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2020-21 Performances

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5.5 Season Average Rating
Appearances
36
Goals
0
Assists
1
Yellow cards
4
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He's so bad. Why is he still here? He was finished in 2018, and we gave him a new contract. And Rojo. And Jones. And Mata.

Just fecking get rid of the players who are not good enough and move the feck on for fecks sake.
 
Him and Mct were pathetic and totally out of depth tonight.
 
Matic is far too limited in possession. Needs at least three or four touches to make up his mind about what he's going to do with the ball. By then the opposition have either surrounded him or dropped into their shape. He's not good enough for any job that doesn't involve playing like an extra centre back.
 
This is what you get with the Man Utd version of Matic - he’ll be poor for large periods of time, have a little purple patch to convince many he should be one of our first choice CMs, then quickly reverts to type.

Needs to be used sparingly, and only in the right circumstances.
 
This team just doesn't learn. Why offer Matic such a long extension? Do they really think teams are clamouring to sign him if his contract runs down here at age 33? At least they were smart with Ashley Young and signed him a year at a time (albeit 2 years too long). But we're locked into him for a few years because reasons.
 
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simplyared said:
Seems to be a vendetta on here for Matic. He's nowhere near as bad as people make him out to be imho. He still has many good qualities to his game which people are missing. To start with he brings far more to the table than Fred for example and contributes far more than he does. And yet people heaping praise over Fred??
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You might want to revaluate your view mate.
 
I think Matić can still be a good squad player, but not against RB Leipzig who were always going to overrun our midfield.

Could have pictured him starting or playing a part against West Ham though, especially after that first half.

Doubt he can still be a top player against top opposition though.
 
In games where it requires effort and running he should be nowhere near the first 11.

I don't think it's that he doesn't care, he just can't keep up. They played 3 turbo midgets in midfield today and he and Mctominay just couldn't get near them.

He chased shadows for 30 minutes.
 
He and McT did seem to struggle for the entire first half and weren’t helped by Bruno but it was painfully obvious why Fred starts. Matic just doesn’t have the energy or snap to hunt people down and get in their faces. He did however have one or two nice moments last night but hat in itself is an issue as we need someone who can sustain that for 90 mins and something like 60 games a season and Matic can‘t do any of that.
 
There is one common theme in all of our worst games this year. Matic.
He is just horrible this year. Doesnt have the legs and if anything the modern midfield position requires a lot of running. Thats bare minimum.
We are always horribly exposed with Matic. He is now our worst defender at that position by far because he just doesnt have the legs. Lingard would be better as a DM. Im not joking.
For all the stick that Pogba gets around here, defensively he is miles ahead of Matic now.
 
Southampton & RB Leipzig, that's it, the only good or okay games he had this season. That sums it up that his leg is gone (already declined years ago) and he will only give you 2 good/decent games in 8 games, the rest will be shambolic performance. I never understand the idea of giving him 3 years contract. One of the main reason why we need Sporting Director and the board is to blamed for this. Giving player an unnecessary new contract without understanding the situation and football reason.
 
UNITED ACADEMY said:
Southampton & RB Leipzig, that's it, the only good or okay games he had this season. That sums it up that his leg is gone (already declined years ago) and he will only give you 2 good/decent games in 8 games, the rest will be shambolic performance.
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I don't think it's any coincidence that his average rating in our match threads when he's played without Fred is 4.05, while his rating in the games he's played with Fred has been 6. Admittedly it's a fairly small sample size (4 games each), but he needs Fred to provide the legs and do most of the dirty work.

Alternatively, it could also be said said that his two best games (not counting Luton Town in the League Cup) were in the two games he played at the base of a diamond with both Fred and VDB with him. Even more legs and workrate.
 
Sheffield Utd 2:3 Man Utd
Some of the quality is still there, but I can't even think up a suitable analogy to sum up how immobile he is these days, and christ is he slow on the ball. The fact that nobody has bumped the thread to point it out shows how utterly expected it is, too.
 
I seen people complain but I thought he played well. I rate Matic though so that could be some bias. I just feel he offers more on the ball than the other options. Lack of pace is obviously always going to let him down. But I think we play better football with him.
 
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acnumber9 said:
I see people complaint but I thought he played well. I rate Matic though so that could be some bias. I just feel he offers more on the ball than the other options. Lack of pace is obviously always going to let him down. But I think we play better football with him.
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Matic at this stage of his career 20 years ago would still be a fantastic player. But he’s too slow now. He shows flashes of brilliance and class, and if afforded time, he’s excellent on the ball, but he’s a weak link these days.
 
I don't think his lack of pace was an issue, certainly not in a game where he didn't need to chase counter attack. He moves quickly enough on his feet, no problem with that against most teams.

What I don't like is how long he holds to the ball, or dribbles just to pass it to the closest option. Bizarre tactic. I really rate him, but I don't understand why he doesn't move the ball quicker.
 
ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg said:
Matic at this stage of his career 20 years ago would still be a fantastic player. But he’s too slow now. He shows flashes of brilliance and class, and if afforded time, he’s excellent on the ball, but he’s a weak link these days.
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It’s certainly a problem at times but not all the time. When on form he can still bring more positives than negatives for me.
 
Turned into a bum again after a couple of good performances to get that contract. Another dumb move by the board.
 
You can see in Matic a player who was once class but whose legs are shot now. I don't mind playing him against the likes of Sheffield United, but if we were properly positioned as a squad we'd have a superior regular starting DM who can hand off minutes to Matic late in matches whose outcomes are no longer in doubt.
 
Every time he's on the ball, its like watching a football manifestation of Dory trying to speak whale in Finding Nemo.

 
It's shame I like him so much but I think this season should be his last at the club. Was a very good servant while being here though. I hope we at least win some trophy this season while he's around before he leaves.
 
He was absolutely terrible as a central midfielder in the first half, and then you consider his primary role is supposedly a defensive shield and...I just have no words.

Watch the number of times teams simply play a triangle around him - he chases the ball, the ping it past him and then he's too slow, and has abandoned his 'zone' in front of the CBs. It happens every few minutes when teams have possession against us. He also manages to barely ever be useful at defending corners set peices despite being one of our tallest players.

He has a lovely, cultured left foot and will play 2 or 3 passes between the lines each match that are amazing. But in all honesty who gives a f*ck, that's what Pogba, Bruno and the front 3 are there for. As a defensive player, he is an absolute liability right now, and we desperately need a replacement that isn't Fred.
 
Beachryan said:
He was absolutely terrible as a central midfielder in the first half, and then you consider his primary role is supposedly a defensive shield and...I just have no words.

Watch the number of times teams simply play a triangle around him - he chases the ball, the ping it past him and then he's too slow, and has abandoned his 'zone' in front of the CBs. It happens every few minutes when teams have possession against us. He also manages to barely ever be useful at defending corners set peices despite being one of our tallest players.

He has a lovely, cultured left foot and will play 2 or 3 passes between the lines each match that are amazing. But in all honesty who gives a f*ck, that's what Pogba, Bruno and the front 3 are there for. As a defensive player, he is an absolute liability right now, and we desperately need a replacement that isn't Fred.
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Completely agree with this, those passes are fecking mint and I wish Fred and McTominay could learn to play them more often. But unless our opponent is genuinely incapable on the ball and completely concedes possession (like say a Burnley who can't string together two passes on the ground), Matic is a complete passenger. Especially paired with Pogba who is not exactly risk-averse in possession. Matic's positioning is still good but his engine when we lose the ball is non-existent. An actual DM (and CB) has to be the priority in January, though I doubt we'll look at it until summer.
 
acnumber9 said:
I seen people complain but I thought he played well. I rate Matic though so that could be some bias. I just feel he offers more on the ball than the other options. Lack of pace is obviously always going to let him down. But I think we play better football with him.
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He was shocking today mate. I don’t know what game you were watching. Outpaced by his opponents and ball watching lot of times giving his opponents so much space.
 
Probably the worst first half performance I can remember from any United midfielder, he was utterly woeful.

Turned it around a bit in the 2nd half thankfully, but he is looks so off the pace.
 
I think his selection last night highlights where Ole sees him now. He’s behind Fred and McT in the pecking order and last night highlights why.
Slow, ponderous and no where near efficient enough to play the holding role.
If, and big if, we keep Pogba, then Matic needs replacing with a more mobile and effective holding player to sit alongside him.
 
ValenciasDrilledCrosses said:
Completely agree with this, those passes are fecking mint and I wish Fred and McTominay could learn to play them more often. But unless our opponent is genuinely incapable on the ball and completely concedes possession (like say a Burnley who can't string together two passes on the ground), Matic is a complete passenger. Especially paired with Pogba who is not exactly risk-averse in possession. Matic's positioning is still good but his engine when we lose the ball is non-existent. An actual DM (and CB) has to be the priority in January, though I doubt we'll look at it until summer.
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I think we need one in January because we don't have any reliable CB apart from Maguire and Lindelof - which is not exactly the most secure pair itself.
 
Swap Sheffield United yesterday to Brighton players when we faced them earlier this season, we would have been fecked and would need 5 hit the post to save us. With Matic without Fred, we will struggle in midfield against teams like Brighton, Palace and teams above their level. And he's a DM not a feckin Pirlo which unacceptable that he needs another defensive midfield to play against teams like Sheffield, Brighton & Palace level. I hope we are moving on from him in the summer and sign someone who is more reliable.
 
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