I'm just marvelling at the notion that Matic was shit last season, isn't good enough for us and is old at 28 years.....
Nemanja Matic| BBC says deal agreed
- Thread starter Paxi
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He was ok last season, certainly shit the season before. He's clearly good enough to play for us but whether he will improve us significantly or whether there are better options are a different matter. Turns 29 in August so while I wouldn't call him old he's certainly not young.
I think a deep lying playmaker is what we need moreso than an out-and-out destroyer. Someone to take over from Carrick. But we're not linked to any :/
29 is the new 35. Too old.
Does Conte really seem like a manager who would accept a passenger in his side? Matic started 30 out of 38 games, keeping Fabregas out, in a title winning side. And some here claim he's not good enough for the side that finished 6th
Not every signing can be a Pogba. This isn't Football Manager.
Not every signing can be a Pogba. This isn't Football Manager.
Looks decent to me. Valencia offering width on the right. Perisic and Shaw offering width on the left.
Totally understand what you mean.
The teams that finished miles ahead of us last season? If Chelsea wanted to keep Matic he'd be going nowhere so obviously they believe he can be improved upon.
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I'm not convinced, honestly. There aren't many who I would actually classify as DMs on that list - not in the sense they could anchor a midfield with Herrera and Pogba anyway. About half of them aren't of the required standard to play for United either.
Every Chelsea fan to whom I have talked about Matic, is more than happy to let him go especially for the quoted price; and only some United fans are trying to convince people that he's still a good player and would be a great addition.
But I'll go by my own judgement; last season whenever I watched Chelsea, Matic was almost invisible, Kante was doing most of the job in midfield. There's a reason why Chelsea want an upgrade. I really hope we're not in for him and it's all about press gossip who like to link every manager with his former players.
But I'll go by my own judgement; last season whenever I watched Chelsea, Matic was almost invisible, Kante was doing most of the job in midfield. There's a reason why Chelsea want an upgrade. I really hope we're not in for him and it's all about press gossip who like to link every manager with his former players.
Doesn't mean they are right. AC Milan for example once let Pirlo leave for Juventus on a free for that very reason. They found out the worst way how useful he still was.....
Thing is, he has won the league twice in 3 years. Not an excited signing but he can't be as bad as people are making out. I wouldnt mind this signing.
People have also completely ignored the fact the likes of Bakayoko and Nainggolan are being eyed by Chelsea because they need squad depth and quality competition to enable them cope with challenging domestically and in Europe. Rather than because the likes of Matic are 'upgradeable'.....I seriously can't see Conte strengthening a direct rival by handing them a very good player, whilst adding no real depth to his own ranks.
So does that mean that you don't think Chelsea will sell us Matic? The only other interpretation is that you don't think Conte sees him as a good player and is happy to hand him to a rival.
Of course but in this scenario I am backing their judgement and seriously doubt Matic will do much to help United win the title. Combined with the links to Perisic I'm not exactly feeling confident about next season.
I can't see him selling any direct rival a player of the quality of Matic. Even if he thinks he can add a better player than he to his ranks. Matic for example could be the missing piece to help a Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester United recapture the league title. City too. Even if Chelsea can get an upgrade on him in the first XI
Matic was good enough to win them a league title last season, keeping a man of the calibre of Fabregas on the bench all season long. He is also the type of player with the exact game to replace a Carrick at the base of say a United's midfield, to release and bring out the best out of Pogba and Herrara, and to be the missing link between United being an OK team and a competitive team. I insist, it makes no sense. Mourinho for example sold us Mata because he was sure we were harmless to his ambitions. Selling Matic to a direct rival would only make sense if Chelsea were dead certs to get one better for their XI, and a young player with Matic's current level to add to squad depth.
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He's the definition of a water carrier, not a holding midfielder who sits and breaks things up or a deep lying playmaker. There's no spark or energy to his game that he had when he first joined Chelsea, there's a reason he was subbed off so many times for Fabregas last season, he just doesn't influence games and he's definitely not worth the £20m+ Chelsea would want.
Yes please.
He's solid, mostly unspectacular and will generally rate at 7/10 most weeks.
Most importantly, he'll give Pogba the freedom to play.
Would be a fine signing.
He's solid, mostly unspectacular and will generally rate at 7/10 most weeks.
Most importantly, he'll give Pogba the freedom to play.
Would be a fine signing.
At Benfica he used to be called The Spider, cause his big legs moved around and occupied everything. When in form (I admit it's rare, and that he, maybe due to his physic, usually starts the season slowly) he's a very good player and would be a good addition to the squad, at the same time providing more defensive cover than Herrera and more attacking threat.
They like their weird names in Portugal, it seems. Fernando was known as 'the octopus' when he was at Porto.
I agree, a combo of perisic and matic to go into our midfield is not really exciting me esp the age of both players, what frustrates me even more with these links to these players we are in the CL and the best we can come up with is matic and perisic, really like? our summer signings last season were more like CL signings than this season. Again its relying on pogba and herrera yet again, with matic, fellaini has our backups, some of our midfield is not exactly full of youth with herrera, fellaini and if matic is signed are closer to 30 than their 20's. Our hand has never been stronger since the ferguson days, and we are being linked with matic and perisic age 28 going on 29.
It's not about not accepting a passenger, it was about the system. Matic can put in a tackle, Fabregas can't. The way he sets the team up, when we're out of possession it's 5 at the back and sometimes only 3 in midfield in case Hazard or Pedro/Willian don't drop back. He wanted Matic to provide defensive solidity to free up the forwards a bit.
You are correct on almost every point sir.
Just because he was part of a title winning side doesn't mean he has limitations. Why didn't Chelsea go on to rule the league and CL after Munich 2012? After all, we had the likes of Bosingwa, Mikel, Kalou, donkey version of Luiz, and Cahill. Good enough to beat Napoli, Barcelona and Bayern after all. That logic doesn't work. The only benefit for him going to United is that Matics best season, by far, has been under Mourinho.
Correct
Him being 29 years old in two months and 1.94m tall if he hasn't already lost his speed then he will most probably do soon enough. For a DM position it's quite important that we bring a dynamic player. We'd do better looking elsewhere.
Nemanja Matic.........
We'll finished 6th next season again If this is the type of signings we are going after, will only have ourselves to blame for stupid and pointless transfers
We'll finished 6th next season again If this is the type of signings we are going after, will only have ourselves to blame for stupid and pointless transfers
I remember when Chelsea signed him and they finished top four and then won the league under Jose. The CAF and his mum were saying how he was the best dm in the league and why the hell we hadn't signed him, he's just what our midfield needs. Two seasons later and he's a Chelsea cast off that we shouldn't touch with a barge-pole, despite winning the league and being a mainstay in the most dominant team last season. Laughable really, I swear some of you lot base your opinions off of FIFA.
You would think after Jose's success in every team he's managed you would trust his judgement for players. Especially ones he's managed before and who know the league and have a winners mentality. But no, he must be shit because despite all evidence to the contrary we should be looking at the guy from another league who might not adapt or even speak the language because he's the new shiny toy.
You would think after Jose's success in every team he's managed you would trust his judgement for players. Especially ones he's managed before and who know the league and have a winners mentality. But no, he must be shit because despite all evidence to the contrary we should be looking at the guy from another league who might not adapt or even speak the language because he's the new shiny toy.
I really can't understand why we're not in for Fabinho?? Matic is average. He looks good next to Kante and we don't have a Kante.
Exactly this. Do I particularly want matic and Co? No but I trust Jose to get what he needs. He wanted matic at Chelsea and it payed dividends. If he wants him here then I'm sure it will prove worthwhile.
He's a bog standard water carrier that's massively on the decline. The only reason he played ahead of Fabregas last season was because he suited the role better that Conte wanted filled. Now one season on, and Conte apparently wants to get rid and upgrade that position, I wonder why? Seriously, people are deluding themselves if they think he would be a good signing. Personally, I never rated him that highly even when some on here were jizzing themselves over him. But by god, he's massively declined since then and most Chelsea fans would be more than happy to get rid and upgrade.
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people on caf are never happy, maybe the fantasy players don't want to join us, matic would be a solid squad signing for us
Would be a good signing.
100% on point!
Matic is a werid one, for a the first 18 months he was back a chelsea he was a beast, then he was utterly dreadful for the next season looked like he didnt care for a season, then had a ok season this year.
i mean he would be a decent signing, but the fact he will soon be 29 and obviously has motivational issues, im can't say id be thrilled with the signing.
i mean he would be a decent signing, but the fact he will soon be 29 and obviously has motivational issues, im can't say id be thrilled with the signing.
Bakayoko is no upgrade on matic. He is defensivly vunrable and not positionally diciplined as matic.
Can we not be more imaginative?
Huh?
Because Chelsea suceedef in fluking a cup competition.
Actually, its the logic of comparing winning a cup to winning a league that doesn't work..
Rather, the most obvious benefit to United is they need an experienced water carrier, with EPL experience, able to protect his defence and keep recycling possession, to free up Herrera and Pogba, whilst needing zero settling in time. Everything Matic still is despite the drop from his heights if his first season at Chelsea.
What I'm finding hilarious is Chelsea fans pretending he is now utter shit and was a passenger in a Conte managed team. Especially a Conte known for not tollerating passengers. Im not convinced Matic is as useless to Chelsea as you are trying to claim he is. I'd love yall to see him sold to a rival, bringi in Bakayoko and only have Challobah, Fabregas and Loftus-Cheek as cover for your first choice midfield pair, when you have domestic and European football to contend with. We will see then if you will still be singing the 'He is so expendable' tune by mid season......
Well, that's the problem isn't it? We have enough of those already.
A hell of a lot of people on here are spoilt. United are no longer what they were and other teams are more attractive as well as having money.
You do realize we will likely have to settle for less until our star ascends again.
You do realize we will likely have to settle for less until our star ascends again.
I swear we could be linked to Borini and Rodwell and some will use the same argument, "Oh, he's a player that fits into Jose's plans, he'll bring balance, he's hardworking, who needs all those FM/FIFA players?"
We finished 6th, crawled over the CL line. We need quality players if we ever dream of going back to the top.
We finished 6th, crawled over the CL line. We need quality players if we ever dream of going back to the top.
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