Smalling or Jones - who goes?

Zlatattack

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Let's get rid of all the English while we're at it, and submit for La Liga next year.
Well if they're all shit, then yeah why not. If not like none of them were given a chance, they've been "potentially world class" for 5 years. Rashford is English, he plays regularly.
 

Grylte

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I'd say both.
Rojo, Tuanzebe, Blind, as backup.
2 main cb's with 3+ Carrick, as backup, should be enough.
In my opinion cb's shouldn't rotate, let them play when fit, except against weak sides in cups.
 

Revan

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Jones. It should have happened 3 years ago. He is as big a joke as Anderson was.

Smalling is equally bad, but at least he is much more reliable fitness wise. If we get a fourth CB then get rid of him too.
 

Ole90+3

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A blind man can see that Smalling isn't good enough at football to play for Manchester United. Decent defender but we can't carry a coward on the ball like him for any longer.

Jones is the more talented of the 2 and performed the better this season. He should stay
Yes, let's sell a player who has proven he is a reliable CB and who's just off the back of a brilliant performance in the club's biggest match in years.

....and keep a perma crock.

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand this viewpoint at all.
 

Pexbo

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Yeah, great idea. Bailly will get injured sooner or later and it's not like he has proved anything special yet, and you have no idea how much will Lindelof adapt here in his first season, and knowing our team he might get injured at start too, so that would be obviously great planning.
There's blind too. Can't see the point in having two 10 games a season players.
 

sugar_kane

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Jones is the better player and I like him a lot more, but he's just so unreliable injury wise.

Smalling as far as back up options go is very very decent.
 

VanHaal'sRedArmy

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Blind as LWB could be an interesting experiment. Just imagine this with Morata up front instead of Van Persie:

 

Cutch

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Yes, let's sell a player who has proven he is a reliable CB and who's just off the back of a brilliant performance in the club's biggest match in years.

....and keep a perma crock.

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand this viewpoint at all.
The reliable player who made more mistakes to cost us a goal than any other last season and who was responsible for injuring the perma crock on England duty. Smalling is a decent defender but his utterly atrocious ability as a footballer is holding us back big style if we've got any aspirations of doing anything next season. Jones is a more than able backup to Bailly Lindelof Blind and Rojo so ship Smalling on for what should be a reasonable fee.
 

Jacob

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Well if they're all shit, then yeah why not. If not like none of them were given a chance, they've been "potentially world class" for 5 years. Rashford is English, he plays regularly.
Cause we can only have a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players over 21 playing for us.
 

ghagua

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Jones. He has ability no doubt, but absolutley no footballing IQ. I would keep Smalling as my 3rd central defender and try and develop Tuanzebe and Mensah.
 

Castia

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Jones needs to go, talent aside his injury record is ridiculous.

Smalling misses games too but I'm sure Jones is made of glass, he's a waste of time.

Baily, Lindelof, Rojo and Smalling is a solid set of CB's imo.
 

Ole90+3

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The reliable player who made more mistakes to cost us a goal than any other last season and who was responsible for injuring the perma crock on England duty. Smalling is a decent defender but his utterly atrocious ability as a footballer is holding us back big style if we've got any aspirations of doing anything next season. Jones is a more than able backup to Bailly Lindelof Blind and Rojo so ship Smalling on for what should be a reasonable fee.
Can you name me all those occasions where Smalling costs us a goal? You're really blaming Smalling for injuring Jones? I think it's pretty obvious Jones is extremely injury prone and at times finds it easy to seriously injure himself all by himself.

'Utterly atrocious'. I'm just convinced that a lot United fans will never change their opinion on certain players. The stick that Smalling gets on here is seriously unjustified.
 

Keeps It tidy

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Can you name me all those occasions where Smalling costs us a goal? You're really blaming Smalling for injuring Jones? I think it's pretty obvious Jones is extremely injury prone and at times finds it easy to seriously injure himself all by himself.

'Utterly atrocious'. I'm just convinced that a lot United fans will never change their opinion on certain players. The stick that Smalling gets on here is seriously unjustified.
I agree but, I also think that applies to Jones.
 

notcool

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Bailly and Lindelof should be a good partnership and Rojo and Jones was a good partnership last season.
 

MrSingh2002

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Smalling goes at the end of the season. Lindelof will finish his United career.

First choice Lindelof Bailly
Backup option Rojo Jones
Reserve Blind Tuanzebe
 

bucky

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Wouldn't surprise me at all, if Mourinho has no intention of selling either and Blind is going to be the one that is moved on.
 

Walters_19_MuFc

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Ideally, I wouldn't want neither of them to go, but I'm guessing it will be Smalling, giving us four first team centre backs of Bailly, Lindelof, Jones and Rojo for the season ahead.
 

AdnanRED

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Im kind of sick of both, after lvgs last season I thought Smalling would really step up and be one of the best pl defenders and jones im tired of his injuries, get rid of both and let Axel have more of a chance because the other two are not really going to get better.

Im assuming Bailly and Lindelof would be starters, have Rojo Blind and Axel as options for CB too.
 

Android1974

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Smalling goes at the end of the season. Lindelof will finish his United career.

First choice Lindelof Bailly
Backup option Rojo Jones
Reserve Blind Tuanzebe
Rojo fit trumps Lindelöf.
 

stepic

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People saying rojo are class a morons

People saying smalling are class b morons, particularly those saying 'we'll get a better fee for him' as if we need to balance our books or something

Jones is a constant sicknote, can't be relied upon injury wise and is the obvious one to go. End of
 

harms

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He's basically a lesser talented Fellaini
Nope. Smalling is a better footballer and athlete, not that it says much about his ability. The only thing Fellaini has over him is his mentality. And his hair.
 

Jaybomb

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Nope. Smalling is a better footballer and athlete, not that it says much about his ability. The only thing Fellaini has over him is his mentality. And his hair.
Couldn't disagree more. Fellaini is a much better player than Smalling and has had more standout performances.
 

wiz4231

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I heard Liverpool are after a 6"4 CB and are willing to pay £50mil+, just saying like.
 

Mr.Plow

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Bit of a head scratcher. Jones is the better player but Smalling is injured less often.

I'd like to see both of them gone in the long term.
 

ti vu

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Jones may be more complete than Smalling, but he is more injury prone as well as if Lindelof rumor turns out to be real, then we have an upgrade on this complete CB. Smalling is a specialist due to his aerial ability & man marking on opposition forward, so can be an option to rotate.

If Keane is the one we're gonna get though, I think Smalling would be gone due to, IMO Keane is better aerially & calmer in defending deep.

Axel did well in the few games he was given the chance & I think Mourinho rated him personally. 4 senior CBs (Axel, TFM)+ couple understudy/makeshift (Blind) should be well covered for the positions. Definitely see one of the Smalling- Jones to be sold if we're to buy another senior CB.
 

criticalanalysis

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None of them.

We will need a big squad and I think Mourinho will actually use it. I think he's buying into the Utd way/learning from his past mistakes and will realise he'll need fresh legs every week if he wants to compete on all fronts.
 

Dir Wangem

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Silly question.

Smalling has shown that he can play at a very high level for longer periods. Jones on the other hand, is constantly injured. But regardless of injury record, Smalling is still the better player.
 

Oaencha

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Blind as LWB could be an interesting experiment. Just imagine this with Morata up front instead of Van Persie:

Blind is nowhere near quick enough to be a LWB. He is best suited to DM but never gets the chance to play there.
 

Gopher Brown

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Jones is the better player. Smalling is more reliable.

If we're losing one, it has to be Jones. The price doesn't matter a great deal - we'd get £8m for Jones and maybe £15-18m for Smalling - not a huge difference in the scheme of things.
 

sizzling sausages

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There's blind too. Can't see the point in having two 10 games a season players.
Smalling has played less than 30 games in only two of the seasons he's been here. Even this season when he had two big injuries he played 36 games. Always confuses me to see him lumped in the same category with Jones when people talk about injuries.

I'd get rid of neither, fwiw. Bailly and Lindelof are both very young for centre backs so are likely to have dips in form and none of us know how Rojo will come back from his injury.