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Matic

JMaher94 said:
Spencer is a great YouTuber. Classy bloke.
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yes, the only youtube fifa gamer that i follow on youtube, unlike those ones who screams, swears, throws game controller, throws chair, etc. it's too damn annoying

btw good to hear that zouma is the hardest working on training, future world class defender is written all over him

 
I'm starting to get worried about Matic. People have been focusing on the back four, but I'm starting to suspect that aside from Brana who has definitely been poor this season so far, that Matic is actually a big part of why we're looking so fragile back there. We've gotten used to depending on him to screen the defence and be an absolute rock in the middle of the park, but so far he looks like a shadow of his normal self. He's making reckless decisions, losing the ball in important areas and just generally looking wobbly.

Come on Nemanja, we need the real you back!

 
Kentonio said:
Come on Nemanja, we need the real you back!
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He was great when he arrived, and for the first half of last season. One of the best players in the world, definitely.

He's been nowhere near that level for a while now.

 
Seems a bit erratic, maybe just rusty. Too early in the season to be worrying yet, the lads aren't even truly match fit to 4 or 5 games in anyway

 
It is a worry, he always seems to have that moment of rashness in him, but it seems to be more evident this season.  Not overly worried yet, but certainly raising an eyebrow

 
The guy is literally doing a 2 man job in front of the defence as Fabregas is basically non-existent in a defensive capacity

Fabregas should be a bigger worry as he seems to have gone completely off the boil, I bet as he improves Matic will appear better as he will be able to trust his partner and position himself better preventing any last-ditch tackles like he has been doing lately 

 
I feel a bit sorry for him. As has been stated, he has to do a two man job and has to protect the slowest defence ever. He's had to do this every game for over a year.

 
He needs a partner desperately. As others have stated he can't do two jobs at once and so far Ramires, mikel and fabregas have failed in that job. Still not sure why we didn't go for schneirderlin. He would've been perfect alongside matic.

 
Darogba said:
He needs a partner desperately. As others have stated he can't do two jobs at once and so far Ramires, mikel and fabregas have failed in that job. Still not sure why we didn't go for schneirderlin. He would've been perfect alongside matic.
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Agreed. 

Either mourinho was 100% confident in what we have, or the board didnt back him early enough because they were confident in what we have. 

Judging by mourinho's comments in May about how he needed a new midfielder, i would imagine that it was a case of the latter being applicable in this instance. 

 
Englishman said:
Rather than blaming all his partners, perhaps we should look at Matic himself. Fabregas clearly isn't there for his defensive qualities. Matic is and he's been below par for a while now.
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Wow! You hit the nail on the head. Since the second half of last season he has been struggling, he is even worse this season. Am not one of his fans who overrates him as being one the best in the world, but i really hope can get back to that form he had in the first half of last season with the Champions League already at the corner. If he cant recover that form and with Jose hell bent on pairing him with Fabregas in important matches, am scared an average team will send us out of the Champions league in the second round!

 
wallosh said:
Wow! You hit the nail on the head.

Since the second half of last season he has been struggling, he is even worse this season. Am not one of his fans who overrates him as being one the best in the world, but i really hope can get back to that form he had in the first half of last season with the Champions League already at the corner. If he cant recover that form and with Jose hell bent on pairing him with Fabregas in important matches, am scared an average team will send us out of the Champions league in the second round!
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When he's on top form I'd have him as one of the best in the world. He can be absolutely majestic.

 
I feel like a lot of our problems we have in the middle would be alleviated if we played a high line. 

 
Theafonis said:
I feel like a lot of our problems we have in the middle would be alleviated if we played a high line. 
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Unfortunately, it would cause a whole bunch of new problems at the back.

Edit: Just ask AVB if you don't believe me.

 
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Think it's both Fabregas and Matic that's at fault. Neither are at their best but the setup isn't helping either. Matic has looked quite erratic in his play, but Fabregas has looked quite poor both offensively and defensivesly. Fabregas himself has caused a few misplaces passes in key positions, although Matic himself needs to improve his ball playing which would ease the burden off Fabregas. All in all, although the partnership worked last season, there are a few weaknesses. 

I believe when he debuted he was partnered with David Luiz (and was there a few times) which looked like a pretty damn solid partnership. With Ramires it was alright as well -- not a great deal of creativity but quite robust in midfield. 

Think this isn't too much of a concern though. He'll be good again. Perhaps this is why we're looking for a marquee CM though. 

Theafonis said:
I don't think so. Most teams who play a 4-2-3-1 play with a defensive line closer to their midfielders. We just need faster defenders I think. 
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I understand what you're saying & I agree, but it's not even the space between the two; it's more the fact that players can get an easy run in on the players generally. Against West Brom for example, there was no space to play through our mid but they troubled us because they could run at us quite easily. When we do decide to push and then press they just hit us over the top with a faster player, which is why, like you said, we need faster players to match those runs. 

Alternatively we've got players capable of high press runs ourselves so we could do what Barca does and aim to win the ball back in the final third. 

Also would suggest why not only we're keen on Pogba (or so the rumours say) but for Stones as well.  If we do buy Pogba though then we'll need to switch to a 4-3-3

 
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Remember in the first half of last season when Matic would sit deep, tackle the opposition and then set us off on another attack ? where has this Matic gone ?

The Matic we see today seems to get too involved in the attack, which leaves gaps, and he takes forever to make a pass which leads to the opposition tackling him. I miss the clean tackling, no nonsense Matic that we were seeing.

 
He doesn't deserve that criticism towards him. He can't control the central alone, he need Fabregas for that, but Fabregas is our current worst player so he's the one that should be on the bench and get all that criticism. The guy can't even win a tackle, I don't expect Matic to be as good as last year because he can't play alone. 

I agree with Jose when he said that Matic is touching the ball too much but other comments against him just wrong. Jose was really unfair with him against Southampton, I think it's kind of disrespectful situation. But he's the boss and he decides what to do. I'm just saying that Ivanovic and Fabregas worse than him and they're untouchables. 

 
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