Former Manchester United assistant coach Rene Meulensteen believes Nemanja Matic lacks the speed and mobility to complement Paul Pogba.
Meulensteen, 54, worked alongside Sir Alex Ferguson for six years between 2007 and 2013, enjoying European and domestic success during those halcyon days.
Should Man Utd replace Matic? Five key things to know…
- Signed from rivals Chelsea in 2017, Matic has been a near ever-present in the United XI.
- The 30-year-old came under fire by some sections of the United fanbase during Jose Mourinho’s tenure.
- Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over, Matic has rediscovered his previous form.
- The 6 ft 4 in midfielder has been key to Man Utd’s revival under the Norweigan.
- However, Meulensteen is convinced the club should look to sign a replacement in the summer.
Matic was one of the fulcrums of Chelsea’s title success under Mourinho in 2015, which prompted the Portuguese tactician to sign him upon his arrival at Old Trafford; at the time it looked a shrewd acquisition, but the midfield enforcer has so far failed to replicate his west London form.
That said, Matic has been one of the catalysts of United’s recent resurgence, but Meulensteen believes his former club should seek a more nimble anchorman.
Speaking to Norwegian newspaper VG, he said: “Nemanja Matic is a good player, but he is too slow. We need someone who can move the legs and the ball quickly, dictate the tempo and at the same time maintain the balance so that Paul Pogba can attack freely.”
Meulensteen then turned his attention to United’s defence, believing the club need to recruit a physically-imposing centre-back in the mould of Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic – two players who formed one of the Premier League’s most formidable central defensive partnerships.
He added: “They need a big, strong center-back. We had Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. A champion team needs two strong defenders and leaders.”
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Meulensteen gives two cents on next United manager
The Dutchman was full of praise for hot favourite Mauricio Pochettino, but he was quick to dismiss the current Spurs boss for the United hotseat because the Argentine does not understand the ethos of the football club.
Instead, Meulensteen believes Solskjaer has the requisite CV to become the next permanent manager of Man Utd due to his association with the club and early success at the helm.
He said: “Everyone is talking about Mauricio Pochettino. And believe me: I’m a big fan of Pochettino. He is a brilliant manager who has done a wonderful job in Tottenham, but he knows nothing about United.
“Ole’s lived [United]. He has experienced it on a daily basis. You can’t learn that on a coaching course. There are so many who have failed, because they don’t understand how big the club is. It’s not a problem for Ole because he has been a part of it.”
The post Man Utd urged to replace “slow” Nemanja Matic by ex-Ferguson assistant appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka News http://bit.ly/2Ef6XZm
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