Think he was poor first half, more dominant in the second. Every CB seems to deal with Morata with his back to goal though.
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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In every game, he's making a fool of Southgate.
So quiet.
Thought he was good again today, there was even a point where he found himself on the halfway line with Hazard and just bossed him. It’s still a little weird that our defence doesn’t seem to function all that well or be solid, it’s more like individuals just having good games than a complete unit but he really has been solid so far this season.
He's having a good season and there was nothing he could do with the run Luiz got on him for that header that led to the goal.
Beast second half. Constantly nicking the ball off Morata and co. A shame we conceded in the last second.
Usual self. Impressive passing today too.
It's because his partner is far from great, and our fullbacks aren't really great defensively. Matic isn't that great defensively either.
Yes he should and could. He is part guilty for that goal. Our main defender and best in the air, failed to do anything in that situation. He wasn't on the ball and wasn't in 6yard box. These excuses for Smalling week after week, season after season are ridiculous. He is solid defender. He is best cd in club but not quality what we must have in first 11.
Watch the goal again
https://streamja.com/Wr5A
Are you blaming Smalling for not being able to guard two people at once, while Young just stands around?
It doesn't matter how good somebody is in the air, they will be beaten occasionally. There hasn't been a single player in the history of the sport that wasn't.
It was a perfect ball for Luiz, Smalling was blocked off by a second Chelsea player (who also had his arm around Smalling to hold him down), Young stood there and watched, and despite all that Smalling still made it very difficult for Luiz to do anything with it. Other than maybe (and I do strongly stress maybe) VVD, there's no other defender in the top 6 teams who would have been able to do any better in that situation.
He's simply the best of a so so bunch, that much is clear to me.
Most have realised it now. The sooner we buy a half decent partner for him the better.
He barely jumped there. Bad positioning and bad reaction. And ball was so long in the air. Yes, he is guilty or lets say it on another way ; better defender would clear that ball. But it is not just that moment, he always has some mistakes in every match.
We conceded 17 goals in 9 matches ffs. With Dave on the goal. It can't be only because of Young or Lindelof or Jones. We need to replace him and all defenders. The fact that he is best of bunch should not hide the fact that Chris Smalling is not quality for Man Utd.
Dude that is just silly, no defender is winning that ball whilst being held down by one and another one coming with a good run on it, unless you’re Lebron James you’re never out jumping Luiz in that situation.
Wtf is young doing there? Get your body in the way and impede luizs jump
Lucky morata dint score with that turn, saw him out of position for that instance .
It is clever from Giroud, just concentrates on blocking Smalling off to allow Luiz a run.
You expected Smalling to win a ball ahead of Luiz, even though he had to leap over Giroud to even stand a chance?
Meanwhile Young didn’t read the situation or try to stop Luiz before the danger started
That constitutes as a mistake by Smalling?
No wonder you don’t rate him highly if you’ll blame him for that.
Lost the battle with Luiz leading up to the goal.
Wow, Young is clueless defensively
Good as usual.
He's literally stood still watching the ball, and has no idea Luiz is near him, it's ridiculousWow, Young is clueless defensively
Young should have been looking to block off Luiz the same way as Giroud took Smalling out of it. It was in no way Smalling's fault, it looked like something Chelsea had worked on in training and it was very effective.
I think Mike has been pretty good this season so far.
I think Mike has been pretty good this season so far.
Mistake is maybe a strong word. Lack of quality would be better. Better defender would clear that ball. Smalling is average defender but in situation where others are shit, people see him like some class defender. Which he is not and never will be. I hope that we will not do the same mistake with him as we did with Jones and offer him a new contract.
To be clear here, again i repeat; he is the best defender in the club but in general he is not good enough for Man Utd.
I agree, and considering Darmian was on the bench I'm surprised Jose didn't shore up at the back. I also think Dalot deserves a run at right back. He's impressed me in the reserves. Liverpool are happy playing Trent-Arnold at right back and he's only 20, and I think Dalot is just as good and deserves his place given RB has been a problem for several seasons now.Wow, Young is clueless defensively
There's not much better defenders though.
Haven't you guys noticed that Chelsea make use of basket ball type screens. They have someone blocking(impeding) a player from making defensive movements
Seriously tho in that scenario there isn’t a defender in the world getting to that ball before Luiz. What quality is he missing that prevented him getting to that ball?
I think most understand he isn’t top drawer like a VVDJK or Varane or a fit Kompany but he must surely still be in the top 20 defenders in the world. Right now he is our best defender, one of the best in the league and playing well, there is no need for people to just whip out cliches about his passing or always having amistake in him when it simply isn’t true.
I will say something now for which most of you will laugh but with Skriniar- Alderveireld pair, we would be in top 3 today. Maybe even first
I'm not a Smalling excuser by any stretch, I just think it's more credit to Luiz than blame on Smalling in this situation.
20 in the world? He is not in best 10 in PL, ffs. And it is not cliche. He is bad on the ball and he has mistake in him.
What a ridiculous post after complaining about Smalling on the 2nd goal where his jump is blocked off.
Toby made THE LEAST HEADERS of any CB in the league last season that played at least 10 matches.
He may not even have jumped for that one.
Are you the same person that was going on about him making a mistake when Morata scored that header against us?
By the way every defender has a mistake in them then, people tend to use it like it happens all the time which it doesn’t with Smalling. So I’ll Ask what quality is he missing that prevented him from getting to that header ahead of Luiz?
Toby plays in team who plays attacking open football and still conceded only 7 goals so far. We conceded 16. But nevermind, yeah Smalling is a beast. We must tied his contract soon because top clubs will come for him.
I said this in the match day thread, it's very effective
Varane & Ramos made many mistakes today, I guess with so many mistakes in them, they can't be top 10 defenders in the world
Where other people win the headers yes.
Whats he going to do on that 2nd goal that Smalling didnt?
Or maybe with a Smalling-Skriniar pair, we'd be top of the league and cruising in the Champions league.
He does not have a very good argument.Varane & Ramos made many mistakes today, I guess with so many mistakes in them, they can't be top 10 defenders in the world
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