[AshRK]

Maybe you are just exaggerating how he was carrying the midfield ?

As much as I like Herrera, the truth is Matic was carrying the midfield that day. Let us not forget he has been playing pretty much every 3rd day.

 

[Sir Roi de Muppeterre]

Did absolutely nothing in first half except wasting possession with horrible inaccurate hoof balls and gifting a nice chance to Spurs. Pointless player to have ahead of 3 centerbacks unless we are playing for a draw.

 

[Kag]

He's been horrendous, albeit it must be difficult when the manager ensures you're going to be overwhelmingly outnumbered.

 

[#07]

Playing well. Our system leaves us vulnerable to being outnumbered in the middle, given Mkhi isn't really a presence dropping back to help the midfield two. Matic has mostly handled that well.

 

[Ace of Spades]

Needs to up his game, has been poor. I guess this is why Chelsea sold him, need more aggression from your CMs when you are playing 3 at the back.

 

[Kag]

How can you be playing well if you've actively conceded possession in your own half on at least two occasions?

 

[Ss3bba]

The system depends on every player doing their bit otherwise it leaves some players having to double their work load. The elephant in the room is Mhiki. Because he can't hold onto the ball it leaves the rest with little options hence the misplaced passes from Matic and lack of service to the front two

 

[NinjaFletch]

Playing well. Our system leaves us vulnerable to being outnumbered in the middle, given Mkhi isn't really a presence dropping back to help the midfield two. Matic has mostly handled that well.

There is no criteria by which Matic is playing well today. He's giving the ball away easily, isn't doing enough off of it and generally has lacked presence.

That said I agree with the fact that he's been given an impossible job (alongside Herrera as well), but he can still do better at what he can control.

 

[#07]

There is no criteria by which Matic is playing well today. He's giving the ball away easily, isn't doing enough off of it and generally has lacked presence.

That said I agree with the fact that he's been given an impossible job (alongside Herrera as well), but he can still do better at what he can control.

There have been a couple of loose passes but not tons. One was admittedly awful and let Spurs counter. However, by and large, under sustained pressing he's doing okay.

 

[R'hllor]

I dont know what the feck people expect from him. Complaining about him just shows stage where club and fans are, buy buy until you get it right. No need for improvement via training,practice etc., you see something wrong,just replace it with a new guy until it clicks. Why even train then to look like a team, just hope that all players have 8/10 day so they can look remotely decent.

 

[Skills]

He's too passive in this formation. The third CB makes his role redundant. For some reason I think if Poch was managing him he'd be playing the role Dier is today.

 

[Sammyjunn]

He has been okay today.

 

[luke511]

He's been an absolute monster this second half.

 

[NinjaFletch]

He's been an absolute monster this second half.

Yep, much better performance from him after the half time break and a key factor in us bossing the second half. Back to the levels that had us all giddy over him in the first place.

 

[#07]

Played very well. Couldn't understand the first half critics. We played a midfield two against a very strong midfield, outnumbered he was strong, and in the last 20 minutes he really stepped it up. Improved his distribution and helped us take control.

 

[milemuncher777]

Dogs bollocks.
Never seen a player with the ball as composed as him when under pressure.

 

[Devil may care]

Bit a slow start but was huge in the second half, not just winnjing balls but his calmness on it once he got it.

 

[AshRK]

He did everything right that herrera could not. He is doing his job effectively, he is not that good in attack but that's not his game yet his passing is better than herrera.

 

[SwansonsTache]

Needs resting against Benfica, was visibly tired today and we need him on his game against the Chavs.

Herrera played DM for us last season and can do it again against Benfica, not like it is a must win game.

 

[MThomas]

Crucial today

 

[11101]

Seemed to play better with Herrera today. They looked like they knew where the other was unlike in previous games.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

Strong as an ox at times. His clearances were often weak, but otherwise he did a good job today.

Hard in what is essentially a midfield two against three.

 

[adamwest]

That second half performance was absolutely incredible. He was a force.

 

[Kag]

He had a much better second half. That doesn't detract from his first half, mind you, which would objectively be criticised moreso if he weren't a brand new toy.

 

[Strats]

Proved his worth in the second half.

 

[ChaddyP]

Was immense in the second half but I feel that had alot to do with spurs putting on a striker and not crowding midfield with 6 bodies

 

[Ace of Spades]

Shit first half, excellent second half.

 

[breakout67]

Poor first half but it was like men against boys in the 2nd half. Can't believe we got him for the same price as Chamberlain.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Was always going to be hard for him and Herrera, who was outnumbered in midfield.

All in all, I felt he did well. Was always close to his man, and used clever pressing to force Spurs back or sideways.

 

[roonster09]

First half he was average, whole team was after first 10-15 mins but in the second half he stepped up and played some nice passes. Controlled the midfield too. So some Chelsea fans said Spurs midfield was the hardest to play against and Matic will be found out, looked like he was the best midfielder on the pitch.

 

[Lennon7]

Frustrating how he kept losing possession by dawdling or with sloppy passing. Wasn’t too bad though.

Will be great to have Pogba back alongside him, as much as Herrera can do a decent job he’s no where near Pogba’s level.

 

[#07]

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[Bulldogg]

He was my man of the match, he bossed the midfield when the game was there to be won.

 

[ManuMou]

For both Liverpool & Spurs games, with both "non-existent" Herrera and Mkhi (yes he played @ #10, but still matters to the midfield to a certain extent), only world class DM like Makelele could have done better. He was "pretty much" a one man midfield @ both big games.

Some of his ball composure @ 2nd half was world class.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

It's not even a debate but he's twice the player Eric Dier ever will be.

 

[Trizy]

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Wtf are some of the comments above about him not playing well? He was immense today and the stats prove it.

Only second behind Young for MOTM.

 

[el3mel]

Did well defensively. Again most of the problems arise when he's asked to do more offensive job, going forward and doing some killer passes..etc. He's not that kind of player. He's a DMF supposed to set back and build the play from behind, maybe rush forward at some occasions but not all the time. That's why Pogba is the perfect partner for him, not Herrera.

 

[lsd]

Excellent today once we get Pogba back beside him we will look a lot better.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He had a much better second half. That doesn't detract from his first half, mind you, which would objectively be criticised moreso if he weren't a brand new toy.

You think that’s an actual thing? Sure as shit didn’t stop Mikhi and Lindelof getting pelters in their first few games.

If anything, new players get more unfair criticism than most because people who decided they were a bad signing (especially when they had a hard on for players we might have signed instead) are so fecking reluctant to admit their scouting skills might be off. See also Morata fans chomping at the bit to slag Lukaku off.

 

[SirAF]

Needs resting against Benfica, was visibly tired today and we need him on his game against the Chavs.

Herrera played DM for us last season and can do it again against Benfica, not like it is a must win game.

Agreed. I'd just say feck it and play Herrera and Tuanzabe in CM against Benfica. Don't think there are any other options?