Smalling loan watch

Sterling Archer

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At this rate, Juventus might offer him a deal. They're good with "older" player, and they didn't mind to have a non-ball playing CB like Chiellini with massive success.

Also it's nice to know that Ole is still in contact with him, and doesn't mind taking him back. It reminds me of SAF who didn't mind to admit, selling Stam was a mistake.
I think the circumstances are a bit different. Sir Alex let Stam go for personal/political reasons. Ole let Smalling go because he's not a good manager.
 

Red_toad

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I think the circumstances are a bit different. Sir Alex let Stam go for personal/political reasons. Ole let Smalling go because he's not a good manager.
Stam was let go as Sir Alex didn’t think he’d recover fully from a previous injury and that Stam had made it common knowledge he’d been tapped up to join United. Club got a great offer.
we’re going to sell Smalling for loose change in the current market
 

Bepi

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Juve would surely have a look at Smalling if an opportunity arises, he’d slot in nicely in their well-oiled machine.
 

Davicho

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Do you think any decent manager would let Smalling go, when his another options are Lindelof, Maguire, Jones and Rojo? I dont think so.
 

Foxbatt

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If Smalling's main function is to defend(which I personally think should be a defenders first priority) then he should be ahead of Lindelof. I have not seen the Serie A much but if he stops his wrestling in the box he is a good defender. He has decent speed too and is strong. Don't ask players to do things they cannot do. Smalling is no Beckenbauer but he is a good defender.
We also forget that we had a much stronger midfield when Rio and Vidic were playing. Plus they had a keeper in VDS who commanded his box. I feel that DeGea if he was to command his box a but more our defence would get much better.
 

mu4c_20le

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I think the circumstances are a bit different. Sir Alex let Stam go for personal/political reasons. Ole let Smalling go because he's not a good manager.
Not that im saying the caf should know better than the manager, but letting Smalling go was a popular choice, many agreed he had no future here because he could not play the ball out of defence (and the game has evolved, etc etc) It would have taken some balls to keep him and even bigger ones to not sign Maguire and continue with him and Lindelof.
 

Zen86

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Not that im saying the caf should know better than the manager, but letting Smalling go was a popular choice, many agreed he had no future here because he could not play the ball out of defence (and the game has evolved, etc etc) It would have taken some balls to keep him and even bigger ones to not sign Maguire and continue with him and Lindelof.
Yep, Smalling was a running joke on this forum. Now he’s gone, he’s the cafs answer to our problems.
 

Denis' cuff

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If Smalling's main function is to defend(which I personally think should be a defenders first priority) then he should be ahead of Lindelof. I have not seen the Serie A much but if he stops his wrestling in the box he is a good defender. He has decent speed too and is strong. Don't ask players to do things they cannot do. Smalling is no Beckenbauer but he is a good defender.
We also forget that we had a much stronger midfield when Rio and Vidic were playing. Plus they had a keeper in VDS who commanded his box. I feel that DeGea if he was to command his box a but more our defence would get much better.

Good points.

If he can just make a quick, simple and easy pass to his nearest team mate, there should be no issue, although I suspect he gets pressed a bit by the oppo in the knowledge that he doesn’t have the quickest feet or brain. His shirt pulling in the box always worries me and I think he largely gets off lightly but 15m being quoted in the media is a joke in the current market.

Also agree, Dave’s phobia of leaving his line does not help the defence at all. I think his occasional wonder-save barely makes up for his lack of presence in his area. Other keepers make great saves too.
 

reddevilchennai

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Few months ago people were happy that Ole is clearing the deadwoods and Smalling was one of them. Now after some decent performances in an inferior league they want him back.

Smalling is always a liability with VAR due to his shirt pulling antics. Loaning him was the right thing. Now let the club sell him for the right price.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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Sometimes a change can work miracles. The Smalling we re seeing this year is top notch, even if he s playing in an inferior leagues.
But if he got his confidence back, as mitten suggests,he may as well be able to play at a higher level.
He played well for us too. Last season was a bit strange, but he was still performing pretty well at least under Ole. Our attack and midfield was the bigger problem and De Gea being terrible last year didn't help. Also having Young playing didn't help either.
 

Bwuk

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Kolarov starts regularly for Roma and looked finished at City.

Should we get him too?

it’s a slower league.
 

RedDevil-85

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Good for Smalling,happy he does well in Italy and hopefully we can sell him off.
 

Smashin

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Juventus? Even with Chiellini injured, they still have Demiral and Rugani on the bench.
 

manutddjw

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I’m not going to pretend that I always rated him highly amongst the worlds best, but since LvG’s time he was usually our best CB. It was a huge error in judgment allowing him to leave and leaving Jones, Bailly and Rojo who are worse players and constantly injured. Not to mention we’ve struggled keeping players fit going back to the Fergies days, in all likelihood had he stayed here he would’ve played a lot and probably won his starter role by being better than what we have.
 

Gator Nate

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Unlikely theory, but... Ole let Smalling go out on loan to an Italian side, where the author of the article states, "Roma employ a higher defensive line than Smalling has experienced before. He’s not alone in thinking the game is more tactical in Italy, but has enjoyed the change to a league where teams deploy three at the back with two strikers up front and hit a lot of balls into the channels." So Smalling, who I believed was forming a decent partnership with Lindelof at the end of last season, goes off to learn how to move the ball out of a backfield where there are only three defenders? Did I read that correctly? So if Ole wanted to play a high defensive line with three at the back, and Smalling returned, we'd have an older, experienced player, who has learned how to do it? Sort of... maybe...
 

arnie_ni

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Yep, Smalling was a running joke on this forum. Now he’s gone, he’s the cafs answer to our problems.
Many of us have been defending hin for years. We thought it was a mistake letting him go.

He should be partnering maguire
 

Isotope

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Juventus? Even with Chiellini injured, they still have Demiral and Rugani on the bench.
Demiral is just a "kid", in terms of experience and predegree. Juventus was willing to sell Rugani to Arsenal for 30m last summer, showing how high/low Juve rates him.
 

Bepi

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Demiral is just a "kid", in terms of experience and predegree. Juventus was willing to sell Rugani to Arsenal for 30m last summer, showing how high/low Juve rates him.
that’s it really... a mature and big stages proven CB is better than erratic, unproven or timid prospects in the rotation.
 

TrustInJanuzaj

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He’s half decent and that’s it, this is gonna be like Nani and Rafa all over again, he’s nowhere near Utd quality and we were right to get rid!
 

Godfather

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Few months ago people were happy that Ole is clearing the deadwoods and Smalling was one of them. Now after some decent performances in an inferior league they want him back.

Smalling is always a liability with VAR due to his shirt pulling antics. Loaning him was the right thing. Now let the club sell him for the right price.
Wow. Disagree with pretty much every word there.
 

Godfather

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He’s half decent and that’s it, this is gonna be like Nani and Rafa all over again, he’s nowhere near Utd quality and we were right to get rid!
Nani half decent... Sure. Smalling is a better defender than everyone we have bar maybe Maguire on a good day.
 

mu4c_20le

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I had the match on while i did errands... from what i've seen, he actually made a few long passes to the midfield to start attacks. So the myth that he cannot pass more than 5 yards sideways is just that... a myth.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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I had the match on while i did errands... from what i've seen, he actually made a few long passes to the midfield to start attacks. So the myth that he cannot pass more than 5 yards sideways is just that... a myth.
His passing is much better than his reputation here. He is not the most creative central defender, but you don't need them to be. Most of the time you should make an easy pass to keep the tempo up and aid the midfield.
 

RedTiger

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I had the match on while i did errands... from what i've seen, he actually made a few long passes to the midfield to start attacks. So the myth that he cannot pass more than 5 yards sideways is just that... a myth.
When he has a few milliseconds extra to make the pass then normally it comes off, the issue with smalling is his passing while under pressure when he has an opponent barreling down on him.
 

Cee90

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Bring him back and put him next to Maguire, cheers.

Unless Tuanzebe claims that spot before the end of the season, which I suspect he will.
 

Snow

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He’s half decent and that’s it, this is gonna be like Nani and Rafa all over again, he’s nowhere near Utd quality and we were right to get rid!
He's our 2nd best CB and Nani definitely was United quality. Nani left, we got Rojo instead and were left with your namesake and Mata as options on the right, the same season we brought in Di Maria. Not to mention Nani left at the same time Evra, Rio, Vidic, Fletcher and Bebe did. LvG gutted our idendity that season and we're only now perhaps starting to recover.
 

Bebestation

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The thing with Smallings transfer is that it isn't just a one off.

Blind is better than Rojo.
Smalling is better than Jones & many would argue better than Bailly and Lindelof.
Herrera is better than current Matic.
I'd say that Memphis as a CAM/CF is better than Lingard & Pereira even though he never got a chance there and failed badly at LW only.

This is all happening because the manager has way too much freedom to pick and choose who they want rather than a DOF who looks at the squads status of quality and quantity of its individual players.
 

TrustInJanuzaj

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Nani half decent... Sure. Smalling is a better defender than everyone we have bar maybe Maguire on a good day.
Not at his peak obviously, but at the end sure, we got rid of all those players at the right time.
 

TrustInJanuzaj

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He's our 2nd best CB and Nani definitely was United quality. Nani left, we got Rojo instead and were left with your namesake and Mata as options on the right, the same season we brought in Di Maria. Not to mention Nani left at the same time Evra, Rio, Vidic, Fletcher and Bebe did. LvG gutted our idendity that season and we're only now perhaps starting to recover.
Nah LVG was right to get rid of those players, the issue was we replaced them poorly. At the time Nani left he was nowhere near his best and honestly he never proved me wrong at his next club. Let me clarify for the benefit of some, Nani was world class at his peak but we were still correct to get rid when we did.

Anyway on Smalling, this is still the right time to get rid!
 

M16Red

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Nah LVG was right to get rid of those players, the issue was we replaced them poorly. At the time Nani left he was nowhere near his best and honestly he never proved me wrong at his next club. Let me clarify for the benefit of some, Nani was world class at his peak but we were still correct to get rid when we did.

Anyway on Smalling, this is still the right time to get rid!
Sometimes I wonder, if some of these lot watch football..
 

Champ

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I had the match on while i did errands... from what i've seen, he actually made a few long passes to the midfield to start attacks. So the myth that he cannot pass more than 5 yards sideways is just that... a myth.
It is a myth, he's actually quite good on the ball and bringing it out.
It's an excuse coined by Southgate because he bizarrely will carry on picking people like Gomez and Ming's over Smalling.