Blaise Matuidi #14

We typically do well with these types of signings. At 30, with the vast experience of being at a top club for many seasons and a regular for the French national team, he can make an immediate impact.

he has 3 more seasons in him... We need muscle in midfield, we got it..

If he decides to go back to being a defensive mid first, then he will be good. If he thinks he can score goals and still do his job on defense, he won't be. He doesn't have the legs to be a B2B player anymore. Lost them after the 2nd half of the season before the Euro in France and never recovered. Age always wins there.

Hopefully, his benching at PSG humbled him. Became a diva for a few years and that's never good for a water carrier type player.

sportsczy wrote:If he decides to go back to being a defensive mid first, then he will be good. If he thinks he can score goals and still do his job on defense, he won't be. He doesn't have the legs to be a B2B player anymore. Lost them after the 2nd half of the season before the Euro in France and never recovered. Age always wins there.

Hopefully, his benching at PSG humbled him. Became a diva for a few years and that's never good for a water carrier type player.

I believe he was purchased for his defensive qualities first and I have no doubt that the intention is for him to free Pjanic. I hope you're right and I do feel it's a solution. I like that he prefers the left side of the centre because Pjanic prefers the right, as does Khedira. In a midfield of 2 or 3, this distinction is actually important.

420 blaise it

Yeah I know what you purchased him for Luca. But will Matuidi commit to that? PSG staff had problems getting him to happily accept that direction. They wanted him to stay more conservative to assist Kurzawa defensively. They wanted Kurzawa to attack more and Matuidi to stay back. He wouldn't listen. He would consistently get caught too far up the pitch and he no longer has the legs to recover.

I guess he will. This transfer should have humbled him some

Nobody doesn't listen at Juve when it comes to defending and doing what the coach says. They either adapt or don't play. It has been the same with every player.

I hope so man. It would benefit both Juve and France NT if he went back to the basis for his success to begin with = defense.

"They wanted Matuidi to stay back and he didnt listen"

The problem is that you dont take Matuidi to stand back; because his basic strength is running around, his stamina/pace, like Vidal

If you want a DM to stand back you go for someone like Matic, Can, who has strength wants to play DM/CB

Matuidi is a different player :

He should make his runs, he should try for goals

That's what he lost though.  He couldn't run back from those advanced positions anymore.  Got caught too far up the pitch all the time.  They asked him to cut down his range to take into account the fact that he was losing his legs...  Gotten worse and worse too.

In fact, that became an opposition tactic. They keyed off of Matuidi being too far up the pitch and then bombed either a mid or the fullback behind him. The fullback was caught in a 2v1. Conceded countless important goals this way... Kurzawa not being a good defender didn't help.

at Juventus Vidal was advancing and that was never a problem as we had guys like Chiellini, Bonuci, Barzagli to deal with counter attacks so was the wing backs, Marchisio and Pirlo

lol sport is speaking like Matuidi is a finished and nearly invalid player.He has clearly slowed down a little bit compared to two seasons ago but he's still good.
Vidal has also less gas in the tank now playing with Bayern, with us he was a freaking beast.That doesn't mean Vidal is finished.

And for that 20+10 price it's a great deal when you see other mediocre players move for much more than that.