Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has heaped praise on Michael Carrick, while directing criticism to his experience playing under the Glazer rule.
Signed by Jose Mourinho, Nemanja Matic was one of the more successful Glazers’ signings at Manchester United, doing a very good job in midfield over many years.
Matic is still performing to this day, in Serie A for Sassuolo, putting in excellent performances which are a credit to him at his age.
Now, Matic has spoken in the media about his time at United.
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Michael Carrick looks on prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St James’ Park in 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
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Nemanja Matic slams the Glazer family’s Manchester United role
In an interview with Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Matic has discussed his time playing for United, in particular aiming criticism at the Glazers.
“First of all, the pressure. It was hard for everyone to understand that United weren’t the richest team in England, nor the strongest. I remember when I played there, and I’d pass the ball backwards to get from one flank to the other. People would grumble. And if Old Trafford grumbles, the young players can suffer.
“Then I think the owners weren’t in tune with the fans’ mentality and expectations. They were thinking too much about other things, like marketing. Even we players spent two hours a week on marketing.”
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This was a common criticism of the Glazer era, with those in charge treating the club as a business or marketing tool, opposed to the football club.
As a result, Manchester United fans have protested countless times against their ownership. However, Matic does see positives these days at United.
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A detailed view of a devil's fork featuring the faces Manchester United owners Avram Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe, Joel Glazer and Malcolm Glazer as fans protest outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Aston Villa FC at Old Trafford on May 25, 2025
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Matic hails Ineos decision to appoint Carrick
Ineos took charge of the footballing structure at United in 2024, and since then, the decisions on the pitch have been much improved.
Matic, in particular, has praised Ineos for opting to appoint Michael Carrick as interim head coach.
“Now, however, something has changed: Carrick was an excellent choice; they need to give him a couple of years to rebuild the team.”
Matic was Carrick’s teammate for one season at United, albeit they only played 101 minutes together. But he also coached the Serbian for multiple years as part of Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s staff.
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