Chelsea FC did not achieve their primary goal of winning on the road against Dynamo Kiev, but many believed that it was the Blues’ best performance of the season. Were it not for an excellent save from the Kiev keeper and the width of his crossbar, the Blues would have had two wins in a row with successive clean sheets. Much of the positives coming from the match had to do with the play of the midfield and that usually begins and ends with Nemanja Matic.
The Serbian had been struggling with form this season and suffered the humiliation of being substituted on and off in the same half in a losing effort against Southampton. He has been scapegoated for the Blues vulnerabilities in midfield and Matic would be the first to admit that he has not been at his best.
After the humiliation against Southampton and the loss of his automatic place in the starting lineup, many would not blame Matic for responding negatively. However, much like his teammate Eden Hazard, he responded with perhaps his best performance of the season against Kiev. Matic spoke on a possible rift with Mourinho and assured the manager that he can depend on him:
"“I am professional and I respect all decisions of the coach. In my life I have never had a problem with any coach because all coaches respect that I am very professional. I do my best. So with Mourinho it is the same. He knows he can count on me always. He respects that, I respect not only him but all coaches which I’ve had in my life. I always try to learn something from them. I will keep it like this until the end of my career. Every day is a new experience.”Source: The Guardian"
Mourinho has often used his man-management tactics to push his players to the limit and some do not respond well to his pressure. They either shrink away from the moment or believe that they deserve to be treated better because of what they have accomplished. In Matic’s case, he has the personality to respond well to his manager’s pressure and has the calm demeanor to internalize it rather than lash out in the media about it.
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If Chelsea FC hope to improve their prospects this season and challenge for any silverware, they will need to see improved play from their two key players Hazard and Matic. Hazard was the best player for the Blues last season but Matic was a close second as he did much of the dirty work in midfield that often goes unnoticed.
Matic showed his frustration during the international break as he was nearly sent off for a dangerous elbow but he has not let that get the best of him in a Chelsea shirt. He has instead taken that passion and refocused on improving his play. The Blues are still far off from their level of play from last season but slowly but surely, with the help of Nemanja Matic, they will once again reach that pinnacle.
Next: Chelsea FC Draw With Dynamo Kiev: 3 Things Learnt