Your pecking order for our non-Maguire CBs?

Sparky Rhiwabon

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Say we sign no CBs in the summer and Smalling comes back (big ifs), how would you order-of-preference our centre back options to partner Maguire? And which would you sell?

Rojo
Lindelof
Jones
Bailly
Tuanzebe
Smalling
 

stevoc

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Smalling
Tuanzebe/Lindelof
Bailly
Rojo
Jones

If we could find buyers i'd sell/release Jones/Rojo and maybe even Bailly. Replace them with one solid defender who can stay fit.
 

USREDEVIL

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Smalling/Bailly (when fit ;) )
Lindelof
Jones/Rojo are even to me (Jones is less a foul waiting to happen but more of a disaster waiting to happen than Rojo)
Tuanzebe

I'd sell Jones and Rojo. I'd keep Smalling as backup.
 

11101

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Bailly (if he has managed to stay fit)
Lindelof
Smalling
Rojo
Tuanzebe
Jones

I'd sell Rojo and tear Jones's contract up in front of him.
 

JJ12

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Smalling/Maguire would’ve been interesting
 

DatIrishFella

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Sell Jones, Smalling, and Rojo.

Maguire and a fully fit and focused Bailly, with Lindelof and Tuanzebe as back up.

Little hope for Bailly situation panning out like that so bring in Koulibaly to partner Maguire.
 

Thiagoal

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Can I put Mengi in the list as I think he’ll be better than all of them in a couple of years
 

Neil_Buchanan

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I would sell Jones and Rojo whilst bringing back Smalling from loan. I had written Bailey off but he's impressed me since he's returned so let's hope he can stay fit. If none of them can fully cement that place next to Maguire by next summer then we should go big for a new centre back.
 
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Say we sign no CBs in the summer and Smalling comes back (big ifs)
Would make zero sense as Smalling wants to play every week and he'll never be worth more than he will be at the end of this season. Getting rid and brining in someone like Upamecano would make too much sense, that said, I'll play.

Bailly is best of them, when he's not being an absolute lunatic or injured. Always has been the case as much as tonnes of posters have desperately wanted to laugh off anyone suggesting Bailly is a cracking player.

Then Smalling or Tuanzebe, completely dependent on just how good Axel is, none of us really know if we're being honest so Smalling edges this.

Then Lindelöf.

I'd have used Jones in the games we played Sheff United and Aston Villa, + a couple of others in DM, instead we went with Andreas there and it never ended well. If Jones, when fit, is solely gonna be used as a CB... sell him. Rojo is done, too many injuries and not at Bailly's level when fully fit and focused so sell him too.
 

Random Task

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Lindelof - Rarely gets injured, cool, can't jump won't jump.
Bailly - Most talented defender at the club, quick, psychotic.
Tuanzebe - Talented, rarely fit. Kinda meh.
Rojo - Apparently still under contract with the club. Can hit them.
I'm Chris Smalling - Inter. Meh.
And I'm Phil Jones - No. Nope. Not now not ever.
 

Bastian

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Tuanzebe (for pace and not terrible with his feet)
Bailly (for pace)
Lindelof (decent with his feet, no pace though)

Smalling is off, Jones probably too if we can find a buyer, and Rojo most definitely since we're subsidising a loan move to Argentina.

Ideally we'd sell one of Bailly/Lindelof and bring in a top class centre half to partner Maguire. But we've got too many other pressing needs.
 

Eric's Seagull

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Sell Jones, Smalling, and Rojo.

Maguire and a fully fit and focused Bailly, with Lindelof and Tuanzebe as back up.

Little hope for Bailly situation panning out like that so bring in Koulibaly to partner Maguire.
Would like the situation you mentioned happen. Think it would be hard to get rid of Jones unless he takes a paycut. I think it would be very hard to get someone to pay the £75,000 he is reportedly on. Would really like to see Bailly stay fit but that is a big ask. I doubt the club would pay Koulibaly fee; which I've read is £90m of course this could be a load of crap, although I think he would be great, when we need serious recruitment in other areas.
 

Utdstar01

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Smalling
Bailly
Tuanzebe
Lindelof

Mengi will step up next season.

Get rid of the rest.
 

bosnian_red

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  1. Smalling
  2. Bailly
  3. Lindelof
  4. Tuanzebe
  5. Jones
  6. Rojo
Crazy to loan out Smalling tbf, think he wouldve been a great partner for Maguire as he has good recovery pace, is aggressive, very good in the air in both boxes... plus English so why not.
For Lindelof it's not that I think hes that bad, it's just that his qualities and weaknesses don't mesh with Maguires at all. Tuanzebe, based on very little game time, I toss in the same boat as Lindelof. Not sure if he's aggressive enough of a defender to really make it. Smalling and Bailly are both aggressive and fast, which is needed.
 

GwilDor

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Surprised so many puts Tuanzebe at the bottom. Not that he has proven himself at United as of yet, but that is mainly down to injuries and getting to the level imo. Pro's for him i'd say is that he's a youth product; has performed on loan in Championship, indicating he could well be able to step up; Pace and physicality; Last, and most importantly, leadership abilities. We need more leaders in this team. Players who inspire the rest of the team to step up. I think he's definately better than Lindelöf in this respect, though that is one of the areas Lindelöf can improve the most. Anyways, my list would be as follows: Top three are interchangeable for me though, was hoping someone would claim the spot and run with it this season, but not having that feeling so far(weird thing to say after our current run, but still)

1.Tuanzebe (romantic in me has hopes)
2.Smalling (Better positionally than Bailly, and less injured)
3.Lindelöf ( Smalling better in almost everything, maybe except ball playing ability. I have been disappointed by Lindelöfs ball playing abilities, had hoped they improved during his time here, but i can't really say they have)
4.Bailly (cons: too rash, lacks in situational awareness. injury record pro: great physicality, no nonsense defending)
5.Rojo (too rash, but always gives his all)
6.Jones (isn't he injured?)

I know Shaw has only played in a setup with 3 CB's, but he has impressed me. Maybe he is also an option? Aerial duels would be his main problem i guess. Someone mentioned Mengi, but i haven't seen enough of him to form an opinion yet, though he receives a lot of praise.
 

MikeKing

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I'd keep Smalling, Bailly and Tuanzebe and get rid of the others. Buy a new youngish CB. A different scenario would be to keep Lindelof around as well and wait for Mengi or Tuanzebe.
 

SmashedHombre

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Lindelof
Smalling
Bailly
Rojo
Jones
Tuanzebe

Lindelof, Bailly, Tuanzebe are the three I think we will try and keep, alongside Maguire.
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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Interesting that not many have Lindelof as first choice and yet he does seem to be first choice at the moment
 

Aarron Swift

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Bailly - Theres a good defender there, I like him. This next 12-18 months has to be his last chance to prove he can stay fit. If he can’t then cut out losses.

Smalling - Shows glimpses of being a solid defender, has weakness but so does every one below him in this list. After 10 years at Utd its time for him to go.

Lindelof - Plays okay generally, heading crosses seems a huge problem for him


Tuanzebe - Looks like he has promise, would like to see him play a bigger part in the squad. Hasn’t played enough or been tested over a long enough period for me to rank him higher than Bailly or Lindelof

Rojo - Can battle, sometimes plays well. But shown Just overall not good enough. No idea how he never once got a red for Utd. Sold in summer

Jones - Had the odd good spell but always has a mistake in him. Looks clumsy and I’d say probably makes the rest of the defence on edge as they surely can’t trust him. Sold in summer
 

11101

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Interesting that not many have Lindelof as first choice and yet he does seem to be first choice at the moment
Hes surely first choice because Bailly cant stay fit. Ole hasn't yet seen one of his psychotic games so it cant be the fear of that.
 

Brightonian

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To partner Maguire:

Bailly
Smalling
Lindelof
Tuanzebe
Rojo-Jones

To replace Maguire and partner one of the others:

Smalling
Bailly
Tuanzebe
Lindelof
Rojo-Jones
 

simonhch

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Bailly is one bad game away from dropping to the bottom of most people’s lists. Such is the ever changing, fickle nature of football fans.

A long term judgement of their prospects here:

Lindelof - Decent, solid defender, good with his feet. Should be first choice back up.

Tuanzebe - Highly rated by the club, lots of potential. Good 4th choice behind Maguire, Lindelof and a new First choice CB.

Smalling - Has resurrected his career in a league where pure defending, rather than defending/playmaking, is the premium. Had a poor couple of seasons prior at Utd. Should be sold and allowed to consider his resurgence in Italy.

Bailly - A poor, calamity and injury strewn 3.5 years at the club. Playing okay after his latest long time injury. Always one game away from complete catastrophe. Should be moved on.

Rojo - Time’s up.

Jones - Forgot he even existed. Career ruined by injuries. Will never be good enough or fit enough. Should leave.

Of our CBs, the only three I’d keep are Maguire, Lindelof, and Tuanzebe. It’s essential we buy a new CB to partner Maguire. None one else has the credentials or performances to partner him yet. Tuanzebe has the potential, but he needs an injury free season and more games. Mengi is a long term prospect.

This summer I would spend big on a CB, RW, and CF.
 

kidbob

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It may seem weird to say this but Jones is still the most 'talented' CB at the club. As in at his rare best he is an absolute beast that is quick, good in the air, good one on one etc. He may be the worst case of a talented player ruined by injury at this club along with Saha. I am probably crazy but if Maguire is out I'd rather see Jones play against City and hope he has a good game, because a good game from him is worth more than either Bailly or Lindelof.

Basically we need to sign a new partner for Maguire, I was hoping Tuanzebe could be the one but he's been horribly injured all year. He still could do it but it would be a risk to chance it.

Edit: in the situation you mentioned then bring Smalling back to start and sell Jones, Rojo, Lindelof and hope that Tuanzebe can stay fit and start fast tracking Mengi (serious talent). However selling Smalling and bringing in Konate or Upemencano would be the best bet. Stay the hell way from Koulibaly.
 
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hobbers

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It's really hard to call between Lindelof, Bailly, Tuanzebe and Smalling.

Lindelof is reliable in terms of fitness, and he's done "okay" most of the time. But he's also quite spineless. Bailly is a better footballer but is made of glass. Tuanzebe has the most potential but is seemingly also made of glass. Smalling is better defensively than any of the other three, but he's still absolute shite with the ball at his feet, so probably stays at the bottom of the pecking order.

No point even mentioning Jones and Rojo. They're gone.

Also, if the idea is to have four centrebacks, two of them can't be Bailly and Tuanzebe, given that they're both injured 85% of the time. So if (when) Jones and Rojo go we either need another body in or Smalling has to stay.
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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It may seem weird to say this but Jones is still the most 'talented' CB at the club. As in at his rare best he is an absolute beast that is quick, good in the air, good one on one etc. He may be the worst case of a talented player ruined by injury at this club along with Saha. I am probably crazy but if Maguire is out I'd rather see Jones play against City and hope he has a good game, because a good game from him is worth more than either Bailly or Lindelof.

Basically we need to sign a new partner for Maguire, I was hoping Tuanzebe could be the one but he's been horribly injured all year. He still could do it but it would be a risk to chance it.

Edit: in the situation you mentioned then bring Smalling back to start and sell Jones, Rojo, Lindelof and hope that Tuanzebe can stay fit and start fast tracking Mengi (serious talent). However selling Smalling and bringing in Konate or Upemencano would be the best bet. Stay the hell way from Koulibaly.
Isn't he rated as one of the best centre backs in the world?
 

DWelbz19

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Smalling
Bailly
Tuanzebe
Jones
Lindelof
 

A-man

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This is the order I rate them:

Lindelof
Smalling
Jones
Bailly
Rojo
Tuanzebe

Lindelof is good at the basics, positioning, awareness, and covering for Maguire. He is the best defender at playing through press. Needs to be much aggressive in some situations and win back the ball earlier. Average in the air but that’s sorted by Maguire

Smalling strong in the air, strong man to man.I have watched his matches since Christmas and he doesn’t look to be in his best form atm. He has been a bit all over the place, losing position, giving away penalties, costing goals etc. He is the perfect CB to have on the bench.

Jones has had many good performances over the last year but also some very poor moments Good at transporting the ball forward, decent in the air. Doesn’t matter, he is injured too often. Sell.

Bailly is fun to watch (football is entertainment) and has several good moments as most reactive CBs. Lacks the basics like awareness, positioning and from the little I’ve seen him with Maguire, his trips forward makes Maguire the last man. Worst of all CBs in the air but that could be compensated from Maguire. I think he is worth one last chance . Think he would be good in a back 3 with Maguire and Lindelof.

Rojo is often very good imo but then he is just too aggressive and has poor judgement. Sell.

Tuanzebe. I’ve seen too little of him at PL level to make any conclusions. Hasn’t looked good so far but he has played worryingly few senior matches in his career. Many coaches have seen talent in him so would like to keep and develop.

I don’t agree with people saying that United need to buy a new CB to match Maguire. Isn’t the point with buying the most expensive CB of all time, that you don’t already have 1-2 who are better?
 

A-man

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Also, if the idea is to have four centrebacks, two of them can't be Bailly and Tuanzebe, given that they're both injured 85% of the time. So if (when) Jones and Rojo go we either need another body in or Smalling has to stay.
I think this has been a general problem for CBs at United. Players who are easily injured can’t play many matches because you risk injury. Like Bailly, he would need a run of matches and play against City tomorrow, but I doubt Ole will play a glass player like him two times the same week. And then they are never available for rotation or as back ups. I’d still like to give Bailly one last chance because of his talent. For Tuanzebe, he has had many injuries but it is too soon to conclude that he is “made of glass” imo.

But for sure, you can’t count on them both to be available.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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I don't particularly rate any of them that highly. They're all somewhat flawed.

Shipping Smalling out on loan was probably the end for him. I can't think of a player his age going out on loan, coming back and reintegrating. I think him and Maguire could be a good balanced pair, but I don't think we'll see it.

Lindelof would be good if he was stronger. He loses physical battles and aerial duels to players half his size. He seems to have a reputation as a ball playing defender, but he shits himself when pressed and generally looks distinctively average on the ball. His positioning and understanding of his role are probably the best of the lot, but the execution is not. Too weak, too slow.

Bailly is an emphatic defender. Loves a slide tackle and smashing someone to the ground. His positioning is suspect, and he is the worst header of the ball I've ever seen from a centre back. He's got an outrageous leap, but he mistimes it every time, goes over or under the ball. Forever injured. I have zero faith in him being a reliable presence in our defence long term, but he's fun to watch.

Rojo didn't ever look particularly good at anything except being injured, sticking a two-footer on someone, and pinging the ball into the 2nd tier from 40 yards.

Jones is a meme. The highlight of his career is his big dumb face. That's what he'll be remembered for. Looked very talented early on, couldn't stay fit much after that 1st season. He comes in now and again and plays well, then we don't see him again for months. It's hard to believe he still plays for us and that he's had his contract renewed twice.

I have no idea if Tuanzebe is any good. Has he been injured all this time, or is he just not in the picture?
 

Oldyella

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Smalling/Bailly - either would make good partners for Maguire, assume Smalling would play more games simply due to Bailly being injury prone.
Tuanzebe - club obviously see something in him, but again, injury prone, so not sure if he is ideal cover.
Lindelof - just dont rate him, never have, and probably never will.
Jones/Rojo - both need fecking off.
 

ivaldo

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Lindelof
Bailly
Tuanzebe
Smalling
Jones
Rojo