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I'm happy for him but it's still early stages. I remember he also had a decent stint in his first year but then he got injured and never returned to his early form. I don't know if he will be a long term solution for United's eleven but i think he can be a decent first Team player. I've always said that he is a Cb first and that he never impressed me at Sporting as Lb. Even going against some portuguese pundit articles (that Gonçalo chap at Diário de Notícias). You can also draw some paralelisms between two defensively strong managers such as Leonardo Jardim and Mourinho to understand why he is doing well so far. His best career year was under the guidance of Jardim. Tbf i've been more impressed with Phil Jones. I wasn't expecting this type of resurgence.
Bailly, his name is Bailly
Smalling is a fanny. Even Blind is tougher.
He has been Argentine LB for years now. He was considered more proven at LB than CB at top level when he moved to us: his time at Sporting Lisbon where noone else seem to want him before that WC where Argentine went to the final
He played more games as CB for Sporting than LB for Argentina. Plus he played as a left wing back at the WC wasnt it?
See my edit. You might mistake for Blind who played as left wing back mostly, left side CB (a game?) at back 5 during the WC for Netherlands.
Where does all this come from, he played injured for two games
Yeah me too, you gotta love players like that with 100%% commitment and aggression like Rafa or Herrera, but CB role is very no-nonsense you're often the last man so hope he's settign his emotions the right way to match his ability
That's interesting because he looks clueless as a LB IMO. His positional sense is awful.
therefore he's not a Manchester united level
Yup. Was always going to have a tough game today against arguably one of the most physical strikers in the league. Smalling got away with a hell of a lot of worse performances on here.
