[settembrini]

On the ball he is playing much better than he did under Mourinho, I only saw him take too long to play a pass a couple of times yesterday, before he would dawdle every single time he received the ball. His passes are also more ambitious, going forwards and with more intent than just getting it to the nearest red shirt.

Defensively he is still doing a poor job. He just doesn't have the mobility to deal with most attackers.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Totally agree. Some are completely incapable of judging a players performance because of their bias.

I refuse to believe some people don't just have pre-programmed posts to go out no matter what's happening in the game because some people clearly aren't watching or worse, they are watching but evidently have no clue how to actually process what they're watching. So they stick with the same thoughts which they likely didn't come up with in the first place. They read Matic was shit so much so now they'll just type the same every game no matter what happens.

 

[Kapardin]

Well, looks like Mourinho wasn't wrong to sign him or Lindelof. But he's actually playing better now than he did under Jose even in his first season. I'm surprised by how comfortable he is high up the pitch making forward passes.

 

[Feed Me]

Well, looks like Mourinho wasn't wrong to sign him or Lindelof. But he's actually playing better now than he did under Jose even in his first season. I'm surprised by how comfortable he is high up the pitch making forward passes.

He started out as an attacking midfield player.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Been good the past two games which is refreshing considering how thoroughly awful he had previously been despite some attempting to rewrite history in typical condescending Caf style

 

[haram]

Well, looks like Mourinho wasn't wrong to sign him or Lindelof. But he's actually playing better now than he did under Jose even in his first season. I'm surprised by how comfortable he is high up the pitch making forward passes.

The fact that people dismiss players and then build them up just as quickly is ridiculous. Matic is a two time premier league winner. That is worth more than what has happened the last few months. Lindelof is a young player playing in a defence which is shaky regardless.

 

[Nick7]

Was very good yesterday. Against Cardiff too. He looks a lot more free in the middle

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Been good the past two games which is refreshing considering how thoroughly awful he had previously been despite some attempting to rewrite history in typical condescending Caf style

This, he’s been very very very poor for months and I’d say the last 4 games he’s had decent moments but last 2 he has looked quite good and this comes from someone who originally wanted him then was converted to thi k9 g maybe that was a mistake just due to how poor he had become.

It’s not over reactions from anyone, he really was poor and now he is playing well.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

I think it’s easier to play well as a DM when players ahead of you are actually making runs

 

[Shark]

He looks like a new player since Jose was booted out.

 

[simplyared]

Can't believe the stick the player has been getting on here. I've always rated him. You don't always have to use long sweeping passes and get the applause of the crowd. His game is different, he uses those split second opportunities so well and so often to play that short effective short pass forward to get us on the front foot. A very important part of our set up and seldom puts a foot wrong.

 

[Cassidy]

Can't believe the stick the player has been getting on here. I've always rated him. You don't always have to use long sweeping passes and get the applause of the crowd. His game is different, he uses those split second opportunities so well and so often to play that short effective short pass forward to get us on the front foot. A very important part of our set up and seldom puts a foot wrong.

His form has been pretty poor this season so the stick shouldn't be surprising.
Good if he can get back to early last season form though

 

[Robbie Boy]

His form has been pretty poor this season so the stick shouldn't be surprising.
Good if he can get back to early last season form though

It’s always a good ouel Caf thing when a player hits form to pretend that he wasn’t utter shite previous to that. Matic has been appalling for a long time now, to pretend otherwise is willfully obtuse.

 

[ash_86]

This was the one. Thank you!!

 

[.Rossi]

This is the one player that highlights Mourinho's shortcomings...

 

[SATA]

He's great at these little drag backs and fooling the opposition forwards. So calm and knows what he's going to do in his head. I bet he has 20 out of 20 in composure on football manager

 

[Amar__]

He was absolutely terrible ever since start of the season, and no one is hiding saying that. He looks bit better, but I wasn't too impressed against Cardiff either. Defensively he is non existant, I think even stats prove that, but you only need to look how people get past him and how slow he is to recover, you don't need stats. I think there's a good reason why Chelsea got rid of him for decent money, they are hardly stupid. Let's hope he can improve under Ole, but I really doubt it, maybe with the ball but the biggest problem with him is his defending/legs or the lack of it.

He was one of the reasons alongside Lukaku why Mourinho was fired earlier than he maybe expected, anyone who couldn't see it is probably blind. I am not saying we would look much better without him and Lukaku, but Mourinho refused to even drop him for one game.

 

[Based Adnan]

Every so often he pulls something off that reminds you that he used to be a number 10. So glad he's back.

 

[criticalanalysis]

He's great at these little drag backs and fooling the opposition forwards. So calm and knows what he's going to do in his head. I bet he has 20 out of 20 in composure on football manager

He's absolutely ice cold in certain situations where he's pressed or in a tight space. He has the turn of a titantic but he uses his body and feints so well, you can't do anything but be bypassed.

 

[EasyE]

He's absolutely ice cold in certain situations where he's pressed or in a tight space. He has the turn of a titantic but he uses his body and feints so well, you can't do anything but be bypassed.

I agree. Fantastic using his body with the sticky out arm. However - there are other situations where he takes that long to look up and find an option, he carries on for a wee while before he realises the balls been bloody nicked and a counter attack is breaking. I guess with the movement of the team improving he should have more options available for a quick pass - but he does get caught out a lot lately.

 

[criticalanalysis]

I agree. Fantastic using his body with the sticky out arm. However - there are other situations where he takes that long to look up and find an option, he carries on for a wee while before he realises the balls been bloody nicked and a counter attack is breaking. I guess with the movement of the team improving he should have more options available for a quick pass - but he does get caught out a lot lately.

The team playing on the front gives him a bit more space in midfield as the opposition drops but I noticed Fred/Pogba should have given him an easier option as the spacing was a bit too far ahead of Matic imo.

Against Cardiff/Huddlesfield it's fine but against a better pressing team, he'll need easier outlets because his space will get crowded sooner as opposed to the luxurious time he's given now.

 

[staniswin]

Not sure why he got critics for being slow and static. none of busquets, carrick, pirlo are fast either because their role as holding midfielder / deep lying playmaker means being fast isn't important trait. He isn't ball winner like kante or herrera who moves around the pitch chasing every ball so his tackling stats isn't proper measurement .

What's important for him is to read the game well, cover space well , distribute the ball well and shield the ball well and he is without a doubt , our best player in that position , people thought just because Ole is attacking modern manager , he would be on the bench instead of Fred and Pereira, but i am pretty sure it doesn't matter who our next manager is, he will still start anyway.

 

[Extortioon]

Nemanja Matic still remain one of our best player in the DM position. He read game very well. It is not compulsory one is as direct and aggressive as Kante or Ndidi before ball can be recovered and dictated. To think of it, he is more technically than this two duo mentioned earlier. So i give it to this guy.

 

[MadDogg]

Not sure why he got critics for being slow and static. none of busquets, carrick, pirlo are fast either because their role as holding midfielder / deep lying playmaker means being fast isn't important trait. He isn't ball winner like kante or herrera who moves around the pitch chasing every ball so his tackling stats isn't proper measurement .

Busquets and Carrick have better defensive positioning than Matic (he has been absolutely terrible with his positioning this season in particular) and are also far, far better passers whose ability to control the team around is just as important as their defensive work. Can't really compare him to those guys.

Nemanja Matic still remain one of our best player in the DM position. He read game very well. It is not compulsory one is as direct and aggressive as Kante or Ndidi before ball can be recovered and dictated. To think of it, he is more technically than this two duo mentioned earlier. So i give it to this guy.

He's been terrible this season. He's been much better since Ole took over (particularly in the first half of both games), but lets see if he can keep it up. Hopefully he can. Last season he started off fantastically well then slowly but surely declined as the season wore on.

 

[K2K]

He was absolutely terrible ever since start of the season, and no one is hiding saying that. He looks bit better, but I wasn't too impressed against Cardiff either. Defensively he is non existant, I think even stats prove that, but you only need to look how people get past him and how slow he is to recover, you don't need stats. I think there's a good reason why Chelsea got rid of him for decent money, they are hardly stupid. Let's hope he can improve under Ole, but I really doubt it, maybe with the ball but the biggest problem with him is his defending/legs or the lack of it.

He was one of the reasons alongside Lukaku why Mourinho was fired earlier than he maybe expected, anyone who couldn't see it is probably blind. I am not saying we would look much better without him and Lukaku, but Mourinho refused to even drop him for one game.

Considering that they spent similar money to replace him with Bakayoko.. I'm not so sure.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Busquets and Carrick have better defensive positioning than Matic (he has been absolutely terrible with his positioning this season in particular) and are also far, far better passers whose ability to control the team around is just as important as their defensive work. Can't really compare him to those guys.

I think to be fair to Matic, you should be comparing Busquet's last season with Enrique and Carrick's many seasons without a proper centre midfield partner, to this year's Matic. It's very similar relatively speaking.

All three are quality players with very good attributes, who's form and ability to play intrisincally tied with the team's tactical make up and form. Although it should be said, that's true for every player in any position.

Those two players you mention never really took games by the scruff of the neck or controlled games on their own. They were part of highly functional teams that controlled games as a unit and contributed massively to it.

Matic has been part of a highly dsyfunctional team and by design was part the reason but you cannot deny his other qualities.

 

[automaticflare]

Has played well but I still think he takes a touch or two too many. But better since Ole came in

 

[jeff_goldblum]

This is the player we thought we'd bought, his forward passing was great today.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

This is the player we thought we'd bought, his forward passing was great today.

This is the player we saw in his first few months at the club. Before he got more and more inhibited, like everyone else under Mourinho.

 

[el3mel]

Responsible for their goal but otherwise, completely unchanged player. Looks like the same as Chelsea when he was dogshite in Mourinho's crisis then became great with Conte again. Hopefully we squeeze some more seasons of him.

 

[Ekeke]

Ole must have told him De Gea was in the opposite goal each half because he looked for forward passes today.

 

[Bobski]

Forward passing Matic is not bad.

 

[Based Adnan]

Unbelievable how calm he is when holding off an opponent. Always manages to find a way out with a good pass.

 

[Shiva87]

Great game today. Was very good as a shield also. Loving how him and Ander are alternating the shielding role.

 

[WR10]

I counted 3 defence splitting passes which is probably more I’ve counted the whole season for him previous to the past 2 games

 

[Giant Midget]

Looks so much better than the shit he served up while Jose was here.

I like this Matic, he’s calm and decisive. Let’s see how he is defensively though, as that’s been an area he struggled with as well. We haven’t been challenged that much these last 3 games.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Well shiet, Terminatić is back.

 

[King.of.Red]

Superb, strong performance. Also so classy... Hopefully he can keep his current form

 

[mewnew11]

The biggest improvement of our a team is matic. Forward quick passes and the whole team is transformed . The through balls are just orgasmic . Long may it continue

 

[Irwin99]

Looks completely transformed under Ole. The midfield of Ander, Pogba and Matic picks itself.