That was Drinkwater. Why do you think Chelsea are trying to buy him?
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
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- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 6
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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Two words: Pure Class.
Looks like he's been here for years and he's only been here a mere matter of weeks. Superb display, will be an incredibly important player in midfield, the way he won the ball for the first goal was pivotal so high up the field allowing us to break and supplementing the counter with his run. Majestic.
Looks like he's been here for years and he's only been here a mere matter of weeks. Superb display, will be an incredibly important player in midfield, the way he won the ball for the first goal was pivotal so high up the field allowing us to break and supplementing the counter with his run. Majestic.
Feel like he is combination of Scholes and Keane. Didn't expect him to have such kind of passing techniques and range. His control of the game and the middle of the park is amazing.
That whole Leicester teams ran off their tits.
Footballers in the mould of Kante is a dime a dozen. Get back to me at the end of the season to see if he is 'fantastic'.
Matic feels to me like Mourinho's on pitch persona right now. Past 3 years when Mourinho was great Matic was great, when Mourinho was down Matic was down. Last season Mourinho was underwhelming while winning trophies, Matic likewise got little plaudits for Chelsea's league triumph. Now it feels like Mourinho is getting his swagger back, and BOOM Matic is bringing back his 'A' game too.
Wonderful, wonderful debut. I was excited when we were linked and always thought he was an excellent midfielder, and could provide our side with what we have been missing for ages. Steel, composure, grit. But the performance yesterday surpassed anything like what I was expecting, he was magnificent. So quick to close players down, intelligent running with and without the ball, excellent passing, controlling players around him, beating a few players repeatedly (
) and already striking up a partnership with Pogba in the middle that looks like it is going to be fantastic. The man oozes class and if he keeps this up all season he could be one of the players of the season. Loved watching him yesterday, keep it up please Nemanja
By the way, there was a pass he played in the second half where West Ham cleared the ball, and he ran to the ball and was under pressure, and without looking he played a scoop pass back out to Rashford (I think? May have been someone else) to keep the attack going it was absolute filth and highlighted something else about Matic. All game he was looking to get us on the front foot and was not looking for the easy pass unless it was absolutely necessary. Love seeing that, and I may now need to get Nemanja on my top
) and already striking up a partnership with Pogba in the middle that looks like it is going to be fantastic. The man oozes class and if he keeps this up all season he could be one of the players of the season. Loved watching him yesterday, keep it up please Nemanja By the way, there was a pass he played in the second half where West Ham cleared the ball, and he ran to the ball and was under pressure, and without looking he played a scoop pass back out to Rashford (I think? May have been someone else) to keep the attack going
it was absolute filth and highlighted something else about Matic. All game he was looking to get us on the front foot and was not looking for the easy pass unless it was absolutely necessary. Love seeing that, and I may now need to get Nemanja on my top Because you win the title by running your tits off. Jesus wept. He's had two fantastic seasons in the PL. The best box to box midfielder in the league. No amount of nonsensical revisionism will change that.
Does anyone have a clip of his scooped pass to Pogba down on the right flank? I thought that was great...
Just watch 'the best box to box MF in the league' struggle with no one there doing the dirty work for him. People thought Joe Hart were great too, once upon a time.
Anyway, this is the Matic thread. Feel free to start a thread if you feel so strongly about it.
And who was doing the "dirty work" at Leicester given Drinkwater was also a b2b midfielder? It's quite cute that you think all he did was run around. He duped Conte into paying 30m for him.
You couldnt buy Troy Deeney last year for 30m. I wouldnt say that's some amazing amount of money.
The set up is different, but the idea is the same. He needs someone to cover for his own positional indiscipline, and someone else to do the creative work. It's remarkable that 'the best B2B midfielder in the league' is best known for his energy instead of his actual ability with the ball. Oh and btw, I've never joined in the overrating of him so this is hardly 'nonsensical revisionism'.
Yes, that was lovely! I love seeing players play those types of passes. @ 4:00 in the video above
Quality, thanks!
Yes, that was lovely! I love seeing players play those types of passes. @ 4:00 in the video above
Great start to his ManUtd career. For the first goal he was superb, nearly at the edge of the box, anticipated the pass and started closing down and won the ball. Overall his composure and skill on the ball was very impressive.
This is the main problem for me. People hear a point of view they agree with and then create a rationale to further support that view. It is this complete lack of objectivity and opinionated ignorance that allows the type of bollocks spoken about Matic to gather momentum. It amazed me reading those posts at times, how some could create a whole fantasy world to support their misguided theory that Matic was average, past it and unwanted by his former club.
All 3 of those assertions have proven to be completely inaccurate and without any basis whatsoever. Yet some posters now want a pat on the back for admitting they were wrong, but for me, they should be asking themselves how they got it so totally wrong in the first place. They must now see that there was never anything viable to support their view point except for their own biases, ignorance and an unwillingness to consider other more reasoned and opposing views. The arguments initially made in favor of Matic haven't suddenly changed, they are the same as they were before, so nothing has changed except the perceptions of the arrogant and ignorant.
Humility is not simply admitting you were wrong when you no longer have a choice, it is more about not being so arrogant as to think you were so completely right in the first place.
Sanctimonious, arrogant nonsense.
If you had watched Matic over the past two seasons, you would see that he never reached the heights he hit in Mourinho's last title win at Chelsea (all the stats are there to prove it). Torres, Rooney and plenty of others declined at a relatively young age so it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that it could happen to him too. But yeah, let's use revisionism and be disingenuous and pretend that Matic has been excellent for the past two seasons. Christ, I think this is one of the worst posts I've read on here, ever!
Anyhow, yesterday he looked a rejuvenated figure and he obviously enjoys working under Mourinho. Long may it continue. I hope you can get a good view of him from your high horse.
Chelsea 
I know he is going to be a good fit in that DM role, but I was really surprised by his composure when being pressed as well as his other 'unknown' abilities like carrying the ball forward and the run on the right side on the first half. I guess now we know he has other sides to his game. May long he continues this form.
Can't believe how good he is.
Unreal performance.
Everyone seems a bit perplexed as to why Chelsea sold him to us. Gary Neville, Pardew but Souness in particular
Unreal performance.
Everyone seems a bit perplexed as to why Chelsea sold him to us. Gary Neville, Pardew but Souness in particular
At the time it looked like Chelsea were happy to get rid of him and that Bakayoko was supposed to be this huge upgrade. Since the transfer happened, it's clear as day that Conte wanted to keep him and the transfer as a whole, just seems so bizarre. Chelsea fans must feel sick after that monumental performance yesterday. When your DM gets MOTM ahead of the two goal striker making his debut, you know he's had a damn fine game.
Chelsea
this is me since yesterday. I'll be carrying on doing normal things, stop for a second, chuckle to myself and shake my head whilst saying Chelsea under my breath. It's beautiful.
I had a great laugh at their expense after the Burnley game and then again after Matic was in beast mode yesterday.Chelsea
That was just fantastic!
Exactly. No idea what Chelsea were thinking but obviously something was up behind the scenes. Their loss, our gain.
Fantastic performance, and probably the most sensible thing Souness said in years that Matic will give you a 7,8,9 out of 10 performance every week. Rock solid.
I am enjoying the amount of about turns people are having to make since yesterday. Delighted we have him.
Just out of interest, and given the quality of his performance yesterday, is anyone aware in general how the Chelsea fans felt about his departure in the first place?
A lot were glad to be rid of him while a minority thought the club were crazy to strengthen a rival.
He seems like he has a real point to prove, looks galvanised playing for United. Very pleased with the balance he brings to the side. I'm still stunned that Chelsea thought he was dispensable to them.
A much needed upgrade on Herrara. Massive signing.
You have mine too
there can be disagreements without insults and I admit that I started it.I thought he was supposed to be an upgrade on Carrick.
That's just too rich, coming from a poster who has been forced to revise his former views. How can it be revisionism when so many were denying such claims all along? With only the likes of you and your poorly pieced together presumptions arguing otherwise. You were wrong, completely and utterly wrong in every possible way. Matic may not have been excellent, but that certainly doesn't prove he is in decline. Reading stats and listening to media clearly isn't enough to form a reasoned and objective opinion, although it seems to have been more than enough for you to concoct an unreasonable and biased one. Even when your misguided musings are proven to be so wholly inaccurate, unbelievably, you then still expect a pat on the back for admitting as such.
Don't you ever stop to consider how you managed to get it all so completely wrong?
Everything i said in my previous post you have displayed unabashed in your reply to it. Incredibly, you still think you have some justification for initially making such unfounded arguments that still have no basis in fact now, and never did. Many argued as much, many times, but the likes of you never listen, you are too caught up in your own misguided and poorly conceived presumptions to ever listen to reason. Even now you are claiming justification for your views, despite them all still being wrong.
Brwned rightly took you to task beforehand, asking you to consider how you have jumped to conclusions with your arguments, but you are simply far too arrogant to even accept fair criticism despite being so demonstrably misguided.
Im happy with my view point mate, remember, im not the one who offered such poor arguments based upon wholly inaccurate suppositions and are now having to retract them, along with the usual justifications to exempt you from being too wrong, of course! Those sneaky and suggestive stats -added to the early demise of Torres and Rooney- have led you astray didn't they?
Initially, too arrogant to be wrong. Presently, too arrogant to accept fair criticism for being wrong, and unfortunately, too blinded by your own ego to realize either.
Don't bother with a reply, it will surely only be wrong anyway!
Not bad for an old guy.
Seriously though, I've never seen Matic dominant a game like this. Sure maybe it was just West Ham but he was literally pulling the strings. Something we've been missing.
My only reservation about the match is I'm a little worried for Herrera! In a 2 man midfield I think it'll be difficult to put out a better performance than what Pogba and Matic showed yesterday.
Seriously though, I've never seen Matic dominant a game like this. Sure maybe it was just West Ham but he was literally pulling the strings. Something we've been missing.
My only reservation about the match is I'm a little worried for Herrera! In a 2 man midfield I think it'll be difficult to put out a better performance than what Pogba and Matic showed yesterday.
One, two games in I'm surprised at the amount of opinions changing. Personally I and quite a few others believed all along he'd be a quality signing and I still believe that but even if he had a couple of poor or average games my opinion would not alter. Shows how knee jerk we all can be in our opinions.
Nemanja Messi.
Seriously though I'm impressed at how comfortable he is in possession. For some reason I never got that feeling whenever I saw him play for Chelsea.
Dear god. This is like Daily Mail levels of rubbish content. No offence and all but I started skim reading after about 2 sentences because I realised this was going to top your last post in terms of being terrible.
How can it be revisionism when so many were denying such claims all along? With only the likes of you and your poorly pieced together presumptions arguing otherwise. You were wrong, completely and utterly wrong in every possible way. Matic may not have been excellent, but that certainly doesn't prove he is in decline. Reading stats and listening to media clearly isn't enough to form a reasoned and objective opinion, although it seems to have been more than enough for you to concoct an unreasonable and biased one. Even when your misguided musings are proven to be so wholly inaccurate, unbelievably, you then still expect a pat on the back for admitting as such.
Don't you ever stop to consider how you managed to get it all so completely wrong?
Everything i said in my previous post you have displayed unabashed in your reply to it. Incredibly, you still think you have some justification for initially making such unfounded arguments that still have no basis in fact now, and never did. Many argued as much, many times, but the likes of you never listen, you are too caught up in your own misguided and poorly conceived presumptions to ever listen to reason. Even now you are claiming justification for your views, despite them all still being wrong.
Brwned rightly took you to task beforehand, asking you to consider how you have jumped to conclusions with your arguments, but you are simply far too arrogant to even accept fair criticism despite being so demonstrably misguided.
Im happy with my view point mate, remember, im not the one who offered such poor arguments based upon wholly inaccurate suppositions and are now having to retract them, along with the usual justifications to exempt you from being too wrong, of course! Those sneaky and suggestive stats -added to the early demise of Torres and Rooney- have led you astray didn't they?
Initially, too arrogant to be wrong. Presently, too arrogant to accept fair criticism for being wrong, and unfortunately, too blinded by your own ego to realize either.
Don't bother with a reply, it will surely only be wrong anyway!
The funniest thing is you had the audacity to use the word humility. Oh dear, the irony. Your posts are no better than the eventual "told you he was crap" by Matic's most vocal critics (I was nowhere near that level) after he inevitably has a poor game. You're no better than that despite your false, unfounded morals you think you have. Honestly, absolutely pathetic from you.
No one pulled me up on anything by the way. I chose to say I have changed my perception. I also chose to call out the smug posters. At least Brwned had a point and didn't act like a spoilt child. Deary me.
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Thoughts from The Shed End:
I would guess that the reason for Matic to leave was Conte's tactics was not getting best out of Matic.
Matic wanted to be the traditional DM, while Conte wanted more fluidity making him uncomfortable and not in sync with Conte. So it need not be a fight with Conte but not wanting to waste his few years in top form in a team that is moving to a different style.
Jose might have convinced him that he ll be in the DM role he wants to be.
I think @Brwned linked an old Matic thread earlier, which showed how the Caf used to wax lyrical about Matic. That was certainly my memory and I never bought the idea he'd 'lost it.'
Then again I never bought the Mourinho's 'lost it' bullocks either. Don't see how you can go from being a multiple Premier League title winning midfielder (or coach in Mou's case) to garbage over night.
Matic had one of the highest appearance counts for Chelsea last season. How could that have happened if he was as rubbish as many were making out? As @Pace Abuser's quotes show lots of Chelsea fans didn't buy that narrative.
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