UNITED Understated Matic needs an understudy
ONE by one they roar through leafy Carrington.
The souped-up Range Rovers with the tinted windows. Romelu Lukaku’s Rolls Royce spray-painted in club colours. Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s spotless Lamborghini Aventador.
Blink and you might miss Nemanja Matic’s red Mini Cooper among the throng of sports cars as United’s squad arrive for training every morning.
Beautifully understated, just like the footballer.
The prospect of the big Serbian not starting a game, let alone being left out of a match day squad, is unthinkable and United have suffered without him.
Matic has started 27 of a possible 32 games this season – only Lukaku has played more matches – and has been rested just three times, against Burton, CSKA Moscow and Bristol.
That is some feat for a man who has never played more than 49 games in a single season and who did not have the benefit of a full preseason after training alone at Chelsea’s training ground while speculation continued about his future.
But Matic will never let his manager down and that is one of the reasons why he is one of Jose Mourinho’s favourite players.
Having publicly questioned Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling’s commitment last season, there is no danger of Matic not playing through the pain barrier or refusing to play in any position – even centre-back.
Days after hobbling off against Watford, the 29-year-old played a full 90 minutes away to Arsenal in one of the most energy sapping games of the season.
Mourinho even acknowledged that he was ‘injured’ ahead of the Manchester derby a week later. But, tellingly, Matic still played. Another full game.
The reality is, following Michael Carrick’s heart procedure and Marouane Fellaini’s injury troubles, United do not necessarily have someone who can step in to ease the burden.
That is why Matic has even been used as a substitute in games against Swansea and Basel, and Mourinho tends to prefer to play youngster Scott McTominay alongside him rather than in place of him.
Given Paul Pogba’s tendency to roam, too, Matic’s workload has doubled after previously having N’Golo Kante to help screen and sweep up alongside him.
Matic constantly drops within just a few yards of United’s centre-backs, who are generally encouraged not to bring the ball out, to give them a straightforward outlet and then kick-starts United’s attacks from there.
At Everton, though, there were countless times where there was so little movement ahead of him that he had to go sideways or even backwards, particularly in the first-half. It was a marked contrast to the confident, energetic display on his debut against West Ham when he harried, covered and intercepted every ball. Well, that is how it felt at least. That Herculean effort is taking its toll and even if he is handed a rare rest for the FA Cup clash with Derby, Matic still looks set to play another 30 games for club and country this season. As much as a marquee forward, No.10 and a full-back are priorities this summer, United will surely look to bring in a young central midfielder too – particularly if Carrick retires and Fellaini moves on. For Matic’s sake. Ciaran Kelly