NEMANJA MATIC IS a holding midfielder of the highest order at Manchester United, but few will realise that’s partly courtesy of former Argentina stars Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola.
The Serbia international, who joined the Red Devils in a £40 million move from Chelsea over the summer, admits that he never intended to fill his current role.
Instead, the 29-year-old had hoped to be a creative influence from a playmaking post.
He was, however, to see his position altered after facing fierce competition for places at Benfica and has never looked back after forging a reputation as one of the finest enforcers in the business.
“When I started to play football, my dream was to play as an attacking midfielder and to score goals,” Matic told Inside United.
“When I grew up slowly [motions to being tall with his hand], I started to move back and, when I came to Benfica, the coach Jorge Jesus told me I won’t have the chance to play attacking midfield.
“We had many players better than me in that position, such as Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola. So it was difficult for me and he said, if I want to play, then the No.6 position in defensive midfield was for me and I can become one of the best in the world.
I started to work hard and to listen to him and, step by step, I improved. As you can see today, I am at Manchester United and I am happy that I changed my position.”
Pressed on whether his size, along with his ability, had led to the switch, Matic added: “Yes, I think so. With my height, it is difficult to play forward in that role but I don’t know.
Maybe the coach said that my height was a problem when maybe it was my quality! Aimar and Saviola were very small but extremely good technically and had very good quality.”
Matic spent three years in Portugal with Benfica sandwiched between two stints at Chelsea, with the Serb now a key figure at United having moved to Old Trafford and having made 23 appearances in all competitions.
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Played some beautiful rugby, that Gilroy try was easy on the eye. They were their own enemies in defense.
Gilroy continues to look brilliant. Even when he doesn’t score, he’s making defenders work very hard.
The one I was thrilled with was Luke Marshall. It looks like he’s found an extra yard of pace. Not just for the try, he showed up on the wing again later on and nearly made another big break. Always made a yard, made every tackle, he kicked reasonably well. He might be the most complete center Ulster have.
I thought Marshalls pace was excellent he also looks like he’s bulked up.
Agreed Marshall played excellent, and that was his first bit of game time since before the six nations which makes it that bit more impressive. I also like how he plays 12 and 13 equally as well.
That ref!.. I’m a Munster fan but you have got to feel for Ulster! Ref was appalling!..
The Pro 12 is a joke. There should be neutral referees for all matches.
We maintain a 100% record of someone complaining about the ref when an Irish province looses. The ref didn’t miss those tackles.
Ah Sean there’s two huge calls he made and got them both wrong and that can swing a game.
Literally every single loss is followed by this complaint. It’s embarrassing at this stage.
I thought the ref was pretty good, but I missed the start of each half. What were these two huge calls that he supposedly got wrong?
Are you saying in victory or defeat, the form of the referee should not be analysed? We scrutinise players and coaches, why should referees be exempt? The standard of officiating is criminally poor, at every level. Games are ruined by poor reffing as much as missed tackles or fluffed kicks. Our game is suffering badly
Olding was solid at full back. Jackson played well at 10 and Gilroy earned a call up. I’d love to see
15. Payne
14. Trimble
13. Henshaw
12. McCloskey
11. Gilroy
With Healy, Ringrose, Olding and Jackson as cover against Italy and maybe Scotland.
For the Munster supporters ye are getting a bloody good centre in Sam Arnold. He’s built like a brick Sh17 house.
Good game to watch, shame Ulster couldn’t get a result. Some great rugby in the first half, Gilroy’s try was class all round and Marshall did brilliantly to finish for his, I didn’t think he was that quick. Second half was more attritional but still interesting. Jackson played well but the decision making should left to someone else, with 25-30 mins left and 4 points down you have to take the points and he turned it down twice. I think if Pienaar was brought on earlier Ulster might have snuck it because apart from the one break I thought Paul Marshall was fairly poor.
Some results aside it was a good weekend for lads on the outside of the Irish set-up with Healy, O’Halloran, Gilroy and Conan all playing well, L Marshall and Marmion from inside the extended squad too.
Kept Ulster out of my accumulator again. Big game, another loss. I would love to see them do well especially given the quality of their backs, but the long, long wait for a trophy will go on.
Cave missed a shocking amount of tackles, just seemed soft today.
I like Cave a lot, but after with you here. He’s gonna find it really hard to get a place if everyone is fit
Official – Cave no longer best 13 in Ireland
Was he ever?
In fairness, Cave’s been Ulster’s most consistent player for 5 or 6 years. He was very poor today, but it’s hardly enough to write the guy off after a couple of missed tackles in a single afternoon.
If we did that, Tommy Bowe would’ve never played for Ireland again after that France match (I want to say ’06?) and finished with a handful of caps and a few tries.
Although, for reasons other than today’s performance, I would expect that Cave’s time in green is probably over.
Poor decisions from Jackson and some people want him instead of Sexton
I don’t think anyone wants him instead of sexton, but he shouldbe there instead of Madigan in my eyes.
But was sexton captaining leinster at 24 years of age? He still has maturing to do. Definitely deserves a spot ahead of madigan and will succeed sexton in time before the 2019 RWC
Sexton had to wait behind some very good players and a top international. Paddy got the 10 shirt at Ulster at a very early age because in all honesty there was no one else
Well I suppose we can all have bad days at work and Ulster definately had one today. I’m sure it was a decent game for the neutral but I found it a very very very frustrating couple of hours. Welsh sides seem to have the ability to defend for their lives (Dragons a few weeks ago too) but I found our defense and all round aggression level to be indifferent. A costly defeat and in all fairness, I think from a leadership/decision making perspective PJ will have learnt a lot today.
Paul Marshall should be kicked out of ulster. He is useless. Too many mistakes yet again. Need to get a new scrum half and cave had his worst game ever how he stayed on the pitch as long as he did was a disgrace by kiss.