He didnt really catch my eye, I think that means he's solid.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 29
- Clean sheets
- 8
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
If him and Jones actually had ONE injury free season we might win some trophies.
Great partnership in the making. Jones is slightly behind in reading the game but Smalling is showing maturity over the last few weeks.
Great partnership in the making. Jones is slightly behind in reading the game but Smalling is showing maturity over the last few weeks.
I love that both Smalling and Jones got Balotelli to lose his cool.
Epic performance. His physicality and anticipation have really improved under LvG.
Hugely impressed. He's been an absolute beast at the back for a while now.
Great performacne and would of backed him to beat the shit out of Ballotelli.
Solid - has been the entire season barring that one moment of madness against City.
Excellent performance, kept his head and showed surprisingly no signs of nervousness.
Smalling has improved drastically throughout the season. Not only is he positioning himself better defensively, but he has improved a lot on the ball too. I must admit I never tought that would happen. I have a lot of faith in him and Rojo. Smalling needs to stay injury free or he will go back to his previous level.
Brilliant again today. People were actually wishing he was sold a while back too.
Big Chris at it
What's with the newly-acquired Messi runs from the back? He's actually quite decent at them.
Yet another great performance from him. Comfortably our best CB.
Great performance in big game, I guess this is what we asked from him.. Stay fit and confident, Chris and you could be the best center back in the league
He's doing a very good job. I still think that we need an another defender, but Smalling is doing well. Hopefully, he makes a good partnership with Rojo in the next 8 matches.
#Smalling+Jones
Our best defender tonight imo. Kept his calm in every situation and was always there when it counted.
His dribbling in the second half I think surprised everyone including his own team mates who just seemed to stand there and watch like "wtf is going on with this guy?"
His dribbling in the second half I think surprised everyone including his own team mates who just seemed to stand there and watch like "wtf is going on with this guy?"
Yeah let us stick with that partnership until injury breaks it up. Our defense has looked as solid as it had all season these last two matches.
Solid...Again
Our best defender tonight imo. Kept his calm in every situation and was always there when it counted.
His dribbling in the second half I think surprised everyone including his own team mates who just seemed to stand there and watch like "wtf is going on with this guy?"
Reminds me of Phil Neville doing the stepovers and everyone laughing at him.Must be a nightmare to play against on this kind of form.
Can see why Balotelli was getting so wound up. He knew he wasn't getting anything.
Can see why Balotelli was getting so wound up. He knew he wasn't getting anything.
You can see why Michael Owen rates him as the best centre back he trained with while he was here.
He has absolutely everything needed to dominate teams. Immense today. He looks so assured when defending compared to Jones, who gives me the yips whenever he goes anywhere near the ball.
He seems to have tried to develop his passing. He played some fantastic long range sweeping passes today.
He has absolutely everything needed to dominate teams. Immense today. He looks so assured when defending compared to Jones, who gives me the yips whenever he goes anywhere near the ball.
He seems to have tried to develop his passing. He played some fantastic long range sweeping passes today.
Love him. I genuinely don't think he's put a foot wrong since that calamity of a display against City. He makes slight positional and marking errors on occasions which all defenders do every game, but he's just so incredibly solid overall. I never felt nervous seeing quick, powerful players like Sturridge, Balotelli and Sterling running at him. He kept managing to show them away from goal, and he always seems to win the kick-and-chase race. Physically he is perfect. Enormous presence, but blistering quick. Severely underrated, even amongst United fans. I don't think I know anyone outside of the caf who doesn't think he's useless. Those godawful RB performances have really given him a lasting reputation.
So did Danny Welbeck.
Smalling has clearly grown in confidence over the last few weeks. His long passing has improved and he is even charging out of defence with the ball - and doing it sureprisingly well. He even got a couple of goals a few weeks back.
Smalling's looking like the player he was a few years ago. Couldn't have happened at a better time either.
He was never even that bad there. Defensively, he was still among the best. See the home against Arsenal last season where he single handedly shut down that right hand side and completely took Cazorla out of the game. He's just a classy defender.
He must be a strikers nightmare when on form. He's rapid, strong, great in the air and good at reading what an opponent is gonna do. One of the first names on the team sheet for me.
Another good performance from him. He really is hard to beat in one on one situations and he's only going to become a more rounded defender. His surging runs forward are class but sometimes just gets the ball caught under his feet which can be dangerous in the wrong part of the field.
Defensively he was decent. Solid in one-on-ones as always. I think his passing and moving with the ball has improved massively, quite probably from being exposed to playing at right back. He often did look horribly clumsy out there though. I do remember some pretty naff performances from him out there. Hard to blame him completely, as it's just not his position anyway. Very glad Van Gaal is not even considering him out there, so it seems.
I always feel it was really detrimental to both Smalling and Jones being played at RB so much. I don't think it is any coincidence that now they are finally getting a run of games at CB (and staying fit) that they are both playing at a much higher level (although I am still not entirely convinced by Jones).
Hopefully, Smallingbauer keeps up this great form. He definitely has a future here.
Pulled out another pinpoint 40 yard pass again today!
Chris Smalling has earned a place on the team next season, never been a fan tbh......i am now
Epic determination. His arc this season amazing.
From dressing like Bin Laden to being a pillar of defense... perhaps an unquestionable leader of formation someday.
From dressing like Bin Laden to being a pillar of defense... perhaps an unquestionable leader of formation someday.
He is getting better and has improved this season. I think he's now ahead of Jones in terms of development.
Just a matter of time to prove what a good player he is. He just needed to stay fit and played in his proper position. SMH at posters who even now suggest that we get rid of him. Clearly the best defender we have at the club at the moment. I really like his partnership with Jones right now, hope we continue with that partnership as long as they both stay fit.
Tremendous again
Yeah it startles me when you see people talking about how we should be signing some new young CB prospect just because they look solid in the Dutch league (for example).
I expect we will sign a new CB, but it needs to be a proven, world class established player, otherwise just stick with what we have.