Strong and always on the front foot today, very good outing for him, amazing to think he'd have been on the bench if Jones wasn't ill.
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 (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) are here to talk about United's dreadful home defeat at the hands of Big Ange's Tottenham Hotspur. Should this have been the end of Ten Hag? How long does he actually have left? And does Nik finally want ETH out?!
Our best CB. Simple as.
He was brilliant today, this is exactly the type of game that suits him. He even managed some quality passes! 
Quality
He's our only defender who can physically dominate opponents. I hoped this season he and Jones would step up. 1/2 isn't bad I guess.
Beast today. Made everything look so easy. Probably why Jones often wins more plaudits with his ridiculous recovery tackles and charging about. More likely get on the highlight reels than stepping into interceptions or using your body to stop the forward getting the ball from you. He seemed to respond to the crowd and not go back to the keeper everytime he was facing his own goal. He did well to turn and bring the ball forward again and again.
Immense today he's our best CB. Love watching him in this form he's like a basketball player.
2 MOTM in his last 2 games. No doubt he will be dropped as soon as Jones is fit.
Matts who? Smalling was super today. Drove with the ball, great touch, dominated in the air, passed well, crossed well. I sound like I'm describing a fecking centre midfielder. 
I'm quite annoyed he wasn't even an option for MOTM on the official United twitter... Rooney, Young and Januzaj were the 3 choices.
Probably because Sunderland showed no ambition. He had next to no defending to do.
Was very impressed with him today. Hope this form continues
Oozes class. Calm, confident play that just relaxes the midfield in front of him.
Shades of Rio in terms of style today the way he used his body to roll the player and walk away with the ball time and time again.
Shades of Rio in terms of style today the way he used his body to roll the player and walk away with the ball time and time again.
This is why I don't get, how anyone can think Jones is more talented than him. Athletically, he's on a different planet. Just look at him.
And he's also consistently shown himself to be better at almost every single facet of defending.
Smalling is generally excellent, I think he's also mostly good in his use of the ball which is something he gets alot of stick for, its just there is always the chance he'll make a mistake, it seems to happen when he got lots of time, when he's reacting to things he's excellent and like others have said he can physically overpower most players. I think with him in the team I always feel easy in terms of set pieces, it means we don't have to have Fellani on the pitch for this bit of the game which allows us to play better players in the position he takes.
Not worth looking into the Rooney headlines tomorrow, Smalling commanded the defence today.
He was great. Should never be dropped in favor of Jones.
Played very well today, by far the best back three partnership we have seen.
Yep, it's obvious as feck that he's been working hard on his passing.He was brilliant today, this is exactly the type of game that suits him. He even managed some quality passes!
Probably because it was a back four?
His chest control today was something Fellaini would be proud of.
Was it though? I saw the team as playing 3-5-2
It was 4-4-2, Valencia and Rojo were definitely full-backs. di Maria had a free role in a midfield four.
Yes.
Very good game from him. Sunderland were trash though.
Really great performance from him today. Far and away our best CB, and has been all season. Just needs to stay healthy.
No way. Blind sometimes dropped in between the two defenders but we played a 4-4-1-1/4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 with two strikers who both had the freedom to drop deep but we definitely played with 4 at the back.
he showed good allround play and maturity today he put in two great crosses as well. Very good player, he's becoming my favourite player and team leader. I'd love to see him wearing armband in Rooney's absence..
You just KNOW Jones will replace him midweek. You can almost guarantee it.
Fair enough, I saw it as an attacking 3-5-2 formation,
I like Smalling. He's a center back that can defend and is more cultured than Jones and Rojo. Physically, he's a beast.
Can anyone make gif of that pass, it was sublime
The best I've ever seen him. So composed on the ball and such a strong and quick defender. I just didn't think he had it in him to be so good on the ball and I've got on his back a little bit. Long may it continue.
Smallinbauer
Easily our best CB. I just love the way he manages to sneak in front of the opposing teams attacker to carry the ball forward.
Does anyone know off hand how tall/heavy he is? Hes really weak challenging for aerial balls at times. Today he was either beaten to it or headed it about 6ft at most.
Excellent today. Looked like a footballer that can defend. Must be doing some good work in training. WTF the others are doing god knows.
Man of the match worthy performance.
This is bang on. I remember someone saying Rio didn't get the plaudits he deserved from other fans because he was never caught out of position so never had to make last ditch tackles. Smalling is the same.