Nemanja Matic

[Waterfall 893]

Gonçalo Lopes‏@_GoncaloLopes

About Matic,Benfica keen on selling this january. Out of the Champions, they need money. 30m€ is his value. @MCFC @chelseafc @ASMFC_MONACO

That's £25M - asking price for De Bruyne that we probably won't get.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Yaya and stamina in the same sentence lol. ask any man city fan and they will tell you poor stamina and laziness off the ball are yaya's main weakness. he saves his energy for those long bursting forward runs. maybe you might have a solid case for the barcelona yaya but not the man city version. he probably still has the amazing stamina he displayed at barca but rarely shows it in full stretches anymore.

First you say Yaya has poor stamina and then you say he still has the amazing stamina he showcased during his earlier days... Contradictory much?

To begin with, I never even said Yaya was the best midfielder defensively, so I don't get the overreaction here. He's a complete midfielder to me because A. he's good defensively (if he has to be) B. great at getting forward C. technically astute, can shoot, dribble, pass etc. D. has great physical tools. There isn't a real weakness in his game IMO. To me you won't find a more complete midfielder out there at the moment. Certainly not Matic anyway.

I dont think he defends well at all, a pretty tackle and an impresive chase on a player now and than, thats about it i think.

The Skipper,

First, we are five years after his days in Barcelona. He havent contirbuted a lot in attack when he was there, and I also think he never was a beast defensively.

I know he doesnt play a DM anymore, but Toure still needs to do his job in defense as a CM. It clearly doesnt work for City right now, their defensive midfield is very soft when defending. Its Pellegrini's fault as well to allow that to Toure, but i do think Toure was playing like that for years. Imo his overall impressive and powerfull play in his CIty career has blinded people to think he's a complete CM, but he doesnt show it.

You're confusing him being given greater freedom to get forward with him being poor defensively. Man City were a lot more solid under Mancini because Toure didn't get forward as much, he was more of a true B2B CM then, but now he's been given even greater freedom by Pellegrini, so it's wrong in my opinion to say that he's been never been good defensively. If Toure has to be more disciplined he'll do so.

He's being used more offensively this season; just because that's the case doesn't mean he doesn't know how to defend anymore.

I agree Yaya is one of best midfielders, but he is terrible in defending, same as was Song at Arsenal...

I don't get how anyone could say Yaya is 'terrible' at defending, especially when he used to play as a holding midfielder. Just because he plays further up the pitch now (which to me proves that he is the complete CM) doesn't mean he has suddenly lost everything defensively.

Call him ordinary or average in defending but terrible is really overstating it. This guy played at CB in a CL final ,granted in a system that protects it's CB quite a bit but still, you can't tell me that he's 'terrible' defensively. By saying he's terrible defensively you're basically saying that if Toure was given a job as the holding midfielder he'd flop... Completely wrong in my opinion, as he's showcased in his career before.

There's underrating Matic and then there's overrating him. A couple of things Matic does not have that Toure does like the ability to accelerate past a couple of players, or his ability in the more forward parts of the pitch, is why I wouldn't compare Matic to Toure. Not the same type of players at all.

The only young midfielder that comes close to Toure's completeness (that I can think of right now) is Paul Pogba.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Don't know why people are sticking up for Toure being a defensive liability when he is, watch the first game vs Bayern Munich in the CL, at times Toure was so far ahead of Fernandinho it was effectively a 4-1-3-2 and the same against Swansea a while back back when De Guzman fluffed that sitter which he managed to get into that position because of Toure's lack of working back. He is obviously a box to box midfielder but as Didi Hamann said he leaves Fernandinho exposed and as good as Fernandinho is how can he defend against 2 or 3 players in his zone? Toure doesn't look like he wants to run back at times.

But does that not have more to do with the manager's instructions rather than Toure's defensive abilities?

[JDY 1,290]

But does that not have more to do with the manager's instructions rather than Toure's defensive abilities?

For me I don't see much difference in the Yaya now to last season under Mancini. What's changed now is that he is playing alongside a great player in Fernandinho, and not an incompetent Javi Garcia. Combined with having two strikers that are effectively killing games this season before they've even started.

[Waterfall 893]

Gonçalo Lopes‏@_GoncaloLopes

Matic decided: wants premierleague move, his agent said. #cfc #mcfc #mufc #slb

[nyikolajevics 2,428]

What do Man City want? They have Yaya, Fernandinho, Javi Garcia, Rodwell. If they need a CM sign Guarin instead.

[bababoom 4,478]

Still cant believe we bought David Luiz for £25 million+Matic, now Matic is going to cost more... you couldn't make it up.

I'm not against this signing, but the way our club handles itself is a joke, although in recent years we've been better in the transfer market.

[Waterfall 893]

Still cant believe we bought David Luiz for £25 million+Matic, now Matic is going to cost more... you couldn't make it up.

I'm not against this signing, but the way our club handles itself is a joke, although in recent years we've been better in the transfer market.

No guarantee that he would have turned out to be the player he is now if we kept him. Having to buy the player you sold 3 years ago will always hurt, but what's important is that we make the right decision this time around.

[LondonPride1905 236]

If sources are to be trusted it will be us or United. If It's us, my expectations are the selling of De Bruyne and then buying Matic.

[Pizy 17,860]

Please let him come here!

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

It seems Benfica is in need of money and they are willing to let some players go this winter. They have already opened talks with United for Garay and Zenit for Rodrigo. Hope will be in for Matic in the next days too. I'm a bit concerned with City wanting him too, but I'm willing on his wish to come back and prove he is a Chelsea material. Time for Emenalo to pay for his mistake and give the guy the chance that he deserves.

[blu35_army 550]

Still cant believe we bought David Luiz for £25 million+Matic, now Matic is going to cost more... you couldn't make it up.

I'm not against this signing, but the way our club handles itself is a joke, although in recent years we've been better in the transfer market.

Fabregas and Pique also didn't get much play time in barca,,but there many ways to back to their home. so,,in modern football era it's not a joke again...

[OneMoSalah 8,615]

But does that not have more to do with the manager's instructions rather than Toure's defensive abilities?

They never line up playing 4-1-3-2 though, Pellegrini's mostly used 4-2-2-2/4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 at City, Villarreal and Real. Think its something more to do with Toure and sometimes a lack of concentration as opposed to tactics but I could be wrong.

[The Skipper 20,593]

For me I don't see much difference in the Yaya now to last season under Mancini. What's changed now is that he is playing alongside a great player in Fernandinho, and not an incompetent Javi Garcia. Combined with having two strikers that are effectively killing games this season before they've even started.

Yeah there isn't much difference from Toure as a player but Man City do play a lot more offensive this season so naturally certain players like Yaya are even more gung-ho.

[The Skipper 20,593]

They never line up playing 4-1-3-2 though, Pellegrini's mostly used 4-2-2-2/4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 at City, Villarreal and Real. Think its something more to do with Toure and sometimes a lack of concentration as opposed to tactics but I could be wrong.

City aren't Villarreal or Real or Malaga though.

City has been Pellegrini's most offensive team in recent history; he has the talent to do such. I honestly believe Yaya is encouraged to get forward more while Fernandinho is the one that picks his runs forward more wisely. It's how they operate as a team and it's why they've scored loads this season. Having just Fernandinho shielding is risky but the rewards are tremendous if done right as City have shown on occasions this year.

[OneMoSalah 8,615]

City aren't Villarreal or Real or Malaga though.

City has been Pellegrini's most offensive team in recent history; he has the talent to do such. I honestly believe Yaya is encouraged to get forward more while Fernandinho is the one that picks his runs forward more wisely. It's how they operate as a team and it's what they've scored loads this season. Having just Fernandinho shielding is risky but the rewards are tremendous if done right as City have shown on occasions this year.

Think they are much more attacking in comparison to under Mancini but Mancini had them defensively better than they are now I think. Perhaps a different mindset and mentality. I feel Pellegrini still uses 4-2-2-2 as it probably best suits his players, especially if he can get Aguero and Negredo in the side along with Nasri and Silva basically drifting infield to open up spaces for their fullbacks to get forward to support. Might be that Toure gets forward more due to instructions or might be just that he does get caught out at times because of their different attacking approach but who knows. I mean as good as Fernandinho is I think he also is one who likes to primarily play a more box to box role but he can also play the role he does now. Still its interesting, if they get another/better holder will they play 4-3-3 or stick to their 4-2-2-2

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Matic aint better player than Yaya, but point is how certain player links with rest of team. Yaya is great individual, but Matic could offer much more to the team eventualy.

Like Ozil vs Oscar. Ozil is clearly the better player (with vision and creativity that Oscar might never have), but Oscar is the man who helps his team win. Link up, attack, defend, he has it all. That wins you games, collective game and not individual players (unless you are Messi).

[nadavTKL 1,787]

A Bola reports that Benfica are close to sell their striker Rodrigo to Zenit for around 30m euros, and maybe this will mean Matic could stay until the summer.

We need to act fast if we want him, it seems.