Nemanja Matic

[Mudi]

And then we have Wilshere to back up Xhaka...

Who is never available because he's injured all the time?

Buying Matic would make so much sense as it would solve so many problems and also would mean that that Coquelin can f*ck off.

Because of that, I don't see it happen.

 

[Ceballinhos]

Who is never available because he's injured all the time?

Buying Matic would make so much sense as it would solve so many problems and also would mean that that Coquelin can f*ck off.

Because of that, I don't see it happen.

Matic won't Come to Arsenal to be a bench player. And xhaka has had a very promising end of season. We should trust him and develop him.

I don't think a xhaka/Matic partnership would be viable imo.

 

[Mudi]

Matic won't Come to Arsenal to be a bench player. And xhaka has had a very promising end of season. We should trust him and develop him.

I don't think a xhaka/Matic partnership would be viable imo.

Why not? I think that the reason why they separate is wage problems. He doesn't really wants to be a starter ...

 

[HairSprayGooners]

Why not? I think that the reason why they separate is wage problems. He doesn't really wants to be a starter ...

Too slow and immobile. You need a Naby Keita/Kante breed of footballer next to either Xhaka or matic. Chelsea have the perfect balance and are adding even more athleticism in bakayoko. Their CM is so solid.

Although Bregas is the only real backup now.

 

[LacazetteAFC]

I would take the word of those who are trained to watch with a critical eye over fans who post what are often half-assed opinions online (I include myself in the latter group, even though I spent 30 years writing about sports). And I will value Arséne Wenger's opinion over all others, so if it's true he wants Matic I'm not going to argue with him. .

I don't know why you think sports journos have any greater knowledge than anyone else. Especially when they won't have seen the player anywhere near as much. His article you posted had no depth, it's got no analysis whatsoever.

The reality is Matic never rebounded to the same level after his horrible injury, hasn't got close to it. He's still a good player but clearly past his dominating best.

Also, I've seen nothing about Conte telling Matic he would be surplus to requirements. What I've seen is that Conte told him he couldn't leave until a replacement was acquired.

Matic is clearly for sale because Conte thinks a replacement will perform better.

It dropped some season before last when Chelsea was playing like crap and nobody was motivated to play for Mourinho. Most of the drop was last season with Kante in the team.

The rest we'll just have to agree to disagree on.

Well no apparently his level dropped before then after his injury in the back end of 14/15 and as we know Chelsea played poorly in the second half of their title winning season as a result. Part of Chelsea's collapse was because they weren't as fit after a delayed pre-season but also due to Matic's drop off.

 

[LacazetteAFC]

Cant see it happening (at all) but what has Xhaka done in his career to show hes better than Matic?

Matic has had alot of games where he has been monstrous. The guy would walk into our midfield. Bring him into replace Coquelin and we're laughing.

Xhaka is clearly the better passer, Matic at his best more mobile and quicker. Matic at his peak is better than Xhaka has been but Matic probably only gets worse at 29, while Xhaka should improve

Neither would compliment each other, which is the real issue. Nowhere near enough pace and athleticism to cover for the gaps we often leave in our play.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I don't know why you think sports journos have any greater knowledge than anyone else. Especially when they won't have seen the player anywhere near as much. His article you posted had no depth, it's got no analysis whatsoever.

The reality is Matic never rebounded to the same level after his horrible injury, hasn't got close to it. He's still a good player but clearly past his dominating best.

I wrote about sports for 30 years. I've been around a lot of sports writers. I can assure you that nearly all know more about the sport they cover than the average fan sitting in the stands with their face painted. And unless you watch Chelsea play every week, why should I put any stock in what you say then? What makes you know any more than Nick Wright?

Also, I didn't say Matic was as good as he was in 2014-15. I said he was much better last season than the season before that and that he would be a useful player, especially against bigger teams when you want to solidify your defense.

Matic is clearly for sale because Conte thinks a replacement will perform better.

I didn't say he wasn't for sale. I disputed your assertion that Conte told him that he's "surplus to requirements." Not the same thing. Arsenal may sell Giroud. That doesn't mean Wenger told him that he's surplus to requirement. It also wouldn't mean Giroud isn't a good and useful player. Sometimes situations are what they are.

Well no apparently his level dropped before then after his injury in the back end of 14/15 and as we know Chelsea played poorly in the second half of their title winning season as a result. Part of Chelsea's collapse was because they weren't as fit after a delayed pre-season but also due to Matic's drop off.

Here are the stats on tackles (what we're talking about here): In 2014-15, his tackles per 90 minutes was 2.91. A year later it was 2.34. Last year, playing alongside one of the top defensive midfielders in the game, that stat plummeted to 1.24. That would seem to indicate that playing alongside Kante didn't require so much work in that area (this is also supported by the last analysis I posted -- the more detailed one). So I'm pretty sure that Matic still has the ability to tackle, despite what your Chelsea mates or people on their forums might be saying.

The fact is that if Matic had fallen so far off a cliff as a player as you seem to think, he wouldn't have been starting almost every game for a club that ran away with the Premier League title in a season where the 5th place club scored 75 points.

 

[al-Ustaadh]

Who is never available because he's injured all the time?

Buying Matic would make so much sense as it would solve so many problems and also would mean that that Coquelin can f*ck off.

Because of that, I don't see it happen.

From the sounds of it... Wilshere should be available to play this season. He's expected to be given the Europa League games. If Santi comes back, then we've got two to rotate with Xhaka.

I don't think people are going to get the midfielder they want.

 

[BBF]

learn about football, stop playing videogames and watching highlights.

Savagery

 

[asukru]

Rabiot? He is slower than my grandma! And she is dead!

LMAO