[Classical Mechanic]

Compared to United, Sweden play offensive football Anyways, I think that popular analysis that it is something totally different to play for United than for Sweden is nonsense. Of course it is different in some aspects, for example Sweden have less star players, etc. But when it comes to pressure, simply not true. Playing for the national team in WC is bugger than Brighton away. One main difference however, who benefit Lindelof in the national team howecer, ist the fact that Sweden are superior when it comes to tacticts. They have a plan and stick to it.
Today it seemed like there was no plan nor any tacticts and nobody knew what to do. Could be all the new players and xi (new cb pair, new midfield) in combo with the fact that it was the second match of the season, but still there seemed to be no team work what so ever. Every part of the team was isolated.

Sweden go into tournaments as underdogs. Manchester United have to be the best. It’s a completely different kind of psychological demand. There is far less pressure when you are expected to fail.

Fishes and ponds.

 

[Isotope]

He doesn’t sense danger and is so ponderous and reactive. And physically looks no stronger than Blind. Think we should cut our losses. Bailly was a trainwreck next to him but you can see a player in there somewhere. I don’t know what Lindelof is actually good at.

Said it before,Blind was actually a better defender than Lindelof. I'd say Blind was the 2nd best CB we had, after Smalling. god fecking knows on why Jose need to buy Lindelof, and sidelined Blind all the time.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Compared to United, Sweden play offensive football

Sweden is a defensive minded team and he gets to partner with a senior center back who does most of the donkey work.

 

[thegregster]

Morgan Schneiderlin MK2. Plays in a different position and cant hide as much.

But he doesnt have the mental toughness to play for a big team.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

If the Premier League is played at 100mph Lindelof plays as 80mph. Looked totally off the pace. He’s been a season in England and he still looks like he can’t cope with the pace of the game. Only took Vida a few months...

His issue is not pace, he's just very soft. In the national team, he gets to play with Granqvist, who is a more commanding type of defender and he gets to hide and play his cute game. He can be soft and still be a decent defender if he doesn't have the kind of concentration lapses that lead to a 35-year-old dinosaur like Glenn Murray steal a step on him.

 

[Isotope]

Years later, you will look back and reminisce "remember when we had lindelöf and bailly starting for us in central defence?"

It's karma bitch, after we used to make fun of yours.

 

[Ekeke]

Jones is good. Makes a lot of interceptions.

The Murray goal was a joke. Obvious to anyone with a brain where the danger was and how to stop it.

I dont think sensing danger is just about making interceptions, but also being aware of runs in behind you or when you need to cover other players. When you can and cant go for the ball. This one is Jones' real weakness, far too often he tries to aggressively try and win the ball and doesnt manage to. Leading to other players needing to cover his position.

 

[ROFLUTION]

Lacks pro-activeness. Just reacts.

That's what I like about Smalling. He actively organizes the defence by yelling at his team-mates so they're constantly in the loop of where they need to be.

 

[FromTheBench]

Jones and Smalling for all their shortcomings are far better than him defensively.

He seems slow and also like a kid playing against men. He doesn't even track runs that well to make up and is also caught deep.

Not sure beyond passing what he brings really. And on what basis did Jose buy him?

 

[11101]

First goal aside he wasn't too bad today, considering the state of the team as a whole. He still almost always looked to see what options were available to him before playing the ball.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

That's what I like about Smalling. He actively organizes the defence by yelling at his team-mates so they're constantly in the loop of where they need to be.

I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder.

 

[FromTheBench]

I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Well especially when replacements defend like clowns.

 

[Garethw]

His backside is going to get very intimate with the bench again.

 

[A-man]

Sweden is a defensive minded team and he gets to partner with a senior center back who does most of the donkey work.

My point was that also United is defensive minded. But without the tactical skills.

 

[MadMike]

Bad defensive performance but, fishing for positives, I think he was very good with the ball and quite press resistant. Passed the ball around well and didn't panic when pressed while in possession of the ball.

But he can't go on defending like that. He needs to be more alert around the box and track runs better. He shouldn't have let Murray, then only Brighton striker, get ahead of him in the box when Bailly rushed out to RB to cover. He needs to hit the gym and get stronger and more physical too.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

My point was that also United is defensive minded. But without the tactical skills.

You put him and Granqvist in the premier league with Jan Andersson managing them and watch them get bum sexed over a season.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

bailly made him look bad

 

[A-man]

Sweden go into tournaments as underdogs. Manchester United have to be the best. It’s a completely different kind of psychological demand. There is far less pressure when you are expected to fail.

Fishes and ponds.

There will always be pressure when you play for the national team. Anyways, i havent seen any issues with nerves today so there is not really any evidence to support that.

 

[11101]

Lacks pro-activeness. Just reacts.

That's what I like about Smalling. He actively organizes the defence by yelling at his team-mates so they're constantly in the loop of where they need to be.

Yes, exactly as he did in pre season, when he let multiple goalscorers waltz across in front of him without so much as a peep. I think some people just like Smalling more because he's familiar?

 

[A-man]

You put him and Granqvist in the premier league with Jan Andersson managing them and watch them get bum sexed over a season.

I think they as a CB pair would do quite ok in the PL.

 

[VorZakone]

He's too soft. But let's see how he progresses.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

I think they as a CB pair would do quite ok in the PL.

I don't know about a full season but Granqvist surely would have a better day with the likes of Murray. That's right up his alley.

 

[A-man]

I don't know about a full season but Granqvist surely would have a better day with the likes of Murray. That's right up his alley.

Yes and of course Lindelof is better when paired with him. Granqvist is more physical, tougher, meaner, better with the ball, smarter, more pro active, etc than the CBs at United. Imo.

 

[IAmAWinner]

I'm not sure with this guy, I don't think he will make it here. Doesn't really excel at anything, just completely and utterly average.

 

[Harry190]

His issue is not pace, he's just very soft. In the national team, he gets to play with Granqvist, who is a more commanding type of defender and he gets to hide and play his cute game. He can be soft and still be a decent defender if he doesn't have the kind of concentration lapses that lead to a 35-year-old dinosaur like Glenn Murray steal a step on him.

Think it's a reference to level of comfort and general awareness rather than his running speed here.

 

[LJJT]

I’d love him to do well but Murray just ghosted past him and scored. Game lost. He’s not good enough. Jose bought him.hes also not good enough

 

[ROFLUTION]

Yes, exactly as he did in pre season, when he let multiple goalscorers waltz across in front of him without so much as a peep. I think some people just like Smalling more because he's familiar?

Who the hell cares, it's pre-season - He was the best player defensively for us from winter to summer.

 

[ROFLUTION]

I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder.

The thing is I dont even wanna join this strange sentiment on here, that we have to bash every defender we have, as if everyone is just terrible.

I think Smalling was a pretty good player last year and I think he has a role to play at United in the future too. Only thing I don't like is how bad on the ball he is.

 

[Ekeke]

Yes, exactly as he did in pre season, when he let multiple goalscorers waltz across in front of him without so much as a peep. I think some people just like Smalling more because he's familiar?

They like defenders who defend well and Smalling is a defender who defends very well.

 

[Red_toad]

Be nice when Jose starts playing defenders, who can sort of defend. All this talk of ball playing and how Lindelof is far better at that aspect of the game than anyone else we have. Yet he’s unable to sense danger and doesn’t compete physically. Really needs to up his game. Smalling needs to play until we purchase or develop a better defender.

 

[Godfather]

He's weak not very tall and his positioning is very questionable. Good buy Jose.

 

[Prodigy24]

How do you mean? This is the part I think he was successful at today. Even after his mistake at the first goal he stayed very calm and cool with the ball. When he was in pressed situations he did I his player and passed the ball.

When he had the ball in the first half he always looked to keep it very safe. He was always passing it either to De Gea or sideways to Bailly. If he really is the best defender with the ball on his feet and comfortable with making forward passes then I want him to try passing the ball forward to either the midfielders or the wingers. He takes the easiest option way to often and that doesn't set him apart from the rest of our defenders.

But as I said, he improved in the second half mostly due to avoiding to pass to Bailly who was all over the place.

Compared to United, Sweden play offensive football Anyways, I think that popular analysis that it is something totally different to play for United than for Sweden is nonsense. Of course it is different in some aspects, for example Sweden have less star players, etc. But when it comes to pressure, simply not true. Playing for the national team in WC is bugger than Brighton away. One main difference however, who benefit Lindelof in the national team howecer, ist the fact that Sweden are superior when it comes to tacticts. They have a plan and stick to it.
Today it seemed like there was no plan nor any tacticts and nobody knew what to do. Could be all the new players and xi (new cb pair, new midfield) in combo with the fact that it was the second match of the season, but still there seemed to be no team work what so ever. Every part of the team was isolated.

In Sweden he also has the captain and experienced Granqvist who takes the role of the leader for the defence. In United he has Smalling, Jones and Bailly, three defenders that would all play better if they had an experienced defender next to them. Probably more comfortable playing with Granqvist than any of our defenders.

 

[izec]

He is so bad, should have sticked with ice hockey. Then again, he is fecking soft, dont know how he made it as a CB when he hides defensively.

 

[CA1]

I have no idea what people have ever seen in this guy. I honestly think he's as bad a player as I've seen where our shirt in a long time.

I think some people have tried to convince themselves he's good because they're not big fans of Jones and Smalling.

I don't see one quality in him to be a top defender. Not one. Bailly is rash and was awful today but at least you can see qualities in his game.

 

[AndyJ1985]

By the end of the season he'll be thrown into the deadwood pile and offered around Europe

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Why the feck did we buy him?

 

[izec]

Why the feck did we buy him?

Jose doing Benfica a favour

 

[Litch]

What I find amazing is how remarkably players that were good before coming here turn to shit....anyone thought it might be something to do with here as it's been a long time since a player has been better here than the club he was signed from....

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Jose doing Benfica a favour

i just don't see what Mourinho saw in him.

He doesn't even seem a Mourinho type defender anyway, and thats before you take into account he's shite.

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

I've yet to witness any strong attribute in his overall game since he's been here ,which is clearly disappointing because,as fans, we were supposedly getting a talented 'ball playing centre back'.Those reports couldn't be more laughably further from the truth.

Old timer Granqvist really was holding his hand throughout Sweden's World Cup campaign.