Matic: Leaders the ones not scared to play

NEMANJA Matic has called on his United team-mates to be ‘leaders on the pitch’ and not to be ‘scared’ following their humiliating defeat against West Ham.

Jose Mourinho’s side have made their worst start to the season in 29 years and it has been some week at Old Trafford. The Reds have failed to beat Wolves, Derby and West Ham; talisman Paul Pogba as been stripped of his ‘second captain’ role; the cameras have captured a frosty exchange between Mourinho and Pogba at Carrington and Alexis Sanchez and Antonio Valencia have both been dropped.

United have put in some poor displays this season, but their performance at the London Stadium was, arguably, their worst yet in Mourinho’s time in charge.

So how can United respond against Valencia tonight?

“I don’t think with talking you can resolve something. The leaders need to be on the pitch,” Matic said when asked what has been said in the dressing room to arrest the slump. “The leaders are the ones not scared to play.

“The next games we will see who is the leader. For me, if you talk in the dressing room, that doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes, it can help, but most important is on the pitch.”

Speaking after the West Ham defeat, Luke Shaw said the players had ‘to look at ourselves’ as the manager ‘isn’t on the pitch.’

Although Mourinho stopped short of agreeing, he acknowledged that everyone at the club had to take responsibility.

The United boss admitted ‘some care more than others’ in his squad, but Matic feels everyone who took to the field against West Ham gave their best.

“I think that also Saturday we didn’t play well, but I think we gave our best in that moment,” he added. “Why we didn’t play well? For sure, the manager is going to tell us.

“For sure, the manager is going to show us videos when we made mistakes, what we can do better. This game is really bad but we also have responsibility - everyone has responsibility for that.

“I don’t believe any players go to the pitch and don’t give their best. Everyone who starts a game wants to do better for himself and after that is better for the team.

“Something wasn’t good and for me I think I played one of the worst games since I signed for Man Utd. I looked in the mirror and I want to see where I made mistakes and where I can do better. For sure I can do better.”