TOUGH REALITY OF PLAYING FOR THE SPECIAL ONE
Matic reveals how hard it can be to keep Jose happy... even when you’re winning
NEMANJA MATIC knows more than any player the unique demands of working under Jose Mourinho.
Manchester United boss Mourinho took a fresh swipe at his underperforming players in the wake of this win, with the exception of Matic, who made the opener and scored the second.
Mourinho let rip in the build-up to the game, claiming only the Serbia midfielder and Romelu Lukaku – who both scored against Brighton – had played to the required standard this season.
And Matic, who enjoyed success with Mourinho at Chelsea, winning the Premier League and League Cup, warned his team-mates there will be no let-up from the self-titled Special One as he plots United’s route back to the top.
“He’s special because he wants to win, always,” said Matic. “You can see when we lose a game he cannot accept that. Probably that’s why he won more than 20 trophies in his life. It’s very difficult to work with him, because he always wants more and more.
“Even if you win the league, he wants to win again next season. He’s like this and the players need to be ready for that.
“I like it when the manager always wants better and better, so you have to improve – always, always do your best. I like this kind of work, this kind of relationship.
“At this high level at Manchester United and where I used to play at Chelsea, the players need to be ready for that because the pressure is big.
“Everyone expects you to win every game. Obviously it’s not possible, but supporters always expect.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re tired or not, supporters want high quality football. It’s normal.”
Luke Shaw’s turbulent four-year United career looks certain to end this summer after Mourinho again publicly admonished him, hooking him at half-time for Ashley Young. Shaw is one of a number of players, including Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian and Marouane Fellaini, set to leave this summer, along with veteran duo Michael Carrick and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Against that backdrop, there is likely to be a significant reshuffle at United as they look to address their shortcomings that have left the FA Cup as their only remaining hope of silverware.
Asked if it takes a certain player with a particular mentality to succeed under Mourinho, Matic said: “I think this is a question for him.
“I’m doing my best and I’m happy to work with him, I’m happy to be part of his team, this club.
“I think he respects what I’m doing every day, not only in the game, but in the training sessions and I’m happy for that and I’ll continue like this.”
Matic admitted winning the FA Cup would not make up for United coming up short in the Premier League and Champions League this season.
“In the Premier League you have six or seven teams who want to win the league, so it’s not possible to always win,” said Matic.
“But if we win the FA Cup it’s good, but not perfect.
“You have four competitions in the season – if you win one, for me, it’s not enough, but you always have to do your best.
“In the Premier League, when you’re in the first four, it’s not perfect, but it’s good to play for the Champions League next season.
“If you win the FA Cup, I cannot say it’s a successful season, but it’s a good season.”