I understand people wanting a better ball playing defender, but saying he isn't good at defending is rubbish. Vardy said he was the toughest cb in the PL to play against; Welbeck said Smalling was the toughest to get past, and he showcases this in that he is rarely dribbled past, run past or loses headers. Therefore, if Ajax has a quick attack and people would rather have Blind in there, then they are, well, blind.
Smalling looked much better yesterday than against Tottenham. He looked much faster, and he was more proactive in his defending. The same guys who would want us to give Blind time to gel after a couple of horrific displays, only for him to improve, will not give Smalling that same leeway. Blind did improve, and then he was rubbish against Celta. Smalling is a better defender than Blind is, but Blind is a better footballer.