We don't really have a 'best' midfielder to be fair.
This place, honestly. It's a fecking mad-house..:
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 29
- Clean sheets
- 8
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
I disagree about that. Jones is definitely better on the ball but the difference isn't as big as some claim. And even if Jones has more potential (don't think that's true but it's a matter of opinion) Smalling is much better right now.
Where do you see Jones' potential? He's younger but his tactical incompetence, rashness isnt something he's going to loose soon enough imo, while Smalling is already a very good defender, whose main point of development should come with staying fit.
It is like Michael Owen always says about Smalling, he has no pass appreciation, he rifles in really hard passes at the wrong time on a regular basis. It isn't just about getting the ball to your man. I have mentioned this before on here and been told not to listen to Owen, which I find odd as he is a former top level footballer who has played the game actually with Chris Smalling!
Smallings biggest weakness is his passing, he often over or under hits the ball, I feel this is the reason LVG sees Jones as the better player.
Jones is only 22. That's very young for a CB. He'll improve a lot in the next few years. Smalling will too but - at 25 - by not as much. Plus rashness and tactical appreciation improve a lot with age. Weight of pass, not so much.
The big question about both of them is injuries.
Completely disagree about Jones being clearly superior on the ball. Smalling has improved considerably in this regard - even though he is still a bit of a liability - but there really isn't much between the two at all. In fact, I'd say Smalling now has better composure and ability to bring the ball forward than Jones who often relinquishes possession when he's looking for a pass after driving forward.
And Smalling's significantly better when it comes to pure defending. Isn't even close IMO.
That was a while ago. I believe LvG makes them practice that area a lot more than any previous manager.
I get your point. However, do you think Jones is that much better to justify playing him instead of Smalling? Because I wouldn’t call any of them a good passer.
I'd say Jones is the better passer, but on a bad day he couldnt pass to a barn door
Smalling is not fourth choice. Jones, although people keep putting him down, is on a good run of games, which is why Smalling is out of the team. Maybe if Smalling could stay fit, he wouldn't have found himself out of the team in the first place.
Evans is starting tonight because our choices at left centre back (LCB) are Evans and Rojo, and seeing as Rojo is at left back tonight, Evans will start.
How difficult is it?
Evans is starting tonight because our choices at left centre back (LCB) are Evans and Rojo, and seeing as Rojo is at left back tonight, Evans will start.
How difficult is it?
Fair enough, but I think passing ability is much easier developed, in training for exanple. Smalling has already massively improved in that aspect this season, but learning to read the game, not make rash challenges, tactical awareness and purely preventing stupidity, will take years I think.
Man Utd 3:1 Burnley
Yeah boy!
After the discussion we just had, I find that whole situation and his goal quite funny!
Nice one @Pogue Mahone
It was funny but doesn't change any of the substance of what we were talking about.
Terrible marking there, it has to be said.
That bit of defending from "our best defender" is a lot less funny.
Terrible defending by him.
Yep. Lost him.
Is it possible to hide the threadmarks and twitter feed during games? It updates so quick and with the stream it sucks to get the news before it happens on the stream..
Thing is, we don't have a "our best defender". All are pretty ok but not much else
Yep, caught ball watching. Needs to be far more aware of his man in that situation.
Possibly the worst bit of centre back play all season. He was miles off.
That title goes to Evans mate.
Where was Evans and Rojo for the goal?
Had no idea where the ball or his man was. Ridiculous.
In other news, my god we're awful aren't we?
Ironically the defense has gone to absolute shit since Jones has gone off.
Marking their men. Like Smalling should have been. But wasn't.
Yep, we were defensively perfect for the 2 minutes he was on the pitch.
We weren't much cop when he was still on the pitch, to be fair.
He made 2 comical mistakes in the first two minutes.
Are you accusing me of having a pro Phil Jones agenda?
It turns out Valencia is our best defender to be honest.
It turns out that we don't have good defenders full stop.
Gotta be Shaw, hqant put a foot wrong defensively, that penalty vs everton was undeserved.
I think he is.
That would be Luke Shaw by a considerable margin.