Nemanja Matic

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Thought he was anonymous at intervals and generally needed to get more involved, but overall he was good in my book. Definitely his best performance of late.

[Henrique 9,133]

8 hours ago, The Skipper said:

You have very low expectations of Matic if you thought he was very good. He was just about average. 

Indeed. When the team was under pressure I remember a embarrassing pass that went straigh to sidelines, and 2 or 3 "turnovers" while trying to give short passes or just randomly trying long passes just to get rid of the ball. 

[Styles 9,790]

As bad as Ivanovic as been this season, tonight's display by Matic has been by far the worst performance of the season.

He is one of SEVERAL players that have to be let go this summer.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Can someone just explain to me what he does in the team now? Seriously, does he have an actual role other than to make up the numbers? 

I get that his confidence is shot, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything neither in attack nor defense and you could actually see the difference in midfield after he came off. It's like we were basically playing with 10 men with him on!

If Guus insists on playing Cesc in a more advanced role, then it just has to be RLC next to Mikel. 

[lucio 5,418]

put him with rlc. 

dont really care for mikel, ,move the club forward

[Fernando 6,484]

One season wonder then.

Just like many of the buys that Mourinho did.

[Styles 9,790]

7 minutes ago, CHOULO19 said:

Can someone just explain to me what he does in the team now? Seriously, does he have an actual role other than to make up the numbers? 

I get that his confidence is shot, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything neither in attack nor defense and you could actually see the difference in midfield after he came off. It's like we were basically playing with 10 men with him on!

If Guus insists on playing Cesc in a more advanced role, then it just has to be RLC next to Mikel. 

Pointless player? He wouldn't be the only one to be honest. So much dead weight in the squad.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

 

It would be interesting to see if he can recover next season as he surely can be great player but at the moment is the worst midfielder in the Premier League.

(Still time to sell him to China though)

[CHOULO19 24,332]

6 minutes ago, Styles said:

Pointless player? He wouldn't be the only one to be honest. So much dead weight in the squad.

But why play him? If the point was to rest Hazard, then start RLC, if RLC can't play 2 matches in 3 days then start Kennedy on the left and Oscar centrally.

And to keep him on till the 73rd minute...criminal! 

[Styles 9,790]

11 minutes ago, CHOULO19 said:

But why play him? If the point was to rest Hazard, then start RLC, if RLC can't play 2 matches in 3 days then start Kennedy on the left and Oscar centrally.

And to keep him on till the 73rd minute...criminal! 

Just getting by on name and reputation like many of our players.

[Stats 7,059]

41 minutes ago, CHOULO19 said:

Can someone just explain to me what he does in the team now? Seriously, does he have an actual role other than to make up the numbers? 

I get that his confidence is shot, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything neither in attack nor defense and you could actually see the difference in midfield after he came off. It's like we were basically playing with 10 men with him on!

If Guus insists on playing Cesc in a more advanced role, then it just has to be RLC next to Mikel. 

I think people are overreacting. I thought he started off sloppy but then generally improved and tbh the reason we improved was not because he came off. It was because Hazard came on.

[Blue Armour 4,312]

Time for Matic to be relegated to the David Luiz DMF squad role....only to be used against sides that are going to dominate possession, but should not start in games in which we really need to be on the front foot.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

37 minutes ago, CHOULO19 said:

But why play him? If the point was to rest Hazard, then start RLC, if RLC can't play 2 matches in 3 days then start Kennedy on the left and Oscar centrally.

And to keep him on till the 73rd minute...criminal! 

Yeah I don't get it either lol. Mikel, love him or hate him, is doing fine with that back 6 so Matic isn't really essential any more. With Cesc managing to find his rhythm now, somewhat, he's easily replaceable by that Ruben guy I've heard so much about.

Hiddink's a cautious guy, can't be surprised by that too much. He's clearly taking that approach with the younger guys too, not that its justification or anything.

[robsblubot 3,529]

Unfair IMO - people must know he's playing out of position, right?

He's not the paciest of guys and is roaming around like a headless chicken because that's his role when sitting next to Mikel.

Concerning our lack of creativity and attacking, that's on the manager - no other. He starts both DMs against Watford which invites the draw. He's playing safe.

Stand by the obvious: Matic has played at a very high level before and very consistently at that. Ignore the evidence all you like, but for me you'd be dissing one of the the few excellent players we got in the squad.

[LAM09 6,778]

What's happen to the Serbs this season?

Both have fallen from grace massively

[BlueLyon 9,359]

6 hours ago, Robguima said:

Unfair IMO - people must know he's playing out of position, right?

He's not the paciest of guys and is roaming around like a headless chicken because that's his role when sitting next to Mikel.

Concerning our lack of creativity and attacking, that's on the manager - no other. He starts both DMs against Watford which invites the draw. He's playing safe.

Stand by the obvious: Matic has played at a very high level before and very consistently at that. Ignore the evidence all you like, but for me you'd be dissing one of the the few excellent players we got in the squad.

Yeah but wrong position or not, he fucks even the simpliest tasks. 

Im big supporter of Matic but he is dreadfull for sometime now. His passing is poor, when he shields the ball he loses it way too easy. Seems he lost all the strenght he had. He always makes one touch to many and loses the ball in the end. He was never pacy or quick or whatever but his reactions are now even worse. Players get past him as if he wasnt there or he makes stupid foul to stop them. 

He shouldnt be sold but if his performances dont improve by next january its pointless to keep him here.

With Mikel in team (not that he should be long term regular starter either, but does the job fine for now) and with Matic is such poor form, next three games should be given to Ruben. He obviously wont get them but that would be only solution. He deserves it and Matic would get some break and maybe he will start acting like he gives a fuck again. Take a look at Spurs; they had bunch of big names in midfield but instead gave chance to Dier and Alli and it works. Rlc maybe wont ever fullfill expectations but he sure deserves chance and with Matic in such poor form for long time now, there is no doubt RLc should be given run quite some time ago.

[robsblubot 3,529]

2 hours ago, BlueLyon said:

Yeah but wrong position or not, he fucks even the simpliest tasks. 

Im big supporter of Matic but he is dreadfull for sometime now. His passing is poor, when he shields the ball he loses it way too easy. Seems he lost all the strenght he had. He always makes one touch to many and loses the ball in the end. He was never pacy or quick or whatever but his reactions are now even worse. Players get past him as if he wasnt there or he makes stupid foul to stop them. 

He shouldnt be sold but if his performances dont improve by next january its pointless to keep him here.

With Mikel in team (not that he should be long term regular starter either, but does the job fine for now) and with Matic is such poor form, next three games should be given to Ruben. He obviously wont get them but that would be only solution. He deserves it and Matic would get some break and maybe he will start acting like he gives a fuck again. Take a look at Spurs; they had bunch of big names in midfield but instead gave chance to Dier and Alli and it works. Rlc maybe wont ever fullfill expectations but he sure deserves chance and with Matic in such poor form for long time now, there is no doubt RLc should be given run quite some time ago.

You've just described Mikel to me. Check the stats - Matic in the worst form of his career has very similar stats to Mikel at his best? And yet this thread is very busy after each match.

now that Mikel starts, the "does a job" does not fly anymore. He and Matic are starters and should be judged equally - actually Matic has played, consistently, at a level Mikel only dreams of... And not long ago.

Consider we are pretty much playing for nothing. I feel the criticism on players in bad form have been inconsistent and unfair. My personal take is to look into the future. I know that Matic can play at a high level as I know Mikel (in 10 years) can't.  All that's left this season is to keep the good players and get rid of the bad ones. Losing a player like Matic over bad form in a lost season (when multiple players were in bad form) makes no sense to me.

i've seen youngsters struggle before - it ain't pretty. When they struggle, they do so catastrophically. You can lose or at least delay development of these promising players - baba may be a diff case btw.

yes they may do ok, but they may not. Sometimes it's a feeling in practice or their attitude towards adversity.. That's why we pay the coaches.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

9 hours ago, Stats said:

I think people are overreacting. I thought he started off sloppy but then generally improved and tbh the reason we improved was not because he came off. It was because Hazard came on.

I'm not even criticizing what he did (and he did do mistakes) but his role....he has none!

He doesn't have a role in attack. He tried to get on the ball a few times at the start of the second half, but for the rest of the match, he might as well not be there. In defense he has no role either. He doesn't press high, he doesn't have the pace to. He doesn't drop low and hold position, he doesn't cover for fullbacks. He's basically just making up numbers in midfield.

If anything, this is more a criticism of the manager than him, but he just hasn't been doing any particular role in the team, so there is no reason why RLC can't take his place.