Erik ten Hag wasted no time in putting his own stamp on the Manchester United squad.
The Dutchman was hired this time 12 months ago with the Red Devils about to conclude their worst ever Premier League campaign. Under the stewardship of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then Ralf Rangnick, United had slumped to their lowest nadir in a generation.
Ten Hag inherited a broken and fractured dressing room, defined by underperformance and training ground leaks. There was no surprise then when he quickly revamped the playing squad in his own image.
A host of senior, high-profile figures left Old Trafford, including the likes of Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard. The majority of those figures had come to the ends of their respective contracts and were allowed to leave at the conclusion of the season.
Nemanja Matic’s situation was slightly different however, with the Serbian midfielder attached to the club until the summer of 2023. But in the days between Ten Hag verbally agreeing to become United boss and his official appointment, Matic asked for his contract to be terminated 12 months early.
The Serbian went on to join ex-United manager Jose Mourinho at Roma, who had also coached him at Chelsea. “I wanted to play more, so once I had the call from José, I was quite sure I made the right decision,” he explained to the Times in September.
“To be honest, I needed a new challenge because I never started playing football for money, it was because I enjoyed being on the pitch.”
It’s a decision which has reaped rewards for the 34-year-old, playing 40 times for the Giallorossi as they battle for a top-four spot and another European trophy. The Special One lifted the inaugural Conference League in his first season back in Italy, but could end his second with the Europa League.
'What singles Mourinho out is his hunger for trophies,” Matic told UEFA’s official website ahead of their European quarter-final second leg with Feyenoord. “We had a great relationship from the start. We clicked as he liked my dedication and character.
“It’s an honour to have worked with him for such a long time. The relationships he builds can’t be taught. You’re either born with it or you’re not. He doesn’t show much emotion, but I know what he thinks.
“Everything works perfectly between us, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
It is understood that Ten Hag attempted to persuade the veteran midfielder to stay at Old Trafford for the 2022/23 season, aware of his leadership skills in the dressing room. However, with the signings of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, it’s unclear how much of the first-team football he craved would have been on offer.
Should both Roma and United reach the final in Budapest next month, Matic will have an opportunity to get one over on his former side and the manager he didn’t want the opportunity to play under. “I see the way he wants to play and I think that’s the right way,” Matic explained last year.
