Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic has heaped praise upon former manager Jose Mourinho but admits it’s best to hide from the current Tottenham boss after a loss.
Matic won the Premier League playing for Mourinho at Chelsea with the two developing a close relationship on and off the pitch.
While full of respect for Mourinho as a manager, Matic admits the Portuguese tactician can be a fiery character to work for – particularly when results don’t go his way.
‘It depends. If you win, he’s the best guy ever,’ Matic said via an Instagram Q&A session with Football Beyond Borders. ‘But if you lose, you’re hiding from him at the training ground. But he’s an amazing coach.’
Matic currently finds himself working under Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who replaced Mourinho at Old Trafford, and he believes the Norwegian coach has developed significantly since taking charge.
‘Ole is a great manager. I think he has improved a lot since he came to United, and he is different now,’ Matic said.
‘I’m sure he has a great future here, and he will win us trophies.’
While now counting himself among the older members of United’s squad, Matic stressed there are no bad eggs among the club’s current players.
‘There is not one guy who is not a good person in our changing room,’ he said.
‘I’m 31 now, and some of the players are 10 years younger than me. I speak more to players my own age, like Paul [Pogba], David [de Gea] and Juan [Mata], but I set next to Mason Greenwood in the dressing room, so we’ve got to know each other too.’
One new addition at Old Trafford is Bruno Fernandes, who has settled in quickly after a mid-season move from Sporting.
Matic was aware of the attacker’s talent before he signed on but has been blown away by his smooth transition to England’s top-flight.
‘Because I follow the Portuguese league, I knew he was good – even though he played for Sporting! But I’m very surprised he adapted so quickly to the Premier League,’ Matic said.
‘He brings us a lot of qualities, like the confidence he has on the pitch, he always knows what he wants to do with the ball.’
England forward Marcus Rashford is another player Matic rates highly at United, with the Serbia international backing the 22-year-old to become one of the world’s best attackers.
