I have no agenda, I was Smalling biggest fan for the few months of last season, but feck me he got worse as the season went on and has been poor this season sadly.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 36
- Clean sheets
- 18
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 0
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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How so many posters have turned on Smalling is easily my least favorite part about the Caf. Probably more than 90% of the posters in here would have laughed in your face if you suggested that Jones or Rojo were better than him before that Chelsea game. One game is all it takes, evidently. After that game, Smalling has mainly been injured and benched. That is obviously enough to erase two years of good football prior.
Ugh...
Someone please post a gif of him heading a ball to Shakira in the second half and of him smashing balls out of play when under no pressure.
I thought he's good. Dealing with their main target easily.
There was one moment towards the end of the game when the ball came towards him and he just panicked and smashed it forward even though no opponent is even close to him, at that point I really don't know what else to say
To be honest I'm not going to be even slightly annoyed should he be moved on in the summer.
At this stage I rate baily, Rojo and jones over him.
At this stage I rate baily, Rojo and jones over him.
What??
He kept twatting balls out of play with no-one around him and had a nightmare in the second when he headed a ball to Shakira who vollyed for a save from De Gea. Awful.
You are the one having a nightmare, you are posting some embarassing stuff.
We allowed Stoke one shot on target and he is being criticised. This place is amazing. You would think we have Nesta and Maldini in our defence ahead if him who set the bar high.
I kept an extra close eye on him today because I knew that people in here would go insane if he made a single mistake. Seems like I was right.
He didn't have much to do, but he completey bullied any Stoke player trying to get past him. Jones and Rojo have delivered almost identical performances for months now. Little to do, few mistakes, but also a couple of shaky moments that makes you question how they will do against opponents that give them a handful. But when Smalling does it? 4th choice! Terrible game!
I think there can be no doubt that Rojo is the better man atm
I'll do a quick vid tomorrow of the 2 poor mistakes and some of the awful clearances under zero pressure.
You are the one having a nightmare, you are posting some embarassing stuff.
Hopefully that'll get some of you off my back like.
Need Bailly and Rojo back.
I don't know if it's the way his body moves so unaesthetically that makes him look absolutely shit when he's with the ball. And I can't stand his panic clearance like others have pointed out.
He's not the problem today, as they only have 5 shots, and their goal is an own goal by one of our attacker. It's the other end of the field that more of a concern.
I normally defend him but his composure was really bad today. It's not good enough particularly when he is captaining the side.
So did you miss that awful piece of play where he headed to Shakira then?
Or when he was smashing balls out of play for no reason?
I'm thinking I watched a different game here, I mean aside from that he did very well, but "that", as in those moments very very poor.
You stopping posting would make us get off your back even more.
Yeah, that p*ssed me off as well. Can't really blame him for the goal but he looks really nervy these days
It's so frustrating when he has to maneuver his entire body around the ball just so he can pass it with his right foot instead of left.
Bloody hell @Amar__ stop being such a softy, I thought Smalling had some very bad moments today in a game we dominated.
Chill out pal, the forum is for discussing opinions and I'm hardly slagging off your family.
I prefer Jones and Rojo purely because Smalling's panic in possession is incredibly annoying, especially when we're chasing a game, but he dominated their attack today. Looked like he was getting back to 2015 levels which can only be a bonus for us.
He was nervy, he is nervy, and he'll always be nervy
One of his biggest assets is also one of the things that might expose him the most, that is the willingness and (sometimes) the abillity to defend on the front foot, trying to intercept the chance.
Will see him rinsed every now and then, but also being very good now and then.
He isn't top class though, at this moment in time I rate Rojo and Bailly above him and Jones about on par with him. He is probably just as good a defender as Rojo on abillity, but Rojo has the mental edge over him imo.
Reckon he would be good for a bit smaller team than us that is expected to have their backs against the wall more, but for a team that wants to be on the front foot he is simply not good enough on the ball.
I am all for defenders being defenders first and foremost, but you need to have atleast a minimum of skills on the ball, and this is where Smalling falls short.
Will see him rinsed every now and then, but also being very good now and then.
He isn't top class though, at this moment in time I rate Rojo and Bailly above him and Jones about on par with him. He is probably just as good a defender as Rojo on abillity, but Rojo has the mental edge over him imo.
Reckon he would be good for a bit smaller team than us that is expected to have their backs against the wall more, but for a team that wants to be on the front foot he is simply not good enough on the ball.
I am all for defenders being defenders first and foremost, but you need to have atleast a minimum of skills on the ball, and this is where Smalling falls short.
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He was fine, apart from gifting them a goal-chance* that ended up in their goal.
Shouldn't have pushed out on Crouch, had he stayed in his position it wouldn't have been dangerous at all.
But as my gripe has been and i've said a thousand times now, fine isn't good enough for where I want United to be at.
* Along with Herrera, Mata and one more I can't remember. But he certainly played a big part in it this time as well.
Shouldn't have pushed out on Crouch, had he stayed in his position it wouldn't have been dangerous at all.
But as my gripe has been and i've said a thousand times now, fine isn't good enough for where I want United to be at.
* Along with Herrera, Mata and one more I can't remember. But he certainly played a big part in it this time as well.
Honestly some of you have to have a word with yourselves. I think some people are just frustrated and came in this thread to slag off a player they don't like. Smalling wasn't at fault for the goal, he was in position to stop the cross.
Smalling will always be a problem, as 90% of the time we need to play the ball out of back and get pressed from teams nowadays. Even if he manages to reduce his brainfarts, he is still and will be shite with the ball at his feet. Someday people will realise Smallingbauer is just a squad player.
That mistake against "Shakira" was the only mistake he made, and he was still forced to shoot from 20 yards out under heavy pressure with DDG having perfect view of the shot. Jones and Rojo have done worse mistakes many times over the last few months. It happens.
"Smashing balls out of play for no reason"? I think I saw one instance where I found his clearance unnecessary. But ultimately, I want my defenders to be quick, strong and good in the air. Passing is a luxury skill for a CB, imo.
Can't believe I now want Jones to start over Smalling. This time last year the idea would be madness / unthinkable / impossible. I thought he was OK but his passing is awful and he looked very nervous all game against a very average attack.
The failt was Mata's for sure, not just for the OG but also for being a second too slow reacting.
But Smalling should not have followed Crouch out there, he had absolutely no chance of winning that ball.
Thought he was out of position a lot today, and Phil Jones was visibly upset with him throughout the game.
Fair enough Dir, I think it's a necessity for a side that wants to win titles.
Would Rojo have been more effective against Crouch.? In my opinion Jose got the right defender, he's best equipt of what we have available to counter what Crouch brings to Stoke. Mike had a decent game, not one his best performances but was pretty solid.
Anyways, I agree with the view that a settled partnership needs to be at the back. Once Rojo is fully fit he needs to come back into the side and then reevaluate when Bailly gets back.
He needs to chill out when you said this:
As expected, agenda-driven posters out again, and they're being exposed for it. He dominated their attackers and lost out to Crouch (a giant). I'll have to replay the goal again to see if he really needed to come out.
Smalling's main issue is that he has no leadership or composure on and off the ball. He shouldn't be captain. The worst thing about his game is when he hoofs/clears the ball away when there are better options - best example being very late on in the game, where he could have made a short pass to Herrera but ended up smashing the ball. Other than that, I have no problem with him being in the squad. He's already shown he's capable of playing really well. And before anyone says LvG's system protected him, then I advise you to watch Smalling play CB under Moyes, where he put in some excellent displays. But let's also forget about that.
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I thought Crouch spent most of the 2nd half peeling onto Jones and was very surprised at how well Jones (and Blind) dealt with him.
What's your problem with him today people?
He was absolutely fine.
He was absolutely fine.
I don't get it @MoneyMay ?
No composure when with ball at all. Quite funny seeing Herrera kept on signalling 'be calm' to smalling.
I'm one of his biggest fans, but I agree with the consensus that his no-pressure smashes up-field were maddening. I don't want him to be twatting about in his own third like John Stones, but he could have done better with the ball. Even just a short ball to Valencia or Jones.
Good defensively but crap on the ball...
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