Another good game. He's finding form again.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 36
- Clean sheets
- 18
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 0
- Status
Another good performance next to Bailly
Excellent and dominant once again.
He's well back in form now. It will be hard to shift him, even though the current (and weird) Caf narrative might not like it.
Another solid performance from Mike.
Our best CB has managed to solidify his space back in the side. Colour me surprised.
He was good today but he needs to stop making those idiotic moves like shirt pulling and holding players.
I like him. The one criticism I have of him is when he does that 180 turn when he has the ball and passes it to DDG to lump it forward (cos he doesnt offer himself up for return pass), when he instead could be passing it forward. More an observation from throughout his games rather than just today.
But he did well at the LCB, but also hard to ultimately judge in a game like that. For what he did, it was good.
But he did well at the LCB, but also hard to ultimately judge in a game like that. For what he did, it was good.
He was solid today. Not easy to play against Deeney. He's so strong and great in the air, despite him not being the tallest, but I felt Smalling dealt with him superbly well. Good game from Smalling.
Solid.
Great game from Chris today. Smalling-Bailly looking good. Second straight clean sheet and made it look easy
Was a bad time for Jones to get injured yet again, Smalling played well again today. Suspected for a while that Bailly-Smalling is Jose's preferred pairing at the back.
I can't say I noticed him one way or the other, Bailly just covers so much ground back there.
Thought he was okay.
Aye, few games on the bounce now.
Him and Bailly must be the tallest CB duo in the top flight, right?
Edit: Luiz and Cahill are combined 2 cm taller. But surely not as physically imposing.
Edit: Luiz and Cahill are combined 2 cm taller. But surely not as physically imposing.
Leicester run them close?
hes pretty intelligent defender, he can play with nay centerback and adjust, like with bailly, let him do all the crazy stuff and being the one more composed, there will be a good pairing, shame on rojo and jones
Based on Mourinho's past selections, it's possible to see this pairing as the new first team combo but I think Rojo would be a 'better' option purely because of his passing.
It's margins really as any of a pairing of Bailly + Smalling/Rojo is strong enough to provide the basis for the midfield to do the creating but I'd like both our centre backs to be able to play more. Having said that, Smalling did play quite a few decent forward balls to our players in the opposition half.
Hm good dilemma to have!
It's margins really as any of a pairing of Bailly + Smalling/Rojo is strong enough to provide the basis for the midfield to do the creating but I'd like both our centre backs to be able to play more. Having said that, Smalling did play quite a few decent forward balls to our players in the opposition half.
Hm good dilemma to have!
Bailly - Jones would be our best pairing IMO. Smalling has always been positionally suspect, and he's shocking with the ball at his feet. But he's good pure defender and a behemoth in the air. There is always place in the game for that. Played well enough today, and it's good to see him back with confidence - because that is only good for us.
If Luiz had a haircut ours would be taller.
I don't think Bailly is actually that tall, he's just so physically imposing you assume he's taller. He's 6'2, which seems about regular for a PL CB.
Yoshida and van Dijk is another pair that is taller. Matip and Lovren is about the same. You can probably go on if you check them all.
I think Smalling & Bailly is the pair vs physical sides. This allows us to have Herrera, Mata, Mkhi, left wing attacker without being too concerned about playing Fellaini to balancing the lack of physicality.
Smalling is getting into form. Great option we're having for the CB department.
Smalling is getting into form. Great option we're having for the CB department.
He played very well. Made one fantastic goal saving interception in the second half. His confidence is building with every game. Hopefully he can keep it going.
Fair play to Smalling. Seems to have gotten himself in good form, finally. Hope he keeps it going!
Captain Chris Smalling!
Don't wanna rain on anyone's parade, but being able to defend against Watford is something we should be allowed to expect. They delivered, and deserve praise, but it's what I want, not something I'll whip my dick out for.
Now I wanna see this form over the course of a season where our defenders can have a few days "off" instead of a few months "on".
I had always assumed he was quite short for a CB so am surprised he is 6'2 - according to that Smalling is only 2inches taller which seems off?
Either way he is a beast
Bailly is just under 6 2, as is Rojo.
He just has no composure on the ball whatsoever
I feel like he's about to trip over each time he gets a pass
He's been in fine form lately though.I agree with this. With Smalling it is often the case of two steps forward, then two back again at some point. Hopefully he'll find some real consistency though.
He seems to panic every time a ball gets near him. I dont remember him being so poor on the ball. Also the time until he controls the ball, turns around and passes it feels like an eternityI feel like he's about to trip over each time he gets a pass
He looked pretty comfortable in possession against Watford and also against Leicester where he was even spraying impressive long balls. Smalling is indeed not great on the ball but its strange timing for you to bring this up
He looks awkward, but how often does his technique actually let him down? He never actually has a bad first touch nor is he dispossessed because he takes too long. I do think he spends too much time before he makes a simple pass though, as if he needs to position his body so and so.
Not even true, its more an issue when we play a team the presses higher up the pitch. Because sometimes he takes a dodgy first touch we lose momentum and he has to go back to the keeper.
Does he back pass much more than other defenders though or lose the ball more than others? Bailly is more attack minded as is Blind, but Blind also makes quite a few misplaced passes that put us under pressure. Bailly just mauls them if that happens. Smalling plays it safe, a little too safe, but I do think people are putting too much emphasis on his long and gangly style than his actual efforts.
Leicester press very high up the pitch, but he didn't struggle at all.
I think he had a good game vs Leicester. I'm talking in general that sometimes that happens with him.
I agree, just wanna mention that, ppl should be judging players fairly, for the same job and he wasn't really better, Bailly is called one of the best CB in the world, here it's just "he was good" some players just need to do hell lot more of work over others to win the fans over, same with Herrera etc..
He is?
Potentially world class doesn't mean world class, and even then doesn't mean best in the world.
Whoever said that probably thinks Herrera is the second coming of Xavi as well.
I naturally have some biases myself, but i try to give my total viewpoints instead of the purely emotional viewpoints we all tend to have during and post matches.
well I don't think you get the point, Bailly is rated way higher than Smalling despite being on par at best, Herrera is not Xavi - one of the best midfielders in the history of football but he's brilliant and underrated by some if anything, some players for some irrational reason will be just dislikedHe is?
Potentially world class doesn't mean world class, and even then doesn't mean best in the world.
Whoever said that probably thinks Herrera is the second coming of Xavi as well.
I naturally have some biases myself, but i try to give my total viewpoints instead of the purely emotional viewpoints we all tend to have during and post matches.
- Status