you've got absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 36
- Clean sheets
- 18
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 0
- Status
It was him who prepared the second goal by winning this header.
Good performance - and I still believe that he and Bailly could be a great CB pair, if Smalling gets his self confidence back.
Good performance - and I still believe that he and Bailly could be a great CB pair, if Smalling gets his self confidence back.
Made Dolberg look like a chump.
He's a collosus when he's got his head screwed on and concentrating. Think blind brings the best out of him personally, no surprise he played his best football with him last year, then pulled that out with him last night too.
He's a collosus when he's got his head screwed on and concentrating. Think blind brings the best out of him personally, no surprise he played his best football with him last year, then pulled that out with him last night too.
Justified selection ~ the idea is to dominate Ajax aerially and we did.
Smalling is at his best focusing on doing the few simple tasks which he can do well ~ clearing out crosses, win in physical tussle and be both a threat and defensive strength in set piece.
Good performance, leading to a goal.
Smalling is at his best focusing on doing the few simple tasks which he can do well ~ clearing out crosses, win in physical tussle and be both a threat and defensive strength in set piece.
Good performance, leading to a goal.
He need someone to do the thinking for him. I dont mind if we keep him as backup but I can see why Mou wants him out. At 28 you're expect a player to be able to use his brains
A bit surprised how well he did in the final. He's been poor most season but against Ajax he was top class
Every interview i've seen of his team mates or even watching him on the pitch says he's the leader of the backline.
This is just one of those racist views based on his skin colour that he cant think for himself? It's why he needs the white man next to him to do the thinking for him, amiright?
Your post is a silly considering that I believe that Rio is the best CB of his generation and the best defender the world had since Maldini. Its even more silly if you consider that Id rather keep him then Rojo or Jones.
Its about how he plays. He can't organise the defense (being the leader out of a lot made up of Rojo, Jones and Shaw is hardly an achievement) and his distribution of the ball is shocking. He's an all muscle no brains typical 80s English league defenders that have no space in today's football anymore
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I would not go that far. I think because of the way he talks people have decided that he is somehow passive(probably because of his voice). And is sort of similar to Rooney where every here think he is a weak leader but, his teammates have praised his leadership skills. We really do not know what goes on in the dressing room but, we think we do.
!I can't get over your very childish comment so I'll just say ok.
I wasn't very pleased to see him start but he had a brilliant game.
That said, we need a settled back 4 and that requires players that aren't crocked half a season. So let's sign a quality CB who stays fit and get shut of Smalling and Jones.
That said, we need a settled back 4 and that requires players that aren't crocked half a season. So let's sign a quality CB who stays fit and get shut of Smalling and Jones.
If that's his last game for us then at least it was a good one, still isn't good enough with the ball to be a starter for a club like United though.
Much more like it last night.
He does seem more settled and confident when playing with Blind.
He does seem more settled and confident when playing with Blind.
Fair play to you for at least admitting that he played well.
Couldn't agree more.
Oh I see how it works. So Rojo, who played mostly as LCB under LVG was only absolute shite because of the philosophy and I guess Smalling was only good also because of the same philosophy right? Rojo hasnt' even managedm ore than 22 league games in a single season since he joined. Smalling played over 50 games in all comps last season and Jones and Rojo are yet to match those performances and levels of consistency, levels that had Smalling voted as player of the season by his teammates.
I've seen enough posts referring to Smalling as being brainless with no justification to conclude that race may play a part in it. Jones and Evans were supposed to be the next great white hopes and they both failed. Smalling is better than them both but they're the ones that were always mentioned as future captains, teams built around them, the new Duncan Edwards and all that rubbish. When it comes to black players its all about power and speed apparently, even when they have other attributes
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Baily the saviour, could have a second season syndrome as young CB. Rojo could go back to being shite, as he had been before this season. With the amount of games we're going to play anyway, and what Smalling could offer compared to other CBs, it would be extremely stupid for Mou to sell Smalling.
Even if we buy the next Beckenbauer, Smalling would still be the best squad CB any team in this league would have. Speaking of squad player, I'd rather have Smalling on 100k then Lingard.
Even if we buy the next Beckenbauer, Smalling would still be the best squad CB any team in this league would have. Speaking of squad player, I'd rather have Smalling on 100k then Lingard.
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Hes nowhere near to maldini
He played plenty of games at CB and was dogshit. Even this season he's been lucky nit to have been sent off about 3 times for being reckless and rash. Smalling is quite easily the better defender.
Rojo was always better than Smalling when played at CB. The only thing Smalling has on him is physicality and pace but he can't even use those to his advantage. He rarely wins headers with out wrestling his man and he's clumsy. His ineptitude to keep his composure and pass a football is unbelievable and it's clear that Jose is forced to instruct the whole team to hoof the ball. He's simply not good enough to play for Manchester United.
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Smalling and Blind formed a brilliant centre back partnership during the last season of LvG, and Smalling was the player of the season (voted by the players). With the brain of Blind and the physicsal contribution of Smalling, I think they form the most complete central defense duo that we have seen in this club for years. Of course they where going to dominate against a weak Ajax team where Mourinho lined up with a solid defensive plan.
However, I am not saying that this should be our centre back pairing next season. Their problem is that they look brilliant in 9 out of 10 games, but in the last game they are absolutely shambles. In the top games against teams that attack with a lot of players and causes problems for our defense, they look like headless chickens. To sum it up: a brilliant but fragile defensive duo.
However, I am not saying that this should be our centre back pairing next season. Their problem is that they look brilliant in 9 out of 10 games, but in the last game they are absolutely shambles. In the top games against teams that attack with a lot of players and causes problems for our defense, they look like headless chickens. To sum it up: a brilliant but fragile defensive duo.
Simply not true, though, is it?
Smalling outpaced Lukaku a few times and dominated him in the air. With the ball, Lukaku raced away from Rojo and won a few headers as well. Up until the last match, Smalling didn't give Kane an inch, and Kane is known for his intelligent movements, not his pace or strength. Smalling also outpaced Welbeck in a race where Welbeck would have been clean on goal. Blind fecked up against Willian; Willian was one on one against Smalling, tried to knock the ball past Smalling only to be outpaced, easily.
Smalling doesn't use his pace that often, but when he does, he never loses. Then you have players like Jones who are constantly running at full pelt. You even see Blind doing that more. I'm thinking that has something to do with positional awareness. Rio didn't sprint flat out often because he positioned himself so well.
Also, to say Smalling isn't good in the air is just absolutely ridiculous. He tugs players' shirts, but so do Rojo and all other defenders. It has become very fashionable to complain about Smalling in that regard, but as long as he doesn't give away penalties, I'm not sure I care that much. Attackers pull and tug just as much, which is why it is so difficult to make any decisions either way for the refs. Rojo has been guilty of a fair few shirt pulls himself.
That being said, Rojo has comfortably been better than Smalling this season, but I don't think he was as good as Smalling was last season.
One decent game and he's a world beater again! I'm glad he came through the game yesterday without doing anything stupid and he did what he had to do but let's be honest, Ajax weren't really that much of a test. Hopefully Rojo/Bailly will be the first choice pairing for next season with the addition of a quality CB. If reports are to believed Smalling's possibly on his way anyway so it's all good.
You need to chill sometimes
Can go for me with bells on, £20 million could be an achievable fee.
Same here.
1 good game doesn't change anything for me.
The only problem we have is that we don't have enough CBs, which makes me think Jose will not let him leave. Not because he is a great defender, but because we don't have enough CBs. Remember Rojo is out till around December, so for half a season, we will already be down 1 CB. If Smalling leaves, we'll need to buy 2 new CBs (which I don't see happening).
Smalling wins more aerial duels than any of our other CBs and anyone else in the team. He's massive in the air and its simply not true when you say he rarely wins headers without wrestling his man. Do you even really watch him or just form opinions based on preconceived notions? If you actually watched the EL final you wouldn't say this because Smalling won everything in the air cleanly, five out five aerial duels and he didn't 'wrestle' anyone. Dolberg was in his pocket
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