Long-struggling Manchester United servant set to emulate Nemanja Matic

Manchester United players have shown massive improvement lately.

He was touted as ‘the best footballer’ by Sir Matt Busby, the engineer of the famed ‘Busby Babes’, a Manchester United team, formed mostly by the Mancunian academy graduates, that went on to win almost everything.

He was Duncan Edwards, one of the most vital cogs in that Matt Busby’s side, if not the most vital. A tragic incident, widely known as the Munich air disaster, on 6 February 1958 might have shortened the career of Edwards, who died unfortunately at the age of 21, but the winner of two league titles will be in the memories of hundreds and thousands of Manchester United devotees forever.

A reported £16.5 million move from Blackburn Rovers saw United bringing Phil Jones to ‘The Theater of Dreams’ in the year 2011. With Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm, Manchester United, as a football club, were enjoying a successful spell back then. Alex Ferguson heaped praise on his new signing, saying ‘he could be our best ever player’, and comparing him to Duncan Edwards.

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Two years later, the greatest gaffer in the club’s illustrious history said goodbye to his managerial career, gifting his admirers a Premier League title in 2012–13 season, the last time United managed to lift up the devoted trophy.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, Manchester United have had endured many torrid times and incidents — which also includes the downfall of Phil Jones. The 28-year-old centre-back has massively struggled with his fitness, forcing his managers to turn their heads towards alternatives.

Hence, he is now one of the most underperforming stars in the squad and a public figure of satire. Since joining the red side of Manchester, Jones has made 224 club appearances across all competitions, starting only seven matches across all competitions in the 2019-20 season — mostly due to his numerous injury issues.

While there are talks that he could be offloaded by Manchester United in the upcoming summer, with clubs from Italy and West Ham United sowing interest in luring Jones from Old Trafford, some inside the club still belive that Phil Jones could turn things up at Man United just as Nemanja Matic has done.

Prior to the winter transfer window, Matic was far below down Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pecking order as the midfield pairing of Scott McTominay and Fred was Solskjaer’s no. 1 choice. And hence, he was being linked with a move away from Manchester, with a few clubs from Major League Soccer seemingly interested.

Following the resumption of football and the addition of Bruno Fernandes, Matic has seen massive improvements in his performances over the last few weeks, having missed just one Premier League matchday line-up against Tottenham Hotspur in the process.

Matic, who penned a three-year contract extension with the Mancunian club recently, has demonstrated a vital role in Solskjaer’s recent progress, sitting deep in the midfield while protecting the defence, allowing Paul Pogba and Fernandes to roam freely at the heart of the midfield.

David Ornstein, while writing on his Monday’s column for The Athletic, suggested that there are people inside the club who would love to see Phil Jones reviving his United career by emulating Nemanja Matic’s way.

A source inside the club also believes, “He (Jones) has been so unlucky with injuries.”

Now, only time will tell whether Phil Jones emulates Nemanja Matic to revitalize his career or not.

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