12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 55
- Clean sheets
- 24
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 13
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
It's been a long way but Mike finally proved his worth. 
PSV 2:1 Man Utd
Another rock solid game. MOTM for me.
Me too. Again one of the few positives in an otherwise miserable performance.
One thing I did like in this game, which I've never noticed before, is towards the end he kept making forward runs when we had aimless possession around the halfway line. He'd make an advanced run behind the striker, but every time we'd just pass backwards again, despite the fact we were losing. I like to see that attacking mentality but it's a shame no one passed to him because we're not prepared to take risks. He was visibly and understandably frustrated when his runs were ignored.
He's an absolute animal. Looked like a proper leader on the pitch tonight.
Pretty good today again today.
Even did his best to try and drive forward.
Even did his best to try and drive forward.
That run on goal he made was probably the highlight of the night, Memphis's goal aside. Brilliant play.
Would have loved to have seen him score from his bouldering run, it took me a moment to realize it was him as he was so far up the pitch in a non-set piece situation. Excellent defensively again and suits the Captain's armband.
His ball playing skills just keep getting better and better.
I thought he wasn't as good defensively as he has been in the last few matches. Maybe that is because he had a new CB partner. Still pretty good though.
Class defender.
I see no reason to break him and Blind now. They obviously have great communication built up.
Think hes a beast and is getting better. LVG has done him right imo.
Immense.
We need to protect him as much as we can because I worry if he were to pick up an injury.
Needs to play with Blind. Blind suits him a lot more than Rojo did.
Love him as our captain. This lad has come a long way and is really among top defenders in the league. Given that horrific thing that happened to Shaw, I beg to whoever almighty that he may continue uninjured all season long.
Also, maybe somebody can help me remember - is him& McNair a sensible pairing? I remember Paddy being a great prospect.
Also, maybe somebody can help me remember - is him& McNair a sensible pairing? I remember Paddy being a great prospect.
beast mode is right, he's been throwing forwards around like rag-dolls all season
Utds POTY so far, long may it continue
Utds POTY so far, long may it continue
MOTM for me. Deserved the armband as well, think it suited him. Having born leaders like Schweinsteiger around can only help him with that.
If only he'd have scored from that darting run
It doesn't matter who he pairs up with. All our other CB had their best games pairing up with Smalling last season, even Evans.
I knew he would't score. looking back, it was a big miss.
He is my player of the season so far comfortably. But my one criticism of him as a captain on Tuesday was that after the Shaw injury while there was a break in play, I would have really liked for him to get the players together, give them a little pep talk, try to ensure that the injury doesnt affect the team (as best as he could, obviously there still could be some impact).
To be fair, the cameras didnt really show what our players were doing at the time, so it is quite possible that he was doing all that stuff anyway.
As a leader of the back four I think Smalling has come on leaps and bounds - you can see that he is more vocal and authoritative. Basically he is much more confident in his own abilities, and he can project that to those around him. The next step for him if he is to be a club captain (I say "a" rather than "the" because you can have more than one leader in the squad) is to become that leader not just for the defenders but for the entire team.
To be fair, the cameras didnt really show what our players were doing at the time, so it is quite possible that he was doing all that stuff anyway.
As a leader of the back four I think Smalling has come on leaps and bounds - you can see that he is more vocal and authoritative. Basically he is much more confident in his own abilities, and he can project that to those around him. The next step for him if he is to be a club captain (I say "a" rather than "the" because you can have more than one leader in the squad) is to become that leader not just for the defenders but for the entire team.
Good point
I remember having numerous dicussions in the Hummels thread whereby I was dead against signing Hummels as I thought it was obvious to anybody who watched Smalling at centre half that these types of performances where in them. This got plenty more potential in there too improve further and long may it continue.
It has certainly helped him having blind next to him as Blinds ability on te ball takes the responsibility away from Smalling to "build up the playfrom the back".
Last season I was all for Smalling Rojo being how first choice partnership. However, with the shaw injury I hope Rojo goes in at left back and we keep smalling and blind together
It has certainly helped him having blind next to him as Blinds ability on te ball takes the responsibility away from Smalling to "build up the playfrom the back".
Last season I was all for Smalling Rojo being how first choice partnership. However, with the shaw injury I hope Rojo goes in at left back and we keep smalling and blind together
He's played really well and i'm happy that he has proven me wrong, never thought he could play this well consistently let's hope he can keep it up. Not sure about him as captain though.
You could briefly see all the players doing various exercises in the background to keep warm.
I don't think it's possible for fans to know who's suitable as captain.We don't know them well enough or how they interact with the rest of the squad.
Think it's pretty clear that despite Smalling wearing the armband Schweinsteiger was the leader on the pitch.
According to Keane he still hasn't proved he is worthy to be a United player
I understand, but our performance suffered after the Shaw injury and it clearly affected the team. Im not blaming Smalling (or anyone else) for that, but rather I think in the aftermath it would have been the ideal time for the captain to bring the players together and rally them.
It's all the same to these former players. The majority probably still see him as a liability, and would sit there saying selling him and Jones should happen because they've not 'shown enough'. And if they were to get sold they'd bang on about how we're losing our identity like with Welbeck
Imagine being Keane's kids.... You'd stand no chance of ever impressing your dad.
I was just replying to the part where you said the cameras didn't show what the players were doing to be honest. I get your point.
Any sentence that starts 'according to Keane' is always going to end with unmitigated feckwittery, but this is out there even by his standards.
A couple of outstanding performances against the big teams and I think we can confidently call him the best CB in the world (top 5 at the very least).
Of course, he is English and he plays for United so this is not going to bode well with others.
Of course, he is English and he plays for United so this is not going to bode well with others.
That run he made recovering for Darmian,who was all over the place, against that quick winger of theirs showed one of the things why he is so important. His recovery pace is amazing. Weird then that Rio said no defenders has that ability to recover. All our defenders, bar Blind, are fast.
I'd say he's been the best center back in the league so far this season.
I don't get it why he's spewing so much utter nonsense. What is the point? Is he ever following up his reasoning, particularly when he's slating players who quite clearly are good enough to play for United?
Silly old man.
Guardado set to miss 6 weeks over this:
It didn't look that bad then. What a tragic game that was.
It didn't look that bad then. What a tragic game that was.
According to Keane, Churchill was an average leader.
Southampton 2:3 Man Utd
Had a lot to do today as things to his left were calamitous.
Only centre back who knows how to win a duel against a good player. He cannot go into every duel in and around the box. Rojo was better than Blind though.
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