Nemanja Matic says ‘angry’ Manchester United squad formed internal committee with him as president as 2 ex-teammates were ‘always late’
Nemanja Matic, currently playing for Rennes, has shared insights about his tenure at Manchester United, contrasting it with his experience at Chelsea. He highlighted the punctuality of the players and the situation that led to the Red Devils' squad forming an internal committee.
According to Matic, in an interview with YuPlanet, an issue of recurring tardiness plagued United's training sessions. Key figures such as Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho were frequently late, leading to frustration among teammates. The former midfielder started by comparing the situation to his time at Chelsea, revealing how this frustration gave rise to an internal disciplinary committee (via Metro):
“At Chelsea, players acted professionally, they were punctual and were never late for training but at United it happened almost every day. Among the players who would always be late were Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho and couple of other players."
“The rest of us who were always on time were angry so we decided to form a kind of internal disciplinary committee with me serving as the president. I put a sheet of paper up on the wall where I documented the names of individuals arriving late. During one particular season we collected around £75,000 in fines."
He added:
“We had planned to use the money to throw a party in London, but we didn’t due to the COVID outbreak.”
Jadon Sancho's current situation at Manchester United is troubling as the winger has been sidelined from first-team activities following a dispute with manager Erik ten Hag. Pogba's trajectory post-United has also been concerning. The French midfielder has been handed a provisional suspension due to a positive test for a banned substance after returning to Juventus.
Dressing room problems for manager Erik ten Hag at Manchester United
Erik ten Hag is reportedly grappling with significant unrest within the Manchester United squad. The team's subpar performance this season, marked by 10 losses in 21 matches, has escalated tensions. A recent 1-0 defeat to Newcastle, deemed one of the Red Devils' poorest showings this season, has only worsened the situation.
Notably, during this match, Anthony Martial openly clashed with Ten Hag, reportedly expressing dissatisfaction with the manager's criticism of his work rate. Marcus Rashford also reportedly faced rebuke for his perceived lack of commitment.
Sources close to the club (via Mirror) indicate a growing disenchantment among the players, posing a daunting challenge for Ten Hag. He must now endeavor to rally the majority of his team as they face a demanding schedule ahead. Crucial upcoming matches include a home game against Chelsea and a pivotal Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich at Old Trafford.
Concerns are mounting that if Manchester United's performance doesn't improve, the current discontent could deepen.