This was my view on signing him at the time too. He wasn't that much of an upgrade on Smalling that we needed to splash the cash on him. Should have done like City did and back down for another target. He was good in his first two years here though but everything turned over in Ole's last season. Especially when we played him when he wasn't ready to come back due to desperation and not wanting to trust Bailly.Absolutely. At the time of signing him, I was never convinced he was the right move for United. In all honesty, I felt he was a downgrade on Smalling, and to this day I still feel he was/is. He may be slightly better with the ball, but the difference isn't as stark as the other attributes. They may be similar in the air, but I think Smalling pips him there, but in terms of speed, agility, one on one defending etc, Smalling is leagues above. Strange voice though...