[Kraftwerker]

Passing was shite but otherwise had a good game.

Sick of hearing how players need rests. It’s the go to after any poor performance from a player who starts regularly.

He just needs to be far more composed. We know he can do it. He’s just not in particularly good form.

 

[Brwned]

Where's all the extremely smug posters from the start of this thread...

All of this is so predictable.

Played out of his skin in the beginning and raised expectations. Has since established himself as a key player, going about his job quietly and efficiently, but because he's not playing like Roy Keane 2.0 everyone's decided he's underwhelming. Won the league at Chelsea while being a key player in the team but was deemed underwhelming, has played a key role in us moving from 6th to 2nd place and he's deemed underwhelming. Maybe what he does well isn't that impressive but is pretty important?

 

[Robbie Boy]

All of this is so predictable.

Played out of his skin in the beginning and raised expectations. Has since established himself as a key player, going about his job quietly and efficiently, but because he's not playing like Roy Keane 2.0 everyone's decided he's underwhelming. Won the league at Chelsea while being a key player in the team but was deemed underwhelming, has played a key role in us moving from 6th to 2nd place and he's deemed underwhelming. Maybe what he does well isn't that impressive but is pretty important?

To be honest, his form for Chelsea had completely deserted him last season and it definitely looked as though his legs were going. He was a shadow of the player he was in 14/15, when he was a monster. I feel, that was the only truly great season he had. Despite his form being poor, plenty on here just simply pretended he was still as good as ever and we descended deep into severe revisionism.

He completely shocked me by his start here and he looked rejuvenated. As the season has gone on, the same problems with him - reasons why I wanted us to steer clear of him - are rearing their head again. He looks utterly immobile at times and for some reason or other, his passing has been atrocious of late. He's a player I would certainly keep but he shouldn't be a nailed on starter from next season onwards.

 

[Skills]

Has he really been an upgrade on last season's Herrera? We look so much more open and easier to pass the midfield than last season.

 

[Fergus' son]

Hes been so bad for the last few weeks in comparison to his start - I would drop him for a few games.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Hes been so bad for the last few weeks in comparison to his start - I would drop him for a few games.

Lack of available options / alternatives will make sure he will continue to start.

 

[el3mel]

There's more to it than just tackling and intercepting. We were on the back foot most of the game limiting the space, it's no wonder he got the "most". The fact is it was a poor performance, he contributed to why we couldn't hold onto the ball more than anybody.

Poor performance because of some sloppy passing while he did his defensive job right ? OK.

Matic has worse performance than this, like against Spurs, but this isn't one of them.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Poor performance because of some sloppy passing while he did his defensive job right ? OK.

Matic has worse performance than this, like against Spurs, but this isn't one of them.

He's a midfielder not a defender. Part of his job is also passing and controlling play. Carrick did both jobs and did them well, but because Matic is new he get's off that?

We had him and Mctominay both looking lost when in possession, only Pogba has the balls to receive the ball and try to play forwards. No wonder we can't outplay teams like Huddersfield

 

[el3mel]

He's a midfielder not a defender. Part of his job is also passing and controlling play. Carrick did both jobs and did them well, but because Matic is new he get's off that?

We had him and Mctominay both looking lost when in possession, only Pogba has the balls to receive the ball and try to play forwards. No wonder we can't outplay teams like Huddersfield

He's a defensive midfielder whose main duty on the pitch is to intercept and tackle the ball shielding the back four. Everything else is a nice bonus. Both him and Scott were supposed to be more defensive than offensive and both did that job fine.

 

[pascell]

Has he really been an upgrade on last season's Herrera? We look so much more open and easier to pass the midfield than last season.

That's because he doesn't have someone next to him to help him defend, when he's played as a two with Pogba, he's left to contain two CMs.

Last night he had McTominay next to him helping him contain, which allowed Pogba to roam.

 

[NinjaFletch]

All of this is so predictable.

Played out of his skin in the beginning and raised expectations. Has since established himself as a key player, going about his job quietly and efficiently, but because he's not playing like Roy Keane 2.0 everyone's decided he's underwhelming. Won the league at Chelsea while being a key player in the team but was deemed underwhelming, has played a key role in us moving from 6th to 2nd place and he's deemed underwhelming. Maybe what he does well isn't that impressive but is pretty important?

He also had a good game last night and is being ridiculously harshly criticised for two loose passes which makes it all weirder.

Whoscored had him as our best outfield player, and I'd find it difficult to argue with that.

 

[lifted]

Thought I was going to come in here to see some praise. Baffling.

 

[roonster09]

He also had a good game last night and is being ridiculously harshly criticised for two loose passes which makes it all weirder.

Whoscored had him as our best outfield player, and I'd find it difficult to argue with that.

Yeah, I thought he had a good game.

 

[Skills]

That's because he doesn't have someone next to him to help him defend, when he's played as a two with Pogba, he's left to contain two CMs.

Last night he had McTominay next to him helping him contain, which allowed Pogba to roam.

Pogba was playing next to Herrera last season? He's just come in and replaced Herrera?

 

[pascell]

Pogba was playing next to Herrera last season? He's just come in and replaced Herrera?

Sorry my point was to your comment about being easier to pass through our midfield. Its because Matic sits a little deeper than Herrera would last season and Pogba seems to be roaming more than last season too, not sure what is going wrong but there's an imbalance there.

 

[breakout67]

The caf is funny. Matic is being criticised because he was ordinary going forward, McTominay is being criticized because he was ordinary going forward, Pogba is praised because he did a few dribbles and passes that resulted in nothing.

At the same time, half the forum want a defensive overhaul. So, the way some people want us to play against Sevilla was with 3 attacking midfielders while thinking that our defense is shite.

 

[kr0nix]

The caf is funny. Matic is being criticised because he was ordinary going forward, McTominay is being criticized because he was ordinary going forward, Pogba is praised because he did a few dribbles and passes that resulted in nothing.

At the same time, half the forum want a defensive overhaul. So, the way some people want us to play against Sevilla was with 3 attacking midfielders while thinking that our defense is shite.

You can receive praise for your contribution in defence and criticism for your contribution in possession. That's only fair.

 

[Based Adnan]

Playing like a man possessed so far

 

[Adisa]

He's horrendous at the minute.

 

[Kag]

Best he's played in weeks, I reckon - and I've been on his back a lot.

 

[Santos J]

He loves giving the ball away, broke up some of their attacks though

 

[Kapardin]

Very good. Perhaps buoyed by the fact that it is his old team he is playing against.

 

[sullydnl]

Playing well today, I think. Certainly defensively.

 

[villain]

He’s absolutely gassed, but we can’t rest him either.

 

[Robbie Boy]

He's been terrible lately but decent enough today.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

He’s absolutely gassed, but we can’t rest him either.

Gassed? He's been our best player ffs.

And he's probably covered more km's than anyone on the pitch today, he's well up for it.

 

[villain]

Gassed? He's been our best player ffs.

And he's probably covered more km's than anyone on the pitch today, he's well up for it.

He’s also given the ball away a lot of times, and his decisions have been a step slow.
Comparing how he is now with how he was at the start of the season he’s clearly much more lethargic.

Besides, I didn’t even say he’s playing badly.

 

[ivaldo]

Good game so far. Got the bit between his teeth.

 

[Adisa]

Has made a couple of sloppy errors.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

He’s also given the ball away a lot of times, and his decisions have been a step slow.

His decisions haven't been slow, it's the movement around him.

I counted one occasion where he played a blind pass after a poor touch, besides that he's only given it away when trying a difficult pass or when he has zero options. That aside, he absolutely does not look "gassed" today, has won the ball more than any other player on the pitch.

 

[villain]

His decisions haven't been slow, it's the movement around him.

I counted one occasion where he played a blind pass after a poor touch, besides that he's only given it away when trying a difficult pass or when he has zero options. That aside, he absolutely does not look "gassed" today, has won the ball more than any other player on the pitch.

So he’s as quick and as sharp as he was in the first 2/3 months for us?
Because that’s all I’m saying, and I’m not sure why you’ve taken that to mean I’m insulting him or blaming him for anything.

We don’t have enough players to rotate him with, therefore he looks more fatigued than he’s capable of playing.

I wouldn’t class that half of football as being as good as he’s capable of, if you disagree, that’s fine.

 

[shield]

He is doing roughly 70% of our midfield work. Pogba helps out sometimes, but mostly he is running around in the final third and I am a bit unclear as to what McTominay is doing.

We need a reliable partner for Matic more than Pogba.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

So he’s as quick and as sharp as he was in the first 2/3 months for us?

Yes, not recently but certainly today. He's bang on it.

You don't win that much ball against Chelsea's forwards if you're not quick and sharp in your work.

 

[Ekeke]

He's been a mixed bag. Got on the ball most of all our players, won the ball 6 times which is good... But he's been very sloppy with his passing and given away some needless freekicks.

 

[The Man Himself]

His defensive work has been good so far but passing is very sub-par. We can have more breaks if he finds right passes and doesn't take ages to release the ball after breaking up opposition play.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Been everywhere. Definitely up for it today. Nice and aggressive.

If we're going to find the right balance in a midfield three, though, we need a controlling 8, because Matic is more of a ball winner, so we need someone who's going to get on the ball and start play.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Looks a lot better today than he's been the past few weeks, but still a bit sloppy. Good defensive interventions though.

 

[villain]

Yes, not recently but certainly today. He's bang on it.

You don't win that much ball against Chelsea's forwards if you're not quick and sharp in your work.

Fair enough, I’m not disagreeing with his ability to get the ball back, but I think he’s been inconsistent and that usually comes from tiredness.
That being said he’s been our best midfielder today.

 

[NinjaFletch]

He gives the ball away at least once per half with an absolutely baffling miss placed pass and everyone decides that is representative of his whole game and criticises him.

Been excellent today.

 

[SpyLuke10]

Made a couple poor turnovers when hes had the ball, but off the ball has been possessed, everywhere.