You can tell Van Gaal's got him working on the ball and his distribution. Looks a lot more comfortable. His defending has never been an issue, in my opinion.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 29
- Clean sheets
- 8
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
He's a good player, the overreaction after that City game was funny. I've always rated him above Jones.His weak point was always his inability to keep or pass the ball, but he's done that very well in this game.
lovely long pass to Young
Been saying it for ages, but he's the most natural CB we have at the club. His reading of the game is fantastic, he's got a good range of passing (at CB not at RB) and he'll only get better and better in the coming years.
Plays brilliantly, reward him with sending him to right back
erm...
dont be surprised if it all goes wrong now
erm...
dont be surprised if it all goes wrong now
He fecked up in the City game, but the sheer hatred and knee jerking that came his way was ridiculous. He's always a fecking solid defender.
Said it before and i'll say it again, he's our best CB - compliments Rojo very well too.
Brilliant game from him today.
Brilliant game from him today.
Good display and also did well bringing the ball out
Never bothered at all. Imperious today.
I like what I've seen from him the last few games. Like it a lot. Responded fantastically to the post City criticism. Dare I say he looks like a leader there at the back. Him and Rojo could potentially be a good partnership. Rojo with that bit of an edge to him and Smalling taking the leading role along with the pace to cover for times when Rojo is over zealous.
If Evans gets back to form they would make a quality pair. Only seen Rojo so far this season and the WC so unsure if I'd have him ahead of Jones/Evans.
He's got a wonderful first touch. Always seems to take the ball away from the pressing attacker with it, never puts himself in trouble. His passing isn't fantastic but that's one aspect of his technical game that is top notch.
Smallingbauer
Terrific response since the City game. Excellent against Arsenal and Hull. Long may it continue.
Keeps proving the doubters wrong. Silly mistakes against City aside, he's been our best defender by a mile.
He and Rojo should be our starting CB partnership from now on.
He and Rojo should be our starting CB partnership from now on.
...and half the place wanted him sold....
he's brilliant.
we look solid at the back.
he's brilliant.
we look solid at the back.
Looked like he got his confidence back on the ball. Was very good taking it out of the back today and making simple passes.
A very assured defender. Please stay fit.
A very assured defender. Please stay fit.
Another top performance.
Carried on his industrious form from the Arsenal game.
Starting to show some real conviction and leadership.
Carried on his industrious form from the Arsenal game.
Starting to show some real conviction and leadership.
I liked his reading of the game today, made very few tackles, just came out and plucked the ball before it reached the striker, now that he has put up some semblance of game time i expect an injury against Stoke.
Maybe in this match... anyway it was always his passing which was always underated and his first touch was always horrible. He was very good today dragging the ball forward but we need to wait on him and see if he doesnt do any stupid mistake like against city or any laps of concentration will come because that is what hes got problem with. Anyway he has got all the attributes to be our best defender. I loved how he sprinted back and gave no chance to aluko or whoever was chasing the ball from haull same happend to willian against chelsea... I like him he needs to stay fit
#Smallingbauer
#SmallingPlusOne
Am I doing this hashtag thing right?
#SmallingPlusOne
Am I doing this hashtag thing right?
Another excellent performance from him today. He frustrates me sometimes like in the Derby game or the occasional clanger that he has but I really do like him a lot. I always have. I see more in him than I do in Jones and I really liked the pairing of him and Rojo today. I hope LVG sticks with that now that Smalling can stay fit because that could be a great partnership. And when Rafael and Shaw come back that could really turn into a really solid back 4. We just need to get them fit and keep them fit!!
Was excellent I thought. Re-affirmed his position as our best CB again. Is so calm and composed defensively and he added more to his attacking game which was good to see. Definitely #SmallingPlusOne
Hilarious thread.
One mistake and he's crap and should be sold. A good game at home to a team with less than 30% possession and he's the best defender at the club and a cross between Beckenbauer and Ferdinand.
The thread sums him up really. Needs more consistency.
One mistake and he's crap and should be sold. A good game at home to a team with less than 30% possession and he's the best defender at the club and a cross between Beckenbauer and Ferdinand.
The thread sums him up really. Needs more consistency.
To be fair, this one is true. Pretty obviously our best CB at the moment.
This has been true for a while now. And I, along with many others, have been consistent in saying that.
I agree and I think LVG rates him as the best too. He needs to display it consistently over a period of time though.
True. But this season is the first real chance he's ever had to do that. Until now, however well he was playing he'd be dropped as soon as Rio and Vidic were both fit.
He will never be a brilliant ball-playing defender. But he's made significant strides in that area since coming to us (not long out of non-league football, remember). And more importantly with every game he seems more aware of his own weaknesses and how to work around them.
A lot of folk seem to bang on about how terrible he is with the ball, and it makes it seem like he is a Sunday League clogger. I feel like I'm watching a different player, because I just don't see it. I think he's definitely better than Vidic was at bringing the ball forward, and I'd rather see Smalling running with the ball and playing a pass than Jones, to be honest.
His RB performances in the last 2/3 seasons were fairly poor overall, considering he's just not a RB, but I always thought he showed good touch and dribbling in a lot of cases when he did play there.
He always seemed capable of stuff like this to take on his man, as well as his pace:
I also remember in the Community Shield against City when he sold Kolarov with a ripping Cruyff Turn right on the byline. Silky.
He misplaces the occasional pass, but so does Juan Mata. He seems much more comfortable bringing the ball over the halfway line than Vidic or Rio (in his later years) ever did. He's pretty good at it.
His RB performances in the last 2/3 seasons were fairly poor overall, considering he's just not a RB, but I always thought he showed good touch and dribbling in a lot of cases when he did play there.
He always seemed capable of stuff like this to take on his man, as well as his pace:
I also remember in the Community Shield against City when he sold Kolarov with a ripping Cruyff Turn right on the byline. Silky.
He misplaces the occasional pass, but so does Juan Mata. He seems much more comfortable bringing the ball over the halfway line than Vidic or Rio (in his later years) ever did. He's pretty good at it.
I think he's sort of inconsistent with the ball. He's capable of some nice touches, and when he's confident he has decent close control. But he often panics when he comes under pressure and becomes very clumsy.
His passing is similar. He can produce a decent midfield-splitting ball when it's on. But his aerial long passes, which he used to attempt with maddening frequency, are uniformly awful. It used to seem like he watched Rio, with his beautiful long diagonals and balls over the top, and was trying really hard to do the same thing but without the ability.
His passing is similar. He can produce a decent midfield-splitting ball when it's on. But his aerial long passes, which he used to attempt with maddening frequency, are uniformly awful. It used to seem like he watched Rio, with his beautiful long diagonals and balls over the top, and was trying really hard to do the same thing but without the ability.
He's bounced back really well since the game against City. Arsenal and yesterday's performances he was absolutely outstanding. Confidence is a wonderful thing and he's also shown really good character to have picked himself up after what was possibly the worst possible thing he could have done in the eyes of the fans. Hope he carries on this good form.
Any .gif of his multiple headings? His determination to get first to the ball, and got it out of danger area are simply majestic.
His attitude after the City match has been fantastic, still maintain that he's our best defender, just needs to sort out his injury record. Smalling plus one!
Am i right in thinking neither he nor Rojo were injured yesterday?
Rebounded pretty well from that disaster at city. Made a couple of Phil Jones like runs into midfield today. Good to see that bit of confidence from him.
Correct. Now wrap them in cotton wool until the Stoke match!
Yep. Before the season i thought this would be our first choice pairing, hope they both start the next one. LvG said himself he wants consistency with the defence, and where we are now is no small feat compared to the injury free defences (and other areas for that matter) of the other top 3.
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He had fantastic game ytd but that 3 header thing is a bit daft. Hull had two men free in the box with him out of it. It could have gone wrong.
I agree with everything you've said there except at the end of the Fergie era it was really Vidic and Evans that were first choice.
I think the way Moyes handled the centre backs was his biggest failing at United. Vidic and Rio left in the name of "transition" yet Smalling and Jones played far too many games in other positions and Evans managed to be less established at the end of his reign than he was at the start. No matter who the manager was going to be this season, they would start the season with zero established centre backs.
It's a big challenge but also a big opportunity for all of them. They deserve the chance to succeed or fail. I hope the fans are patient with them. Hopefully at least Smalling and Jones can step up.