CANNED HEAT
Matic: The boss has kept all the pressure away from the players. Has it affected him at all? NO
NEMANJA MATIC claims Jose Mourinho took the pressure off the Manchester United players to help them overcome their traumatic start to the season.
Mourinho made himself the focus for the frenzy after the losses to Brighton and Tottenham, and defiantly insisted he is still one of the world’s best managers.
Matic says he took the spotlight off the players, allowing them to beat Burnley comfortably and ease the crisis at Old Trafford.
“Of course it takes the pressure off us,” he said. “He knows what he’s doing, for sure. You probably know that also. It’s good for us.
“He’s one of the best managers in the world. You know what he has won in his career.”
Matic, 30, claimed the players did not see any difference in Mourinho before the Clarets game, despite speculation his job would have been on the line if the Red Devils had lost.
“No, no,” he said. “I think he’s dealing very well with the pressure. That’s why he’s here in Manchester United. I don’t see any difference.”
Matic claims Mourinho’s focus was on devising a game-plan to beat Burnley and hailed his decision to deploy Marouane Fellaini just in front of the back four.
The Belgium midfielder was outstanding for United and helped them negate Burnley’s aerial threat.
“He was very confident before the game and in a very good way,” said his midfielder partner Matic.
“We knew where they could cause us problems with the long balls. That’s why Fellaini played close to our defence, to stop them.”
Fellaini, 30, is Mourinho’s go-to player in difficult moments and the former Everton star says he drew on all his experience at Turf Moor.
“I know what I have to do,” he said. “I have certain experience, 10 years in the Premier League. When the manager gives me a chance, I try to give everything.
“But the whole team played well and that’s the most important thing.”
Despite losing two of their first four games, Fellaini (right) insists United are still good enough to win the title. They have two more points than they had in 1992, when they won their first Premier League, and have some relatively easy games next.
“We have the quality, that’s for sure,” added Fellaini. “It’s the beginning of the season. The last two years we started well. This season a bit less so, but the season is long, so let’s keep going.
“Let’s go away with our national teams and come back very strong.”