Nemanja Matic talks about players' disciplinary issues during his spell with United

[Chicharo]

In his recent discussion on a Serbian podcast, Nemanja discussed his experience playing for Manchester United. He mentioned readily accepting Mourinho's offer upon receiving a call from him and highlighted the warm reception he received from the fans when he joined United. He also said that in his opinion Leicester have the best training centre in England.

But he also talked about disciplinary issues within the club.

He said: At Chelsea, players acted professionally, they were punctual, and were never late for training, but in United it happened almost every day. Among the players who would always be late were Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho, and couple of other players. The rest of us who were always on time were angry, so we decided to form a kind of an internal disciplinary committee with me serving as its president. I placed a sheet of paper on the wall where I documented the names of individuals arriving late. During one particular season, we collected around £75,000 in fines. We had planned to use the money to throw a party in a London nightclub (wtf?) but we didn't, due to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.

So, this all started during Mourinho’s tenure, and continued well into Ole’s reign.



Source:

 

[horsechoker]

The party thing reads weird but at least they made the latecomers finance it. It obviously had no effect though as they seemed to be content with just paying a fine.

I'd have said "if you're more than 5 minutes late, you have to kick a cat on video and upload it to instagram" they'd have come on time for training when they realised how many followers they would lose.

 

[Zed 101]

Lateness bugs me at the best of times but when you are being paid millions the least you should be is early

 

[pascell]

Sancho, late? Well I'm surprised.

The money collected for fines should have gone to charity, not some plush party in London like some sort of award for being late.

 

[Selbourne]

Pretty telling of the club that players were late for training almost everyday.

There was a time ago where I'd be dismissive of this but the last few years has made me realize that the culture is so toxic.

 

[SilentWitness]

It's always been a thing that fines were used to pay for the Christmas parties at clubs.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

No surprise this bunch of overpaid wankers think they’re above the rules. They’ve seen off countless managers over the years and look to be throwing yet another one under the bus after one season, although the managers performance hasn’t been up to scratch either.

 

[Berbaclass]

75 fecking grand. Christ what a collection of wankers we have

 

[stefan92]

The party thing reads weird but at least they made the latecomers finance it.

It's actually quite usual for a lot of (amateur) teams to finance their season end party using the fines collected for being late, forgetting equipment etc. At least here in Germany, maybe it's not usual in England and that's why it reads weird to you?

 

[golden_blunder]

And people wonder about Sancho. Seems he’s displaying the exact same patterns as at Dortmund

 

[Chicharo]

It's always been a thing that fines were used to pay for the Christmas parties at clubs.

Yes, but knowing the situation around the club, it all sounds like a big joke. It's like: no problem, I'll keep being late, pay 100-200 bucks from time to time, and in the end we'll all go out and get drunk.

 

[SilentWitness]

Yes, but knowing the situation around the club, it all sounds like a big joke. It's like: no problem, I'll keep being late, pay 100-200 bucks from time to time, and in the end we'll all go out and get drunk.

I don't think fines paying for christmas parties is the issue here. I think it's more that there wasn't additional disciplinary action taken that meant it wasn't as repetitive as it seems to have been.

 

[Ali Dia]

But Pogba was a good egg? Loved by all his managers apart from Jose and the life and soul with all his teammates? You could see his passion for the job on the pitch every game. A clown. Lingard Rashford Martial the same. I’m done with these men children who aren’t even doing the bare minimum. Fecking hell. What a bunch of arseholes. Jose was right.

 

[horsechoker]

But Pogba was a good egg? Loved by all his managers apart from Jose and the life and soul with all his teammates? You could see his passion for the job on the pitch every game. A clown. Lingard Rashford Martial the same. I’m done with these men children who aren’t even doing the bare minimum. Fecking hell. What a bunch of arseholes. Jose was right.

Yeah but he couldn't coach us so he was wrong just like Rangnick. You're only right if you're successful.

 

[Based Adnan]

Good example how there's been a massive shift towards player power at the club. Under SAF they'd be gone within the year if they pulled this off consistently. Now they know they can carve out long careers at the club despite poor attitudes and performances. The club will do anything but move them on at a loss to protect the books so the players get away with murder.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

And people wonder about Sancho. Seems he’s displaying the exact same patterns as at Dortmund

Yet some people want to blame ten Hag. Sancho's a bad egg simple as that.

 

[K Stand Knut]

Sancho, late? Well I'm surprised.

The money collected for fines should have gone to charity, not some plush party in London like some sort of award for being late.

we should be grateful that he turned up at all.

rumour has it he had problems even bothering to get himself to Carrington on a regular basis

 

[pascell]

we should be grateful that he turned up at all.

rumour has it he had problems even bothering to get himself to Carrington on a regular basis

I hope he's out of the door in January.

I was a big advocate of his signing, how wrong was I.

 

[pacifictheme]

The party thing reads weird but at least they made the latecomers finance it. It obviously had no effect though as they seemed to be content with just paying a fine.

I'd have said "if you're more than 5 minutes late, you have to kick a cat on video and upload it to instagram" they'd have come on time for training when they realised how many followers they would lose.

It's very standard in football to use fines for your end of year party, it's usually the way it's done. Probably less necessary when they earn millions, but I guess it's the late players financing the whole squad in this case.

 

[Ali Dia]

So much waste. Sancho, Greenwood, Lingard, Antony, Pogba, Martial, Rashford, Lukaku even got pulled into this dissent before he left. Absolute lack of accountability at the club for young players. When someone like Jose or ETH tries to stamp it out then they start crying. Manchester Utd spoilt boys club. I’m glad former players are starting to call it out. There should be nowhere to hide with this kind of thing. Lay down a marker for the next crop who are considering coming here that this party is over

 

[NewGlory]

Always loved Matic. He was huge for us in his first season, his legs went after that and he could only play 60mins, but always a great lad.

Pogba should have been kicked out when he fell out with Jose. Ed Woodward was a cosmic prat for not supporting Jose.

Not exactly the same, but giving Rashford a new mega deal was an absolutely horrible decision of Arnold and Ten Hag. It was already clear Rashford wasn't the goalscoring machine he had been for 5mo before that, when they valued him as some kind of Ballon d'Or winner. We are stuck with him now. He will continue to be unreliable and lukewarm and there is no way we can get rid of him on his current salary. I guarantee you he is fine not playing and collecting huge cheque rather than leaving for a salary paycut

 

[Marwood]

But Pogba was a good egg? Loved by all his managers apart from Jose and the life and soul with all his teammates? You could see his passion for the job on the pitch every game. A clown. Lingard Rashford Martial the same. I’m done with these men children who aren’t even doing the bare minimum. Fecking hell. What a bunch of arseholes. Jose was right.

If only he'd not signed them or installed a culture of discipline himself. Ultimately the manager can and should sort this.

 

[tomaldinho1]

The party thing is very normal, the issue now is players are paid so much they just don't care and so the amount collected looks offensively large.

This is the issue with a squad who have had such a long period now of poor examples and attitudes. You have to purge it at some point and take a season where you finish mid table.

 

[Ali Dia]

If only he'd not signed them or installed a culture of discipline himself. Ultimately the manager can and should sort this.

Jose tried to call him out. We all know that. It must be so frustrating to have someone that talented but who is so laid back that it’s clear as day they are coasting and wasting it and happy with the lifestyle. Jose was the only serial winner here at that time, he knew what Pogba needed to do and then Pogba got him fired. We wonder why the club is gone down the shitter since. Player power and the players are idiots.

 

[MrMarcello]

Be nice if he named the others whereas those named, while probably true, are the easy targets today.

I'm not surprised at all that some players continually pushed the line and the players set up a kangaroo court of sorts.

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

I liked Matic

£75,000 in fines is inexcusable.

 

[CallyRed]

75 fecking grand. Christ what a collection of wankers we have

The sad thing was that it was a £1 for each minute they were late.

 

[neon_badger]

I recal working at an event at Old Trafford during this period, it was hosted by the foundation and was an opportunity for young fans with life limiting illnesses to meet the players, there was a private section available for the players to have a break, they didn't use it except one player that spent almost all of the event hiding in there on their phone until they could leave. What was noticeable was that nobody even attempted to cajole him into participating, it was like it was accepted that this is what he does.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

Matic seemed like a proper pro - shame we don't have 10 of him in this squad.

 

[Ali Dia]

I recal working at an event at Old Trafford during this period, it was hosted by the foundation and was an opportunity for young fans with life limiting illnesses to meet the players, there was a private section available for the players to have a break, they didn't use it except one player that spent almost all of the event hiding in there on their phone until they could leave. What was noticeable was that nobody even attempted to cajole him into participating, it was like it was accepted that this is what he does.

Martial, has to be

 

[horsechoker]

it was like it was accepted that this is what he does.

Not implying it was Ronaldo

 

[Berbaclass]

I recal working at an event at Old Trafford during this period, it was hosted by the foundation and was an opportunity for young fans with life limiting illnesses to meet the players, there was a private section available for the players to have a break, they didn't use it except one player that spent almost all of the event hiding in there on their phone until they could leave. What was noticeable was that nobody even attempted to cajole him into participating, it was like it was accepted that this is what he does.

Name and shame

 

[horsechoker]

Martial, has to be

It's...

Spoiler

Rebekah Vardy

 

[ExoduS]

Matic been talking sh1t about United on every Balkan podcast he has been on.

 

[Scarecrow]

I recal working at an event at Old Trafford during this period, it was hosted by the foundation and was an opportunity for young fans with life limiting illnesses to meet the players, there was a private section available for the players to have a break, they didn't use it except one player that spent almost all of the event hiding in there on their phone until they could leave. What was noticeable was that nobody even attempted to cajole him into participating, it was like it was accepted that this is what he does.

Which player?

 

[horsechoker]

Which player?

Juan Mata

 

[neon_badger]

Name and shame

Feck that, I'm paranoid about that place, I've learned to keep it vague when discussing my time there.

 

[Berbaclass]

Feck that, I'm paranoid about that place, I've learned to keep it vague when discussing my time there.

PM?

 

[SER19]

Pogba and Sancho? No way, this seems fishy to me.

 

[Gordon S]

Not surprised in the slightest tbh. What we are seeing on the pitch must come from somewhere. But it still makes me sad.
Just how is it possible that there aren´t grown ups working at the club that have the balls to tell these spoiled kids whats what?
Why aren´t the people in the boardroom livid about these things? Giving players absolutely insane wages only for them to glide around giving 80% effort at the best of times.