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2014-15 Performances

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6.0 Season Average Rating
Appearances
29
Clean sheets
8
Goals
4
Assists
0
Yellow cards
3
Red cards
1

Annihilate Now!

...or later, I'm not fussy
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Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Messages
49,879
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W.Yorks
He's so valuable in the air when we're defending our box - absolutely miles better at heading then the rest of our centre-backs, and that's why he should be our first choice back there.
 

m1y2

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Jan 26, 2014
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Good game both center backs, I guess with Smalling mistake at the penalty I would go for Evans for the MOTM.
 

2mufc0

Everything is fair game in capitalism!
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Jan 8, 2014
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He was OK i guess, clumsy with the penalty challenge could have cost us.
 

mazhar13

Kermit Inc. 2022
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Sep 10, 2013
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Stobzilla said:
Just come in to bump this, absolute monster after the penalty incident. He keeps us in the opposition half. IF he can stay fit, it has to be Smalling + 1 and I don't care if they have to be purchased but it has to be someone better than Evans/Rojo

Although to be fair to the former, he too was very good this evening.
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I get the feeling that Smalling's imposing presence and confidence as a defender is making Evans perform better as well. Smalling was solid today, and other than the penalty incident, he didn't really make any other mistakes. No wonder Evans is performing better recently.

After all of the doubts from the past few seasons, I'm very glad that Smalling is showing his true worth. He's even showing the confidence on the ball that he presented early on. His passing has really improved, and he looks more comfortable on the ball than he used to. Certainly, no one can say that he's clumsy and sloppy on the ball at the moment.
 

Acole9

Outstanding
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
12,505
He played ok although very clumsy and it should've been a penalty.
 

Rozay

Master of Hindsight
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Oct 22, 2012
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...
Just recalled his no look flick round the corner in the second half.

Stonewall penalty aside, his usual self. It is absolutely imperative we keep him fit (and in the team LVG!) for the tough run of games we have coming up.

#SmallingPlusOne
 

ZDwyr

Full Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
7,318
It will be interesting to see if van Gaal keeps him in ahead of Jones, or whether that (non) penalty tackle will cost him.
 

TwoSheds

More sheds (and tiles) than you, probably
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
12,924
Is he gone in the summer? Surely we can't have a centre half who can't pass in the modern game?
 

The White Pele

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Dec 2, 2006
Messages
4,947
A bad game tonight and if he had reacted a bit quicker to Valencia's error he could have put some pressure on Welbeck.
 

Amar__

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It's not his fault we ask him to be our fecking playmaker. Even CBs with better passing would struggle with what van Gaal is asking from him with the ball(since I don't believe he is playing so much risky passes because he wants to, there is no CB who would enjoy doing that). Anyway, still our best defender by mile.
 

Skills

Snitch
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
42,066
Why the feck was he on the left? First the pointless substitution and then we feck around with the other CBs position as well.
 

Cheesy

Bread with dipping sauce
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Oct 16, 2011
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36,181
He looked incredibly uncomfortable tonight at times. I was concerned every time he was on the ball that he'd end up costing us.
 

SkeppyRed

Lineups Game Winner 2012/13
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Jul 16, 2010
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4,064
Good player but limited and definitley not top class. We wont be winning anything with him as first choice.

Saddest thing about that is he's probably our best CH.
 

Nate Dogg

Don't Make Me Angry
Joined
Mar 6, 2002
Messages
8,744
Location
UK
His touch is pub team level, sometimes I wonder whether this club is too big for him.

For me he is poor but I would still keep him in the squad ahead of Evans, Jones!
 

Bwuk

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Feb 29, 2012
Messages
17,328
None of Jones, Evans or Smalling are anywhere near good enough.
 

Devil may care

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Jan 7, 2010
Messages
35,976
Bwuk said:
None of Jones, Evans or Smalling are anywhere near good enough.
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I agree, they have a couple of games here and there where you think they might be getting it and then it's back to brain fartery, no way we challenge for the big competitions with the CB's we have.
 

United22

Full Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
2,802
Bwuk said:
None of Jones, Evans or Smalling are anywhere near good enough.
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And we have been repeating this for three years and feck all has been done. All three of them are crocks who have 0 composure when it comes down to it. Makes me sad that we went from Rio and Vidic down to these lot
 

Ekeke

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Aug 1, 2006
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limerickcitykid said:
Wtf was he doing on the first goal? Instead of staying out on the right he wanders to the inside and does nothing.
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http://www.lastminutegoals.org/manchester-united-vs-arsenal-fa-cup/

You can see the whole thing from the start. Valencia has gone walkabout like he did constantly throughout the game, somehow he starts on the top of the pitcture moving down the middle of the picture and leisurely ponders back towards the right side, but doesnt get there fast enough to pressure the Arsenal winger so Smalling has to confront him.

Valencia doesn't wake up, continues to almost go through the motions but not quite as he slots into CB, then puts in a feeble challenge letting Chamberlain go past him. Smalling has tried to recover his own position because clearly Valencia has no idea what he's doing, but Valencia has done the opposite and instead of covering what he's responsible for he's charged out to the edge of the box and let his man go past him with ease taking him out of the game.

Now in hindsight the right move from Smalling is to incapacitate Valencia with a swift jab to force LVG takes him off the pitch before he costs us the game. And perhaps if Smalling stayed with his man, covering Valencia, then Monreal would have had a more difficult chance and would have been less likely to score. But the best thing that Smalling could have done would have been to get back to CB and Valencia finally get back into RB, but Valencia does the opposite.

Its a mistake from Smalling as well as Valencia, but had Valencia tried the best option - as Smalling tried, then it would have probably worked out. Instead of running out to the edge of the box, be the right back your supposed to be.

One final option is that Smalling leaves Ozil to freely pick up the ball on the left and do as he pleases with no Valencia to be seen. Thats dangerous, but ultimately we might have got away with it. We didnt get away with what actually happened

There's also Di Maria who isnt tracking a fullback, isnt tracking a winger and is in fact ball watching the whole time that Smalling is struggling to correct the error between himself and Valencia. But by this point I know thats what Di Maria is going to do, he has no interest in defending. So I almost expect that.
 

ZDwyr

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Jan 14, 2014
Messages
7,318
Wasn't very good tonight, and I am a Smalling fan. He seemed to had to cover for Valencia/Di Maria a bit in the first half. Then got moved to LCB and struggled on the ball.
 

Member 5225

Guest
How people still 'believe in him' and think he is a title winning and CL winning CB, I have no idea!
 

Sam

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Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
31,585
Thought he was rubbish tonight.

He played like non-league Smalling
 
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