Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has identified reasons the Red Devils will struggle to win trophies this season.
The Bosnian, who won the league with Chelsea in 2015 and 2017, believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team needs more experience before they can seriously challenge for the title.
Matic is in contention to be United’s captain this term and appeared in all their pre-season wins, against Perth Glory, Leeds, Inter Milan and Tottenham.
‘Quality and experience brings you the title. In this squad we have quality and no experience,’ says the 30-year-old as cited by the Daily Mail.
‘We have five or six top players but they are still young like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. They have shown their quality on the pitch but are too young to lead the team of course.
‘Mason Greenwood – great potential. United have a project and know what they want with players of the future. But you need to give them time because, at 17, you cannot play the same like you are 26 or 27.
‘Football always wants results but the fans need to be patient so they can improve. In the future I am sure these players will take United back to where they belong.’
The successful Chelsea teams Matic played in were packed with knowhow. In 2015, John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic were ever-presents in the side under then manager Jose Mourinho and the club still had Didier Drogba and Petr Cech in the dressing room. ‘I was one of the young ones,’ said Matic.
Two years later, Antonio Conte relied on Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Pedro to get Chelsea over the line.
‘We had young talented players like Eden Hazard but you need a mix of experience with that talent,’ said Matic, who is likely to be the oldest member of Solskjaer’s otherwise-youthful first XI this season.
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