No it wasn't the case. Last season soon as Maguire was bought, Ole himself said he made the decision that Lindelof and Maguire would be his primary starters and Tuanzebe would be 3rd choice as such sat down with Smalling and agreed to the loan. Think if Ole said to Smalling he'd have a fair shot at earning a starting berth, he'd probably choose to stay because yes, most managers have tried to improve on what he brings to the team but, everytime he then fights and earns his spot back because they've been found wanting for one reason or another.
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But it was smalling who decided to leave to play more. He could have stayed just like Jones or bailly and he would have eventually got more chanves. Ole never specifically say he wants smalling to leave, in fact he was open of him to come back but just thay he cannot guarantee smalling the regular starts. Ole as a manager has a right to choose who he wants to have his primary cb and to be fair by trusting maguire and lindelof he was proven right to an extent considering we had 3rd best defensive record.
Both smalling and ole are right in their thinking so can't blame either.
IMO similar to AWB in the build up. A player higher pressing teams identified as a weakness.
To compare him to Vidic is clueless.
To compare him to Vidic is clueless.
Yeah they dont. Its goalkeepers and defenders who will try to do too much who get pressed and give up oppertunities.
The guy has played over 200 games for United and you think the reason people are saying he's terrible on the ball is because they haven't watched him play? I've seen every single one of those games and I can safely say that he's the worst player on the ball and the worst passer I've ever seen in a United shirt, by some distance.
The revisionism going on in here about all of our ex-players is ridiculous at best but Smalling surely takes the cake, you'd think the mods have done something that changes the word Stam into Smalling with the way his abilities are being talked about.
Awb is much better defender than smalling. In fact he is our best defender, his tackling is next to none. But you are right on ball playing ability bith smalling and awb are similar
He would immediately be the best british centre back we have in the squad and second in defensive talent only to Bailly. Also if he did not leave last year he could and should really have been the captain. Unlikely he will stay but I would rather see him at a Newcastle or Arsenal rather than in Italy.
Man. If you think defending is just being the best in tackling, I don't think you know much about a good defender.
Smallings has lack of ability to be creative with his own passing but he has ability to keep things simple and quick to pass it to a better player.
I simply dont see much else more from Lindelof except maybe some extra abilities on the ball like dribbling when on pressure.
Smalling & Blind dont look exceptionally different to Smalling & Maguire to me on paper - an upgraded version also maybe to some.
I also wonder if De Gea has missed that physical presence in defensive areas because we all know that he isnt that type of player himself.
I simply dont see much else more from Lindelof except maybe some extra abilities on the ball like dribbling when on pressure.
Smalling & Blind dont look exceptionally different to Smalling & Maguire to me on paper - an upgraded version also maybe to some.
I also wonder if De Gea has missed that physical presence in defensive areas because we all know that he isnt that type of player himself.
I think Hassenhutl even said that AWB was a target for their pressing. It happend alot just like it did with Smalling.
So you've only watched games that Smalling has played in?
I can say he's far from the worst passer, but I've obviously watched a lot more games than you have. His pass percentage statistics are actually very good for such a perceived limited player. Not an elegant player, but a very good defender, I can understand why a lot of clubs are chasing him.
If we're not planning on signing a centre back then we should keep him.
All our other centre backs can barely stay fit, and forcing Maguire to play 60 games a season again doesn't look wise given the lack of break.
All our other centre backs can barely stay fit, and forcing Maguire to play 60 games a season again doesn't look wise given the lack of break.
He would be an absolute disaster playing out from the back next to AWB. His get out of jail ball is always an easy pass to the right back.
He’s a decent 1v1 defender, solid in the air, but we’d lose more than we’d gain having him in place of Lindelof. Take out Dave’s individual errors, and we had the best defensive record in the league, despite it being the first season that half that back four have played together. 3/4 if you include Williams.
We definitely have areas that will improve us more overall.
He’s a decent 1v1 defender, solid in the air, but we’d lose more than we’d gain having him in place of Lindelof. Take out Dave’s individual errors, and we had the best defensive record in the league, despite it being the first season that half that back four have played together. 3/4 if you include Williams.
We definitely have areas that will improve us more overall.
While worst passer ever is probably hyperbole in the other poster’s case, it did start me wondering who the worst passer we’ve had is. Ignoring goalkeepers (because Bosnich would win hands down) I wonder who our worst passer has been?
All CBs have high pass percentage statistics.. it means shit. Based on that Bruno is worst passer than Smalling! Plus in Smalling's case he just passes to the player next to him so he's bound to have a good pass percentage. He is such a limited player when he has the ball. Who would be in your books would be a worse passer in United's team in the last 10 years?
Also except for Roma, do we know any club that's after him?
Toon, Everton, La Arse and Juve have all be linked.
Why do you limit a worse passer to 10 years? Are you 12 or something? Smalling is certainly not the worst defender the club has had and its history is well over a century, so try not to limit the entirety of the club to how long you've spectated from the sofa. If Bruno had the same pass rate if he played in defence, then yes he'd not be a very reliable defender. As he doesn't play there it is a strange comparison, like comparing a strikers shot conversion rate to a keep who once ventured into the opposing area, had 1 shot and scored.
Graeme Hogg is the worst defender I've seen at United, but I can't give an opinion on worse prior to him.
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Smalling played well in the Italian league.. it suits his style of play. They don't press in the Italian league so he looks better on the ball, does not mean he is good on the ball.
Exactly, if he was Italian leagues best defender, surely for a price of £15m more clubs will be in for him?
Nonsense, smalling is a much better defender. AVB can tackle granted but that's about all he has in his locker, positional awareness, ability in the air, reading of the game are all pretty much non existent. I think he developed his tackling ability to compensate for that. As Xabi Alonso said about 10 years ago, we stopped teaching players how to tackle in Spain years ago. Yet in the UK it is still cherished as integral to the game.
Smalling might not be Franco Baresi but hes a pretty good defender.
Is there only one way of playing football?
Which CBs went for more than £15 million at 30 years old in Serie A? Bonucci did. But Italian clubs considered him the best CB in the world at the time. I dont think anyone seriously believes Smalling was ever the best in the world.
Bonucci went for 40m euros to AC Milan and then 35m Euros to Juve
Mats Hummels went to Dortmund for 30m Euros
Felipe went to Athletico for 20m euros
The fact that only Roma are interested in him, should tell you something.
You took the words out of my mouth
We would be an entirely different proposition with Smalling and Maguire at the back
you just have to watch theYouTubeof Smalling to realise that he is more tenacious, dynamic and pacey than either Maguire or lindeloff. He pushes up with the press and plays without fear.
it’s an effing tragedy that he has been tarnished by jones
our contingent of ‘defenders’ is a laughing stock. He was the last person we should have lost - none of the others can’t even stand up they are all injured all the time or away and even when fit - aside from Maguire he is without question the best defender- and as an out and out defender is arguably better than Maguire! Maguire has different qualities
So you just told me 1 transfer that happened in Serie A, the same one I told you. In other words if Roma do pay £20 million for Smalling he'd be 2nd only to Bonucci as a 30 year old+ CB transfer in Serie A. Thats the truth and it would be incredibly impressive. Kolarov and Dzeko went to Roma for half that
So almost twice Stam's price and more than Benatia who was once considered amongs the best CBs around
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Sure let's give an example of a player worse than him 35 years ago to prove a point
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Lindelof won 96 aerial duels this season.
Smalling won 95 aerials this season.
Smalling played 30 games compared to Lindelof’s 35 games, so calculated per game, Smalling is better, about 0.4 aerial per game ahead of Lindelof.
Yes YouTube can be entertaining, but you shouldn’t evaluate CBs from watching YouTube highlight videos.
The only obvious advantage with Smalling instead of Lindelof is that Smalling is better in the air. But that diffence has not been that big this season so it shouldn’t be exaggerated.
Lindelof won 96 aerial duels this season.
Smalling won 95 aerials this season.
Smalling played 30 games compared to Lindelof’s 35 games, so calculated per game, Smalling is better, about 0.4 aerial per game ahead of Lindelof.
Yes YouTube can be entertaining, but you shouldn’t evaluate CBs from watching YouTube highlight videos.
I can find you youtube videos of Linelof as well.
We had Smalling for 7 years. Smalling was part of the defence that never progressed us.
We want to play football a certain way, people talk about LVG era, but football is ever evolving, alot more teams now press the ball higher up the pitch, Smalling cannot cope with that.
Smalling is not a better defender than Maguire.
LVG had his problems for sure, but he was actually ahead of his time. He wanted a ball playing CB and a left footed CB before all the continental teams insisted on it - Daley Blind. And he paired it with a much better out and out defender with pace - Smalling
Smalling has never had a single problem with teams pressing him. He doesnt tend to look for a nice pass through the middle into a midfielder into an advanced position like some CBs do. Thats a real thing. Lindelof will do this occasionally, Smalling wont. Thats a real thing. But having problems being pressed is not a real thing. Its a phantom argument.
No wrong! I gave an example of the worst defender I’ve seen in a United shirt. My opinion isn’t a proof of any point, it’s an opinion. Some people may have appreciated Hogg. Oh and it was 33 years ago, so at least get your point correct...Sure let's give an example of a player worse than him 35 years ago to prove a point
No.
if Ole starts the season with Smalling and Maguire we'll get off to a good start. I hope it happens.
That's good for you. No I've watched just about every single game for the past 20 odd years and even if there were 100 players who were worse on the ball before that and you've seen all of them doesn't change the fact that he's the worst I've seen.
Exactly
It’s becoming a really boring argument
but then you have to ask who has played football and who would rather play against Smalling than lindeloff? Smalling has no problem taking the ball off a forward and giving it to his team mate. The possession based football of Van gaal got the best out of Smalling for crying out loud!
The only way to know for sure is to try both beside Maguire, which Ole should have done.
I'm sure if Smalling got the same chance Lindelof did he'd outperform him, but that's a hypothetical until Ole actually tries it.
I'm sure if Smalling got the same chance Lindelof did he'd outperform him, but that's a hypothetical until Ole actually tries it.
well exactly... and it’s an opportunity easily afforded. We need a proper dynamic DM as well as ideally sancho and/or Grealish and we don’t seem to be making any progress on those areas so it’s certainly worth a go...
LVG wanted Hummels and Sergio Ramos but since we couldnt get them he settleed for Smalling,
Smalling can not be part of a team that wants to build from the back. He is great for a team that doesn't expect to have a lot of possession. So if you want United to be the later, then fine keep him.
Hogg looked really good alongside McGrath, at least to start off with. And absolutely dogshit alongside anyone else. He’s certainly not the worst defender ever to have played for United; I’m old enough to remember Ure, James, Edwards and Sidebottom.
I find people’s hostility to Smalling completely unfathomable. Maybe it’s because he’s got a gay sounding voice.
Yes he wanted the best CBs around, just like then he cant get VVD now. So whats changed? Roma had 2% less of the ball than United this season, averaged more shots per game and scored more goals than us. So calm down
Agree to disagree.
I hope Ole never brings him back. Im tired of watching players who look so uncomfortable on the ball.
In that case you have no problem with him finding a simple pass with high accuracy to a teammate so that he doesnt have the ball, they do. What you would hate is him trying to do more on the ball, trying to go past players or open up passing avenues because that would require him being on the ball more.
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"You cant play good attacking football with Smalling in the team"
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