Krishnan Sreekumar
Midfielder Nemanja Matic admits the atmosphere in Manchester United’s dressing room is ‘not fantastic’
Speaking to talkSPORT (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic admitted that the atmosphere in the dressing room is downbeat, but insisted that the mood is purely down to the club’s recent results.
The team is set to reunite once again after the international break to return for some Premier League action, with a crucial run-in for United during the last few weeks of the season as the Manchester side chases fourth spot in the league table to qualify for the Champions League next term.
Matic said that the atmosphere at Old Trafford was heavily dependent on results, saying that a good result leads to a much better atmosphere as everyone was happy. Before the international break, the club had won their last PL game, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at home.
“The atmosphere? It depends on results. Of course, when you have good results the atmosphere is much better and everyone is happy.”
The win against Spurs was crucial to their top-four hopes, given that the north London club are sitting one point above them in fifth place. A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick made sure they got all three points against Tottenham, with the Portuguese also seemingly returning to his best after going through a goal drought beforehand.
“I cannot say happy, but satisfied”
Another north London club also stand in the Red Devils’ way to secure fourth position, with Arsenal currently sitting in that spot and having a four-point lead over the Manchester side. Not just this, the Gunners also have a game in hand over their opponents to take advantage of in the later stages of the league.
Matic insisted that a top-four finish is crucial for United this season, saying that only that would keep everyone in the team satisfied or else, it would be a very sad dressing room, with the mood dependent on where they finish in the Premier League this season.
“The atmosphere in our dressing room will depend on that. If we finish top-four then it will be good for us, everyone will be… I cannot say happy, but satisfied. If we don’t make that, it will be a very sad dressing room.”
One of the senior-most people at the Theatre of Dreams, Matic has been in the game long enough to figure out the inner workings of a team dressing room and what makes it tick and keep spirits upbeat in difficult situations. Having joined Manchester United from Chelsea in 2017, he will complete 5 long years with the club this summer.
When it comes to athletes, especially professional footballers, the dressing room atmosphere is crucial in maintaining unity and harmony between the players, given how important it is in a team sport and what it does to the morale of a side before they take to the field. We have had infamous clashes between the gaffer and two of our players earlier this season- with Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial both involved in separate instances.
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The last result we had in the Premier League is sure to have been a boost for many, but a Champions League exit just days after will have brought morale down again, given that it confirmed that we would end the season without winning any silverware – extending our current trophy drought to five years.
With a game against Leicester City coming up tomorrow, Matic and co. will have an opportunity to turn things around if they win at Old Trafford in front of a raucous home crowd who have been devoid of club football for a fortnight. It will be an opportunity to set a mark and keep us on a winning run until the summer, in order to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
