Barclays disclose Player and Manager of the Season Nominess
4. Nemanja Matic
The Chelsea defensive line this season were well protected and did not have much work to do. This was because of a shield that protected them, and that shield was Nemanja Matic. Sold off to Benefica to fund David Luiz’s transfer to Chelsea, he was seen as a player who had no place in the Chelsea system.
He developed in the Portuguese club and transformed himself into a beast of a central deep midfield player. He is a typical Mourinho player, with strength and a good range of passing and also coming up with goals occasionally. He has been a rock in the deep midfield with Fabregas. The Spaniard could move forward without any worry because he knew Matic can clear at the back.
His interceptions and tackles have been flawless. The Serbian broke the opposition play and started many counter attacking moves for Chelsea which resulted in goals. He is one of the best central defensive midfielders in the world at the moment who has a perfect blend of defensive and attacking capabilities. With attacking players such as Hazard and Costa hogging all the limelight, he has been a quiet warrior for Chelsea and highly underrated.
Maybe winning this award will bring him into the spotlight which he deserves.