NEMANJA MATIC SAID he has no problem with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the Manchester United midfielder struggles for game time at Old Trafford.
Matic has found himself out of United’s starting XI this season, with the 31-year-old making his first appearance off the bench last week.
An unused substitute in the opening three Premier League matches, Serbia international Matic played the final 22 minutes in United’s 1-1 draw at Southampton.
With Solskjaer preferring a central midfield duo of Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, Matic’s future has been thrown into doubt.
Speaking ahead of Serbia’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Portugal on Saturday, Matic – who arrived from Chelsea in 2017 – told reporters: “In the first two or three games he determined the team without me.
“I work as hard as I can, we respect the decision, it is mine to show him that he was wrong and to bring me back to where I belong.
“There is no problem. I told him I disagreed with him, but that he had to decide the team.”
Matic added: “I have been in football for a long time, I have played almost all the games for all the clubs in the last 10 years.
“In order for me to play, one had to sit on the bench and accept that fact, and so do I now. The coach must opt for the team that will fight for the title, and if he does not win, he bears the responsibility.”
Matic is preparing to make his first Serbia appearance since the country’s 2-1 win over Montenegro in the UEFA Nationals League in November 2018.
Serbia welcome Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to Belgrade with the Balkan nation third in Group B, six points behind leaders Ukraine and two clear of Saturday’s visitors.
There will also be a new head coach on the sidelines after Ljubisa Tumbakovic replaced Mladen Krstajic, who was sacked after June’s 4-1 rout of Lithuania following their 5-0 humiliation against Ukraine.
“We see every success as euphoric, and every failure as a tragedy,” Matic said. “We have such a mentality, temperament, it’s hard to change that.
“But now let’s go to the European Championships. It would be very important for our football, we haven’t been there for a long time. Finally, we connect two major competitions.”
Murray Kinsella joins Gavan Casey, Ryan Bailey and Sean Farrell with their immediate reaction to Ireland’s 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Just wish those fcuking parasites in the media would leave the man alone and stop stalking him on the streets hoping he will make a fool of himself. He clearly has problems and doesn’t need that
Yes, and leave the poor wife basher alone.
55 wife basher supporters
If he had smoked a joint he’d have been hugging people.
If he had been playing for Tyrone on Saturday he would have got man of the match
This man and his hasbien family should be locked in a zoo like cage and pellted with fruit.
Pauljohnson, you do realize that “hasbien” is urban slang for a woman who used to be a lesbian but has now gone straight http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hasbien&defid=1916673. You should be locked up in a classroom and pelted (not pellted) with spelling tests and lessons in compassion for someone who is suffering from a chronic disease.
spot on brian.
jeez people like Johnson and their families must be perfect.
Considering that everyone in Ireland would know or know of an alcoholic a bit of empathy wouldn’t go astray.
Brian he’s only a troll , see him pop up on the football stories all the time when his mother is out …
I do genuinely feel for him, but there comes a point when you have to ask yourself, how much help does he need, and for how long can it continue?
His friends and family have been extraordinary over the years, with giving him a home, food, sending him to rehab, sure they didn’t even disown him after the incident with Raul Moat and the fishing rod!
Unbelievable footballer, it’s just a shame he didn’t have the right people around him in his hey day. Too many leeches who bought into his success, fuelled by the media in their relentless search for a story, and coupled by his own inability to take control on his circumstances have led to his plight.
I do hope he gets better, but I’ve lost count how times I’ve said that over the years.
Somebody who is as mad as a bag of cats really shouldn’t be drinking
I blame the government….no wait…Johnny Five Bellies…
It’s Jimmy. Jimmy five bellies. Don’t you forget it
Whoops…was thinking of his brother!
He is as mad as a bag of cats because of his drinking.
Dreadfully sad to watch a life fall apart from his addiction whilst the world mocks him..
Such a waste of talent.
A
@ chris
He never wasted his talent he was a great footballer
He was a great footballer but because of drink he ended up playing for rangers rather than real, united or Milan
Also could have been a real good coach so I’d consider him a waste of talent.
@ chris
How do you know he could of been a real good coach ?
Such a waste!
Because he had ability to see more than most on the pitch and maybe he could have transfer that to younger players
Alcohol a demon . Very easily abused just like anything I suppose
Even Rice Krispies?
Fair enough the man has problems, but the fact is he assaulted someone! If you witnessed a drunk nobody on O’Connell St, assault someone, would your first thought be “ah the poor guy has troubles” ? Alcoholism is a terrible thing and I seen what it can do to people, but people excusing behaviour like assault because of it does not help anyone.
never a dull moment with Gazza.
They should lock that eijit up
Dublinlad! Your his best friend are you? How much time have you spent in his company over the years?????? Or do you as I suspect , know absolutely nothing about him!!
Unlike most, his personal life has been played out in the media from when he first emerged on the scene. I know as much as Joe Public, but if you know more, please, enlighten me.
Who cares about Gazza, Jesus. Bar stool nation!
England – the only country that glorifies going on the piss and look at where this lot has ended up; Gascoigne, Merson, Sansom, Adams… and those are just the high profile ones.
Every other country enjoys a tipple but they are realistic enough to realise it’s not glamorous to make an ass out of yourself every day and end up living on a park bench (Sansom) and spitting teeth out on live television (Merson).
One of the best players around in the 90s without doubt!
I still today watch Gazza on YouTube what a footballer incredible,exciting and a thinking footballer.
It’s sad how his troubles and problems have out shone his football skills but that’s reality, it is what it is.
Hopefully one day he will conquer his demons and be at peace with himself.
How many of us had the Gazza crop haircut back in the day lol
Blame Danny Baker and that that ginger but Chris Evans who where his buddies once and persuaded him to move to London and join Spurs instead of going to Utd which he had agreed to join , saying that Manchester was boring and no nightlife ..
The fishing rod mmm!