Yep. Always needed a good disciplined partner he can depend on. He was even able to roam forward today. Definitely played a solid game today. Pogba isn’t disciplined enough for the role. He should be able to tell himself to do the job but he’s not capable of doing it. McTominay or Herrera partnering him allows him to play to his strengths. It’s all about having the right mix of players to get the right balance.
31
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 49
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
Solid performance from Matic but I'd like him to release the ball quicker. Takes too many touches when only one is needed. Screws up the counters.
He's literally our engine. What do we do without him? His calm presence and intricate ball control in midfield is very under valued.
There’s method in the madness with those extra touches around the half way line. Carrick used to be a master of them too, it’s not always about playing a quick pass to the guy closest to you when the rest of the team is marked up, it just puts him the same position you were and at best you might get it straight back.
What Matic, Carrick, Kroos, Busquets, Alonso et al all do is invite pressure on to themselves because they know an extra man on them equates to one of our players being in space.
It doesn’t always work out as intended, but that’s the reason they do it, they’re not just being sluggish and lacking awareness.
He looks tired. He could do with a weeks holiday tbh.
I get your point but we are all know Carrick, Kroos & Alonso are different class in passing if we compare them to Matic.
Playing a 3 man midfield would help him when he is pressed as well, gives him another player to pass to in closer proximity.
Welcome back, Matic! (The good version that started so well this season.)
Solid game, although looks like he needs a rest, been flogged to death this season.
Would love Dier in beside him with Pogba in a 3. What a solid base that would give our team.
He and our squad just had over a week off in Dubai. They cannot be tired.
Brilliant today when he's not out numbered in midfield. Also very good when Pogba came on as a third midfielder. 433 works and water is wet
Yeah tired excuse is bs. They had a week off in Dubai and also he played one game in 15 days or so in that period. Now we play Newcastle after 1 week gap.He and our squad just had over a week off in Dubai. They cannot be tired.
Brilliant today when he's not out numbered in midfield. Also very good when Pogba came on as a third midfielder. 433 works and water is wet
My only criticism with him is he rarely tries first time passes and holds unto the ball for too long.
Was brilliant yesterday, a completely different performance from Wednesday and I think having Mctominay next to him may of helped.
Newcastle 1:0 Man Utd
What a pass to Martial. Should've had an assist.
Great pass, our first bit of real quality
Poor fecker is basically first name on the team sheet every week. Shame we cant afford to rest him for a game or two. He's so good. That pass.
Young had a nice moment when he nutmegged Shelvey and played a decent pass for Lukaku to run on to, too. Also, I think it's fair to classify de Gea's save as quality as well.
Thing of beauty that through pass.
Lovely pass for Martial's first chance, a bit sloppy at times buit overall he was ok.
His passing has been torrid the past few weeks. What could it be down to? But it's really messing up things in the middle of the park.
Seems to fade a bit in the second half of season, was the same at Chelsea for a few years and unfortunately looks to be creeping in here and unfortunately because he tends to be the only competent cm we have playing its having a knock on effect. He's not getting around as much as he was earlier this season .
If Carrick had been fit his season might have been more even. Too passive for my liking. I want to see more of that aggression in his passing that he showed for the Martial chance.
Good player, but the club should already be looking for a upgrade.
Good player, but the club should already be looking for a upgrade.
I think he is one of the few players who can be overall happy with his performance today.
I'm not sure whether he's suffering from fatigue or he's suffering from having to play in a midfield two with a player that doesn't have the discipline to play that position. He needs a player who's going to battle alongside him but can push on as well.
Huddersfield 0:2 Man Utd
Where is he even meant to be on the pitch? Because he's bloody useless at the moment.
At one point, even Mata was chucking his arms about in the air from the other side of the pitch, wondering why nobody on that side of the pitch was pressing.
I don't like commenting mid-game but Matic has been shite for weeks and gets a very easy ride.
At one point, even Mata was chucking his arms about in the air from the other side of the pitch, wondering why nobody on that side of the pitch was pressing.
I don't like commenting mid-game but Matic has been shite for weeks and gets a very easy ride.
Been invisible lately
He's been incredibly poor on the ball recently. Very slow to pass and gets caught a lot due to that.
Totally agree. All focus has been on Pogba's performance and this guy gets no criticism whatsoever.
He's been poor for many games now and tonight he looks so lost on that field.
Been poor, him and McTominay aren’t protecting the defence, are getting overrun and offering nothing going forward.
He's looking more and more like the Matic of last season.
So will he be playing 3 games in one week? He is such an important player for us. Would like to see him given more freedom too next season (get that deep lying midfielder). His pressing the opposition is almost always well timed and often leads to counter attacks.
He has been so terribly poor today and these last few weeks. Most probably fatigue taking its toll. God knows what will happen next.
Worst half in a red shirt. Hope he picks it up massively second half.
He looks absolutely knackered to me. Sadly, Mourinho's "give everything or give nothing" attitude to selecting players tells me he wont get a rest anytime soon.
We don't exactly have any suitable alternatives with Herrera Felliani and Pogba out
Presumably this is yet another performance that is due to him being tired or something, that has been the excuse for countless average or poor games since about October. Maybe the first few weeks of the season were the anomaly rather than most of the last 2 and a half years.
It's really bizzare how that one just stayed the go-to reason for so long.
In fairness I can understand it to some extent as he was really good in the first few games and he does look quite laboured a lot of the time but there are posts in this thread after the Huddersfield league game in October excusing him by saying he was tired and it's been repeated a lot since (largely because he has seldom been that good).
- Status