Our best defender and seems to be the best partner for every other player.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 34
- Clean sheets
- 8
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 2
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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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What a pass that was for Sanchez.
If people think he is great in the air. I give up.
Great game Smalling, keep it up.
Great game Smalling, keep it up.
Probably the best defensive header of a ball we've had bar Vidic in the last 10 years. But somehow he's bad in the air. Every player lose headers now and again especially against the likes of Burnley. He along with Fellaini cleared 90% of the balls that came in.
Probably should.
He actually played one great pass to Alexis 
A pass scholes would have been proud of.He actually played one great pass to Alexis
Had an Ederson moment when he made that sexy long pass to Lukaku(?) beyond Burnley's defence 
Played fairly well today although Burnley didn't pressure either of the defenders much and he was uncharacteristically dodgy in the air.
If he can play passes like that to Sanchez why does he spend the rest of the game passing sideways to Lindelof or Valencia?
If he can play passes like that to Sanchez why does he spend the rest of the game passing sideways to Lindelof or Valencia?
Think its about time.
What will be the next line of attack. Shit on the ball, handsy, shit in the air. Is he slow as well?
Should have started the season and we might have avoided the Brighton mess.
The defence had great protection today.
Smalling is the ying for Lindeloff yang. Those two should be our main pair, until we get a better centerback(s).
He's fat midget. I'm waiting for that.
He's not world class but sure as hell he's the best defender from the bunch we have. Should always play as long as he's fit.
He was okay, just hate how much he grabs opposition strikers. I understand you need to be physical but the grabbing is gonna cost us some day.
One game where he's uncharacteristically poor at his best attribute and it suddenly becomes a weakness he's always had? Come on people
Yeh. Alderweirld(?) missed a header today and cost Spurs. Guess he's not good in the air also.
Theres an astounding amount of weird opinions when it comes to discussing his performances. If he plays a fabulous pass, he is shit in the air. If he wins a lot of duels, his time will be up when VAR is introduced. When he plays it calm he is passive, if he is aggressive he is brainless. He can't play in a high line against top teams, he can't play against Burnley because he is weak in the air
I do like that silly hairstyle actually. I think he has done pretty decent these two games, but we depend on him hitting some serious form soon. I'm not sure why but he looks a little fatigued and slow in his turns, which is weird as it also looks like he has lost some weight. I thought he would be a bit quicker, but it could be lack of match fitness.
I do like that silly hairstyle actually. I think he has done pretty decent these two games, but we depend on him hitting some serious form soon. I'm not sure why but he looks a little fatigued and slow in his turns, which is weird as it also looks like he has lost some weight. I thought he would be a bit quicker, but it could be lack of match fitness.
It's been only 4 years I've been hearing that. Maybe in the next 4 he'll get pulled up on it once and then everyone will go "SEE, I TOLD YOU". As if gettinng pulled up on it only once in a blue moon is not a justification to keep doing it.
Yep. Needs to be binned!
Did you start your football watching today? Ever seen Smalling play before?
You'll be saying he's "Immobile" and "lacks pace" next
Yep, we can mask Lindelöf's massive aerial weakness when slotting in Smalling, Fellaini, Matic and Pogba round him for sure.
Chris Smalling. Bad in the air. Smalling. Bad. In the air.
Jesus Christ, it's literally one of his better attributes. Also much better in the air than our other CB's, so god knows how shite in the air the rest of them must be.
Jesus Christ, it's literally one of his better attributes. Also much better in the air than our other CB's, so god knows how shite in the air the rest of them must be.
I don't like the haircut. 
He's literally one of the best aerial central defenders in the league. Probably top 3, certainly top 5. At open play anyway; he's not quite so good when it's a set piece but he's still our best there too. Calling him bad in the air is as ridiculous as the poster who was claiming he was slow a few weeks ago.
Heard the same thing for 4 years already and still not happening. Let's give it up.
Which CBs from the premier league are good in the air defensively then?
He actually doesnt win many balls in the air. Unlike Smalling
Maybe but as long as he gets away with it I'm fine with it. The amount of times he's been called on it while in the league can be counted on one hand. Meh.
What
People have already said that, so nothing new there. I think he's also a little short.
Gorgeous new locks though.
Solid today. Jose needs to buy a solid left sided centre back to compliment him.
@GifLord
Can you get a clip of when Smaling played that gorgeous ball to Sanchez, please?
52.25
Thanks
@GifLord
Can you get a clip of when Smaling played that gorgeous ball to Sanchez, please?
52.25
Thanks
How often have we seen Bailly and Smalling play together? My memory is failing me.
Funnily enough, in Van Gaal's first season I remember he'd developed a pretty decent cross field ball out to the left back. Then he lost all confidence in it after a while, and since Mourinho's been he's never really developed it back (he's been moved around repeatedly from RCB to LCB)
Smaldini
He was a rock yesterday. Once again, it's looking like our starting CBs for the season should be Smalling + 1.
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