This.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 29
- Clean sheets
- 8
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Slightly easier, but it's not like they do so much more. The compensation comes with being the one who is normally leading the line and ensuring the three are in sync.
Or he plays there because he has better reading of the game compared to the others, just saying
Yeovil 0:2 Man Utd
Owen really seems to dislike Smalling on the commentary 
Not particularly good today but the best of the CB's overall, looked annoyed with himself at times. LvG needs to realize the limitations of our CB's when it comes to bringing the ball out.
I just can't have this guy, these games against lesser opposition seem to expose his limitations even more, yes you can't deny he can tackle, has pace, and can head the ball, but his distribution is shocking for this level, he looks completely lost when he moves up with the ball and tries to play a forward pass, and at best looks awkward and uncomfortable playing his favoured sideways, or backward passes, the only time he looks comfortable kicking the ball is when he's booting it out.
For me Jones is way ahead of him, and the fact he could be considered our 2-3 rd best CB is sad indictment of where we are in this situation just now.
For me Jones is way ahead of him, and the fact he could be considered our 2-3 rd best CB is sad indictment of where we are in this situation just now.
I honestly thought he was the best out of a very, very bad bunch. He defended competently and didn't do much wrong... was also probably the only player on our team to not be constantly bullied.
He did ok. Evans and Jones have also been shaky with their distribution this season. Smalling has actually been the more consistent passer.
You gotta learn not to mind every silly Smalling basher, he takes one lesser match to reclaim something about Smallings distribution, while it has been decent to okay generally.
He pisses all over Jones and all the other jokes we have at the club playing centre half at the main role of a centre back - defending.
He's right though. His passing was atrocious. Even when it reached the target it was almost always hit too hard or just off-target enough to make them break their stride. Can't remember the phrase Owen used. "no pass consideration"?Owen really seems to dislike Smalling on the commentary
Whatever, he was spot on. The look of disgust Mata gave Smalling after brilliantly trapping a pass cannoned at his knees from 10 yards away spoke volumes.
Shitty with the ball at his feet sady. Same goes for McNair.
Smalling's at least great defensively though.
Smalling's at least great defensively though.
Smalling is twice the defender Evans has become.
Indeed
Really? Maybe i've just got some sort of strange issue with him and blank out the good passes he makes, but for me he is a terrible passer, and so damm awkward, and unconvincing with it.
Jones with a run of games will prove he's better, Evans has lost the plot, Rojo i'm unsure about just yet, and it's a harsh to judge Blackett, and Mcnair just yet, so Smalling is probably our second best CB just now I'll concede that, but that doesn't make him a 'United quality' player.
If you're talking about me I've had issues with him many times before.
Don't know your record mate, what O've noticed is that Loublaze has probably had the most Smalling/Evans discussions in the whole Caf, while the most of them are unneccasary, if someone tells you Smalling is slow, or that his distribution has been shit generally this season, he has to know that it's not worth discussing. It's everybody's right to have an own opinion, but people just talking nonsense, should be ignored.
Have to agree to disagree on this one, he is not United quality and when the real deal comes in he will be gone.
Very good at taking the ball off other people. Very bad at giving the ball to other people.
He'd be the last CB to leave.
Owen was spot on about Smalling's passing unfortunately.
He's a very good defender but it's a major weakness to the whole teams ability to control a game when someone with such limited passing is in our spine.
He's a very good defender but it's a major weakness to the whole teams ability to control a game when someone with such limited passing is in our spine.
Jones is brainless, and I don't know if you can coach that.
Sounds like Evans, the second part only!
Evans the first, Smalling the second, Rojo the third, and Jones the last (of the established CB's) imho.
Defensively solid as usual. As for his ball distribution, everyone would struggle when there's a lack of movement ahead of you (probably down to 352). When we went to the diamond, Smalling, along with our other players in the back four, all improved on the ball.
Evans has obviously been poor recently but as I've said in the Evans thread, I think it's largely confidence related with him. He played a great cross field ball today, but then the next minute he'll play the worst back pass you've ever seen.
Of course it doesn't help that our center backs are seeing a lot more of the ball than they used to (well, pre-Moyes anyway). Obviously they had fewer opportunities to feck up when the ball was up the other end of the field for the majority of the game.
Naah, Blackett, Evans, McNair were all brilliant on the ball, almost everg pass reached, they didnt hoof it, played some Xavi'esque long balls, werent shaky under positions and dribbled in midfield like Verthongen used to, not down to the system mate. Where since the WC, neither the Dutch nor the United defenders distributed the ball well.
On this season, not a chance. He's been by far the most consistent out of our CBs.
Anyone that reckons Jones defends better than Smalling mustn't have played the game in their life.
The passing discussion is simply nonsense on the basis we've got players posing as central defenders that can't even head the ball or position themselves on the right side of the field.
The passing discussion is simply nonsense on the basis we've got players posing as central defenders that can't even head the ball or position themselves on the right side of the field.
No matter how much Smalling improves on the ball, because people have preconceived views on him, they will always talk about his ball distribution when he misplaces a pass.
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It's not just based on this season though tbf., he's always been awful with his distribution, it just hasn't improved.
He's quite evidently a good centre back.
Also there is no facet of inherent defending that Jones trumps Smalling.
I guess we'll agree to disagree then. I think the pure fact that Smalling is a smarter defender than Jones is gives him the edge. Jones is far more rash in his decision making, if you exclude that momentary lapse vs City then Smalling is a good decision maker.
And to deny Smalling is a good CB is, well, very positive thinking of you.
Eh? What's any of that got to do with discussing Chris Smalling's performance in possession?
Nonsense. Jones has been injured a lot of times through his own carelessness. Even Fergie mentioned this before. Smalling is by far our most natural defender. Evans is the most skilled on the ball (midfield past and all in the youth ranks) but he's always got an error in him and hes the most mentally and physically weak, slowest to boot (McNair is just as slow). Jones can be a good CB if he starts using his brain more. How many penalties has Jones given away since last season?
Yes I was wrong to use the word good, he is clearly good in the grand scheme of things, he is just not good enough for United....... but perhaps he can improve yet! there something positive from me,
If he isn't, then surely Rojo and Phil Jones aren't?
The post was more of a criticism of the larger discussion surrounding our centre half's and their distribution. The importance with which people view it baffles me, particulary when we have problems far greater than that of passing, most noticeably a terrible inability to head the ball when faced with crosses into the box.
I struggle to care too much about the odd dodgy Smalling pass when I see such glaring issues elsewhere, albeit on an individual basis I do acknowledge it's an area in which Smalling would ideally improve, albeit not something I think would ever hold him, or us, back if he were to remain fit, grow in confidence and play regular football.
In short, I just want to see my defenders defend.
We are absolutely desperate for a top CB with some leadership quality. If we were able to get somebody in the mould of Godin, Ceillini, Thiago silva (not in the slightest saying it would be cheap or easy) it almost wouldnt matter which of Smalling, Rojo or jones we pair them with as they would improve 10 fold like we've seen with cahil from terry. and all our defenders with vidic or ferdinand in previous years.