Why is it that when players who have been playing well have a poor game we always get people coming out and saying that this poor performance is down to some kind of fundamental flaw in their game? It's a really odd phenomenon. Can't someone just have an off day?
31
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 49
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
He wasn't even poor and did a great job of completely bypassing their press with ease and made a few nice passes. Problem was when he bypassed their he had no where to pass or go. Liverpool were practically playing 4 central players and controlled the central areas but it doesn't really mean Matic was poor.
Yeah, poor is harsh. It's just a pity that he's not had a chance to form a real partnership in there. All the best midfields rely on partnerships. Matic started off playing with Pog, then had to play alongside Fellaini, and now he's starting the biggest/toughest game of the season alongside Hererra. All that chopping and changing is a heinous way for any CM to bed in at a new club. Massive credit should go to for him for being relatively consistent despite this.
Benfica 0:1 Man Utd
Levels above everyone else tonight.
Very sold as usual. I hope one of his long range shots results in a goal for us soon. 
MOTM by some level.
He's been a level above Hererra and Mkhitaryan, you can tell why Pogba was in such good form, Matic is a really good partner for him.
Our best player tonight.
Again, wtf were Chelsea thinking ?
Needs a rest, hopefully vs Swansea.
Tried to be the creative force tonight, had to bypass Mkhi and take the game on himself.
this. it is also a major waste of energy for a player who is supposed to anchor and offload the attacking transitions and play to our more creative players.
Was our best player.
Like a pearl within a sea of cow dung.
You may laugh, but he looked like the only player we have that show some level of top class.
He's so calm in possession regardless of where he receives the ball. Just a different class to everybody else on the pitch.
He’s class. Hererra has been so damn disappointing. Really needed him to step up with Pogba and Fellaini (and Carrick) out but he’s been garbage. Been a one man show from Matic. Thank christ we signed him or we’d be fecking doomed. I’d almost be tempted to give McTominay a chance alongside him against Huddersfield.
Easily. A class above anyone on the pitch.
Fantastic again. He needs a rest, but with Fellaini and Pogba injured may need to wait a little bit longer.
He was a class above today. I just love him.
What I'm most impressed about with him is how casual he is using his body and strength when positioning himself for a pass/shielding the ball. Makes it look so easy.
Great player.
What I'm most impressed about with him is how casual he is using his body and strength when positioning himself for a pass/shielding the ball. Makes it look so easy.
Great player.
Loves a turn here and there to get himself usefully out of tight situations, it was a delight to watch. One of these days his long shots are going to go in
He's got the body of Fellaini but the ball movement of Messi. It doesn't make sense to me. What were chelsea thinking?
Two more physically and technically strong players like this guy and Jose's system against big teams will work like a charm. Can carry the ball forward when needed, can hit a decent ball long when needed, can dribble his way out of a sticky situation and does all that by keeping things simple.
Glue.
Continuing to prove me wrong, one game at a time.
His confidence and assurance on the ball is remarkable, never expected that of him.
His confidence and assurance on the ball is remarkable, never expected that of him.
He's very good on the ball and makes good decisions with it. Hopefully we don't overplay him and he gets a rest when needed.
Rare you find a player with that physique, that footwork and that odd burst of pace he has. He's quick but he's not. Its weird.
He was quality last night, starfish belittling his performance was laughable.
There is this fundamental flaw in his game which I cant quite get over. The fact he's playing with a bunch of shite around him.
He didn't blast it into row z from the halfway line anyway near enough for Stevie Me. He also managed to stay on a pitch with Herrera longer than a minute.
Hes wearing a Benfica shirt in his picture, above, right?
Don't want to sound harsh but a lot of it has to do with people on forums trying to explain every single thing with their understanding of the game. Even when it's just someone having an off day, you'll have a few explaining away precisely why it happened using their football knowledge.
Yup. That does seem to be a real phenomenon.
Another great examples was in that thread about the kid, Greenwood, where someone claimed that he has an "unusual running style" which he'll need to fix in order to make it at United. Makes a change from "needs to bulk up" but still, fecking hell...
I hadn't read that. Wow
Serbia national shirt if you're referring to his redcafe photo
edit: they've both had kits with white colours looking very similar, could be either. Hard to tell actually without the full photo.
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