Wednesday 29 October 2014

Matic key to 'the new Chelsea'



Chelsea's Nemanja Matic is living proof that returning to your old club can be a successful decision; but has anybody ever arrived for the second spell at a club and been quite as significant as the Serbian has been in West London since rejoining last January?

The holding midfielder is finally gaining the recognition he deserves for consistently reliable and impressive performances in a Chelsea shirt, and I would challenge you to find a more dominant player in his position in England at this moment in time.

Matic returned to the club last January for a fee of £21 after leaving the Blues in 2011 as a make-way for David Luiz in a swap (+$25m) deal. The Serbian spent 3 years at Benfica building up his reputation as a top European player, perhaps emphasised by his performances that took the Portuguese side to the Europa League Final to conclude the 2012/13 season, where he faced his old and soon-to-be new team-mates.


For years the holding midfield position in the Chelsea team has been held by powerful, ball-winning midfielders; Essien, Ballack, Mikel. But Matic offers something different; the 26 year-old represents the new defensive midfielder, and more significantly, the new Chelsea. The Serbian's awareness and ability to break the game down whilst still containing the power to surge forward and create chances mimics the performances of Yaya Toure last season - crucial to Manchester City's success.

Matic's ability - helped by his physical build - is very rare in modern football. Certainly, in my short life-span as a football fan I've seen very few who are better than the midfielder is in his duties on the pitch.


So why have I bothered writing this article? Surely every Chelsea fan out there knows Matic's capabilities. His strength. Power. Decision making.

In truth, they probably do. But Chelsea's dependance on the 26 year-old isn't emphasised enough.

Matic has featured in the starting line up of 13 games this season. Within those 13 games, the Serbian has a win percentage of 77%.

There is absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that Cesc Fabregas has an incredible footballing ability, but without Matic there, the Spaniard is limited in his influence of the game. The Serbian is able to break down opposition attacks so efficiently, leaving room and time for Fabregas on the ball.

The example of Shrewsbury away, however farcical, highlighted the need for Matic on the pitch - whoever the opponent. Last season it was supposedly the absence of Matic that left us falling short of European success, although I'd argue there was a lot more to it than that!


For me, Nemanja Matic is pivotal in the success of 'the new Chelsea'; the absence of his presence on any pitch is instantaneously noticeable. The Serbian has all the makings of a Chelsea great if he continues to progress in the way he has done so far.