[ivaldo]

He's just so easy to bypass in midfield.

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

He's just so easy to bypass in midfield.

Yep.PSG and Varratti had it comfortable tonight.

 

[Shinjch]

I thought in the first half hour or so he was very good. Second half he was a disaster. Offered little to no protection to the back four and needed way too many touches to do anything of note.

 

[criticalanalysis]

He's just so easy to bypass in midfield.

I think this can be aimed our whole midfield in general and that's to say it's mostly tactics in my opinion.

Individually there is nothing 'wrong' with the fundamentals of Matic, Herrera and Pogba but we don't have a philosophy/style where we try to play through the middle and dominate possession as a team.

It's great Pogba is far up and Herrera covers the right back but they are too far apart as a shape. We overcompensate on the fluidity and box to box movement, which has got us great results with Ole but it's something we need to think about long term.

It's why Poch is still a top candidate. His teams are brilliantly set up and he gets almost the most out of his players.

In many ways we are playing like Liverpool of last season do but ironically whilst we have MUCH better midfielders, we're don't have the runners/energy to play that way i.e up and down, quick release for fast attacks, clinical and experience goal scorers and energetic fullbacks.

That's a small slight on Ole but mostly to do with the fact that we've been a shambles in terms of identity the last 5 years.

 

[Patrick08]

He needs to be replaced next season and used as bench option.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Thought he was quality til Sanchez and Mata came on.

 

[ivaldo]

I think this can be aimed our whole midfield in general and that's to say it's mostly tactics in my opinion.

Individually there is nothing 'wrong' with the fundamentals of Matic, Herrera and Pogba but we don't have a philosophy/style where we try to play through the middle and dominate possession as a team.

It's great Pogba is far up and Herrera covers the right back but they are too far apart as a shape. We overcompensate on the fluidity and box to box movement, which has got us great results with Ole but it's something we need to think about long term.

It's why Poch is still a top candidate. His teams are brilliantly set up and he gets almost the most out of his players.

In many ways we are playing like Liverpool of last season do but ironically whilst we have MUCH better midfielders, we're don't have the runners/energy to play that way i.e up and down, quick release for fast attacks, clinical and experience goal scorers and energetic fullbacks.

That's a small slight on Ole but mostly to do with the fact that we've been a shambles in terms of identity the last 5 years.

Nah. It's because Matic has the mobility of a tree. We can't play any kind of press with him in the team. So often we see Herrera break into the box and if we lose it, you'll see Herrera run back past him.

 

[Alexit]

Thought he was quality til Sanchez and Mata came on.

Same he was fine for me but all down hill like the rest of the game after the injuries and the diabolical ref.

 

[RooneyLegend]

Squad player at best, at worst, should be sold. The man is ad mobile as a tractor. Don't see how he's going to be beneficial for us moving forward. His passing isn't inspiring either.

 

[ash_86]

Yes, he has been one of the most important players, hence why Solskjær (and Carrick) let’s everybody rest except him, even though we all know he needs it. I think Carrick is one to understand the importance and influence of Matic.

Hmm.. maybe i'm not seeing it. Do you think we could do much better with likes Of Neves?

 

[VivaObertan]

Our best player tonight, don't know what some of you were watching?!

 

[Davicho]

Doesnt have the quality to drive us forward. Not good enough to play such a key role

 

[criticalanalysis]

Nah. It's because Matic has the mobility of a tree. We can't play any kind of press with him in the team. So often we see Herrera break into the box and if we lose it, you'll see Herrera run back past him.

Perhaps but I think the shape of the team and gaps between players is more of a major factor.

Our defenders don't push high/quick enough, our attackers don't press in unison and then our midfielders just plug in gaps here and there. We've been successful with the current set up because we have better players and the athletic ability but against more disciplined teams with technical nous (e.g Spurs game), it's always going to get tougher.

It's down to coaching and tactics, which OGS can be largely blameless for now and even until the end of the season really.

I'm not saying Matic's immobility can't be improved but I think all of our players will benefit if we pressed, defended and moved more structurally consistently as a team. Right now it's 10-20 yards between players when really it should constantly be between 5-15. That way you will have many short pass options, players can beat the press (knowing their team mates, who are 5 yards away will cover their backs if they lose the ball), you can mark/get tighter to opposition players because there's always overlaps of your team mates covering etc etc.

 

[Patrick08]

Our best player tonight, don't know what some of you were watching?!

We're you?

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Our best player tonight, don't know what some of you were watching?!

I was watching him let Kimpembe have a free flying volley from a set piece.

 

[Toddler]

How many times has he lost his man in the box like that? Many times, too many times. He is an absolute tool in the box.

First half good, second a disaster. We have to replace him.

 

[MDFC Manager]

Our best player tonight, don't know what some of you were watching?!

Made the biggest mistake of the night, an unforgivable one given his role in the team.

You could see it coming too, even before the corner was taken.

 

[SpyLuke10]

Made the biggest mistake of the night, an unforgivable one given his role in the team.

You could see it coming too, even before the corner was taken.

He is terrible at marking players at corners and set pieces. A liability here. Loses his man way too often. When we do concede from corners its usually either Matic's or Phil Jones's man who is the one that scores, and we all know how good Phil Jones is...

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I thought he was good/decent until that goal though.

Unforgivable really and he was terrible afterwards.

Need an upgrade on him.

 

[PepsiCola]

Looked brilliant the first half.

But the massive error for the goal seemed to take it out of him.

Will need him at his very best in Paris.

 

[Freak]

Not the first time he’s lost his man on a corner.

 

[Yorkeontop]

Doesn't really matter as such as he's past his peak but I swear he'd be more effective closer to goal. He's excellent technically and is strong enough to ride tackles. We have to replace him but he's worth keeping around.

 

[Harry190]

Don't know how he escaped a yellow for so long in this game.

 

[Fracture90]

Up to their goal he was my MOTM, that goal was on him more than on DDG, but in reality both should have done better. He should have marked their player (whom should have been sent off before that goal) and followed him though.

He's being overplayed again, he's visibly gassed around 60th minute.

 

[Robbie Boy]

If he's a starter and not confined to a squad role next season, we're fecked.

 

[Rossa]

He was our best midfielder yesterday, which was quite disconcerting as he wasn't great. Pogba was very poor, and with the red downright terrible. Herrera started off well, but faded badly. To be fair, Matic was poor in the second half. Along with DDG, he was at fault for the first goal. He seems to just switch off at times defensively but also with the ball, where he will just stand still and not make the pass or move - it's weird.

 

[Raven]

The way he lost Kimpembe for the goal was unforgivable. Decent first half, but that was criminal.

 

[youngrell]

One of the only players willing to show himself in the second half and try to get something going. Even left his comfort zone to try and get forward with a few one-twos.

Big mistake for the goal, but overall I thought he was one of our better players. Actually voted him MOTM.

 

[Kostov]

He was decent in a midfield battle against a top player like Verratti but that marking on the 1st goal is criminal.

 

[SoCross]

I thought in the first half hour or so he was very good. Second half he was a disaster. Offered little to no protection to the back four and needed way too many touches to do anything of note.

Thought he was quality til Sanchez and Mata came on.

Same he was fine for me but all down hill like the rest of the game after the injuries and the diabolical ref.

Looked brilliant the first half.

But the massive error for the goal seemed to take it out of him.

Will need him at his very best in Paris.

Concur with all the above. He was excellent in the first half but like most of the squad, downhill from the 2nd performance.

 

[Adam-Utd]

He was good but his stamina isn't suited to a high pressing game. He was knackered after 30 minutes.

As others stated the fact he didn't clear that chance was criminal unfortunately. PSG players put their heads to every ball, our players always seem to duck them which is frustrating.

 

[deadrevelz]

I must be going crazy because I thought Matic was clearly our best player last night. Lost count of the number of times he made interceptions, tackles and carried the ball under pressure. He was a monster in the first half. In the second he dropped a level I agree, but so did everyone.

I agree with need to buy another midfielder but I'm happy with Matic playing in the first team, just not every game for 90 minutes.

 

[Shinjch]

I must be going crazy because I thought Matic was clearly our best player last night. Lost count of the number of times he made interceptions, tackles and carried the ball under pressure. He was a monster in the first half. In the second he dropped a level I agree, but so did everyone.

I agree with need to buy another midfielder but I'm happy with Matic playing in the first team, just not every game for 90 minutes.

Matic made 3 tackles and 3 interceptions last night according the stats boffins. So I don't know how you lost count at that.

 

[Still ill]

What a start he made! Had me out of my seat on one occasion with a crunching tackle. Solid throughout first half. I think it's clear that the subs changed the dynamic of the team and that loosened everything up. He (and his fellow midfielders) were bypassed with some ease after that. And he was horrible for the goal. I think we just have to face the fact that, against that sort of opposition, everybody needs to be fully at it or the whole thing is liable to come crashing down. Doesn't change his importance to us.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Shocking! Lazy to press, poor positioning when defending, poor man marking when marking his man during set pieces & on top of that no passing ability of playmaker. It’s not the first time we have been frustrated by all of these, I never understand why some people think he is a top midfielder and even compare him to Carrick.

 

[Grande]

Hmm.. maybe i'm not seeing it. Do you think we could do much better with likes Of Neves?

I have just seen a few games of Neves, so I wouldn’t know. To me, one of the things Martial does is seeing and covering dangerous spaces in our defense consistently. With Herrera being allowed to focus on chasing ballbearers and Pogba being Pogba, that is both difficult and extremely important. Particularly when we don’t want to defend with five in the midfield all the time.

Is Neves good at this? I haven’t seen it, others will have to tell me. But neither Herrera, Pogba, Fred, Perreira nor McTominay matches Matic in that ability at all, and that is why he always plays.

 

[kundalini]

I have just seen a few games of Neves, so I wouldn’t know. To me, one of the things Martial does is seeing and covering dangerous spaces in our defense consistently. With Herrera being allowed to focus on chasing ballbearers and Pogba being Pogba, that is both difficult and extremely important. Particularly when we don’t want to defend with five in the midfield all the time.

Is Neves good at this? I haven’t seen it, others will have to tell me. But neither Herrera, Pogba, Fred, Perreira nor McTominay matches Matic in that ability at all, and that is why he always plays.

If you look at our expected goals against during the time Matic has been at the club, it is hard to see a positive impact compared to Mourinho's first season in charge, during which he used Fellaini, Carrick and at times Herrera as his deepest midfielder. Of course, a player like Herrera might be exposed over a long period of time. In the first half of that season, our defence benefitted from having Carrick protecting it. However, in the 2nd half of the season, we conceded fewer goals when Carrick was missing.

This season expected goals against 37.8 (actual goals conceded 35) in 26 games.

Last season expected goals against 43.54 (actual goals conceded 28) in 38 games

Mourinho's first season expected goals against 31.62 (actual goals conceded 29)

LVG's 2nd season 39.66 (actual goals conceded 35)

LVG's first season 39.84 (actual goals conceded 37)

 

[Grande]

If you look at our expected goals against during the time Matic has been at the club, it is hard to see a positive impact compared to Mourinho's first season in charge, during which he used Fellaini, Carrick and at times Herrera as his deepest midfielder. Of course, a player like Herrera might be exposed over a long period of time. In the first half of that season, our defence benefitted from having Carrick protecting it. However, in the 2nd half of the season, we conceded fewer goals when Carrick was missing.

This season expected goals against 37.8 (actual goals conceded 35) in 26 games.

Last season expected goals against 43.54 (actual goals conceded 28) in 38 games

Mourinho's first season expected goals against 31.62 (actual goals conceded 29)

LVG's 2nd season 39.66 (actual goals conceded 35)

LVG's first season 39.84 (actual goals conceded 37)

Then again, I don’t look at exGa to assess individual players, as it’s as good as meaningless.

Do you by the way know which player had the greatest points-for-ratio in arguably our quality-wise best season ever (2007-2008)? Maybe Anderson was the best United player in history?

Carrick, though, was even better than Matic at reading defensive space. I think he must be one of the absolute best at it I’ve seen.

 

[OldTrevil]

Doesn't really matter as such as he's past his peak but I swear he'd be more effective closer to goal. He's excellent technically and is strong enough to ride tackles. We have to replace him but he's worth keeping around.

I keep thinking the same as well, he would be good as a substitute attacking midfielder. He really needs replacing as a CDM.

 

[Intilo]

The only player who didn't look out of their depth against PSG in my opinion , okay he switched off during PSG first goal but who wouldn't ? Kimpembe came from his blind spot , nobody mark him before. If only people could stop hating on Mourinho and judge him properly you could see why it's not onl Mourinho but he is Conte and Ole favorite too. But he can't play all games , next season we need someone in his role to rotate with.