Goal 1:
Blind and DDG are (rightly) expecting him to collect the ball coming straight across him. He dithers and Pedro nicks it. Blind could be quicker off the mark, and DDG shouldn't be put in that situation, but its mainly on Smalling.
DDG expected Smalling to collect the ball? DDG comes out of his box and CALLS for Smalling to leave it (watch the replay, it's clear. Smalling steps aside to let DDG clear it from DDG's call). If DDG is expecting Smalling to collect the ball, he doesn't come out of his box. Infact, if DDG doesn't come for that at all, Smalling probably clears it with ease, or pokes it back to DDG to clear. Blind should't be expecting anything of Smalling there. Pedro is Blind's man, he plays him onside to even allow it to happen by being deeper than Smalling and Valencia (the most significant error of this comedy or errors), he doesn't communicate with Smalling about Pedro (Smalling doesn't know he is there, he is leaving the ball for DDG who has claimed it), he doesn't continue to follow Pedro's run and at least try to make it difficult for him. Smalling is caught between poor communication from DDG and no communication from Blind. Blind drops a bollock 3 times in one piece of play there.
Goal 2:
Let his man go completely free. Entirely his fault.
Agreed. He wasn't tight on Cahill from before the ball came in. Very poor. The one goal that was
entirely his fault.
Goal 3:
Poor defending leading up to the goal from others, but he let Hazard take him the wrong way. He wont be the last to get skinned by Hazard so we can let him off somewhat.
Hazard will sell most centre backs down the river in the penalty area. He shouldn't have been allowed to stroll in unmarked. The damage was done before Smalling was involved.
Goal 4:
Kante (!!!!) twisted him inside out like an amateur. That was Sunday league standard defending.
Also agreed. Poor, but still not the most at fault from that goal, even though he was one of the three that were. Pogba just watched it happen and Blind goes rogue and leaves the whole left centre back position completely empty to chase Pedro who has his back to goal. The kind of thing David Luiz would always get lambasted for, losing his head and chasing the ball. Watch what Blind does when Pedro lays it off. He just flaps his hands and stands still. Smalling has to shift over to cover the gap. But Smalling definitely shoudn't let Kante get across him the way he did. Very poor, and knowing what Smalling is capable of he could have prevented it, but bigger errors made in the lead up to that goal.
You will struggle to find any other games where one player is directly responsible for four goals in one game.
You will. Today wasn't one. He was poor, I'm not suggesting otherwise, but he was at fault for 2 goals, which has been exaggerated to 4. The way the kneejerking was panning out in the match day thread, Courtois could have scored from a goal kick and it would have been Smalling's fault.
