Smalling and Jones are still our best CB pairing

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Couldn't have picked a better time to make this thread:D
 

Sandikan

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They've never been a pair as such, and the amount of times they've actually played together in the 8 or so years they've both been here is astonishing low.
 

Web of Bissaka

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Smalling-Lindelof -- best balance and most stable, compliment one another (similar to Smalling-Blind).

Smalling-Jones -- if just pure defending, the best one we've got atm, at least for EPL. If opposing heavy mark our other players and let 'em two hog the ball all day long, you'll see how so bad and comedic and depressing it is.

RoJones -- the best injured duo.
Bailly-Jones -- 2nd best injured duo.

Bailly-Rojo -- used to be our best. At their best, we dominate and bully opposing attackers, both of them are also good at their feet, compliment one another. Still? unlikely.

Bailly-Lindelof -- idk, only few games just this season played together, and most of that time Eric is in low form. One impressive game iirc vs Arsenal? In theory, their different styles should compliment one another to the fullest, except aerially may be exposed. Future CB pairing? who knows. Bailly seriously need to keep himself fit and take care of his body first for that.

Smalling-Rojo -- rubbish, messy combination.
Bailly-Smalling -- same messy.
 

JB08

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On what evidence?
 

Infra-red

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Smalling-Lindelof is better in my view. Not a top class partnership, but they compensate for each other's deficiencies reasonably well.
 

Robbie Boy

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Says more about our defensive options. Also, I would go with Lindelof / Smalling.
 

Skills

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Smalling + Flavour of the month are our best CB partnership.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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I like them both, but not sure they work that well together. They both are a bit too agressive and sometimes leave space behind them too much.
 

Drz

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I'd say Mike and Lindelof.
Followed by Smalling and Lindelof, then Jones and Lindelof, then RoJones or JoRo or JoJo... (My head is spinning now...)
 

Bojan11

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So who was the genius that decided to give them new contracts? Was it Ole or Woodward?
 

LJJT

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I’d rather have these two in the team than the so called talented super stars who don’t give a crap and stroll about. People slag off trying hard saying it’s a poor reflection of fan standards now but everything in life starts with working hard and Phil jones would break his own leg to keep a goal out regardless of if you think he’s crap or not, he puts a shift in and puts it all on the line, pity some of the “talented” ones can’t do this
 

montpelier

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I thought about Mike & Phil when Maguire & Lindelof were passing the ball between each other that 3-4 times late on.

Unlikely I thought.
 

Acole9

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Jones will be around. Smalling.. not sure.
I agree, Solskjaer seems to rate Jones as does Southgate. I know it seems like a minor thing but I wonder what with VAR coming into the Premier League may affect Smalling's opportunities here. He grapples a lot when defending set pieces which could cost us points.
 

el3mel

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I said loads of times Smalling is a very upgradeable defender but his fans didn't want to listen. Maguire showed just that today.

Goodbye this godawful era of saying those two starting week in week out. Being squad players is what suits the likes of Smalling.
 

Full bodied red

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I've nothing against any of our CBs, except the fact that they're never going to be described as United Legends for the right reasons.

When I think of the past 20-something seasons, the two great CB partnerships were Bruce & Pallister and Rio and Vidic. Each was a combination of a big, solid, hard defender, Bruce and Vidic, and a footballing CB which were Pallister and Rio.

Lindelof and Maguire remind me of those two partnerships, and if they can get anywhere near those two, we're in for a treat while Mike Smalling and Phil Glassman Jones will just be another stat in United's history.
 

Amar__

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I said loads of times Smalling is a very upgradeable defender but his fans didn't want to listen. Maguire showed just that today.

Goodbye this godawful era of saying those two starting week in week out. Being squad players is what suits the likes of Smalling.
Yeah, you were right after all. Well done, we only needed the most expensive defender in history to replace Smalling. And it was just one game.

Solskjaer seems to rate Jones as does Southgate.
It's probably why he insisted on playing Smalling ahead of him entire last season.
 

el3mel

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Yeah, you were right after all. Well done, we only needed the most expensive defender in history to replace Smalling. And it was just one game.
I know Smalling fans won't give up easily on the fact their player was overrated by them and very upgradeable. They will resist for a bit, but by half of the season you'll give up I'm sure.
 

MikeKing

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I know Smalling fans won't give up easily on the fact their player was overrated by them and very upgradeable. They will resist for a bit, but by half of the season you'll give up I'm sure.
Weren't you also fond of him for a while or I'm I wrong in this? I seem to remember that you was one who rated him quite a bit before you started to go against the "Smalling fans". I might be confusing you with someone else.
 

el3mel

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Weren't you also fond of him for a while or I'm I wrong in this? I seem to remember that you was one who rated him quite a bit before you started to go against the "Smalling fans". I might be confusing you with someone else.
No. I praise the players when they do well in a match or have a good patch. I don't like Lingard but praised him plenty of times before.
 

MikeKing

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No. I praise the players when they do well in a match or have a good patch. I don't like Lingard but praised him plenty of times before.
I'm sure you do. You seem to be a sensible poster it isn't about that, but yeah I think I remember it wrong then.
 

Ekeke

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If they had played today and Chelsea had hit the post, bar and De Gea saved a good shot or two then they'd be getting scathing reports
 

Amar__

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I know Smalling fans won't give up easily on the fact their player was overrated by them and very upgradeable. They will resist for a bit, but by half of the season you'll give up I'm sure.
Yeah, just ignore what I said and keep banging about us "Smalling fans".
 

Acole9

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Yeah, you were right after all. Well done, we only needed the most expensive defender in history to replace Smalling. And it was just one game.



It's probably why he insisted on playing Smalling ahead of him entire last season.
Maybe so but not so much this pre season.