My favourite player atm. I always knew he'd turn out good eventually. Best defender in the PL.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 55
- Clean sheets
- 24
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 13
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Brilliant player. Best centre half in England.
Well done Chris another great performance, proving a lot of people wrong including me. Hope he can keep it going.
I think it was part of his fault in Wolfburg's goal but other than that, Mike was exellent. If it was LvG , i would fecking give him captain band right now. No one deserves it than him.
I think he's started to believe that he's actually Mike Smalling and forgotten the things that were holding Chris Smalling back.
Captain Mike!
Cafe underrates him massively.
I am glad people start to give him the credit he deserves. I remember a lot of stick I was getting when I said that as a defender he is better than a certain player (not a better player, but a better defender). Finally he is proving it.
Stepped up a gear this season, i think we've got our Rio replacement now.
I suppose it depends on what attributes you prefer in a CB but I've always preferred the ones who use their great reading of the game to stop situations before they have a chance to become dangerous rather than ones who use their great tacking skills in last ditch attempts. I rated Vidic very highly too fwiw, just thought Ferdinand was more complete.How was he better than Vidic?
Not only Utd's player of the year so far..But the best player in the Premiership now Silva is injured...Love him to bits!
So you decide on who's the best player by your personal preference on their style? That's ridiculus.
First off since this is the greatest hits tribute thread, tonight Mike was fecking boss.
Secondly I agree with you on that part about reading of the game and no doubt Rio was a more rounder footballer but imo I think Vidic was the better player.
It's not a case of 'oh Vidic made more defensive tackles and was generally seen as more active/busy' but.. ok yes that is a part of it but also I think the 'intelligent' players are sometimes too happy to sit and dictate than be pro-active and strange as it sounds not just take part but impose themselves in the game.
I've be a big critic of Carrick and he basically sums up what I mean, a lot of ability, doesn't/hasn't used it to impose himself enough. It's why we love Schweinsteiger, he's displayed all the class of his reading of the game but never shies away from trying to force the issue. With Rio, I felt Vidic more than carried his side of defensive duties and even when he wasn't playing with Rio, he carried whoever his partner was.
I think he was at fault for losing Caliguri for the first goal, but other than that he's been very solid.
Going along nicely, hopefully Jones can make a similar breakthrough this season and we'll have the best pair of CB in the league as predicted years ago.
Going along nicely, hopefully Jones can make a similar breakthrough this season and we'll have the best pair of CB in the league as predicted years ago.
That finish was nice too. Not easy to slide in like that with the outside of the foot.
of all the players involved he was the least at fault for the goal, he did make a small mistake but compared with others its minimal...
Pathetic defending from Blind and Schneiderlin + Valencia was 5 yards behind everyone else in the defence! Smalls should of stayed more central and not be dragged to the ball but at that point they already had us on toast.
@Pentame That's not what I'm doing, did you miss my last sentence where I said I thought Ferdinand was more complete? He was faster, better on the ball, better at reading the game and just as good a leader. Vidic was better in the air and probably a batter tackler and stronger but it's not as if Ferdinand was weak or a bad tackler himself. But Vidic struggled badly with pace even at his best, while I don't think there was a certain type of striker that Ferdinand ever had a weakness for.
@criticalanalysis I could have misunderstood your point but if you're saying Ferdinand needed Vidic next to him to be at his best then I disagree. He first reached his best level next to Vidic but don't forget he also played very well with others next to him. Him and Evans in the second half of 11/12 for example and also in 12/13.
This isn't the thread for this discussion though tbh, we should probably drop it now.
Vidic wasn't that slow in his prime. Ferdinand was just extremly quick which may have made Vidic look slow. Vidic was quite a lot better defensively in my opinion, but obviously wasn't near Ferdinand at all when it comes to technical abilities. But in their prime, Vidic was overall the best out of the two, I'm sure most would agree with me on that.
Woke up and saw Mike had scored . My favourite player nowadays. Absolute beast. What is this about an injury concern? I really hope he isn't out of the Arsenal match. I want to see him put Walcott in his pocket and leave him in his dust in a foot race!
. My favourite player nowadays. Absolute beast. What is this about an injury concern? I really hope he isn't out of the Arsenal match. I want to see him put Walcott in his pocket and leave him in his dust in a foot race!He's fine, he just landed hard on his foot but he carried on fine.Woke up and saw Mike had scored
He is on an altogether different level than the team and helping Blind flourish with him. Monster!!!
Someone needs to teach him how to celebrate goals. Been shitty!!
Someone needs to teach him how to celebrate goals. Been shitty!!
The new Rio? And still only 25. Long may it continue!
Vidic wasn't quite a lot better defensively than Ferdinand. Quite a lot better than Evans and O'Shea, perhaps, but not Ferdinand. That implies gulf-like differences in defensive ability, which was never the case.
Anyways, I love seeing Mike getting praise. As someone who's been a fan since he arrived, and who've spent the last five years defending him from criticism, I love seeing him living up to his potential. Potential legend in the making if he continues like this.
I had something similar playing a game of fives, ended up with a tibial plateau fracture.
Happened when the Femur hit the top of my tibia hard, he's lucky not to get injured with that one.
I was his biggest critic, but thankfully I'll eat humble pie all day. He's lost the nerves he used to carry into every game, began to utilise his size and strength, he believes in himself, which has transformed him entirely.
Could be player of the season if he keeps this up!
There's only 1 Mile Smalling!
Could be player of the season if he keeps this up!
There's only 1 Mile Smalling!
Best centreback in the world, there I said it.
From a neutral - yes he's playing well, and is a great player. But the best? No. just no.
He is the best in the PL, but not so sure about the world. Mind you, I don't watch enough of the other leagues to even have an opinion of whether he is the best in the world.
I disagree. Vidic was a tank and I enjoyed his fearlessness, but overall Ferdinand was the best with no question in my mind.
Amazing what an injury-free run can do, as well as playing alongside someone like Blind who is so good on the ball, and Darmian on the right has helped him. He's looking like the best CB in the league atm.
LvG deserves credit as well. Long may it continue.
LvG deserves credit as well. Long may it continue.
Not the best in the world and I'm a massive fan. On ball game lacks compared to the likes of Boateng and Ramos, and he doesn't obviously have their pedigree yet in Europe. I think he's got the talent to get there though, ridiculously talented defender.
Smalling's only problem is that he goes on a run, shows good form, then gets injured and is then in and out of the team. The only thing holding him back is these constant injuries he seems to get. He is due one. When he fell on his leg yesterday, i was fearing the worst. MUST stay fit if we are to mount a serious title challenge. Losing Shaw and Smalling would in my opinion be a massive dent to any title hopes we may have. Looks world class at present.
He was majestic yesterday. In imperial form. His anticipation, strength, and desire is second to none. His reading of the game has gone up immeasurably, and his confidence is sky high. Future cap't right here, me thinks, and if he continues in this form it won't be long until he's winning Player of the Season awards. He was awesome yesterday. As Rio would say, 'Beast mode'. Just shows what a consistent run in the first team does for a player's game.
imo hes better defensively than both Boateng and Ramos, of course I'm going to be biased though
His ball playing ability is what has impressed me the most. I used to bring up the fact that he was quite good at RB for us in his debut season, pointing to the ripping of Kolarov in the CS, but his ability to burst through the back has been so good. Keep up the good work Smaller +1.
I am not sure there is a better CB out there in the world right now. I literally don't know if Blind is really that good at CB, or is Smalling making him look a world beater?. IF you put him in any top team in the world he wouldn't look out of place. If he keeps this form up for the rest of the season he is our player of the year.
He's brilliant.
Loved our fans singing "there's only one Mike Smalling" after he scored!
Loved our fans singing "there's only one Mike Smalling" after he scored!
It really is amazing to see how he's become a fan favourite after years of injuries and being almost-there-but-not-quite. It wasn't so long ago that I would have gladly gotten rid of Smalling and kept Evans.
As for comparisons with Rio, well I don't think he's there yet, but it's always better to see the caf in an unreasonably positive mood than being unbearably negative.
As for comparisons with Rio, well I don't think he's there yet, but it's always better to see the caf in an unreasonably positive mood than being unbearably negative.
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