12
Rojo was regularly instructed to make diagonal balls to the striker when he played. For example against City at OT where he made that pass several times and created a goal from it for Rashford.
How much of that was the quality of our individuals defenders, and how much of that was a very negative, defensive style of play? Legitimate question. I can't imagine any other top side coveting any of our center halves. Bailly at a push, but he's been bang out of form for a while too.
Even with a benefitting style of play, they still have to execute. Defensive style of play equals more defending and for a defender that could mean more time to shine or more time to screw up. No matter which way you look at it, if you are doing something well, you are doing it well.
Yes and no. Its much easier to defend in numbers as part of a unit, rather than one v one. That way you can double up on marking, cut out passing lanes, starve service to forwards. It's a good rule of thumb in football that it is easier to destroy than it is to create. If your midfielders are sitting in front of your center backs, they are affording them a lot more protection than a team that plays a more expansive style. You don't need Baresi and Beckenbauer at the back to park the bus. You can do it with Gary Breen and Mikael Silvestre. But if you want to open up and go out to kill teams, you need high quality individual defenders who can read the game to an exceptionally high standard, and use the ball well when it comes to their feet.
Both Bailly and Smalling can do and does that tho, especially if allowed to be aggressive and closer to the midfield. I don't think Lindelof has the strength, pace or aggressiveness to play like that. About starting counterattacks from deeper positions, I don't think the defenders are the main culprit for us not being good at it, because as you say, since we defend as a unit it is important for the midfield to find a way to move the ball quickly upfield, and to have runners that make themselves available. Usually the counters doesn't even start with Matic, or stops with a fullback not committing fully.
If that is true, that it is easier to destroy than to create, then no wonder our attackers is struggling. It has to be even harder to create something then if you first have to leave your destroying state of mind, then if you lose the ball, it is right back again. Must be exhausting. As for the defenders, they might have more responsibility to keep the team organised since it is "their game", as well as having to keep the concentration levels high throughout the whole game. There might even be some more praise due when looking at it that way. Unless the argument is just a tool to critique them. I'll rather that than other CB's who do less defending and can't even keep concentration for when they do (like Stones).
I'm not sure what is so irrational really. Contrary selling the only CB that proved reliable at least injury wise in Smalling would be irrational as you say. I also rate Bailly very highly, but the constant injuries concern me.
Yet he's been first choice for the last 4 years. It's been Smalling+1 with the others fighting for the other spot. If the others are better why can't they get him out of the team? He's going nowhere because he's our best CB.
Bailly has been all out of sorts. I dont think so.
I don't understand this argument.
The Xavi/Iniesta part was obviously hyperbole.
Now that you mention it i don't see any of them as a massive upgrade on Smalling, and most not as good. Players like Kompany on his day and in the past are/were better, good case to be made for Azpilicueta/Vertonghen as well. The likes of Sanchez have the potential to be better but thats about it.
Otamendi, Lovren (yes, Lovren), Vertonghen, Azpilicueta, Van Diijk, and Alder (who didn't start cause of injuries and contract) are better players than your idol from that list. Koscielny was until last season while Sanchez seems like a great prospect. Not crocked Kompany is also better.
My idol isnt on that list or in this thread.
Only Azpi & I quite like Sanchez tbf. The only other defenders I would want us to get are Varane, Koulibaly or Umtiti.
Didn't say that I want us to sign them, just that they are better than your idol. And your idol will be 29 on the first half of this season, so hardly much younger than them.
You answered the question of who you'd want from that list with a whole bunch of City and Liverpool players and players in their 30s. So next time read the question
Agreed.
No I don't believe he dreams of offensive football. He adapts to the personnel available. The better the teams the more offensive he will get, while still maintaining a level of defensive stability.
Yeah, fair points, and I said that I might be overinterpreting your post. We agree on Mourinho historically with Chelsea and Madrid btw. I was trying to make the point that is how a functioning Mourinho team looks.
Finally a rational viewpoint.
Yep. And another important factor is Smalling is not between 3 other defenders who are top class.
Jose and lvg both. I dont have the figures in front of me but id reckon he would be close to the top of the starts list since fergy left fpr outfield players.
We play a style that suits him, or we play a style to suit him, as our only CB capable of staying fit. We sit fairly deep and the onus is on the midfield to drop and bring the ball forward, not the defenders. Sitting deep you don't have to worry about balls coming through the lines as much, the opposition will try crosses and if they have a target man, long balls. Smalling is great at dealing with that. The downside is the whole team has to sit further back to prevent huge gaps opening up. Our attack is completely neutered by it.
It comes down to the point of tactical flexibility. Mourinho does want ball playing CBs but not for the reason to 'build the play' as a central part of his system. He gets a ball playing CB for teams that are weak to that profile of player.
Fancy new term for someone who likes to sit deep.
It's not new, it's been a term for several years
Well it is but these days it doesn't even buy you a Harry Maguire, i'm not averse to upgrading on Smalling but it should only be to knock Smalling down the pecking order to a back up and get rid of one of the unreliable defenders who just can't say fit.
Nope. Mourinho clearly wanted Perisic as he thought it was important for us to play a "touchline hugging" player, but he was not attainable for us even when Mourinho really wanted to get him.
Thats clearly not what he meant though. He went in to the transfer window wanting 5 players. Three has been delivered in Fred, Dalot and Grant. Jury is out on if the final two are coming in or not. We will see.
So you really believe that Mou dreamt of signing some nobody from Stoke's skip? I am more prone to take things at first value which are
You should check out the fake quotes thread.
I think i've watched him saying it on ESPN or MUTV. However, lets just pretend its 'fake'. Mou is happy with us getting a kid, some washed up goalkeeper from Stoke and a player from the Ukrainian league just as SAF was thrilled replacing the likes of Rio, Vidic, Ronaldo, Giggs and Scholes with the likes of Smalling, Jones, Valencia, Young and Cleverley, Moyes was thrilled when instead of Fabregas they brought him Fellaini and LVG was over the moon having to rely on his former players instead of adding quality players. Not to forget the countless times when SAF asked for 4 players only to suddenly change his mind and say he's happy with the squad.
