[Cheesy]

Not brilliant but looked much better than some of our defenders.

 

[Havak]

He was good today really, bar getting skinned for Moura's goal (he played a bit of a worldie tonight). Of course, everyone will view that moment as the basis of his entire performance.

Surprised he didn't mark Kane on set pieces. Phil Jones was poor and injured yet again. Lindelof looked clueless when he came on. Hope Jose goes with Bailly + Smalling for the rest of the season when possible, just stick with it.

 

[FrantikChicken]

I thought Herrera was at fault for the 2nd goal but looking at the replay, it was all Smalling. He tried to play a last second offside trap without realizing where Herrera was. Had he simply stuck to his man there wouldn't be a goal IMO.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Made Lucas look like Messi there but questions have to be asked who fecked it up before him.

Aye Moura waltzing last 3 players earlier in the game whilst there trying to hack him down didn’t make him look like Messi but the one on one vs Smalling did. No I dear where Lindelof was at the time but wasn’t where he should have been basically.

 

[VeevaVee]

He is our best defender and the only one that has any real quality as things stand in my opinion. Wouldn't describe him as solid but I at least have some confidence in him.

 

[limerickcitykid]

I thought Herrera was at fault for the 2nd goal but looking at the replay, it was all Smalling. He tried to play a last second offside trap without realizing where Herrera was. Had he simply stuck to his man there wouldn't be a goal IMO.

It wasn't all Smalling at all. He probably should have been aware but the whole scenario comes around because Ander is a moron. Smalling as the centre CB is meant to always be the last man and the backline should never be behind him. You can't blame him too much for being unaware that Ander is actually dumb enough to randomly be standing 10 yards behind everyone.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Thought he was very good apart from the 3rd goal. A weak challenge when it looked like he was going to win the ball. Still our best CB but it's clear we need reinforcements.

 

[arnie_ni]

It wasn't all Smalling at all. He probably should have been aware but the whole scenario comes around because Ander is a moron. Smalling as the centre CB is meant to always be the last man and the backline should never be behind him. You can't blame him too much for being unaware that Ander is actually dumb enough to randomly be standing 10 yards behind everyone.

Dont think calling herrera is a moron either. As a midfielder you track your man. He just got stuck in following the earlier run. An experienced cb would have just left him sitting there.

 

[Stadjer]

He made a mistake for the third goal but he is still the best defender we got (that is a problem in itself). Usually he knows how to defend and that 1v1 moment against Lucas Moura he usually wins those. He won those kind of duels against Hazard for example.

Who cares Smalling cant do anything with the ball at his feet.. he is the best pure defender and should be a starter with Bailly/Rojo/Lindelof since we lack better players.

 

[arnie_ni]

Bit of a joke he wasnt on kane for corners either

 

[limerickcitykid]

Dont think calling herrera is a moron either. As a midfielder you track your man. He just got stuck in following the earlier run. An experienced cb would have just left him sitting there.

No as a midfielder you don't track your man 10 yards behind everyone. He's a midfielder, not someone who has never played football before and doesn't know what offside is. Offside isn't only learnt by defenders. Ander is indeed very much a moron.

 

[RORY65]

It wasn't all Smalling at all. He probably should have been aware but the whole scenario comes around because Ander is a moron. Smalling as the centre CB is meant to always be the last man and the backline should never be behind him. You can't blame him too much for being unaware that Ander is actually dumb enough to randomly be standing 10 yards behind everyone.

It would have helped if Smalling had realised the guy next to him was a make shift in that position though and actually looked around, it's not like you can trust any of our centre backs (Smalling included) to do what they're supposed to so it's a bit presumptious to just expect Herrera to get it right. Essentially he's a bit to blame for the second, he got skinned for the third and is an accident waiting to happen and yet is still arguably our best defender.

 

[Davs]

Not good tonight. He isn't of starting quality for me. Never has been. He's a rotational player at best. A club like United should NOT have Smalling and Jones at the back. End of.

 

[limerickcitykid]

It would have helped if Smalling had realised the guy next to him was a make shift in that position though and actually looked around, it's not like you can trust any of our centre backs (Smalling included) to do what they're supposed to so it's a bit presumptious to just expect Herrera to get it right. Essentially he's a bit to blame for the second, he got skinned for the third and is an accident waiting to happen and yet is still arguably our best defender.

It would have helped if he had eyes in the back of his head so he can watch the play and babysit Ander at the same time but alas, he doesn't. It doesn't matter if he is makeshift, he's a professional footballer for Christ sakes who knows what offside bloody is. I don't care what fecking position he normally plays, standing 10 yards behind everyone for no reason is straight up moronic and ridiculously harsh to expect anyone to just be able to expect such stupidity and be able to compensate for it.

 

[11101]

No as a midfielder you don't track your man 10 yards behind everyone. He's a midfielder, not someone who has never played football before and doesn't know what offside is. Offside isn't only learnt by defenders. Ander is indeed very much a moron.

I take it you've never played at any sort of decent level before then. Offside traps are trained and trained, and something instinctive for a defender. Herrera would not know when to stop tracking and step up without taking a few seconds to look where the others are. As a midfielder he is used to tracking his man everywhere, until they are passed on to a defender.

 

[rpitchfo]

Played well but is always a guarantee for one mistake that costs a goal every game he plays.

For that reason we can’t count on him.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Played well but is always a guarantee for one mistake that costs a goal every game he plays.

For that reason we can’t count on him.

Was checking for White text. Usual rubbish Smalling related stereotype.

 

[RORY65]

It would have helped if he had eyes in the back of his head so he can watch the play and babysit Ander at the same time but alas, he doesn't. It doesn't matter if he is makeshift, he's a professional footballer for Christ sakes who knows what offside bloody is. I don't care what fecking position he normally plays, standing 10 yards behind everyone for no reason is straight up moronic and ridiculously harsh to expect anyone to just be able to expect such stupidity and be able to compensate for it.

He's meant to be the leader of the back 3, he wasn't even in a line with Jones so ignoring Herrera it's not exactly the best organisation and he knows the player next to him is not a natural centre back. A quality centre back who senses danger would know that's an extra thing to think about, Smalling just started cnuting forwards without a care in the world. That being said, he looks like Baresi compared to Jones and Herrera (and Lindelof when he came on).

 

[VivaObertan]

He's my least favourite United player and I attribute a lot of the way we set up and play to his limitations as a footballer HOWEVER:

1. Tonight he was good.
2. Given the inconsistency of all our CBs except Smalling (and to a lesser extent, Rojo), he needs to play every game.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

I had no issue with him at 2-0, but I feel he should be able to stop Lucas waltzing through there.

Making too many noticeable mistakes for me, well I 2018.

 

[Loublaze]

Not good tonight. He isn't of starting quality for me. Never has been. He's a rotational player at best. A club like United should NOT have Smalling and Jones at the back. End of.

Say to yourself honestly that the other jokers we have at CB are better. He's our best CB by far

 

[Davs]

Say to yourself honestly that the other jokers we have at CB are better. He's our best CB by far

He probably is our best CB, I wouldn't say by far though. None of them currently are good enough to play for United.

 

[GGT]

He has gone for the tackle with the wrong foot, schoolboy error, not good enough.

 

[Sylar]

Think he could have done better in the third goal, but tbh, game was gone by then. before that he did his own individual stuff well.

Just a shame hes 28, been here about 9 years and isnt a commanding CB that can lead a line.

 

[Ekeke]

Fantastic performance other than the Moura challenge which was just slightly under what we'd expect from him. By far our best CB but he can do even better.

 

[FootyGirl88]

Smalling did ok, he should start the next game.

 

[Loublaze]

Smalling and Bailly should be our best CB pairing if the latter can get his act together

 

[Devil may care]

He was fine bar the second Moura goal where he got ghosted much too easily.

 

[Grande]

Did bloody well tonight. A few bad passes as usual. No shame being beaten for speed against an in-form Lucas when the rest of the team goes full forward throttle. Apart from that, he was at least as good as Vertongen and Alderweireld.

 

[Member 5225]

Played well but is always a guarantee for one mistake that costs a goal every game he plays.

For that reason we can’t count on him.

This

 

[stevoc]

Good tonight as usual not great but very good. He's the best we have and by a fecking mile, i like Smalling but he shouldn't be the best defender at Manchester United.

 

[Eyepopper]

Our best CB without question, who still hasn't progressed since being a back up to Rio/Vida.

 

[redpatron]

no leadership, no one responds to his commands, too scared to mark kane, too scared of the ball, dumb as bricks

woodward will probably resign him 5 year deal on massive wages, this is why we are shite

 

[The Mitcher]

no leadership, no one responds to his commands, too scared to mark kane, too scared of the ball, dumb as bricks

woodward will probably resign him 5 year deal on massive wages, this is why we are shite

He always has kane in his back pocket until this game, how is he too scared to mark kane? Maybe that's instructions from the manager?

 

[stepic]

he's the best of a bad bunch. and when Smalling is your best CB then no wonder we have problems.

 

[MadMike]

If it hadn't been that miss-timed tackle on Moura at the end you'd have said he had a very good performance. He had a brilliant tackle on Dele in the first half. He blocked another shot that was 100% going in the back of the net from Dele again after a cutback from Eriksen I believe from the right. He won a ton of headers.

He did alright overall. It was a mistake to not be put on Kane for the corners. Both Jones and Lindelof lost him repeatedly. Not sure if that was an intended strategy or not, but it backfired.

 

[automaticflare]

It would have helped if Smalling had realised the guy next to him was a make shift in that position though and actually looked around, it's not like you can trust any of our centre backs (Smalling included) to do what they're supposed to so it's a bit presumptious to just expect Herrera to get it right. Essentially he's a bit to blame for the second, he got skinned for the third and is an accident waiting to happen and yet is still arguably our best defender.

Yep and so very very sad

 

[automaticflare]

If it hadn't been that miss-timed tackle on Moura at the end you'd have said he had a very good performance. He had a brilliant tackle on Dele in the first half. He blocked another shot that was 100% going in the back of the net from Dele again after a cutback from Eriksen I believe from the right. He won a ton of headers.

He did alright overall. It was a mistake to not be put on Kane for the corners. Both Jones and Lindelof lost him repeatedly. Not sure if that was an intended strategy or not, but it backfired.

But it was mistimed and not the first time he has done shit like that

Alright is not good enough

 

[JMack1234]

He actually looked fine before Moura turned him inside out. I really think he'd be good for us if we had a top quality ball playing CB beside him.

 

[MadMike]

But it was mistimed and not the first time he has done shit like that

Alright is not good enough

I don't understand post likes this. "It's not the first time he's done shit like that". Like what, a mistake? No shit. Show me a defender that has made no mistakes and I'll show you a blind observer. If you're looking for a faultless defender god help you.

It wasn't really even particularly shit. He didn't do anything really bad if you analyse it. By that time we were throwing caution to the wind, and had thrown everyone forward. He was left high up the pitch on a 1-on-1 with one of the fastest players in the league and he made a challenge but it wasn't strong enough and Moura rode it. It's still a mistake, but it's one of those things that happen given the circumstances. It was also inconsequential and he was arguably one of the players keeping us in the game until the two goals went in. He seemed the only one capable of doing some actual defending all game.