Teams pressed one of the chuckle brothers because he was useless at passing and now they'll press him because he's soft.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 47
- Clean sheets
- 19
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 6
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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When Rio is the one pointing out where someone has made mistakes with their head, you know its a big issue. He wasn't that comfortable with it either, thats why we needed Vidic
I get that the Southampton guy is very tall but lindelof is too passive
Let me put it this way. Lindelof is 1.87m tall. Steve Bruce is 1.83m tall. Yet Bruce used to win most of his headers and score headers.
It boils down to technique AND desire. I think lindelof is lacking in the latter
Let me put it this way. Lindelof is 1.87m tall. Steve Bruce is 1.83m tall. Yet Bruce used to win most of his headers and score headers.
It boils down to technique AND desire. I think lindelof is lacking in the latter
I really wanted to see smalling and maguire as a partnership exactly for the reasons we’ve seen the last 2 weeks
Our defensive record since he’s been a regular in the team has been pathetic. This ability he supposedly has on the ball is not worth the defensive shambles we are.
Wasn’t comfortable but sure knew how to position himself to make it difficult. something Lindelöf hasn’t really grasped as yet. Blind is shorter than Lindelof and he’s very able to take on far bigger players than himself by being more proactive, getting his position right, making it difficult and not allowing free headers. Lindelöf simply tried to pass on his man, as a central defender he should be claiming the threats.
Needs to be more aggressive in the air. Don't have to be the tallest man in the world but stay close to your man. Give him a nudge or do something to stop or slow down his momentum.
Other than the goal, I thought he had a good game, but its the second time this season he's been outmuscled, which ultimately has ended up costing us.
I cant help but think Smalling would have won that header, but I guess its easy to say that now he's not here.
Other than the goal, I thought he had a good game, but its the second time this season he's been outmuscled, which ultimately has ended up costing us.
I cant help but think Smalling would have won that header, but I guess its easy to say that now he's not here.
Lindelof was never winning that header, but I think he can do more. I dont think he was aware the man was there otherwise he can do so much more to put the guy off from heading the ball into the net.
He can't get high enough to defend high balls. He should move to a league where players are shorter such as China.
No matter what way you slice it, his lack of aerial ability has directly cost us 2 goals. Those are facts.
I wouldn't say he's the reason we've dropped 4 points, but we have conceded directly because he has failed to deal with 2 aerial threats.
You can argue all day about why he lost them; last week the guy was significantly shorter than him and he failed to anticipate the threat, and against the bigger (presumably more threatening) guy, he still failed to adequately deal with it.
My main concern about him at the moment is, where exactly are his supposedly great ball-playing skills?
What is his main strength?
And what is he doing that warrants keeping Tuanzebe out of the team?
I feel like nobody knows the answer to any of those questions definitively, and that's a big concern, imo.
I wouldn't say he's the reason we've dropped 4 points, but we have conceded directly because he has failed to deal with 2 aerial threats.
You can argue all day about why he lost them; last week the guy was significantly shorter than him and he failed to anticipate the threat, and against the bigger (presumably more threatening) guy, he still failed to adequately deal with it.
My main concern about him at the moment is, where exactly are his supposedly great ball-playing skills?
What is his main strength?
And what is he doing that warrants keeping Tuanzebe out of the team?
I feel like nobody knows the answer to any of those questions definitively, and that's a big concern, imo.
The ball playing ability is a myth. Nearly gave away two goals with his amazing ball playing.
Yup, also comes from a person who knows what a PL defender should do. That we conceded that easily was on Lindelof, but as always he always tries to pass the bucket when it comes to marking anyone, this wasn't the first time. Lindelof only looks good when he has a defender next to him to do the physical work. He knows that Maguire is in front of him so he asks AWB to mark him? While he has no player to mark himself? Stupid...
Lindelof is giving Ole a reason to put him on the bench.
He needs to be on the bench. He’s cost us two goals and (with shared responsibility) four points. Tuanzebe can’t do much worse.
He really should learn it from Maguire. Thats the part Maguire is better at than Smalling, physically positioning himself in a place where he can stand his ground and win the header
We've had defenders going up against much taller opponents, might not win every header but atleast be there and put them of balance. The defender doesn't have to connect to "win" the challange, it's enough to make sure they'll have a hard time doing anything useful with the chance. Problem with Lindelof is that he tries to avoid any type of physical challenge, I've seen him dish out marking jobs to his team-mates so many times, without him taking on one.
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I don't remember even Blind ever being so weak as he is in the air. Just pathetic.
Poor performance through-out, so no real surprise that he was at fault for their goal. Nice long pass for Rashford's chance early in the 2nd half. Seemed to want forever before releasing the ball, giving them time to dispossess him.
I blame modern football as a whole. There is no better case study/example of the way the game has gone when Chris Smalling is outed for a Victor Lindelöf who has no physical qualities whatsoever.
We have conceded two goals, and subsequently dropped points in two games in a row now where if Victor Lindelöf was Chris Smalling, we will be higher up the table.
Some clever person, at some point in the last 5 years, has decided that what Lindelöf apparently ‘offers to our build up’ is of greater value to the team than winning headers and shipping goals.
We have conceded two goals, and subsequently dropped points in two games in a row now where if Victor Lindelöf was Chris Smalling, we will be higher up the table.
Some clever person, at some point in the last 5 years, has decided that what Lindelöf apparently ‘offers to our build up’ is of greater value to the team than winning headers and shipping goals.
And yet Mike was treated like a deadwood.
Told you, Mamic is lurking somewhere on the north stand. Some wierd business going on atm.
He is so shit in the air it angers me. Still remember Vida and Rio or even Brown clearing everything that came flying into the box. This is not good enough for a CB.
Basically sums things up. I'm fine with playing out from the back as a cherry on the top of good defending, but it doesnt replace it.
We shouldn’t have to sacrifice either! There’s plenty of cb that can do both, but we’re the mugs that seem happy to carry on with a weakness.
Maguire is more the levels we need to aim for but even be lacks pace.
It's time to burst Lindelof's bubble and this isn't a knee-jerk. If you browse through my post history you'll see that I don't rate him. Sure, he's had some solid games after his woeful start to his career with us and of course I give him that, but I knew this is going to happen sooner or later.
I'd love to be proven wrong with this one, especially now that Smalling is gone, but I can't see it happening. Shame Bailly is out for quite some time.
I'd love to be proven wrong with this one, especially now that Smalling is gone, but I can't see it happening. Shame Bailly is out for quite some time.
Yet again got pummeled in the MEN ratings. The one writing them must be one of the haters on here or something. Did plenty of good defending, but alas, got "outjumped" by a 1.97 heading-specialist monster at the goal. I guess we should only sign huge brutes for the CB positions and party like it's 1982 again.
With a decent attack we'd won. Attack was way more shit than defense, except James.
With a decent attack we'd won. Attack was way more shit than defense, except James.
Ideally not, but at centre half, you would have thought it would be obvious which one you sacrifice if given a choice.
I see debate over whether he was simply out matched on the header, should have done better, or we should have stopped the cross coming in, whichever way you slice it his weakness in the air has been exploited two games in a row, other than that I actually thought he played quite well today.
Average in some key areas, dreadful in others, and too passive to boot. I'd much rather have Tuanzebe / Smalling in there.
Now that Mikies off to Italy I hope Axel gets the nod. Is Jones injured by the way?
Now that Mikies off to Italy I hope Axel gets the nod. Is Jones injured by the way?
Blind is also actually really good on the ball. Weird transfer from Mourinho to ship out Blind for a just as weak, just as slow with worse footballing skills.
That was the one thing Mourinho that i've never been able to grasp. Blind was always good enough to at least be the third defender on the bench. A cb pack of Maguire, Smalling, Blind and Tuanzebe would have been just fine.
I'm not going to insult him or say he is shit because he is not. The effort is there. He has a lot of fans in the CAF which I honestly don't know why. But the matters of fact remains that he simply is not GOOD ENOUGH for United because he lacks the physical tools for this league and hence the team. Every top United defender had a no nonsense attitude and a presence which Lindelof obviously lacks. And I really don't see how he is going to get better when he can be dominated so easley
And what if he was playing against Peter Crouch? Would you just give him a pass if Crouch got a hatrick because of the height difference? Anyone that can't admit that this guy is weak on headers is just stupid or dishonest. Take your pick. In the last 2 weeks, he has lost 2 aerial duels that lead to goals. Every CB gets beat from time to time, it happens, but it is a trend with this guy from his very first game with us until now. If it was just an isolated incident against a guy that is much taller, fair enough, but it isn't.
Bang average defender.
Once again cost us. The blame lies with the manager for me, he should have been demoted to the bench after his last costly mistake, and Tuanzebe should have been playing.
If we cut our losses I think we can still get 20/30M back for him. Give Tuanzebe some game time to see his level.
Then look to reinvest in upcoming talents like Konate/Upamecano.
Then look to reinvest in upcoming talents like Konate/Upamecano.
We all knew his limitations in the air and it's becoming a problem.
I'm unsure of what Ole will do but lets see the same partnership in the next league game and if those weaknesses show themselves he will have to bring in Axel/Jones.
I'm unsure of what Ole will do but lets see the same partnership in the next league game and if those weaknesses show themselves he will have to bring in Axel/Jones.
For all his limitations I swear Smalling would not have lost those two headers that have cost us the points today and against Palace.Just not good enough and should never play for us again.
His quality on the ball isn't anywhere near enough to negate his clear deficiencies in defending.
You've clearly forgotten what Smalling looked like up against Kompany!
The likes of Troy Deeney will relish playing against Lindelof unless he learns how to cope with the aerial ball. That doesn't necessarily mean winning headers. I've seen Patrice Evra use his body to unsettle Andy Carroll on a cross. Lindelof just needs to wise up and learn to position himself when the ball is in the air. The goal is not to win tackles its to stop the opposition scoring. Its just as effective to back into someone so they can't get a clean header so it sails over the bar, as it is to slabhead it into the crowd. The lad just needs to get smarter with his defending.
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