[izec]

I hope he continues and can improve furthermore. At least i dont have to see Blind as CB and Smalling the clown lining up for us.

 

[Danillaco]

Maybe people should get over the fact that he's the 'best defender in the league'. I certainly have. The guy's average at best. Have not missed him one bit. To use LVG's assessment is not strengthening your argument either. Maybe you should get over him?

Not at all. People keep being to fickle about it.
When he's doing great, he's the best at the league. When he is injured or has some poor display, he's bang average. He had some great outings, and has done really well for us in the past, being a clear beast sometimes. This season he had a stupid injury while on vacation and was struggling.

It's a great thing when our best defender of last year is out and you have a new signing and a fringe player doing very well, making us not miss him at all. Quality option of the squad, we really that.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

He really isn't. Chris Smalling's passing stats are 91.1%. That should put Rojo's figures into perspective. The stats also won't show the mindless clearances under no pressure either.

I have to say you watch a completely different game to me if you think those stats show Smalling is better on the ball. Smalling takes an age on the ball and takes absolutely zero risk. Rojo actually takes some risk with his passing, has a miles better touch and often fires some great balls between the lines.

David Luiz who is also quite clearly miles better on the ball has a pass completion rate of 82.6%.

If you genuinely think Smalling is better on the ball than Rojo then this is the most clear proof I've ever seen that football can seriously polarise opinion.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

The problem is it was never the fall back option, as you say it was THE instruction from LVG. Defenders didn't look to win the ball and quickly pass it forward, then won the ball, passed backwards and restarted the team shape, building up from the back.

It was just so robotic and structured, functional yes but lacked that ability of passing through a team that was out of shape and vulnerable.

We never scored counter attacks as we weren't looking to do it, then teams got re organised.

Now under Jose that's different, we are winning it back and passing forward quickly. Both goals scored against Zorya came from winning the ball back and passing/running quickly forward while they were out of shape.

Absolutely. I'm certainly not condoning LvG's style, but it's probably a bit unfair to make passing to the keeper a negative against a centre back when, for the most part, it was tactical instruction.

I agree though. Win the ball and play it forwards is definitely more effective and run at them when they're disorganised, but playing it back to the keeper when there is not a pass on or the centre back is being pressed is still not a bad thing to do, but seems to be suggested as such in this thread. Those wanting centre backs to be good going forwards and to take risks, it seems bonkers to me. If they're good at it, then fine, but if they're not, that doesn't make them bad defenders by any stretch.

Smalling has had many occurrences of playing good forward passes and bringing the ball through the lines with it at his feet anyway. It's something that was widely echoed here last season that he had vastly improved on. Now he's apparently gone back to being a no-footed donkey with boots made of cement.

If Rojo gets his pants pulled down by Kane on Sunday, he'll likely go back to being our worst CB in the collective caf opinion. Likewise if Smalling has a few good games when he returns, he'll be among the best in the league again. You're only as good as your last game around here. Unfortunately for Smalling, his last game was the Chelsea game.

 

[MadDogg]

He really isn't. Chris Smalling's passing stats are 91.1%. That should put Rojo's figures into perspective. The stats also won't show the mindless clearances under no pressure either.

I'm one of the biggest Smalling fans you'll find and think if he gets anywhere near his best he's lightyears better than Rojo or Jones as a whole (despite Rojo doing much better than expected recently), but even I think that is rubbish. Smalling's passing ability is unfortunately quite shocking, whereas Rojo has seriously surprised me how good his passing has been from the central defence during this little run. He not 100% consistent so will sometimes give away silly passes, but his ability on the ball is significantly ahead of Smalling.

 

[Loublaze]

Maybe people should get over the fact that he's the 'best defender in the league'. I certainly have. The guy's average at best. Have not missed him one bit. To use LVG's assessment is not strengthening your argument either. Maybe you should get over him?

Im not the one bothered that Mourinho has given him the captains armband as well and im not the one bothered that he's first on the teamsheet at the back when fully fit. Smalling is the most experienced CB we have and also the most physical and tallest, all the things Mourinho loves in his defenders. He'll be back as a starter after his injury you can bet on that

 

[RedPed]

Im not the one bothered that Mourinho has given him the captains armband as well and im not the one bothered that he's first on the teamsheet at the back when fully fit. Smalling is the most experienced CB we have and also the most physical and tallest, all the things Mourinho loves in his defenders. He'll be back as a starter after his injury you can bet on that

No chance. Jose would be mad. No wonder we've been shite the last three years if Smalling is the benchmark player we've been building the team around. Bailly is definitely more physical and he's already had more MOTM awards than Smalling if I'm correct. Smalling may be ok as backup for the last 10 minutes of a game but as a starter...no way. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[acnumber9]

I have to say you watch a completely different game to me if you think those stats show Smalling is better on the ball. Smalling takes an age on the ball and takes absolutely zero risk. Rojo actually takes some risk with his passing, has a miles better touch and often fires some great balls between the lines.

David Luiz who is also quite clearly miles better on the ball has a pass completion rate of 82.6%.

If you genuinely think Smalling is better on the ball than Rojo then this is the most clear proof I've ever seen that football can seriously polarise opinion.

I never said he was better. They're both shite on the ball. I was just pointing out how meaningless those stats were. When does Rojo fire great balls between the lines? You're dreaming if you think that happens.

 

[acnumber9]

I'm one of the biggest Smalling fans you'll find and think if he gets anywhere near his best he's lightyears better than Rojo or Jones as a whole (despite Rojo doing much better than expected recently), but even I think that is rubbish. Smalling's passing ability is unfortunately quite shocking, whereas Rojo has seriously surprised me how good his passing has been from the central defence during this little run. He not 100% consistent so will sometimes give away silly passes, but his ability on the ball is significantly ahead of Smalling.

It isn't. They are both terrible on the ball. I was merely pointing out the fallacy in passing stats.

 

[Loublaze]

No chance. Jose would be mad. No wonder we've been shite the last three years if Smalling is the benchmark player we've been building the team around. Bailly is definitely more physical and he's already had more MOTM awards than Smalling if I'm correct. Smalling may be ok as backup for the last 10 minutes of a game but as a starter...no way. We'll just have to wait and see.

Unless Mourinho buys another CB to play with Bailly this January I 100% see Smalling and Bailly as his preferred pairing. Smalling is easily our most physical defender and by far the best player we have in the air, something else Mourinho values very, very much as you should know. Vardy said he was the toughest CB to play against last season. We shall revisit this conversation

 

[NinjaZombie]

I think his renaissance has been a bit exaggerated. Still a ticking time bomb. I prefer Jones and Bailly to be honest.

 

[Aint gota Kalou]

I've been one of his biggest critics but he's been pretty decent at CB. I would say he's good on the ball for a CB, tries to put zip on his passes between the lines and actually takes responsibility for trying to start moves.

I would still go for Bailly-Jones at CB until Smalling gets fit, but I no longer shit myself with Rojo in the team.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

What are we feeding this guy?

Never seen such a dramatic turn around, a while back I was thinking he was one of our worst players ever.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Another super half.

 

[Bojan11]

Playing two positions and doing a great job so far.

 

[MDFC Manager]

Turned on beast mode. Good to see

 

[Scholesy]

Outstanding once again, I think Barca could come in for him soon

 

[Scholesy]

What are we feeding this guy?

Never seen such a dramatic turn around, a while back I was thinking he was one of our worst players ever.

Nothing, we just played him in his position...and surprise, he plays well, its not rocket science

 

[Skills]

Player gets better with gametime shocker...

 

[Kraftwerker]

His best performance for us yet. So tenacious.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

I was worried he'd get found out today, after a few weeks of being relatively untested. But he's handled anyone who has come near him with ease. Solid 45 minutes so far.

 

[Kazi]

Best player so far.

 

[ottosec]

He's been our best CB since Bailly got injured.

 

[Man-United]

He's had a great half. Top class.

 

[Keegs]

Superb so far.

 

[Rossa]

Playing two positions and doing a great job so far.

Indeed, trying to convince us he can play lb as well. Great display

 

[Šjor Bepo]

Very good today, but this is what good managers do....make average/crap players play on a high level, Fergie did it with numerous players, Poch does it with Rose, Walker etc.

 

[JB08]

He's been fantastic. But wait for his one mistake leading to a goal next week and people on here will want him sold again.

 

[Hugh Jass]

Needs to stop hoofing it though. Try and play out from the back if possible.

 

[Attila]

Looking really good today

 

[anant]

Great half from him. I think he has made a couple of mistakes but his blocks have comfortably made up for them

 

[Manny]

Really bossing it at the back in that half.

Would like some composure from him when he wins the ball though

 

[RedStarUnited]

He is pretty much the Jose Mourinho CB. A true cnut of a player lol.

 

[JeffBoomTetris]

Totally domineering defending so far. He's keeping Kane in his pocket AND covering for Darmian who's hapless on the right. The amount of headers he wins is crazy

 

[Ferguson]

Maybe it helps to have a Spanish speaking coaching staff around. I don't think Rojo speaks much English.

 

[Raoul]

We have four or five good defenders and I really don't care which two of them start at CB. In a nutshell, we don't have a rigid starting CB tandem other than who happen to be in good form at the moment. Last year it was Blind and Smalling, this year its been Jones and Rojo.

 

[Skills]

Maybe it helps to have a Spanish speaking coaching staff around. I don't think Rojo speaks much English.

Nah he looked decent when he got a run with Smalling at the start of his first season here too. After that, hes been in and out of the side and only playing LB.

 

[Raoul]

Maybe it helps to have a Spanish speaking coaching staff around. I don't think Rojo speaks much English.

Maybe he was being coached in Dutch all this time.

 

[MDFC Manager]

Really bossing it at the back in that half.

Would like some composure from him when he wins the ball though

We know he has that composure. I guess it's just the tactics to hoof it.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Needs to stop hoofing it though. Try and play out from the back if possible.

No matter how good his old school defending is I just can't warm to him because of that.