Would you sell Smalling or Jones to rival for 40m?

[Kag]

Not better than Stones? Or an about-to-retire Mertesacker. Bloody hell. You read it all on here. From a purely defensive skill set point of view, it's irrefutable that both Smalling and Jones are considerably better than Stones at the defensive aspects of the game. You can't watch them and come to another conclusion.

Still relentlessly underappreciated, the pair of them. Jones is flavour of the month at the moment, mind you, until one mistake is made and back to town we go. How many clean sheets do we need to keep before it's readily accepted that our defenders are all very good. It isn't a few games. It's actually a few seasons in which we've had one of the best defences in England. And as for 2017, we've got one of the best in all of Europe. Mourinho and Van Gaal are also responsible for this, in part because they're generally organised coaches that can set up a back four, but you can't shine shit.

At the end of this season we will, again, have either the best - or second best - defensive record in the country. Smalling and Jones will take some responsibility for that. As will De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Rojo, Shaw and Lindelof among others. If we don't win the league, or worse yet barely challenge, it's because rival teams have scored more goals - again.

When you watch the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal defend week in, week out, it staggers me that people would even consider selling some of our own, never mind bloody do it.

 

[Ole90+3]

Not better than Stones? Or an about-to-retire Mertesacker. Bloody hell. You read it all on here. From a purely defensive skill set point of view, it's irrefutable that both Smalling and Jones are considerably better than Stones at the defensive aspects of the game. You can't watch them and come to another conclusion.

Still relentlessly underappreciated, the pair of them. Jones is flavour of the month at the moment, mind you, until one mistake is made and back to town we go. How many clean sheets do we need to keep before it's readily accepted that our defenders are all very good. It isn't a few games. It's actually a few seasons in which we've had one of the best defences in England. And as for 2017, we've got one of the best in all of Europe. Mourinho and Van Gaal are also responsible for this, in part because they're generally organised coaches that can set up a back four, but you can't shine shit.

At the end of this season we will, again, have either the best - or second best - defensive record in the country. Smalling and Jones will take some responsibility for that. As will De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Rojo, Shaw and Lindelof among others. If we don't win the league, or worse yet barely challenge, it's because rival teams have scored more goals - again.

When you watch the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal defend week in, week out, it staggers me that people would even consider selling some of our own, never mind bloody do it.

Totally agree. Despite my attempts to ignore the constant negativity on here directed at Smalling and Jones, it has become very tiresome.

 

[United Pro]

Not better than Stones? Or an about-to-retire Mertesacker. Bloody hell. You read it all on here. From a purely defensive skill set point of view, it's irrefutable that both Smalling and Jones are considerably better than Stones at the defensive aspects of the game. You can't watch them and come to another conclusion.

Still relentlessly underappreciated, the pair of them. Jones is flavour of the month at the moment, mind you, until one mistake is made and back to town we go. How many clean sheets do we need to keep before it's readily accepted that our defenders are all very good. It isn't a few games. It's actually a few seasons in which we've had one of the best defences in England. And as for 2017, we've got one of the best in all of Europe. Mourinho and Van Gaal are also responsible for this, in part because they're generally organised coaches that can set up a back four, but you can't shine shit.

At the end of this season we will, again, have either the best - or second best - defensive record in the country. Smalling and Jones will take some responsibility for that. As will De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Rojo, Shaw and Lindelof among others. If we don't win the league, or worse yet barely challenge, it's because rival teams have scored more goals - again.

When you watch the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal defend week in, week out, it staggers me that people would even consider selling some of our own, never mind bloody do it.

This. This forum has a tendency to underrate our own and overrate others. Defensively both Jones and Smalling are solid and among the best in the league. However, on the ball they're fairly average (Smalling especially), but there's no chance I'd sell them to a rival. Well I wouldn't want to sell to a rival full stop, never mind potentially strengthening an area where clearly clubs are struggling with.

 

[Oooh_aaah_cantona]

Lots of posters say they won't sell to a rival full stop, as it would strengthen them. But surely it depends on the price? Selling them a player for 50m, means they have 50m less to buy another player, which could strengthen them more.

 

[Gbenger]

Not better than Stones? Or an about-to-retire Mertesacker. Bloody hell. You read it all on here. From a purely defensive skill set point of view, it's irrefutable that both Smalling and Jones are considerably better than Stones at the defensive aspects of the game. You can't watch them and come to another conclusion.

Still relentlessly underappreciated, the pair of them. Jones is flavour of the month at the moment, mind you, until one mistake is made and back to town we go. How many clean sheets do we need to keep before it's readily accepted that our defenders are all very good. It isn't a few games. It's actually a few seasons in which we've had one of the best defences in England. And as for 2017, we've got one of the best in all of Europe. Mourinho and Van Gaal are also responsible for this, in part because they're generally organised coaches that can set up a back four, but you can't shine shit.

At the end of this season we will, again, have either the best - or second best - defensive record in the country. Smalling and Jones will take some responsibility for that. As will De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Rojo, Shaw and Lindelof among others. If we don't win the league, or worse yet barely challenge, it's because rival teams have scored more goals - again.

When you watch the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal defend week in, week out, it staggers me that people would even consider selling some of our own, never mind bloody do it.

This every time.

 

[Sky1981]

People are taking this into smailing / jones debate.

The point I'm asking isn't actually about them, although realistically they're the closest to my question.

Put it simply : if jose decided to sell smailing (no debate here, just consider him listed)

Would you rather:
1. Sell him to non rival for x
2. Sell him to rival for x+10m

 

[luke511]

Smalling would get into any prem team apart from maybe us or Chelsea, so 40 mil would potentially be a steal.

It'd be interesting to see how many people say they would sell Smalling to a rival, but also laugh at the fact Chelsea sold us Matic.

 

[Laurentiu amt]

This every time.

This should close the thread tho.