I'd rather a manager that can win something instead of one talking shite.
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Its funny how Smalling and Jones have their reputation as CBs who just defend but can't play or pass the ball and are to blame for us not passing forward. Meanwhile Lindelof has a reputation for his passing. Some people I've seen even suggest Bailly is our best or one of our best passers.
But the truth is Jones and Smalling pass forward the most and Lindelof passes back the most
But the truth is Jones and Smalling pass forward the most and Lindelof passes back the most
You are absolutely right, he does remind us all of Donald Trump, but not for the reasons you suggest. The true reason they are similar is that they both are hated with intensity by some people with loud voices.
It is a believable argument because of the stats in there, but it is oversimplifying things to the point it completely ignores the need for a midfield capable of controlling games. It sounds like we have a perfect squad and Smalling is the one holding it back, when in fact we'd have been in big trouble if we didn't depend on Smalling saving us defensively these last years.
Schneiderlin, Bastian, Rooney, Di Maria in midfield. Before that even worse. Matic, Herrera and Pogba have helped a bit but we've seen games where Smalling has not played and we've had the exact same problems we do with Chris in the team. Our midfield is capable on form and it simply isn't a huge problem against weaker teams, but against the tougher teams it is and that is what the statistics prove, and has little to do with Chris. Two Lindelofs in a tough game where our midfield struggle to move and get the ball would not be sustainable.
All those things are valid in isolation, but when it's over multiple years with different midfields, defensive pairings etc. all coming and going but the trend still continues, you can draw some conclusions. Nobody is saying he is the only problem, or even the biggest problem, but you can't deny there is something wrong there. When you actually watch us play it becomes quite obvious how he limits the team. Everything needs to be that bit more laboured and risk averse to accommodate him.
You're just attributing everything you don't like in our play to the player who you believe has the least technical ability.
Awful pointless post.
Also why do some people feel the need to project their Trump angst absolutely everywhere? It's a fecking football forum, go cry about Trump to someone who gives a shit
No i'm not. Just stating the fact that we play better without him in the team and have done for years. I have my thoughts on why that is, which you're free to disagree with, but the fact still remains.
You're just attributing everything you don't like in our play to the player who you believe has the least technical ability.
Like Jones, he's a cockup waiting to happen. Had to give up on being angry and just start laughing when he almost scored a second own goal.
When he’s good he’s great. And he’s mainly been good/great this season.
However, when he’s not good he tends to be hopeless. It’s clearly a mental thing. He has these games where he literally can’t get anything right. Fecks up something minor and and it snowballs from there. Not a lack of talent. Just a lack of confidence/coolness under pressure.
Hard to know if this will ever completely go away. Although the fact he’s been so good for so much of this season gives me some hope.
However, when he’s not good he tends to be hopeless. It’s clearly a mental thing. He has these games where he literally can’t get anything right. Fecks up something minor and and it snowballs from there. Not a lack of talent. Just a lack of confidence/coolness under pressure.
Hard to know if this will ever completely go away. Although the fact he’s been so good for so much of this season gives me some hope.
Its not a fact. Its in spite of the facts. We play without him exactly the same way. He's been in the team when we have played best and achieved most.
The facts say he plays the ball forward more than most of our other CBs.
The facts do not say your opinion. You do. Your opinion is based on your agenda and bias, not facts.
How is it a 'fact' when Smalling has started and played in most of United's best performances over the last 6 seasons?
That includes a few goals in memorable comeback wins, a few memorable goals against city and starting every cup final triumph.
Not a single one of our other CBs can hold their hands up and say they've contributed more than Smalling in the post Fergie era.
He's better than Lindeloef and Jones but some of you forgot the standard and level of CB that played here:
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He's 29, been playing for us for years so I don't think that's something that will change with him unfortunately.
The best PL defender of my life time is the expected standard?
Vidic didnt do any of that
And Rio came in doing that but cut most of it out over his time here. He lost the ball a couple of times in midfield in his first few seasons and seemed to lose confidence in it.Talking about the bringing the ball into midfield, something that I remember being heavily talked about when we signed him. The long balls and passing from our backline he would still do
He was phenomenal but just hoofed it up the pitch for his last few seasons. Can remember us ever having an incredible ball playing CB to be honest. Probably because it's not actually necessaryVidic didnt do any of that
Talking about the bringing the ball into midfield, something that I remember being heavily talked about when we signed him. The long balls and passing from our backline he would still do
I think i'm starting to understand why we disagree.
Post-Fergie not much about this club has been to the required standard. Smalling is just one of many examples of mediocrity that's become accepted as normal. Do you think we became a worse team when Ferdinand, Vidic, Stam or Pallister were selected?
Let's compare to the current standard in the league with Van Dijk's stats from last year. He hasn't missed a game yet this year to compare against but we can probably all agree he's taken it up a notch further:
With (26 games)
For: 69 goals scored / 2.65 goals per game
Against: 22 goals conceded / 0.85 goals conceded per game
GD: +47
Points per game: 2.27
Without (12 games)
For: 15 / 1.25
Against: 16 / 1.33
GD: -1
Points per game: 1.33
Those are the kind of stats a team with a top centre back puts up.
Smalling being compared to Trump, WTF people.
Smalling has a great game or spell and the praise has to be chiselled out and qualified. A poor game is confirmation that he has always been shit. It was ever thus.
The stats under Ole wouldn't be in any way influenced by the runs of games he was not picked for being piss easy would they?
Smalling has a great game or spell and the praise has to be chiselled out and qualified. A poor game is confirmation that he has always been shit. It was ever thus.
The stats under Ole wouldn't be in any way influenced by the runs of games he was not picked for being piss easy would they?
Probably not. But he was an unusually late starter in top flight football. So I’m clinging to that fact. But only just.
It’s ridiculous to set that as the lowest standard.
Of course it is always fun to speculate who of the old stars would make it in today’s more competitive PL and the modern modern football, but apart from that it is mostly tragic with fans looking back at old days saying how much better everything was at that time.
I think he's better than Lindelof to be honest.
I agree. Lindelof is in fine form but he's not as good as people claim he is. He has shown a lot of improvement and has avoided serious injuries but I want to see how far he can keep this up. Bailly was considered the savior at the back in his first season but he's now seen as a lost cause and is getting the same treatment Lindelof got (it was even worse for him) in his first season when he looked a nothing player. Smalling has been the only constant at the back, him and De Gea.
Not many are available with that type of standard.
Smalling is better than Lindelof imo. If people moan about Smalling being bad with the ball, I must say Lindelof should get similar treatment. The nickname of iceman really overrated him. And after re-watch Rio’s skills again, I’m more convinced that Lindelof is being overrated by lot of United fans. We need a better ball playing centre back than Lindelof, let Smalling stay in lineup at least defensively he’s not average.
Finally we agree on something!Not many are available with that type of standard.
Smalling is better than Lindelof imo. If people moan about Smalling being bad with the ball, I must say Lindelof should get similar treatment. The nickname of iceman really overrated him. And after re-watch Rio’s skills again, I’m more convinced that Lindelof is being overrated by lot of United fans. We need a better ball playing centre back than Lindelof, let Smalling stay in lineup at least defensively he’s not average.
Just one very odd agenda poster.
Who are you?
Im Lou fecking Blaze man, im known around these parts! Im kidding, I think I just confused you for another poster.Who are you?
Clearance is about putting the ball away from danger position. It’s not about an accuracy to find team mate, that’s called passing not clearance. It’s not his fault if our players don’t position themselves well enough or also lose challenge for the ball.
Messi:
Good attitude going into the game/s. Hopefully a good performance to go with it
Considering both Ronaldo and Mbappe scored against us I'm not sure I share his enthusiasm for a facing a player even better still. Of course he's never played Barcelona before so maybe he just wants to be able to tell his kids about the time he got skinned by Messi.
Mbappe didn't score when Smalling played.
Dont let facts get in the way of a good argument
What else happened in your imagination?
Which is why i said 'us' and not 'him'. Don't worry i didn't insult your beloved defender.
Don't worry I understood what you were saying
Maybe he is probably just enthused at the prospect of shutting out Messi, few weeks after dominating Mbappe in a top UCL knockout game?
Man Utd 0:1 Barcelona
Thought he was fantastic.
Superb as always. He's been our best CB for about 4 years now. Always feel the odd mistake or poor performance from Smalling is blown well out of proportion.
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