Potential Matic Replacements

Murray3007

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Ekeke said:
You do realize thats complete nonsense?



If anything Moutinho has been the more impressive player this season, but he's 32 so not a likely transfer target
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Whats complete nonsense like ? I was replying to a comment which says his CM partner does A LOT of his defensive work, which from your stats proves is wrong he's almost the same, why cant people actually read what people say before they start replying ?
 

Ekeke

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Murray3007 said:
Whats complete nonsense like ? I was replying to a comment which says his CM partner does A LOT of his defensive work, which from your stats proves is wrong he's almost the same, why cant people actually read what people say before they start replying ?
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They both do a lot of defensive work, but we're talking about a DM/replacement for Matic. A player who does the job in a duo isnt the same as a person doing it alone.

You're the one who didnt read properly, stop being a hypocrite. Thanks
 

Shark

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I don't think and hope that Matic isn't finished just yet, but we've got to start signing players at a more risk free age. I'm all for experience but you look at SAF's greatest teams and he always had a healthy mix and was very quick to move on an ageing player clearly not doing it on the pitch anymore. Meanwhile we seem to be signing them over the past 4 years.
 

meninred

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Matic had kante at chelsea. We can say he was playing more as #8 than #6. H doesnot have that luxury here.He also played tons of games without rest.I believe the midfield doesnot have proper shape.i hope they wont be run the mill midfielders - midfielders with no particular defensive or attacking ability but simply pass the ball sideways or backwards.
 

youngrell

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Was at Wales vs Spain last night and was very impressed with Rodri in the Spain midfield. Composed, strong and very good passing ability, both long and short. Controlled the game for Spain.

Wales offered him way too much space but even when we got near him he managed to distribute the ball without much fuss. I'd not seen him before, so did some reading about him after the game and was surprised to see the reason Athletico let him go initially was lack of strength – the guy was frigging huge. Made Albiol and Ramos look fairly small in comparison.
 

Infra-red

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youngrell said:
Was at Wales vs Spain last night and was very impressed with Rodri in the Spain midfield. Composed, strong and very good passing ability, both long and short. Controlled the game for Spain.

Wales offered him way too much space but even when we got near him he managed to distribute the ball without much fuss. I'd not seen him before, so did some reading about him after the game and was surprised to see the reason Athletico let him go initially was lack of strength – the guy was frigging huge. Made Albiol and Ramos look fairly small in comparison.
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Yes he's a really good prospect and was spoken about on here as a potential Matic replacement, prior to the summer.

As it is, I expect we'll have too much work to do elsewhere to be able to worry about a new #6 in the next couple of transfer windows. I assume Matic will be a regular for at least another year.
 

ROFLUTION

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1) Who says Matic will be over under a new manager? A year ago he had good stints where he did great stuff - some of his first matches was really good. Chance of environment could help?
I don't buy into the "his legs are gone" argument - A year ago he was all over the pitch in some of the games.

2) Our team needs experience and leaders who have won before. Since Zlatan departed, we haven't had much of that. There's nothing wrong in signing experienced players.
 

youngrell

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Infra-red said:
Yes he's a really good prospect and was spoken about on here as a potential Matic replacement, prior to the summer.

As it is, I expect we'll have too much work to do elsewhere to be able to worry about a new #6 in the next couple of transfer windows. I assume Matic will be a regular for at least another year.
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For sure. It's a shame we seem to miss out a lot on signings like this, where a player goes for a relatively low fee and within a year a club like ours is looking to pick them up at x4 the fee.

Scouting and forward planning needs to improve a lot.
 

Van Piorsing

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ROFLUTION said:
1) Who says Matic will be over under a new manager? A year ago he had good stints where he did great stuff - some of his first matches was really good. Chance of environment could help?
I don't buy into the "his legs are gone" argument - A year ago he was all over the pitch in some of the games.

2) Our team needs experience and leaders who have won before. Since Zlatan departed, we haven't had much of that. There's nothing wrong in signing experienced players.
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Yup. Add to that Carrick's retirement and still no experienced leader in central defense and we're lacking leadership all over the place... but we could use some healthy rivalry on his position and I'm sure he would accept that.
 

LuckyScout78

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I didt rate and was following Axel Witsel before. But after scouting Jadon Sancho i have observed Witsel closely too. Witsel really impress me. He is safe, precise and calm with the ball. And he does has good run forward with the ball too. As a deeplaying cm playmaker. Right now, i would easily choose him above Matic. If im United manager i would definitive love to have him in the team. And with the upcoming Jadon Sancho as RW too of course.

Sancho - Witsel - Pogba - Martial/Sanchez + Lukaku - Rashford

In a 442 formation, with Witsel as the deeplaying cm playmaker. And tactic. Attack attack and attack, playing on the front foot.
 

bucky

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Paredes could be the alternative to Neves, if we aren't able to get the Portuguese. Don't watch Russian football, which is why I am forgetting him at times, but his stats in the domestic league and the Europa League suggest that he's playing at a high level there.
 

Gordon S

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ROFLUTION said:
1) Who says Matic will be over under a new manager? A year ago he had good stints where he did great stuff - some of his first matches was really good. Chance of environment could help?
I don't buy into the "his legs are gone" argument - A year ago he was all over the pitch in some of the games.

2) Our team needs experience and leaders who have won before. Since Zlatan departed, we haven't had much of that. There's nothing wrong in signing experienced players.
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De Gea, Smalling, Jones, Valencia and Young has won the premier league with us, Matic with Chelsea, Pogba won serie A multiple times with Juventus, won the WC with France. And players like Fellaini, Mata, Herrera, Rojo, Lukaku, Sanchez has loads of experience at the highest level. We are certainly not short of experience. A natural leader couldn’t hurt tho
 

Patrick08

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FootyGirl88 said:
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Surely not when you basically give the rival teams a free run on playmaker like Jorginho and add no natural competition to the most crucial man to balance the midfield. Jose's tactics heavily relies on matic performing well and if he flops it goes T**s up for Jose and that's what happening again until now. If matic continues with his dross he needs to be dropped and replaced with fred. Lets see what his mobility and ability to break up play can do as replacement

Giving managers like Moyes, Lvg and Jose full freedom to shape up the squad was misguided idealism from the past.
 

FootyGirl88

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Patrick08 said:
Surely not when you basically give the rival teams a free run on playmaker like Jorginho and add no natural competition to the most crucial man to balance the midfield. Jose's tactics heavily relies on matic performing well and if he flops it goes T**s up for Jose and that's what happening again until now. If matic continues with his dross he needs to be dropped and replaced with fred. Lets see what his mobility and ability to break up play can do as replacement

Giving managers like Moyes, Lvg and Jose full freedom to shape up the squad was misguided idealism from the past.
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I agree Patrick, I think Jose has already damaged Matic, he made him play literally every game for 90mins last season.

He had surgery in the summer and was rushed back and has been playing 90mins since. Jose really needs to get a grip, matic won't last till the end of the season at this rate.
 

Alabaster Codify7

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It's true. Chelsea fans told us exactly what to expect, and they were right. 6 solid months followed by a noticeable, increasing downturn in fitness and form.....culminating in him now looking vaguely 'done' as a top level player.

£40million for 6months, good job.

If we'd bought Willian for £60m this summer, Chelsea would have spent the money on a young replacement and by this time next season, we'd be having the exact same situation.

Nothing but short-term thinking at our club, and its getting us nowhere.
 

Robbie Boy

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Alabaster Codify7 said:
It's true. Chelsea fans told us exactly what to expect, and they were right. 6 solid months followed by a noticeable, increasing downturn in fitness and form.....culminating in him now looking vaguely 'done' as a top level player.

£40million for 6months, good job.

If we'd bought Willian for £60m this summer, Chelsea would have spent the money on a young replacement and by this time next season, we'd be having the exact same situation.

Nothing but short-term thinking at our club, and its getting us nowhere.
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Not just Chelsea fans. Plenty on here said the exact same thing but apparently they were 'clueless' or something like that.
 

Devil may care

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Can't view the article but comparing what they now have in Jorginho is erroneous as the season they sold Matic the CM they brought in was Bakayoko.
 

FootyGirl88

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I think I've seen enough of him now - I hope Jose will play Herrera or Pereira there until we get someone else in.
 

Dec9003

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FootyGirl88 said:
I think I've seen enough of him now - I hope Jose will play Herrera or Pereira there until we get someone else in.
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I've slated Matic this season but he played really, really well in that second half. He didn't put a foot wrong.
 

Dec9003

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MadDogg said:
I wouldn't go that far. He did do quite a lot of good things in the second half, but he certainly wasn't perfect.
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I think considering his midfield partner he pretty much couldn't have done any more than he did.
 

Adisa

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Doesn't have the legs, simply as.
Exacerbated by the fact that his right foot is a non entity.
Press him on the left side and there's a decent chance he gives the ball away or he passes back.
£40m.
 

JK-27

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He was a passenger, and we can't afford passengers. Chelsea players just either ran or passed around him, he's not helping the defence if Chelsea are able to play around him. And when he had the ball he either lost it easily or passed it sideways. Can't believe he wasn't subbed.
 

Devil may care

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If he's still starting weekly for us next season we'll continue to be top 4 chasers, I don't think he's "finished" I just think he should be phased into a squad role with a top #6 brought in next summer.
 
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