£40m former Manchester United ace emulates Fernandes with 13 wins in 16 at new club

Four years later, Fernandes’ former Manchester United team-mate Nemanja Matic, still aged 35, did something quite similar at Lyon.

Eyebrows were raised when the veteran enforcer swapped Rennes for Olympique Lyonnais a few months ago. Matic’s short-lived spell in Brittany was a disaster after all, albeit more the result of a highly inappropriate off-field dispute than his on-field performances.

At Lyon, however, Matic let his football do the talking. And despite turning 36, one of Solskjaer’s old lieutenants once again finds himself patrolling the battlefield, guiding those young soldiers alongside him through the mud.

The former Manchester United ace emulates Fernandes’ impact

Lyon were in their third manager of the season when Matic made his debut at the start of February and had lost each of their previous two games to slide further into the relegation mire.

The Serbian international was therefore thrown straight into Pierre Sage’s starting XI when Marseille arrived at the Groupama Stadium just days after the January window closed and sparked a huge improvement right from the first whistle.

An improvement that continues today. In his 13 Ligue 1 appearances, Matic has been on the winning side ten times. Throw in the French Cup – Sage’s side will face old rivals PSG in the final – and Matic’s record is 13 wins in 16 in all competitions.

“I am a team player. I do my best for (the team). If people recognize my work, it’s gratifying for me,” Matic said after the thrilling 4-3 win at Lille, a result that left Lyon in fear of relegation a few months ago.

“People usually notice the goal scorers more,” adds Matic. “But sometimes some see the work we do in the shadows.”

Nemanja Matic is a huge presence at Lyon

Make no mistake, Matic’s influence is not going unnoticed. A rare experienced head alongside talismanic goalscorer Alexandre Lacazette, a man who once cost Man United £40m may not be the quickest of feet. But his quick thinking, excellent game management and vast know-how helped transform a largely young Lyon side that was crying out for a leader to look up to.

“(Matic) is technically strong and therefore able to play with one touch because he always anticipates. He’s intelligent,” revels Juninho, the legendary Lyon playmaker (L’Equipe).

“OL were so weak in that position, in terms of physical maturity and technical quality, that Matic immediately brought a lot of balance. In time, the ideal would be for him to be used for certain key moments of the season.

“But at the moment, it’s very hard to remove it.”

Matic may not be a long-term solution at Lyon like Fernandes was at Man United. But in terms of immediate impact, you’d struggle to find a single January signing who helped turn around a struggling side so quickly and so dramatically.

Similar topics