Nemanja Matic

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

A bunch of thoughts on this.

1) Overall-good signing. About the right price. Addresses a real need, gives balance to the team.

2) 21M is not a an incredible bargain, it is about the right price. He's 25, a central midfielder (who are cheaper), and coming from a significantly worse league with one excellent season under his belt. At the same time, it's not too expensive for someone who could be a real difference maker.

3) I worry that Ramires/Matic is not a particularly balanced central midfield. Excellent defensively but neither player is a distributor or the type of player who is going to dictate tempo.

4) I think Ramires is going to play a lot more attacking than people think. It's not just going to be Ramires/Matic (although that will happen a lot) I also think we might play more 4-3-3 now which I think will suit our team better. Matic, Ramires, and Oscar with Hazard and Willian/Schurrle/Mata seems more balanced than going 4-2-3-1 now.

5) Don't really care that we sold him and bought him back although it makes the Luiz transfer awful in retrospect.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

"If you love something, set it free... if it comes back, it's yours"

Oh my gosh, that is sooo girly

[bushman 2,043]

Too bad, this friendly giant is cup tied though. Oh well, Jose will work with the team, wins the PL in this season & come next year the CL, lol. Happy times are here again...here again, banzai.

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Just want to say Thank you to Jose an Roman :blue scalf: .

[DJames 729]

Oh my gosh, that is sooo girly

You know you LOOOOVVVVEEEE it! Don't front!

[pinela_SLB 39]

Hi guys,

I'm new around here, and just want to let you know that YOUR TEAM STOLE US! As a Benfica fan i'm felling raped after this deal! xD

Matic arrived at Benfica as an offensive midfielder, that could play as a box-to-box or even at the left of the midfield. During almost all the season he was just training, sometimes playing 5/10 minutes to replace Javi Garcia (our defensive midfielder) or add some extra strength to the midfield if needed.

He always had nice technical skills, but he was too passive and very weak tactically. One year later when Javi left to city he was the replacement and everybody was skeptical about it, he was not strong enough to command the defensive process alone, "they said!" (and i remember that we also lost Witsel exactly in the same day to Zenit).

After a couple of games he was our best player, adding something to our game that we hadn't in the past, great technical skills in the 1st phase of construction which makes your offensive process so much easier for a team that needs to win every game and essentially, a very good pressure over the opponents even on attacking areas. I'd say that his main skill his the tackling, that's why a lot of people call him "the Serbian spider", long legs, strength, and extremely effective when pressing the opponent.

He was one of the keys on our campaign last season, considered the best player in the league and in my opinion we need to go back at least 10 years to find someone like him playing in Portugal (maybe until 2003 when Deco was playing in Porto). I used to say last season that i wouldn't change Matic for any defensive midfielder in the world.

At least now you know how we feel, losing our best player for 21M£, in January, 2 days after we reach the 1st place in the Portuguese league and without anyone to replace him! Not your fault, you did a great job. Probably not Matic's fault, even if he pushed the situation to a limit. It's our fault, to keep voting on someone as a president who's increasing our huge debt and then needs to do 50% off, at January Sales.

All the best guys!

[Special Juan 27,093]

Hi guys,

I'm new around here, and just want to let you know that YOUR TEAM STOLE US! As a Benfica fan i'm felling raped after this deal! xD

Matic arrived at Benfica as an offensive midfielder, that could play as a box-to-box or even at the left of the midfield. During almost all the season he was just training, sometimes playing 5/10 minutes to replace Javi Garcia (our defensive midfielder) or add some extra strength to the midfield if needed.

He always had nice technical skills, but he was too passive and very weak tactically. One year later when Javi left to city he was the replacement and everybody was skeptical about it, he was not strong enough to command the defensive process alone, "they said!" (and i remember that we also lost Witsel exactly in the same day to Zenit).

After a couple of games he was our best player, adding something to our game that we hadn't in the past, great technical skills in the 1st phase of construction which makes your offensive process so much easier for a team that needs to win every game and essentially, a very good pressure over the opponents even on attacking areas. I'd say that his main skill his the tackling, that's why a lot of people call him "the Serbian spider", long legs, strength, and extremely effective when pressing the opponent.

He was one of the keys on our campaign last season, considered the best player in the league and in my opinion we need to go back at least 10 years to find someone like him playing in Portugal (maybe until 2003 when Deco was playing in Porto). I used to say last season that i wouldn't change Matic for any defensive midfielder in the world.

At least now you know how we feel, losing our best player for 21M£, in January, 2 days after we reach the 1st place in the Portuguese league and without anyone to replace him! Not your fault, you did a great job. Probably not Matic's fault, even if he pushed the situation to a limit. It's our fault, to keep voting on someone as a president who's increasing our huge debt and then needs to do 50% off, at January Sales.

All the best guys!

Good read but nice to read a grounded post.

[nadavTKL 1,787]

Thats what i especially like to read:

"great technical skills in the 1st phase of construction which makes your offensive process so much easier for a team that needs to win every game and essentially"

Hope he could show that quickly, thats the biggest problem in our central midfield imo.

[Severinb 309]

@CarloFan: Nemanja Matic joined up with the first team squad for training today. (Chelsea TV) #CFC

[iceboy 992]

@CarloFan: Nemanja Matic joined up with the first team squad for training today. (Chelsea TV) #CFC

Good. So there is a chance to play against Utd.

[Kostas 1,468]

Anyone feeling charitable enough to point me to the best read regarding how he's developed since he left Chelsea?

Call me weird but I can't muster much enthusiasm for a 2009 signing.

[Special Juan 27,093]

Anyone feeling charitable enough to point me to the best read regarding how he's developed since he left Chelsea?

Call me weird but I can't muster much enthusiasm for a 2009 signing.

This from the last page....

Hi guys,

I'm new around here, and just want to let you know that YOUR TEAM STOLE US! As a Benfica fan i'm felling raped after this deal! xD

Matic arrived at Benfica as an offensive midfielder, that could play as a box-to-box or even at the left of the midfield. During almost all the season he was just training, sometimes playing 5/10 minutes to replace Javi Garcia (our defensive midfielder) or add some extra strength to the midfield if needed.

He always had nice technical skills, but he was too passive and very weak tactically. One year later when Javi left to city he was the replacement and everybody was skeptical about it, he was not strong enough to command the defensive process alone, "they said!" (and i remember that we also lost Witsel exactly in the same day to Zenit).

After a couple of games he was our best player, adding something to our game that we hadn't in the past, great technical skills in the 1st phase of construction which makes your offensive process so much easier for a team that needs to win every game and essentially, a very good pressure over the opponents even on attacking areas. I'd say that his main skill his the tackling, that's why a lot of people call him "the Serbian spider", long legs, strength, and extremely effective when pressing the opponent.

He was one of the keys on our campaign last season, considered the best player in the league and in my opinion we need to go back at least 10 years to find someone like him playing in Portugal (maybe until 2003 when Deco was playing in Porto). I used to say last season that i wouldn't change Matic for any defensive midfielder in the world.

At least now you know how we feel, losing our best player for 21M£, in January, 2 days after we reach the 1st place in the Portuguese league and without anyone to replace him! Not your fault, you did a great job. Probably not Matic's fault, even if he pushed the situation to a limit. It's our fault, to keep voting on someone as a president who's increasing our huge debt and then needs to do 50% off, at January Sales.

All the best guys!

[Joshybizzle 109]

Hi guys

I know about as much about Nemanja as anyone else who's goggled & youtube'd him (along with the limited glimpses we got a couple of years ago) and be does look like a technical CDM in his prime, winning headers (you'd hope so at 6'4) keeping possession with the occasional turn and swivel, using his body strength and some fairly crisp passing

If I was to pick a player he reminded me of I think it would have to be a more defensive Yaya Toure maybe? That kind of midfield general, a solid base to build from, not as much of an attacking threat (save maybe getting his head onto set pieces) I think what's more interesting from my perspective is what, with Joses tutelage, he can become rather than the complete player he already seems to be!

Either way fantastic bit of business for us and a complete steal at the prices being touted

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Ze Mario 638]

Too bad, this friendly giant is cup tied though. Oh well, Jose will work with the team, wins the PL in this season & come next year the CL, lol. Happy times are here again...here again, banzai.

err guys please sort me out. if i remember correctly uefa change their regulations about players registration in mid season.

here's the link

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/competitions/Regulations/01/48/42/49/1484249_DOWNLOAD.pdf

at page 25 i paste below:

As a rule, a player may not play in a UEFA club competition (i.e. UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, but not UEFA Super Cup) for more than one club in the course of the same season. Exceptionally, however, a player who has been fielded in the first, second or third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League for another club as from the group stage, provided that his former club did not qualify for the group phase of either the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League; moreover, as from the start of the round of 16 (round of 32 for UEFA Europa League), a player can be registered in accordance with paragraphs 18.17 to 18.20 below. For the avoidance of doubt, a substitute player who has not been fielded is entitled to play for another club competing in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League in the course of the same season, provided that he is registered with the UEFA administration in accordance with the present regulations.

so in matic's case, doesnt that mean he eligible for us in this knock out champions stage?

fyi, that the regulation from 2010. idk if uefa change it again after that.

enlight me pls

[nadavTKL 1,787]

If I was to pick a player he reminded me of I think it would have to be a more defensive Yaya Toure maybe?

Vieira.

[laeth 527]

err guys please sort me out. if i remember correctly uefa change their regulations about players registration in mid season.

here's the link

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/competitions/Regulations/01/48/42/49/1484249_DOWNLOAD.pdf

at page 25 i paste below:

As a rule, a player may not play in a UEFA club competition (i.e. UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, but not UEFA Super Cup) for more than one club in the course of the same season. Exceptionally, however, a player who has been fielded in the first, second or third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League for another club as from the group stage, provided that his former club did not qualify for the group phase of either the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League; moreover, as from the start of the round of 16 (round of 32 for UEFA Europa League), a player can be registered in accordance with paragraphs 18.17 to 18.20 below. For the avoidance of doubt, a substitute player who has not been fielded is entitled to play for another club competing in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League in the course of the same season, provided that he is registered with the UEFA administration in accordance with the present regulations.

so in matic's case, doesnt that mean he eligible for us in this knock out champions stage?

fyi, that the regulation from 2010. idk if uefa change it again after that.

enlight me pls

He played in the group stages of the Champions League...so he isn't eligible. He'd only be eligible if Benfica only got to the Qualifying Rounds (pre-group stage).

[BenIsLegend 475]

err guys please sort me out. if i remember correctly uefa change their regulations about players registration in mid season.

here's the link

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/competitions/Regulations/01/48/42/49/1484249_DOWNLOAD.pdf

at page 25 i paste below:

As a rule, a player may not play in a UEFA club competition (i.e. UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, but not UEFA Super Cup) for more than one club in the course of the same season. Exceptionally, however, a player who has been fielded in the first, second or third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League for another club as from the group stage, provided that his former club did not qualify for the group phase of either the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League; moreover, as from the start of the round of 16 (round of 32 for UEFA Europa League), a player can be registered in accordance with paragraphs 18.17 to 18.20 below. For the avoidance of doubt, a substitute player who has not been fielded is entitled to play for another club competing in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League in the course of the same season, provided that he is registered with the UEFA administration in accordance with the present regulations.

so in matic's case, doesnt that mean he eligible for us in this knock out champions stage?

fyi, that the regulation from 2010. idk if uefa change it again after that.

enlight me pls

All that is saying that if they had to go through qualifying rounds to get to the group stage and failed then that player would be able to play in the group stages or further with another team since he hasn't played in the actual tournament just qualifying rounds.

[Joshybizzle 109]

If I was to pick a player he reminded me of I think it would have to be a more defensive Yaya Toure maybe?

Vieira.

Also a good shout!

Even better if he starts making those barnstorming Vieira-esk runs up the pitch like a pile driver in the middle of the park, but alas I don't see him as that kind of player myself, I think we'll see Ramires continue making his lung busting runs up the pitch while Matic sits back and does what Matic does