Agreed. Same as Shaw at LB.
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In the box imo, and even then he relies on a lot of shirt pulling. I like him though, think he will get another chance / run cos of injuries and such. But a problem for him is he cant play left sided. He looks lost there.
Feck's sake!
1st or 2nd after Bailly definitely, i don't think he should go right back into the side given the fact Jones and Rojo have done well but he's better than both so once they get their match fitness back i can see Smalling and Bailly being the preferred pairing again.
Well if the past however many years is to go by then he'll become fit as Jones gets injured.
I do agree with this, mind. He has always looked uncomfortable on that side of defence.
Still think Jose will get rid in the summer.
Think a fully fit Bailly is clearly first choice, and Jose seems to like Jones and Rojo. We will definately bring another CB in, which leaves Smalling the expendable one.
Think a fully fit Bailly is clearly first choice, and Jose seems to like Jones and Rojo. We will definately bring another CB in, which leaves Smalling the expendable one.
Considering how all defenders go massively better under Jose. I am sure Smalling will get back to his beast mode in the first part of the season, the only think is to hwho displace as all cbs are playing really well but bailly is going out on afcon and Jones Rojo might need rotating and can't stay fitforever.. Chris will be back and who don't rate him is an eejit for me
I think you're naive here just say Smalling may have same benefit like Rojo and Jones. The evidence is what happened with Blind and to lesser extend Shaw. What I meant is LVG employed a more man marking defensive approach with Smalling is tasked to the pro active destroyer role while Blind as a libero. Smalling's physical strength, and speed is superior to Rojo and Jones, with Smalling himself is an athletic freak. Mourinho is employing a zonal defense system with like for like partnership: Bailly, Rojo, Jones... Smalling for all the athleticism is quite bad on ball. Having Smalling would mean asking for a very good ball playing CB to partner him which defeat the purpose of zonal defense set up in both offensive and defensive phases. Blind was headless chicken at time since playing aggressive is his weakness. Shaw is inexperienced to not understand the game well enough so there is time he seems lost on when to withdraw, when to press... Injury didn't help.
Smalling would do extremely well to reach the level he showed earlier last season, let alone build on his previous best like Rojo and Jones are doing.
Not sure we need another one tbh. If Jones can stay fit that's 4 decent cbs with blind covering, then the reserve lads that are pushing in the future too.
Yes if somebody like godin came available then fair enough, but I don't see anybody out there that I would spend millions on. Rather spend it on another good LB:RB and a proper CDM.
We should never go into another season relying on that. He's fit now and playing well, but before long he will be injured again.
Well we should sell jones then?
Some idiots at the beginning of the season wanted rid of him, saying how rubbish he was. Stoke wanted him for a bargain price, he's clearly better than that.
His injuries won't last forever, hopefully he's over that period now and he can crack on for lost time.
Unless he stays fit for the rest of this season and maintains form then yes we should sell him.
Wishful thinking, we've been hoping for that for nearly 6 years now. Some players never get over being injury prone.
This doesn't even make sense because Smalling is not playing only because he's injured. Did Mourinho seem to like Jones and Rojo when he picked Smalling and Bailly (and even Blind) over them even at times when they were fit? How exactly is Smalling expendable when he's the most experienced CB and the tallest one at that (we both know Mourinho loves his CBs tall)
This is a myth: Carvalho, Samuel, Cordoba, Sergio Ramos, Jorge Costa, Chivu... makeshift CB Essien ain't that tall. IIRC I responded to you before regarding same matter. Mourinho wants all rounded CBs who of course athletic and capable with aerial threat. Smalling has big black mark on his inability on ball. Even Terry, Samuel, Codorba, Jorge Costa were more capable on ball than him and these are not your textbook ball playing CBs. Garay, Albiol for their good height was not in Mourinho's favorite.
Jones had been injuried until came back conveniently when Smalling having his problem. Rojo had his chance at LB position which failed to impress. Rojo when being tried at CB grasp the chance with both hand and no looking back. Smalling showing under Mourinho is not as impressive as Rojo and Jones recently. Blind at the start of the season was in the best shape along with Bailly in all of our CBs. Then he started to lose his spot with his own bad performance in certain games.
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Smalling managed well enough for LVG, I am sure Jose will be happy enough with Smalling. I don't see him being that much worse than Rojo or Jones on the ball anyway, he's got the ability he just panics a bit too much.
Players sometimes perform differently under different approach/ tactic, management. Blind is a case where Mourinho's approach may (already) prove to be a hinder for him than under LVG. Rojo clearly sees the noticeable upturn in performance.
Jones and Rojo imo moves the ball better, not that they're better at play making (Blind esque). They just move the ball well even under pressure. Smallings' panic with the ball transfers into the team mentality. Let's look into a scenario where your teammate pose a high percentage of making an awkward pass. Would you rather just stay near his comfort zone than make bold movement into difficult angle and risk he fecked up and expose the defense. Or let's say if he can't find you with the pass he likely offload the ball back to the keeper and with a manager promoting playing out from the back that mean the whole team have to move back into position and start the whole again! That's exact our problem with us under LVG with everything were slow and over-complicated.
While I agree defending comes first. We've seen at City that if you neglect that it'll bite you on the ass.
Not saying Jones and Rojo aren't doing very well, but Smalling in top form is our best IMO.
Injury means he's dropped down to 4th in the pecking order!
It's good for us, shows our squad depth that someone like Smalling is 4th in the pecking order.
It's good for us, shows our squad depth that someone like Smalling is 4th in the pecking order.
Smalling is much worse on the ball when playing on the left. Evans was good on the ball (probably still is), but he also said that he wasn't comfortable playing on the left, at lest in terms of bringing the ball out. Smalling was never at his ability anyhow, so putting him on the left will make it harder for him. I wonder if Bailly should play left instead as I believe he has even played left back at times earlier in his career?
As for him getting back into the side, I like Smalling, but he has to earn his place because Rojo and Jones are hardly putting a foot wrong and don't deserve to be dropped.
As for him getting back into the side, I like Smalling, but he has to earn his place because Rojo and Jones are hardly putting a foot wrong and don't deserve to be dropped.
Smalling top form comes with the man marking approach where he is allowed to go hunting with Blind played sweeper role. Mourinho clearly stated he changed our defensive approach to zonal, so the CB partnership is toward like for like with each CB can carry the exact same job as his partner. No more Smalling up for physical challenge Blind sweep, Smalling play the easy passes for Blind to play making move the ball out from the back...
Here I do acknowledge in pure defending like camping in the box, Smalling is our best. However, to make an cohesive and fluid free moving team from the back, Smalling inability on the ball would transfer the panic to the back and unbalance the team
I am sure Smalling will be back in the starting line up soon after he recovers from his injury, it's not a problem for Smalling to adjust he showed it when he played with almost any other defender and did well. His inability on the ball is very exagerrated, he's aslo by far the best pure defender from the lot we have..
just because he's out for a while and new players got into form doesn't make him all of a sudden less usable player, again he's still the best defender we have
It's the absolute complete opposite. The LVG defensive approach is that the centre backs follow the strikers and the United midfield players were often the deepest players. This is no way lends itself to Smalling "going hunting" and Blind sweeping behind. Blind had exactly the same role to folliw the striker when he dropped deep. It was a style that didn't suit Smalling at all and often led to him being dragged into unnatural positions like when he was sent off in the cup final.
Playing zonally lends far more to playing in a partnership than the LVG system. It also means less chance of Smalling being dragged into midfield or wide. It will suit Smalling far better. The biggest issue he has is he's been a mainstay of the back 4 and has spent 2 years learning this crazy defensive system. It will take him time to unlearn it and go back to a more normal defensive structure. Saying all of that, Chelsea apart, I think Smalling has been very good this season. He has been first choice when fit and rightly so.
Mike was in beast mode before Christmas last season, sensational stuff. Blind was better than Chris after Christmas.
He has it in him, no doubt. For now for him it's about getting fit and wait for his chance. The strength in depth at CB is very good at United now, who would've thought that this summer what with Jones, Rojo and Blind deemed respectively dead, awful and "not a Mou CB"?
I will say this though; with Smalling out of the team I don't dread every corner and free kick against, worrying if the ref would punish Smalling's excessive and ridiculous shirt pulling. I like that. He really should get the Chucky in Sons of Anarchy treatment.
He has it in him, no doubt. For now for him it's about getting fit and wait for his chance. The strength in depth at CB is very good at United now, who would've thought that this summer what with Jones, Rojo and Blind deemed respectively dead, awful and "not a Mou CB"?
I will say this though; with Smalling out of the team I don't dread every corner and free kick against, worrying if the ref would punish Smalling's excessive and ridiculous shirt pulling. I like that. He really should get the Chucky in Sons of Anarchy treatment.
That's true, but however Rojo is playing I just can't ever warm to the idea of him being a starting centre back. Hasn't the aerial force or pace I'd like. Both of which Smalling has, when he's not having brainfarts
RAWK has this thing where their players become nearer and nearer GOAT status whenever they are injured, we have the opposite here on the Caf.
Smalling is still our second best CB, and you would all be wise not to forget his season last year when he single handedly had to hold the defensive line together. Have you forotten the calamity that was Rojo and to a certain part Jones last year? And now you all of the sudden rank these guys above him.
People calling for him to be sold, ffs.
Smalling is still our second best CB, and you would all be wise not to forget his season last year when he single handedly had to hold the defensive line together. Have you forotten the calamity that was Rojo and to a certain part Jones last year? And now you all of the sudden rank these guys above him.
People calling for him to be sold, ffs.
Pretty much.
Deary me, let's not get carried away here. Fair enough it may be a bit harsh to want him sold though I wouldn't lose any sleep over it but to make out as if he is some world class centre back?? He's also had his moments don't forget. That's why I'm loving it so much that Rojo's having a blinder at the moment cause so many people can't come to terms with it and accept it, bit like the van Gaal fan club that reckon he saved United and still miss him.
However you want to dress it up, Smalling is nothing more than a functional centre back whose height people seem to rate more than his footballing ability. It's all about current form. Last year is history and right now Bailly, Rojo and even Jones have made the centre of defence look pretty solid.
I'm not begrudging Smalling his place but I'd be really pissed if he walked straight back in to the team.....just because his name is Mike Smalling. We're doing really well at the moment and there's no reason to disrupt it. If he can earn his place then fair enough. He'll get plenty of game time I'm sure when Bailly links up with the Ivory Coast team so we'll see then.
I have heard talk of Smalling possibly leaving if we sign another CB as he is now our weakest CB?
People really do have short term memory issues. The guy has been an absolute beast for 2 years. He has had one bad game against Chelsea in that time and he was carrying any injury then. IMO he is still our best CB. Bailly is surely up there too but it's difficult to label him as our best when he has played so few games. Getting rid of Smalling would be a massive mistake IMO.
People really do have short term memory issues. The guy has been an absolute beast for 2 years. He has had one bad game against Chelsea in that time and he was carrying any injury then. IMO he is still our best CB. Bailly is surely up there too but it's difficult to label him as our best when he has played so few games. Getting rid of Smalling would be a massive mistake IMO.
Which I'm very sure we won't make.
Anyone realise that Mourinho started subbing inn extra height only after Smalling got injured. None of our cb's are good as him in the air, I believe Mou will keep him
I seriously doubt Mourinho would get rid of Smalling.
He earmarked Smalling's return in a recent press conference, and I'm sure Mourinho values his experience and presence in the box.
The partnership of Jones and Rojo has been great but they have more to prove than Smalling does, and neither are as aerially dominant either.
Lets not forget that he was one half of a strong defensive pairing and he was the only natural defender playing in the back 4 for long periods of time for the whole of the season.
Of course Smalling wont walk in the side, nobody should, but I think if anyone departs it will be Blind and one of Rojo or Jones. Most likely Rojo.
He earmarked Smalling's return in a recent press conference, and I'm sure Mourinho values his experience and presence in the box.
The partnership of Jones and Rojo has been great but they have more to prove than Smalling does, and neither are as aerially dominant either.
Lets not forget that he was one half of a strong defensive pairing and he was the only natural defender playing in the back 4 for long periods of time for the whole of the season.
Of course Smalling wont walk in the side, nobody should, but I think if anyone departs it will be Blind and one of Rojo or Jones. Most likely Rojo.
He wasnt as bad as some people claim now but he certainly was not a beast for 2 years, otherwise there wouldnt be a discussion right now
Up until his injury this season he has been our best defender by a mile since his red card against City which was over 2 years ago now. He was pretty much faultless last season. Not sure how you can even pretend he hasn't been a "beast" for us.
What planet are you from?!Blind was much better than Smalling during the second half of the season.
Some people really do have short term memories. He's had more than one bad game. He was probably 'decent' for half a season but c'mon he has been pretty shite. We haven't missed him at all this season and we could certainly get better. There's no way he should walk straight back into the side...no way. It wouldn't be a bad thing if Jose does some business in January if speculation is to be believed.
Seriously???
Too right
People forget how he responded to the criticism after that City red card. That's when he became 'Mike' Smalling (btw I hated that!). His beastly performance against City (4-2 win) that was capped with a headed goal was just a real reminder that he exorcised those demons. Jones, Rojo and Blind all looked good playing with Smalling during that season. He was the common denominator.
"decent", "shite" seriously?
Jones and Rojo haven't done anything better than Smalling and Blind did last season, for a longer period of time, in a much worse team that was struggling across all fronts.
Plus Smalling was the only naturalised defender along the back four for pretty much the whole season, often covering for Valencia and while taking charge of the physical game for Blind. Along with having to play with youth players like CBJ, TFM, Varela in times of injury.
Jones and Rojo have played well for what 6 weeks? And happened to have come in the squad while we're playing great football, Carrick has established his role, Pogba has improved his fitness, Zlatan is scoring goals, and we're playing much better as a team.
What they're doing is not anything that Smalling or Bailly could do either. Therefore it doesn't mean that they are better than Smalling.
So lets wait and see how long it lasts.
Calling Smalling decent or shite is madness though.
Be so pissed if we get rid of him. He's English, he's good enough, and he should stay.
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