomes crippled when he has to really think (to be a step ahead) and think quick. Cesc is like that. It's sad because Yaya would be such an amazing midfielder if he did have that. Legendary even. Touré is kind of like the Zlatan of midfielders, but Zlatan has a more impressive body of work over a 10 year span.

RLC has a lot to prove so I think it's very premature to rate him so highly or give him so much praise. I would like to see him given a chance though. But the idea of him alongside Matic and Cesc could easily not work.

I was always very vocal about strengthening midfield and was very sad it didn't happen. Mikel and Ramires simply aren't up to scratch (Ramires is a cool option to have in your squad though) and the weaknesses of Matic and Cesc were visible for a very long time. Pogba wouldn't have helped imo, in terms of creating a great midfield three. Wrong type of player as he also has troubles off the ball. And he's not as nearly commanding in possession as his hype and price tag suggests. A diamond in the rough and he was never a realistic target anyway.

The ball was dropped in this area, no two ways about it. But Mourinho is paid so much money because he is supposed to be able to do more than a 'normal' manager so coming up with a solution is completely on him.

[Blue_Fox_ 2,086]

How? RLC doesn't have the workrate of neither oscar or rambo. The speed/stamina of rambo and the ability to press like Oscar..

If anything, having him would expose Cesc more because of his lack of workrate defensively.

Don't think so.

Matic has better positioning and strength than Fernandinho, however, that is all I would say. To me, a fit and inform fernandino is more important to City than yaya is now.

One simple answer, No. To both of your posts. If anything replace Cesc with Oscar or Willian in a mid 3, but RLC has to be there alongside Matic.

And a Matic on form is simply world class.

[robsblubot 3,502]

Don't think so.

Matic has better positioning and strength than Fernandinho, however, that is all I would say. To me, a fit and inform fernandino is more important to City than yaya is now.

fernandinho is a toure - just not as good

[Stats 7,053]

So, now Verratti can play in the pivot and Cesc cannot???

Well based on this season, not that well, especially against teams that press him. He is not as good as holding on to the ball as Verratti is and seems to be bullied of it more easily. It is because Verratti is a better defender as well and they have much better balance. In a 4-3-3 I think he would be quality. I don't mind him in the pivot for Saturday for instance because all they are going to do is sit back I assume but games where teams take it to us, with constant pressing he is a little more exposed.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

I would say both Matic and Cesc are to be blamed, both have gone down in form as individuals and both have gone down in form as a team.

Cesc is shit in defense, but Matic is a shadow of himself too.

Whatever the treatment Matic is getting is plain shit tho. Iva, Cesc and others have been no better than Matic yet they dont get the treatment.

Seems Mou is looking for someone to blame and he found one in Matic. But long term that is bad, if we sell him he will get back in form somewhere else.

Matic is in bad form but Mou management and dealing with this problem is terrible to say at least.

[Pacquiao 1,834]

There is big difference between playng as a winger and as a DM. There is difference in dribbling past some players and pass, and to be the connection between the defence and the attack. F8ck sake, it's like trying to explain the positions in football to my girlfriend...

I can agree with you for that he is in bad form, so are and many other players in our team who still play every week,despite this fact...

again what on earth are you talking about???

[Pacquiao 1,834]

http://www.goal.com/en/match/manchester-city-vs-chelsea/2043057/ratings

"Did not play badly on an individual level but was let down by those around him in the middle as City came by time and again."

http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/959776/Live/England-Premier-League-2015-2016-Everton-Chelsea

8.6 rating in a game where we lost 3-1.

http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/959762/Live/England-Premier-League-2015-2016-Chelsea-Crystal-Palace

2nd highest rating in the team.

so exactly when was he awful?

60minutes of newcastle? 17 against porto or 20 against soton? a total of 100 poor minutes of football has made him AWFUL?

i am sorry, but the fact that most on here can see that matic is nowhere near the problem should be a good enough indicator.

so he wasnt our best player in all 3 games then was he? enough said

[manpe 10,861]

Whatever the Reason - I think we are all agreed 4-2-3-1 is no longer a viable formation

I would move to 4-4-1-1 with Willian/Cesc sitting in behind Costa

Matic and RLC in the middle and Hazard / Pedro out wide

That would be a little better IMHO and wouldn't leave us exposed in the middle between defence and midfield.

Matic could effectively play in the Makalele role and RLC with his athleticism could be the runner (box to box)

I doubt we would ever see this formation though - especially as I would have Azpi on the right and Baba on the left

4-4-1-1 is just another way of saying 4-2-3-1.

[didierforever 7,349]

so he wasnt our best player in all 3 games then was he? enough said

enough said???

so, not best player = awful???

[killer1257 3,282]

Obviously,Matic does deserve to be criticized,but people have to keep in mind that players like Cesc and Ivanovic tend to lose very much balls and both of them are not able to defend. Matic is the man,who has to cover Iva and Cesc and that is not possible for any player.

Of course,Matic makes weird passes sometimes and it seems that he can´t do anything with his right foot,but still,if he loses the ball,Cesc and the other players should be able to deal with that and win the ball back.Matic was never the man,who never misplaced passes.He always did them,but we in general were played much better football during the last 2 years,so it did not matter much because Willian or whoever won the ball immediately back again.

Furthermore,people also forget that Matic played a good match against Arsenal,even when Arsenal had all men on the pitch.As a matter of fact,Matic played good due to the fact that Oscar was also winning his tackles,so he of course benefited from it.If Oscar could always perform like that,Matic would have a much easier job and he could concentrate more in doing what Matic does best and that is winning tackles,making intelligent passes and winning headers.

Oscar seems to be a player,who never heard of the word consistency and Cesc,we all know it,can´t win tackles.

The best possible formation for me would be a midfield of Cesc,RLC and Matic.

Cesc would get his freedom back,RLC and Matic would be winning their tackles and both are capable of playing good passes.RLC is also a great dribbler and he is faster than both Matic and Cesc,so he could give us the speed in midfield and make some Yaya Toure bulldozer runs.

Sadly,Mourinho sees RLC as a number 6 and Matic is in big trouble,while Iva can relax on his status as our new captain,leader,legend.