Because Mourinho is trying to give his buys a chance but he surely knows Smalling has been a better servant for United under him. I'll be really surprised if he leaves him out for the Spurs game. Kane will celebrate if Smalling doesn't play. Lindelof is weak as feck
12
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Will really need him against Kane. I hope Jose doesn't continue with current experiment with playing his own purchases, over playing our best player at defending.
Next transfer window, the Glazers need to stump up the cash and buy a leader, as all of our centre backs are players who perform best alongside a leader. This has been a long term on going issues, along with our issues on the right side of midfield. Shameful that it's not being addressed, been going on years.
Don't you realise that Mr Woodward decides if we need a leader or not, not Jose. We had the money, we had the targets, but our Marketing Guru decided we'll stick with what we've got.
Yes I can see that as we've not had a Rio or Vida type defender for 4 years, that it's not really the managers who've been the issue, more the club doesn't wish to spend big on a real top class defender. Should have gone all in for Hummels a few years back
I was wrong. I was slagging off Smalling a few weeks ago but I admit now I was badly wrong. Needs to be brought back in for the next game.
Let's hope he's not rusty. Tough game to come into.
All three seasons under Jose, Smalling hasnt started for one reason or another.
We all know what he can do and what hes limited to do. I think in terms of the way Jose wants to play, he doesnt like Smalling. And tbh, if we were wanting to play a better way in terms of dominating the ball, pressing, etc, Smalling shouldnt feature.
The problem comes in that nobody can stay fit. Nobody can get consistency. The one who has been consistent the most or available the most is Smalling. And thus for two seasons in a row hes ended up finishing as our CB (in the final games)
Hes not bad. But hes not a solution whether its being the number 1 defender or number 2 defender. I think he would make a great third choice CB who is used for situations where we need to defend deep and deal with long balls / balls into the box.
The one thing im not sure about right now is throwinghim on against Spurs cos how much football has he had since the end of the last season? It would be typical if we started him, hes off the pace and ends up giving away a penalty from pulling the shirt lol.
Just on the highlighted points above...
I agree with the first one, not so much the second one. Smalling has played even when the others were fit. Bailly was on the bench for the second part of last season, because his form after ACON was tragic. Not because he was unfit. He doesn't have that excuse. Smalling played simply because he's a better defender around the box than anyone else. He's better in the air, less rash and a better man marker than all of them. That should be beyond dispute now, after all these years.
As for the reason he doesn't start from the beginning of the season, the answer might be in your first statement. I don't know if Jose starts each season with some idealism that we'll play dominating football this time round. And thus picks Bailly and Lindelof (or Bailly and Jones last season) as better fits for that, but then he adapts through the season as he comes to the realisation the team can't play that way. It's the only way I can explain it at least.
Has Smalling ever been penalized for pulling a shirt in the box? I think it's happened just once but repeated posts like these make it seem like it's happened several times! He should be fine if he starts against Spurs as he's never needed a lot of time to get into match rhythm unlike his fellow CB teammates. He only missed one game in preseason, the 4-1 loss to Livershite
So from my whole post you managed to only respond to the tongue in cheek remark seriously.
Interesting
Then again I just actually read an adult type livershite...
Interesting
Then again I just actually read an adult type livershite...
Smalling is unreliable. I think he makes too many mistakes and does too much of holding. Bailly when he is good is very good but when he is bad he is a disaster waiting to happen. Jose has not found a good Cb pairing but it is his fault for that because he has already bought two CB and if they are not good enough it is entirely his fault and not the fault of the Board.
He's an upgrade on David May...
He tries, he scores goals against City, he's better than Phil Jones...
Hardly a fecking recommendation really is it?! Hope Pogba brings him to Barcelona's bench
He tries, he scores goals against City, he's better than Phil Jones...
Hardly a fecking recommendation really is it?! Hope Pogba brings him to Barcelona's bench
Yes, that's what I chose to respond to from your post. Is that a problem? Also, Livershite. I guess you're more mature than I am.So from my whole post you managed to only respond to the tongue in cheek remark seriously.
Interesting
Then again I just actually read an adult type livershite...
Jose doesnt seem to give a damn about having the ball. If he did our team should have a lot more of it regardless of who is at CB
Our best CB and should start every game.
I can't wait for him to pocket Kane as is always the case when we play Spurs.
I'd like to see us set up with a back 3 of Bailly Lindelof Smalling.
I'd like to see us set up with a back 3 of Bailly Lindelof Smalling.
After the Brighton disaster he'll be back in the team. Not sure if it will have the best long term results but when Jose is under pressure he will set out to be more solid.
I'd be amazed if Smalling doesn't start and Lingard and Sanchez either side of Lukaku.
I'd be amazed if Smalling doesn't start and Lingard and Sanchez either side of Lukaku.
Did people forget he picked up an injury in pre season? I’d imagine he wasn’t/isn’t at 100% but could still give something if really needed.
Fully expect him to play tomorrow and if he once again pockets Kane hopefully some people will get over their self imposed stereotypes of him. “Always has a mistake in him” “Shirt pulling” “can’t pass” and whatever else rubbish people come out with. Latest one seems to be he’d be rubbish in a high line.. how quickly we forget that under LVG in the highline he was an absolute weapon and basically no one was beating him in a one on one sprint when the ball was put over the top or a pass played through. He was winning everything.
Fully expect him to play tomorrow and if he once again pockets Kane hopefully some people will get over their self imposed stereotypes of him. “Always has a mistake in him” “Shirt pulling” “can’t pass” and whatever else rubbish people come out with. Latest one seems to be he’d be rubbish in a high line.. how quickly we forget that under LVG in the highline he was an absolute weapon and basically no one was beating him in a one on one sprint when the ball was put over the top or a pass played through. He was winning everything.
I think the squad is really suited to 3 at the back, but not under Jose. His natural pragmatism means it will almost always end up with 5 at the back (or 6 if you include someone like Matic).
After DDG, Lukaku, he was our best and most consistent performer last season. Very unfair criticism of him this summer.
He'll just have the usual low-key decent performance and somebody will gif a pass in the 23rd minute and hordes of exasperated posters will post the usual garbage. You know it like night follows day.
This is absolutely true. The combination of him, Blind as CBs and Carrick as No 6 actually worked really well. We played some of our best football under LvG when that trio were fit. People forget that. Which due to Carricks injuries was too seldom though. It didnt work at all when Herrera or Schneiderlin substituted for Carrick. Or if Jones played instead of Blind.
So yeah, he can play in a high line. I would argue that it depends on him having the right surroundings though. I dont know if that really exists in todays squad. Lindelöf maybe, but he is not left-footed and not on Blinds level with the ball. I wouldnt want to see us trying to play a high line with Smalling, Jones and Matic centrally for example.
Which will never happen under Mou anyways so I guess its a moot discussion anyways. We tried to play a high line against Brighton (due to the players available I guess) and it backfired. Smalling and Lindelöf starting tomorrow maybe?
A lot of it stemmed from the WC, and that England didn’t take him. I agreed with that decision, as he doesn’t fit the way that England want to play, and it was right that he didn’t go, doesn’t mean he’s a bad defender - he’s the best CB we have. I hope he’s back tomorrow, and I’d go with Bailly as his partner.
This. He is our best and most reliable CB. Strange that many here are still on the Bailly wagon he is an all over the place CB and Lindelöf isn't physical enough. Plus our only CB who knows how to head a ball.
Expect him to start against Spurs, he's generally had a good time against Harry Kane. I think Kane has only scored once against us whilst Smalling has been in the side. Obviously, playing like we did last weekend means it probably wouldn't matter anyway. Got a feeling José could go three at the back in expectation of Spurs trying it again and to try and fix our current defensive woes.
Kane has only scored once against us period! I expect Smalling back in the team as well. I think he could go with a back three as well. Lindelof looks better in a back three.
Man Utd 0:3 Tottenham
Looking forward to his 10 year testimonial next year. Thoroughly deserved.
Can't understand why he wasn't on kane for the corners. 2nd best player to shaw, should have just took the card and took moura out for the 3rd.
Saved 2 certain goals
Saved 2 certain goals
Apart from that being left alone vs Lucas which can’t really pick any fault with him for but thought he was really good today, absolute rock at times when all were collapsing around him. All the other CBS bar Rojo have shown why Smalling is our best CB.
He was excellent today. Couldn't do any better for the goal, better defenders than him wouldn't do more.
Great first half, then the game went to shit and our defenders looked like strangers.
Excellent? We just got slapped 3-0 and rewatch the third goal. Lucas just breezes past him.
I thought he played well until Lucas skinned him. Nowhere near as bad as either or his partners today, or Bailly last week.
I think it’s harsh to blame him for the third goal. He was completely exposed and isolated and Moura has him just where he wanted. If he’d successfully tackled it would have been a miraculous moment.
Yep. The third goal he was in a difficult position but still should have done better. But otherwise he pretty much dominated everything that was near him, blocked Alli twice in two of Spurs best chances, and even started a few of our better counter attacks in the second half when he won difficult headers straight to our players who were able to bomb forward.
The strange thing was that he wasn't covering Kane on the corners, but that's up to Mourinho who is marking who.
What I don't get is why he was left so isolated for the 3rd goal? Just play a bit narrower and both CBs could have covered. Weird.
Other than that he was decent, nothing exceptional but tried his best.
Other than that he was decent, nothing exceptional but tried his best.
Don't think he needed to go to ground on that chance, could have trusted his pace to get at Moura and force him wide maybe? A bit unlucky for the ball to bobble through the legs but maybe the tackle in the first half made him over confident in sliding in?
He was very good. Felt for him with the last goal. Moura's a fecking rocket
Made Lucas look like Messi there but questions have to be asked who fecked it up before him.
He was pretty good today at least relative to others. None of the goals were really his fault, Moura was just too fast for the third.
He did show why we need an upgrade though with a perfect example. He won the ball back very well with plenty of space to play forward in to. Instead he stopped, turned and played a pointless ball across the defence to Mr. Sideways and a bag of nerves Lindelof who was under pressure and promptly fluffed the back pass to De Gea.
He did show why we need an upgrade though with a perfect example. He won the ball back very well with plenty of space to play forward in to. Instead he stopped, turned and played a pointless ball across the defence to Mr. Sideways and a bag of nerves Lindelof who was under pressure and promptly fluffed the back pass to De Gea.
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