Nemanja Matic reveals Manchester United focused more on marketing than football | OneFootball

Nemanja Matic has witnessed a revitalisation of his career in Serie A at Sassuolo. The midfielder has now spoken to La Gazzetta dello Sport in a detailed interview, shining light on the problems at Manchester United.

The Serbian had a rather fruitful spell at Old Trafford. While it didn’t really end in thhe most positive way, there were some positive moments earlier in his tenure.

He ended up joining Roma soon after, reuniting with ex-Manchester United and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho too.

During the chat with Gazzetta, he was asked about the reasons behind the Red Devils’ recent struggles.

He told: “First of all, the pressure. It was hard for everyone to understand that United weren’t the richest team in England, nor the strongest. I remember when I played there, and I’d pass the ball backwards to get from one flank to the other, people would grumble. And if Old Trafford grumbles, the young players can suffer.”

Matic also pointed out the ownership problems at Manchester United, revealing a higher emphasis on marketing than the sport itself.

“Then I think the owners weren’t in tune with the fans’ mentality and expectations. They were thinking too much about other things, like marketing. Even us players spent two hours a week on marketing.”

The Sassuolo star also gave a vote of confidence to current Manchester United boss Michael Carrick.

He said: “Now, however, something has changed: Carrick was an excellent choice; they need to give him a couple of years to rebuild the team.”

Kaustubh Pandey – GIFN