Appears to be flourishing under van Gaal. I've been impressed with him the most out of all three of our centre backs so far.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 29
- Clean sheets
- 8
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
Man Utd 1:2 Swansea
Right, so he's shocking on the ball for a team that wants to be in the top 4. Jones was bad on the be ball today but Smalling seems to take so long to handle the ball let alone decide what to do with it and then actually do what he's decided he wants to do with it.
Thought he played well against the man mountain that is Bony.
But yes he is like Bambi on ice at times with the ball.
But yes he is like Bambi on ice at times with the ball.
In this system the defenders are seeing so much of the ball and Smalling is so poor in possession that it makes no sense. He's an ok defender but I don't think he's good enough on the ball.
He's powerful and a stong tackler. But he needs to sort out the speed at which his limbs move. He actually moved like a mountain today.
Uncomfortable on the ball and cumbersome. Jones has a much higher ceiling if he would stop flying into rash tackles.
Jones was positionally inept all game. How exactly did he have a better game - through his last ditch heroic tackles? There's already a thread for Smalling btw.
Distribution still needs a lot of working on but I thought he dealt with Bony in the air and on the ground really well. Not sure how Jones gets rated higher than him today. Smalling had a good game today, besides the issue with his passing.
Given that he spent at least half the game covering for Lingard and Januzaj he was never going to be sound in his positioning. Other than the moment he let Routledge in early on, Jones was very very solid. His last ditch tackles were the result of covering for the mistakes of others, not because he'd let someone in and had to atone. He then went out to right back and did very well dealing with the pace Swansea offered.
Smalling was okay but his distribution was horrendous. Won his challenges for the most part. Questionable on the second goal.
Smalling and Jones are still learning their roles, none are the finished article, both are of a similar level talent and experience wise and both can improve. BUT they need lots and lots of games together, which so far in their short careers has not happened due to injuries and having Rio/Vida in the team ahead of them.
They also need to be played in their correct positions from now on. Smalling and Jones as center halves are 100% better than at full back or in Jones case, midfield. That hasn't helped them at all.
The second goal was Jones out of position, Smalling had to close Montero - the right winger on the right wing - down. I don't see how is culpable for blame.
This. Smalling is a player who very rarely has to make a last ditch tackle because he's so good positionally. Both Blackett and Jones were being pulled out of position all game.
His distribution has been good all pre season, one match it has been poor and the criticasters wake up again, pure defensively he is still the best imo, when Benatia is here, I think he wont be needed that much because then we have a very very solid defender.
See, this I just don't get. People like to criticize Smalling for so many reasons, and this may just be the most idiotic of them all - claiming he is slow when he's outpaced Sturridge, Agbonlahor, Ribery and whoever you wish to put on that list. He was dribbled past once by quick feet and a nice dribble - that could have happened to Kyle Walker as well, yet would you call him slow?
Criticize him for his shortcomings, which is his distribution. That being said, it was fine most of the match, but the midfield is hardly doing him any favors, are they?
Smalling must be our most criticised player for nothing, the midfielders werent making themselve available, so only thing he could do is pass it to Jones, Blackett, or to Lingard, but he saw those passes ended up in nothing, and tried to be more risky, ofcourse when you decide to do that you will lose the ball more often..
Exactly.
He did have a couple of awful passes as well, but as did Rooney, Mata, Fletcher and all of them.
Centre backs often have to cover for a full back who is on his way back from a failed attack. I think Smalling could have done better closing the ball down and stopping the incoming ball given that he and jones had obviously communicated to each other as to who was going where. Would hardly regard that as out of position myself. Out of position would be the way he let routledge in the first half.
Phil Jones is the Scot Parker of defenders.
Positionaly inept but, gets away with it because he makes some "heroic" and "brave" last ditch tackles...There, I said it
Smalling is alright defensively but, Christ he is shocking in possession. Bit like John O Shea
Positionaly inept but, gets away with it because he makes some "heroic" and "brave" last ditch tackles...There, I said it
Smalling is alright defensively but, Christ he is shocking in possession. Bit like John O Shea
The thing with Smalling is when he isn't defending it's all very awkward. Jones is a maniac but you always feel he'll win a 50-50 (even if it means he breaks himself in the process) and he's less likely to throw possession away after a great tackle.
Most of the last ditch stuff I've seen from him this year from pre-season and today hasn't been a creation from his own ineptitude. And again he had the job of covering for Januzaj and Lingard at wing-back, and then had to go into a less-favoured right back role whilst Smalling remained in pretty much the same position all game.
Smalling is a bit Wesley Brown for me. He can be very good at defending but he's really not imposing or confident enough to get things going from the back.
Most of the last ditch stuff I've seen from him this year from pre-season and today hasn't been a creation from his own ineptitude. And again he had the job of covering for Januzaj and Lingard at wing-back, and then had to go into a less-favoured right back role whilst Smalling remained in pretty much the same position all game.
Smalling is a bit Wesley Brown for me. He can be very good at defending but he's really not imposing or confident enough to get things going from the back.
Are people here really saying Smalling's defending is just "alright"?
Ok then.
Ok then.
In comparison to a lot of our past defenders, yeah....
Yeah, compare to the past primes of Rio and Vidic alone and you'll find pretty much all of the current premier league CBs are "alright". Pretty weird thing to say.
Well alright....If we consider ourselves a "top team" and we compare him to other "top defenders" he's still alright.
Spent too much time with the Ferdinand of the latter years with the hoofballs he does.
Really like him today. He could be more vocal and commanding, but individually he's a beast. Nothing can pass him.
In terms of his actual defending ie his positioning, his 1 on 1s, his standing tackles etc., you really think he is just alright? You should leave me to debate this for another day, because frankly I don't agree with that statement whatsoever. I can't argue against his distribution, but I would not say he is an "alright defender".
Look, I like Smalling. A lot!
He will be a great defender but at this moment in time, Arsenal, Chelsea and City all have better defenders. And they're the clubs we are supposed to be fighting among.
He handled Bony really well today. Won a lot of header and tackles. But poor passes today. Surprise with his passing. He improved his passing since last season. And all of sudden he seems got confused where to pass today. Oh well, it's not like the other players made good passes anyway.
I was talking about him on the ball. He takes ages to do anything. He's great on one v ones and generally very good defensively. But on the ball and in terms of distribution he can be very poor.
Also, extra sensitive on the topic of Chis Smalling?
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he is better/potentially better than the likes of Jagielka, Vlaar, Williams, Distin, Mertesacker, Cahill... and those players play pivotal role in their teams' defences. so not afraid to give him a chance to play for us central CB. did well in on preseason and good today as well..wish him and our other defenders injury free season..well it started nicely..
Why does he slip so often while attempting a pass?
Phil Jones is the Scot Parker of defenders.
Positionaly inept but, gets away with it because he makes some "heroic" and "brave" last ditch tackles...There, I said it
Smalling is alright defensively but, Christ he is shocking in possession. Bit like John O Shea
Jones made a couple of brilliant last ditch tackles which were not from his lack of positioning but because the other players went to sleep. He was excellent the whole game.
He seems very classy but I really believe Jones and Evans should be above in the pecking order. A new defender would displace him from the starting XI, should Evans be fit.
He's a beast.
#SmallingPlusTwo I guess!
#SmallingPlusTwo I guess!
He does take a little long on the ball and, that I agree with.
I'm extra sensitive on everything, mate, but there's a lot of unfair criticisms towards him; some argue that his poor in the air (little of that of late), some say he's slow, poor positionally; some argue that he's poor one on one etc etc.
He started running off when his number came up, despite there being a Swansea played stood there. He's an idiot. Far too slow at distributing the ball as well.
Not sure, but I've noticed this too; perhaps something to do with his balance? I noticed Mata slipped a fair few times yesterday as well, so maybe it was just slippery.
I do think he's more than good enough to start for us, but we didn't play as a unit in defense yesterday. I also think that with three fast defenders in Jones, Smalling and Blackett, we could afford to sit a little higher on the pitch and allow less space between our midfielders and our defense.
And you strike me as Einstein reincarnated with such comments...
Is he injured or not?