Form has dropped the last 2 games. Hopefully just a poor patch or something. We aren't ready for Lindelof of last season at this crucial time.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 40
- Clean sheets
- 8
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 3
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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Bad bad game that should’ve ended with a bad bad tackle for Mr Lindelof.
This was a weird game. Seemed like no one bothered.
This was a weird game. Seemed like no one bothered.
Lindelof and Smalling were in the other penalty box. Lindelof ran home, Smalling didnt. That was my point.
And maybe he should have blocked the shot, or he should have done what he actually did and cover everything except the first post. As I wrote before, this is what he has been doing succesfully the whole season, and so many times that it cannot be a coinciden. I believe he does that because he knows that if only leaves a small opening for the first post, DDG will save it. If he tries to block the shot instead of give the attacker a small opening, it may end up anywhere. Or in this case it would be easy to pass the ball.
You are being biased. It’s not about Smalling couldn’t sense the danger, we were 1-0 down, we need to score, he saw Shaw could have clear it for us to attack again & Lindelof dropped back to have extra cover in defense. The judgment was wrong but it has nothing to do with not able to sense the danger, unfortunate that Shaw clearance wasn’t long enough.
Is it harsh to say if we're being honest, he's had a good 10-15 game spell and has now reverted to type?
Or is it more a case of gradual improvement and he's just in a little dip?
I just ask because it's been nearly 10 or so years, and we always seem to let a small upturn in form convince us that Smalling and Jones might actually be good enough for something more than just a top 4 slot (at best).
Or is it more a case of gradual improvement and he's just in a little dip?
I just ask because it's been nearly 10 or so years, and we always seem to let a small upturn in form convince us that Smalling and Jones might actually be good enough for something more than just a top 4 slot (at best).
May be loosing was the plan. So we could focus on more important games. I think if Swansea had won today, we would’ve performed better. Idk. Just a weird theory that I have.
Our defence certainly was loose.
its very clear he isn't ball playing defender. his best attribute is actually is positioning and moving quickly to avert dangers.
A sight to behold when an aerial ball is heading his way. Car crash.
Stop fecking putting your hands behind your back when defending!
Do you just go round the forum looking for opportunities to post about Chris Smalling?
Yes 15 games where the majority have been good, but certainly not all of them. After another terrible start to the season.
The 15 games came after his last international break so hopefully he can do the same thing. But he still has a lot to prove at this point
Someone post the recinded-red challenge, please?
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This fecking place.
Look, there are some posters who pop up in every thread to write about Smalling and his glory. In this case he is supposedly an amazing shot blocker who has never let a shot through and if he was the person who had made the long run home, he would of course have taken the ball from the theee attackers, etc etc.
But it’s like a camera. The best is the one you have with you, not the one in the drawer. Doesn’t matter how amazing Smalling is at shot blocking if he is not there because he didn’t make the long run to defend his goal. This was clearly the wrong place to celebrate Smallngs shot blocking abilities.
Seems like it.
Smalling has joint 3rd most shots blocked in the premier league alongside Ben Mee and Shane Duffy.
Toby is the 2nd highest from the top clubs on the list this season at joint 27th with exactly half as many shots blocked on average as Smalling per game (0.6 to 1.2)
I wonder if you research these things before complaining about them because Smalling is the most frequent shot blocker out of the top 6 teams.
Also only players from clubs position 16 and lower in the league have players who have blocked more shots than he has on average this season. So teams constantly under pressure. And those 2 players are Tarkowski and Bednarek.
So yes out of all the CBs in the league Smalling is probably the most likely to have blocked the shots Lindelof hasnt. And Lindelof averages 1/3 as many as Smalling does so more often than not its Smalling taking charge and blocking the shot, rather than Lindelof.
Seems weird then to complain that for once Lindelof is having to do what Smalling is always doing.
Never said he wasn’t good. Smalling is a good defender. But in this case he was not there because he was jogging home.
Right, but he's statistically the best at shot blocking which is what the discussion was about. So if any CB is going to do better blocking than Lindelof did, its Smalling
Every player has different high and low points in every season. On here is always the same, high points he's one of the best in the league, low points he's shite and will never make it here. High points when we are winning, low points when we have lost. It's ridiculous.....
Let's be real. Lindelof was poor last night, while Smalling had a good one.
Whether Smalling was able to block the shot or no, who knows. But you continue to the extent where you made him like that he didn't drop back because he couldn't sense the danger.
Lindelof being 186 cm tall is always surprising to me. He looks like a 178 cm player whenever he plays.
At the other end of the scale, we have the 194 cm Smalling who looked like a absolute mountain swatting away an insect when that pitch invader came up to him.
Lindelof would probably crap his pants if that happened to him.
At the other end of the scale, we have the 194 cm Smalling who looked like a absolute mountain swatting away an insect when that pitch invader came up to him.
Lindelof would probably crap his pants if that happened to him.
I was not talking about who has the best stats. I can also see that Smalling has 1.2 blocks per 90 minutes, it is very easy to see.
This is Lindelof thread and people make an example of how great Smalling is, when he was actually not even around. You can see Smalling fans infect more or less every thread.
Aren’t you the one who started mention that Smalling didn’t block the shot and wasn’t even around? People only use Smalling to compare of how little or bad Lindelof did last night, you were the one who end up getting involved yourself into a Smalling’s argument.
So you werent talking about Smalling apparently being great at blocking, which is proven to be true. Well thats what you said.
Smalling been here a long time and if he was good enough along with the other CB's, first Lindelof wouldn't be here to add to the other 4 we already have and equally we wouldn't be talking of still needing one. Lindelof is a young lad finding his way here, there are others that been here a lot longer but still look lost....
He's been really good of late but he was absolutely disastrous today. Needs a rest maybe.
No. My post was a reaction to MikeKing writing that Smalling would have blocked both those shots and that Lindelof either fell asleep or pussied out.
No I wasn’t talking about Smalling blocking skills. See above.
You both were basically using Smalling as plot device of the argument to defend and attack Lindelof. But as far what I know your point is biased by calling him couldn’t sense a danger, I’m not on MikeKing’s side and I wouldn’t say I agee with him. You are entitled to defend a player but you seem to defend a poor performance of Lindelof and trying to find something bad from Smalling who had a good performance.
He did not sense the danger in this situation which was very clear if you look how jogs home and when it is too late he starts to run. The alternative is he sensed danger but didn’t care or was too tired to run, which I personally doubt.
In general, yes I believe Smalling is more the reactive type of player of the two. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. He has a dominant game style where reactive action fits in well.
Also, I believe Smalling is a good player. This season has not been as good as last season, but he has improved since the comeback of the injury. I don’t agree he was great or even good yesterday, I think he was ok, and struggled a bit, but since the midfield was completely worthless he got zero help from there.
It was you who included Smalling in the post in here that I responded to. I disagree that the both of them were jittery and used the comparison of Smalling being good at blocking shots and stopping the sort of goals we conceded, to prove Lindelof didn't do it this game. If that first goal gets blocked, people might not even mention it post match as a moment of danger even. That says something about the importance of certain defensive actions doesn't it, and I find it a bit fascinating how it often gets ignored. It was more so about that than praising Smalling to shit on Lindelof.
But they are both our starting CB's so comparing them really isn't that much of an outrageous thing to do. Especially when Chris had a good game and used and passed the ball better than him even.
@A-man Now I feel you are the one almost derailing this thread on purpose. If you want to critique Smalling for being a 'reactive player' of whatever then why not write about it in his thread?
Yes the thread is going nowhere good. It was not my purpose but maybe my fault, sorry for that. We have had good discussions before, so let’s stop here and come back another time.
I'd give him a rest vs Watford, he's played what, every game bar two since Ole took over? Bound to start every game for Sweden during the international break as well.
He has pulled out of the Sweden squad.
Love the fact he got pissed after we were 2 down then started going really aggressive in his tackles.
Why is he bit late in keeping the line for an offside ? Have been seeing this for couple of matches.
Also, he needs to come up with more risky passes. As of now, smalling tries more than him.
Also, he needs to come up with more risky passes. As of now, smalling tries more than him.
There are rumours here in Sweden that he is angry because his best friend John Guidetti was left out from the Sweden squad and that’s why he pulled out. But most likely it’s because his wifes pregnancy of course.
And almost got sent off for it. Love 'pashun' all you want but coolheadedness is always better than hotheadedness. Especially for a defender.
It was a late tackle but not a red, If thats a red then might as well take tackling out of football. We haven't had a defender who is aggressive since vidic, of course not stupid aggressive like Bailly but one that puts fear into attackers mind, so it was nice to see him put bit more into a tackle (not only talking about the yellow card tackle).
A little dip of form in the last two games. At his best he can hit some incisive passes that open up a lot of spaces for our offensive players, but he has not showed this in the last two. Probably down to fatigue, rather than him being atrocious as some stubbornly will say when he has one bad game. A rest over the international break will do him fine.
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