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2015-16 Performances

View full 2015-16 profile

6.3 Season Average Rating
Appearances
55
Clean sheets
24
Goals
2
Assists
1
Yellow cards
13
Red cards
1
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He wasn't great last night, but the whole defence was isolated by having little to no defensive midfield presence. Fellaini launched down the wings and Schweinsteiger was trying to get forward as he normally does. Varela especially was in no mans land with no protection from the midfield.

Schneiderlin has been as equally important to us as Smalling has. The job he does often slips under the radar. We've missed him in ou two toughest games this season and been walked through.

The amount of home games we've played against relegation fodder with two sitting midfielders, then the one game we don't do that and go more attacking, it is against one of the toughest opponents we've faced this season, away from home, in a must win CL game. It's bizarre.
 
Skills said:
We'll probably rush him back over Christmas with all the fixtures.
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Definitely. And he'll keep getting injured.

We missed him against Bournemouth. Blind looked way less solid than he does next to Smalling.
 
Man Utd 1:2 Norwich
Average today and never looks as comfortable on the ball when asked to play as the LCB.
 
His technique and passing continues to frustrate me, in modern football defenders have to be part of the attack.
He has some good runs up field though, but still.
 
Was at fault for the second goal tonight. Played the final man onside and given his speed he could easily have covered the ground to make the tackle. Felt like he wasn't fully fit at all.
 
thepolice123 said:
Was at fault for the second goal tonight. Played the final man onside and given his speed he could easily have covered the ground to make the tackle. Felt like he wasn't fully fit at all.
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His speed is the key word here. He was easily outpaced by Jerome today, and that would never happen under normal circumstances. If LVG is playing him whilst still not fit that is (another) cause for concern. He was poor for his standards today, but better than Jones.

I don't quite get why LVG has to be so bloody smart all the time; Smalling plays well on the RCB position, move him to the LCB position. Martial plays well on the left and as a 9, move him to the right. It's frustrating as hell and quite disconcerting going forwards, schizophrenic almost.
 
He looked nowhere near fit today to me, didn't even try to challenge for either goal, that was nothing like him.
 
Amar__ said:
He looked nowhere near fit today to me, didn't even try to challenge for either goal, that was nothing like him.
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The first goal: He would have won the run against Jerome (though Jerome is fast and strong), and if, a big if, he hadn't, he would have busted his ass getting back and slide in before the shot. His running style was just off today and he wasn't fit - simple as.
 
Didn't look match fit, and alongside De Gea and a couple other players - didn't look fully arsed.
 
Definitely didn't look fully fit to me. Or he was but he was distracted about possibly getting injured again. Just looked slow (to react and his overall pace) and made the wrong decisions.
 
Stoke 2:0 Man Utd
Never look as comfortable on the ball or in the channel when playing as the LCB.
 
Rossa said:
Nope, and everyone can see that bar LVG - make room for Jones, he must.
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For a guy who obsessed as much as he does about the left footed CB thing it's amazing he's so oblivious to the fact that this happens every time Chris goes to the left. We could have just played Jones at RB and Young at LB if he didn't fancy using Varela.

kouroux said:
Why was he swapped with Jones ?
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My guess is because Jones struggles positionally even when playing on his natural side.
 
Devil may care said:
For a guy who obsessed as much as he does about the left footed CB thing it's amazing he's so oblivious to the fact that this happens every time Chris goes to the left. We could have just played Jones at RB and Young at LB if he didn't fancy using Varela.

My guess is because Jones struggles positionally even when playing on his natural side.
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You know you are right here, but few would have known that Jones would be as shocking as he has been the last couple of matches.
 
Devil may care said:
For a guy who obsessed as much as he does about the left footed CB thing it's amazing he's so oblivious to the fact that this happens every time Chris goes to the left. We could have just played Jones at RB and Young at LB if he didn't fancy using Varela.



My guess is because Jones struggles positionally even when playing on his natural side.
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Jones doesn't look natural anywhere.
 
What I dont understand is he went into the season with Smalling and Blind, and tbf, they forged a good partnership. Why did he break it? Injuries happened but its not like this has worked, why not keep your spine the same and just have people who are natural the position (but young) there? I thought that was the point of having a small squad, to promote youth in positions where needed (not put people out of position). I also dont think Jones is fully fit and looks to have been rushed back.
 
Smalling is our best defender, and arguably best outfield player, playing as the RCB. Jones comes in and van Gaal then moves Smalling to the LCB (where his weakness on the ball is exacerbated). Why?
 
ZDwyr said:
Smalling is our best defender, and arguably best outfield player, playing as the RCB. Jones comes in and van Gaal then moves Smalling to the LCB (where his weakness on the ball is exacerbated). Why?
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Because Van Gaal is a massive fecking idiot.
 
ZDwyr said:
Smalling is our best defender, and arguably best outfield player, playing as the RCB. Jones comes in and van Gaal then moves Smalling to the LCB (where his weakness on the ball is exacerbated). Why?
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Jones's positioning is awful and Van Gaal just played him in his natural role. He has a horrible tendency to drift too far right (and to go on aimless charges forward for a ball he can't win). Simple as that. Also it is nice to note that having a good/natural left footer at left centre back is important, as people didn't believe that before...
 
Man Utd 0:0 Chelsea
Back at his best today, no coincidence that he was also back at RCB.
 
Wouldn't say he was back to his best but he has certainly looked worse.
 
He looks a bit disinterested in the last couple of games. Over/underestimating things (flight of ball, pace of an attacker...) due to overconfidence, pushing up to high to win the ball quickly etc... I don't think he has been as focused as he normally is. I don't think he's been bad, but at his best he is absolutely fantastic, and like @ADJUDICATOR said he does look a little far from that.
 
He started poorly I thought. But the 2nd half he was certainly back to his best.
 
kouroux said:
He looks half the player since the switch to LCB. He was much more dominant on the right.
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I honestly think he should be playing every game with Blind and that shouldnt change at all (id rather our fullbacks swap). all this changing is not helping him or the team.
 
He should be our main defender again and play on the right hand side. Don't like this switching all the time
 
His form has dipped recently. Not sure the move to LCB has helped him, and the constant change of partner too.
 
Nothing wrong with a dip in form. Has been fantastic this season. Wouldn't even call it that much of a dip in form, just hasn't been as great as some games have asked him to be.
 
MyOnlySolskjaer said:


Our new Pele :drool:
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that alone got him another three months in charge, that's a real shame it's not working on the pitch as well, moments like this makes me like Van Gaal again but then comes weekend and we play fellaini - sweinsteigger in midfield and lose to norwich at home etc..
 
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