Dives instead of trying to build on a promising attacking position, then forgets to defend on the resulting free-kick. One of his most embarrassing moments? I also remember him getting a red card against City a few years ago, completely unnecessary and ruining our match. Why would a stopper dive to get a free-kick in midfield!? Baffling..
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Clean sheets
- 20
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 4
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
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Why do Smalling apologists feel the need to bring other defenders in this discussion about his performances as if that somehow justifies his overall ineptness. Even if he was our best defender by a country mile, which he isn’t, it still doesn’t change the fact that he isn’t good enough to be a reserve for Man UTD let alone a regular starter. Period.
Nonsense. Bailly is injured, simple as that. If Otamendi is injured, something Kompany always is, they need to play Stones. Now they have Laporte, let’s see if he’s any better than Rojo. The only thing Laporte has on Rojo now is a clean slate, whilst Rojo will always been judged on constant injuries and some lack of focus/heavy tackling. Give Laporte one error until he’s slated on here
I disagree. We may not win the game because one of those days where our forwards wasting chance, but we lost due to a poor defensive play
This play is what I described how Smalling at times forget to utilize the offside set up but fall back behind and played his mark onside. Valencia not following the man coming in his zone and how poor other players compete for the freekick is also the problem for problem.
Everyone make mistake and Smalling was overall decent doing his job most of the time, even this game. However, it comes to a point where the issue can't be overlooked. He is at the point where we expect him to mature and use his experience better, and he still made same mistake here and there.
Edit: to make myself clear, I am not saying him is our biggest issue or he should go. We definitely need to continue look to upgrade in CB department. We need better for what we aim for. That goes for other 3 in our defense.
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Terrible player fecking sell him inaheartbeat
Why does Jose continue picking him though? It’s not like we’re short on numbers we have Rojo and Lindelof on the bench.
Rojones was amazing for a stretch of about 10 games; then Rojo did his ACL.
We've bought Rojo and Lindelof since Smalling and Jones, and both are well behind in the pecking order.
Rojo was fairly hyped due to a short spell last year, but that's always our way with centre backs, either the best or worst.
Noone for a second has judged Lindelof though. He's looked a very questionable buy so far.
Smalling had 2 major feck-ups this game but only one was punished. Don't know how anyone could defend his performance today, it was embarrassing how quickly the pressure gets on his head and he starts playing panically.
I rate Taibi, Manucho and Dong Fangzhou more than this clown!
Teams have been targeting him a for a while now in the PL. Close out his options and press us high up the pitch and we struggle.
The big teams especially have punished us with this. The CL comes back soon and there's no way Sevilla won't adopt the same approach.
The big teams especially have punished us with this. The CL comes back soon and there's no way Sevilla won't adopt the same approach.
For all the shit we give City defenders, they're exceptional at building from the back and it aids them a lot. We cant consistently build attacks as we're so slow moving the ball forwards. By the time our attackers receive the ball, they're in impossible situations and have to rely of individual brilliance to create something. Have a look at this:
Center back pairings:
Smalling & Jones: 9 games, 5 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. 13 goals scored and 6 conceded
Jones & Bailly: 6 games, 5 wins and 1 draw. 19 goals scored and 2 conceded.
Smalling & Lindelof: 3 games, 2 wins and 1 loss. 6 goals scored and 3 conceded
Bailly, Smalling & Jones: 2 games, 1 win and 1 loss. 1 goal scored and 1 conceded
Lindelof, Smalling & Rojo: 2 games, 2 wins. 7 goals scored and 3 conceded
Smalling and Rojo: 2 games, 1 win and 1 loss. 3 goals scored and 2 conceded
Jones & Rojo: 2 games, 1 win and 1 draw. 4 goals scored and 2 conceded
Lindelof and Jones: 1 game, 1 draw.
Games with Smalling in a two: 14 games, 8 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses. 22 goals scored 11 conceded.
Games with Smalling in a three: 4 games, 3 wins and 1 loss. 8 goals scored and 3 conceded.
In total, we've scored 30 and conceded 14 in the games he's started (18)
In the 9 he hasn't played in, we've scored 21 and conceded 5.
Center back pairings:
Smalling & Jones: 9 games, 5 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. 13 goals scored and 6 conceded
Jones & Bailly: 6 games, 5 wins and 1 draw. 19 goals scored and 2 conceded.
Smalling & Lindelof: 3 games, 2 wins and 1 loss. 6 goals scored and 3 conceded
Bailly, Smalling & Jones: 2 games, 1 win and 1 loss. 1 goal scored and 1 conceded
Lindelof, Smalling & Rojo: 2 games, 2 wins. 7 goals scored and 3 conceded
Smalling and Rojo: 2 games, 1 win and 1 loss. 3 goals scored and 2 conceded
Jones & Rojo: 2 games, 1 win and 1 draw. 4 goals scored and 2 conceded
Lindelof and Jones: 1 game, 1 draw.
Games with Smalling in a two: 14 games, 8 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses. 22 goals scored 11 conceded.
Games with Smalling in a three: 4 games, 3 wins and 1 loss. 8 goals scored and 3 conceded.
In total, we've scored 30 and conceded 14 in the games he's started (18)
In the 9 he hasn't played in, we've scored 21 and conceded 5.
That's why I keep saying we looked at our best when Bailly/Rojo were paired in the middle. Willing to stick the boot in but also great at bringing the ball out.
The 9 he didn't play in also coincide with our early great form when 4-0 was the norm, none of those games against top four sides. We've progressively got worse as the season has gone on.
Because he does the best defensive work of our CBs.
It really is as simple as that.
No he's not perfect and yes he's had some poorer games but on the whole he's been a very good CB for us this season. He's been at fault for very little this season in terms of us conceeding goals. Today with the dive he's more at fault than perhaps any other point in the season and it still should have been something we dealt with a lot better than we did, defending a set piece. But he's not a fancy name so he gets blamed anyway
People get frustrated, and love to bash our own players when we lose. We don’t have Rooney to bash anymore, so their favorite player to vent frustration upon is Smalling. The alternative is to visit a therapist.
If Rojo is willing to stick the boot in why has he made by far the least tackles and been beaten by far the most amount of times of our CBs? Every now and then he lunges in with a reckless challenge and may or may not get the ball, but that doesn't mean he's consistantly making tackles.
In his time at United he's also caused more opponent attacks with his passing than Smalling has and apparently Smalling's passing is the problem. In fact even this season Rojo has made the least passes per game and with the lowest accuracy of our CBs. Lindelof averages the least passes...
Interestingly Bailly has been tackled more than our other CBs on average this season, the same average as Young and Lingard. Jones and Bailly have had the most dribbles of our options there while our summer signing Lindelof has dribbled joint least with Smalling.
Thanks.
It wasn't a great pass from Jones but that was bad from Smalling.
Smalling, like Lingard, and Young are decent squad options but they should not be starting because they lack the top level quality. It's not about form but ability and how that affects team synergy.
Beaten in the air for nearly every single ball, couldn't play out from the back for toffee and then to top it off decided to dive in his own half and gave away a free kick which Newcastle scored from. There was no logical reason for him to dive, if that's not a reason for him to be dropped from the side then I don't know what is.
He's had long enough now to improve his all round game and become Mr reliable for the team. He's not a leader at the back and makes suspect errors time and time again. He's not ended up the player we thought he could be so I think it's time he was moved on in the summer.
On the flip side; he was up against Gayle, I doubt he lost many headers. The dive was as he was expecting a challenge having just ridden one, it's not hard to tell. The free kick wasn't in a dangerous position, we should've dealt with it comfortably but neither Matic nor Pogba challenged the first ball.
Can you explain how someone who was beaten in the air for nearly every single ball made the most headers and clearances on the pitch while no Newcastle attacker managed more than 3?
What? Lol, you might want to watch the match again. He absolutely dominated EVERYTHING in the air for the entire match.
Indeed, if not for the dive and what should have been a penalty, he had a good match defensively. Won everything in the air and stepped out a few times and intercepted balls that were going into the attackers feet.
We lost 1-0 to Newcastle, not 3 or 4-0. Question should be how we didn't manage to score a single goal vs this lot. Even if we concede a goal in a game like this, we should still win it. Our defence is on of the few things working ok atm.
We still have the best defensive record in the league but our CBs and Smalling especially get the most flak. Our attackers and midfielders are not doing their jobs.
He’s a decent defender but a bang average footballer (if that...he’s actually a shit footballer). Why we are banishing Lindleof for him shows me Jose doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing.
Smalling is a decent player, with clear strengths and weaknesses, who happened to have a poor game against Newcastle. He was fortunate not to concede a penalty and perhaps somewhat unfortunate that his ludicrous dive got punished because others failed to do the basics. His distribution and confidence on the ball remains shocking for a professional footballer.
In the medium to longer term, our centre back partnership should contain at most one, and quite possibly neither, of Smalling and Jones.
In the medium to longer term, our centre back partnership should contain at most one, and quite possibly neither, of Smalling and Jones.
He is actually a shite player
We dominate possession in 80% of games which means he doesn’t get challenged
When he does he is crap, fouls, hangs out of players and passes the ball behind players constantly a disgrace and I still think we were wrong to not sell him after the derby when he got sent offf for being stupid.
He has not shown anything to suggest his brain has improved since then in 2014.
No more xcuses
We dominate possession in 80% of games which means he doesn’t get challenged
When he does he is crap, fouls, hangs out of players and passes the ball behind players constantly a disgrace and I still think we were wrong to not sell him after the derby when he got sent offf for being stupid.
He has not shown anything to suggest his brain has improved since then in 2014.
No more xcuses
Am I the only one that thinks that Smalling would be a nothing footballer without his physical qualities?
He's very quick for a centre back so he is virtually un-passable 1v1, and a monster in the air. But when it comes to reading the game, tactical awareness, positioning...he's not good at any of these.
He's very quick for a centre back so he is virtually un-passable 1v1, and a monster in the air. But when it comes to reading the game, tactical awareness, positioning...he's not good at any of these.
No clue what he's doing? Lindelof has been very underwhelming man or have you forgot? He's only looked decent in a back three and he even looked a liability against fecking Yeovil! I like the guy but he's got a very long road ahead of him to being a starting CB here. I don't think Mourinho rates him at all atm. Now people are changing goalposts and think he should be a DM because of his 'ball playing' capabilities. Just look what was said mostly after his last start against Yeovil and i've included an old one from you for the lulz
Apparently CB talent now come according to formation, and Lindelof is very good in one that we do not play.
We should cut our losses in the summer and pick up someone else. There are a couple of good ones that'll become available. Or may be give Tuanzebe chances next season; which he should have got anyway this season ahead of Lindelof.
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You say that but De Gea is constantly our best player
He's better than the rest of our CBs at this hence he intercepts more often than they do and challenges for a ball he cant win and gets taken out of moves the least too.
I disagree, Smalling is good enough for Man United's......
...bench.
...bench.
Random but are you on my friend on PS4? The username is familiar. I added someone here for a game of FIFA 18.
Not to derail the thread, I think Smalling is good enough for this club, so is Jones (he's way less reliable in the long run though)
I don't know how is that has any relation his shite display
he should change sport back to judo , football isn't for him.
I bet you where saying the same thing when he kept Ajax out during the EL final last season, and the numerous times he's had Kane in his pocket (1 goal against United).
He is okay with our park the bus setup but I thought we dislike parking bus , want to play a good football & want to stop hoofing the ball ?
You know a good attacking play start from defense ( which is why pep changed the whole city back four ) , a modern defender Should be able to play with their feet & brain as well , picking the right pass , know when to push forward , turn defense into attack , good first touch , overall good technical, not just winning aerial duels or making last ditch tackle
Every pass should be perfect , it's not just about pass completion or accuracy
The problem is his pass put teammates under pressure & no inspiration
his pass is either to jones , fullback or de gea ,this ruin our team play.
Now every team knows how to deal with us when he played , just press him & his passing options he would run out of idea , went back to de gea to hoof the ball only for lukaku to be beaten in the air over & over again.
He suit team like stoke more , all brawn no brain
The last we won EPL is when he was RB / Ferdinand replacement
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Exactly , that's why he bought Bailly & lindelof , both play as RCB in their previous club. he knows smalling is shite
Are you even serious? If there’s anything Jose understands is good defense.
Not his fault that Bailly is injury prone & lindelof can't adapt yet
He knows Smalling is shite but keeps playing him? LOL Smalling has more minutes than all our CBs. If Smalling is shit what does that say about what Mourinho thinks about Bailly? Mourinho usually plays his defensive signings so he must really not rate Lindelof either.
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