I like Smalling but he was never, ever brilliant. He's a very good defender on his best days. And a liability when he's off his game.
Champions League Group A
Manchester United 3:0 FC Basel
Old Trafford
- Kick-off
- Tue, 12 September 2017 @ 7:45pm BST
- Status
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Closed
Discussion Your Lineup Prediction
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- Status
He was brilliant in the 1st half of LvG's 2nd season, and after the red card vs City in LvG's 1st. Was excellent in patches prior to that whether under Moyes and SAF.
Smalling has been brilliant for months but the issue is can we really trust a defender like him who often goes missing?I see the largest % have gone for a half Chamberlain same as me , hope we score more but id be happy with 2-0.So what's the verdict on Lindeloff ? I know people see him as a risk, but honestly I've only watched highlights of him in the friendly games, so I don't really have an opinion to give on the matter.Basel are winless for their last 10 CL games and we haven't beat them at home yet.
Just hope Basel aren't due a win and hope OT give our players the full backing and we out score them.
I don't want to turn this into a Smalling thread, but it's been a long time since he evidenced his brilliance.Hoping for a comprehensive win to cement the fact United are back at the highest level.This would have been a difficult game a few years ago.
Basel have had some very good players in recent years: Rakitić, Shaqiri, Xhaka, Embolo, Elneny, Salah, Sommer, Frei, etc.
2-0 win. I'd rest Valencia.Lindelöf at least played twice for Sweden, Smalling hasn't had a game in a while. I think, retrospectively, he should have played instead Stoke of Jones, if Mourinho was so worried about the aerial threat.
Smalling's problem, the reason he'll never be a dead certain starter here, is his feet, you can't trust him there to distribute play from behind, as Mourinho candidly said justifying the Europa League final tactic.Last edited:
Playing with Blind acted as the perfect foil for him with Blind taking most of the distribution responsibility and letting him stick to the simple 10 yard horizontal passes. Blind likewise benefited from Smalling's aerial ability.I am so happy that I can finally post on the Matchday forum. [Yeah, my first meaningful post here]Hope Mourinho drops the 4-3-3 bull…I even like Fellaini, but if Mourinho starts him today…
Half the caf think he is Titus Bramble reborn, the rest haven't formed an opinion because he's barely played. I would advise sitting in the latter camp.Need to twat them. Reaction win after a poor performance during the weekend. Have to.Comfortable 2-0 win. Lukaku and Martial.
It's far too early for a verdict, but he hasn't started well.
The matchday forum is a cesspool of kneejerk reactions and general idiocy during matches, but welcome.
Bolded part: Based on Mourinho's last season's comment about him and Shaw not wanting to play when they are not at their 100% (or at least rumoured), perhaps that's the issue with Mike. He is a good defender for EPL standard and when in form, he kept most players out of the game. It is just his supposed unwillingness to play when not at his 100%, even just a minor injury would make him back out, and that is evident in his demotion from being the captain. Maybe he might be the one to go first out of the CBs, and still there because of the time needed for Lindelof to adjust to the team, league etc.
With the emergence of talents like Axel, Victor and to a certain extent TFM, Smalling I think is on a borrowed time. When Victor settled, and TFM comes back from a full season loan, he might not be at United come next summer.
He started below expected, but mainly because expectations were way too high. People were talking here of him being a sure starter, following Bailly's steps, which were quite uncommon, really.
Saw some of his performances in Benfica games, and honestly, I wasn't impressed with him.
He was reasonably quick, but he needed to be, as he made a lot of positional errors and his 'best work' seemed to be recovery tackles (which wouldn't need to be made if he was not making errors).
I was pretty surprised that we actually signed him, as I just put the links with him down to newspaper speculation.
It remains to be seen if he can make the grade at United, he's not had a great start, but he is young and maybe can be sculptured into a top defender.
My understanding is that Smalling was keen to leave in the Summer window, but although not standing in his way, United priced him out of a move.
Can't see him being here next season.
I'm not sure why we went for him either. His ball playing skills are his only real strength, it seems. I thought his pace looked dead average.Martial and Mata in I reckon. Comfortable 2-0 win.
I believe one factor was preventing Guardiola from getting him.I wonder if Mourinho feels tempted to risk overusing some of the probably more tired players, like Valencia, Matić and Mkhitaryan, who had two international games plus travels.Reports that Martial was not spotted but that it might be because he stays nearby. Hope he starts over Rashford, we will need him tonight.
Nope that's the reason. He doesn't ever appear at the hotel because he lives nearby.Smalling will be good tonight, I guarantee it - then what'll happen is, after a colossal showing tonight against an average CF, there will be calls for him to replace Bailly or Jones on the weekend.
He'll then proceed to have an absolute stinker and we'll want him sold, again.It won't be chamberlain but perhaps 2-0 or 2-1.Havo no idea who will start but I went with this:
========Lukaku=======
Martial====Mata=====Mikhi
=====Pogba==Matic======
Darmian=Bailly=Jones=Valencia
=========DDG========
Bailly and Jones both suspended.The matchday forum is a cesspool of kneejerk reactions and general idiocy during matches, but welcome.
So true
Pretty confident this'll be my worst line up prediction so far but ah well.
Oh ok, thanks.========Lukaku=======
Martial====Mkhi=====Mata
=====Pogba==Matic======
Blind=Mike=Lindor =Valencia
=========DDG========I see people are concerned by the mighty Basel.
5-0 united
Smalling is nearly always good. He's had maybe 2 poor games in a couple of years and everyone suddenly wants him sold. His average or poor performances seem to get blown well out of proportion. Where as you have Bailly who is a liability and gets himself into trouble in most games and no one mentions it.
Smalling and Rojo are comfortably our best CB's IMO.
I stayed at the Lowry in May and was in the lobby when the squad came in. That is indeed the reason. Martial always goes through the back-door entrance and is usually the first player to go up to his room. The rest arrive on the bus. So he does join them in the hotel but the photographers won't see him arrive.- Status
Man of the Match
Runners-up
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13%
Ashley Young
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6%
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
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5%
Romelu Lukaku
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2%
Nemanja Matic
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1%
Victor Lindelof
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1%
David de Gea
Player Ratings
Total Average Rating
Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 561 ratings.
Score Predictions
658,11,16
- Man Utd win
- Basel win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 35% Man Utd 2:0 Basel
- 29% Man Utd 3:0 Basel
- 9% Man Utd 3:1 Basel
- 8% Man Utd 2:1 Basel
- 7% Man Utd 4:0 Basel
- 4% Man Utd 1:0 Basel
- 2% Man Utd 5:0 Basel
- 1% Man Utd 4:1 Basel
- 1% Man Utd 0:0 Basel
- 1% Man Utd 1:1 Basel
- 1% Man Utd 0:5 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 5:1 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 0:1 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 1:2 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 5:5 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 3:3 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 1:3 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 3:4 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 0:4 Basel
- 0% Man Utd 3:2 Basel
Match Stats
- Man Utd
- Basel
- Possession
- 61% 39%
- Shots
- 18 8
- Shots on Target
- 8 2
- Corners
- 7 3
- Fouls
- 12 14
Referee
Ruddy Buquet
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Marouane Fellaini
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replaced by Marcus Rashford
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replaced by Jesse Lingard
