[Amar__]

Terrible mistake but was our best defender today too. Also both Jones and Bailly made mistake in the same attack.

 

[Bastian]

What would be a realistic fee for him? Does anyone think Arsenal might still be interested?

 

[Lawman]

After years of Pally Bruce Stam Johnson Berg May Rio Brown Vidic we now have a comedy duo in Smalling and Jones the new Laurel and Hardy!

 

[Bastian]

Poor for the goal but I don't see why Bailly gets a pass. What is that heading technique of his? Squat jump style or something.

Yeah, Bailly has been very underwhelming for a while now. We need to do surgery on our back 4 in the summer.

 

[Kag]

He's not talking about that specific action I'm sure, he's talking about brainfart moments like that which are Smalling's trademark.

He was, to be fair. Smalling is going to get stick, as will Bailly and Jones, as per, but there's a much bigger problem at hand that has contributed to all of the panic and distress in the second half. That problem being the manager.

 

[Ultimate Grib]

He was, to be fair. Smalling is going to get stick, as will Bailly and Jones, as per, but there's a much bigger problem at hand that has contributed to all of the panic and distress in the second half. That problem being the manager.

It was the manager's fault that Smalling always panics under pressure?

 

[Dir Wangem]

Should do better for their goal, but Bailly should not get beaten in the air so easily.

Still comfortably our best CB. Mourinho will continue to start him, no doubt.

 

[ti vu]

Bossing it tonight!

Must have jinxed him. Second half was absolute awful. Not just him though. The whole defensive unit couldn't defend. Even DDG made for some wank clearance/ kick. Rojo, Young aimlessly kicked the ball to Boro players...

Next time don't post until the game ends, please. Not good for the heart.

 

[Gatti33]

Needs to go back to being Mike! This season he's been our worst centre back. At least Jones, rojo and bailly had in form runs during the season. Smalling has been terrible all season.

 

[Kag]

It was the manager's fault that Smalling always panics under pressure?

Our back line was solid until Mourinho went out of his way to soak up pressure. He made it harder for our defenders and in turn mistakes were made.

Smalling made a mistake, which he does from time to time, but yet again we've only conceded one goal and the defence is the least of our problems.

 

[King Eric 7]

Plays pretty well in most matches but panics at times and causes us to concede. Wouldn't be sad if we upgraded him.

 

[Paxi]

What has Smalling's mistake for the goal got to do with what he did at the beginning of the second half? You said he does things like that all the time. I'm saying he hasn't, because, you know, he genuinely hasn't... I've never seen Smalling head the ball on the floor before today, and neither have you.

It was another stupid, unnecessary, inept Sunday league defending. Which is precisely the point im making just as that header. On another day a striker with batter anticipation would have punished us, so it's not irrelevant. Defending brillianty for an occasional feck up isn't good enough at this level. Anyway he'll be gone come summer. Good riddance.

 

[Kag]

It was another stupid, unnecessary, inept Sunday league defending. Which is precisely the point im making just as that header. On another day a striker with batter anticipation would have punished us, so it's not irrelevant. Defending brillianty for an occasional feck up isn't good enough at this level. Anyway he'll be gone come summer. Good riddance.

He'll be here in September.

 

[lawliet354]

Even Valencia has better left foot than him, how can a guy play so much football in his life yet cannot use his left foot to clear a ball I can't understand

 

[Nighteyes]

Was having a very good game until that. Shame really.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

He was good for about an hour. Then he shat himself in those last 20 minutes whilst Rojo cleaned up, which was the time when we really needed him the most as a defender, to utilise his best assets, as he normally wins his battles against big centre forwards.

Awful for their goal. Negredo's clumsy nutmeg could and should have been the equaliser as well.

 

[Revan]

What would be a realistic fee for him? Does anyone think Arsenal might still be interested?

2 and a half pennies, or so. We could send him as a Trojan horse in a team we don't like and relegate them.

He is really good in the air, but that is the only thing he is good at.

 

[Garethw]

Thanks for the last seven years Smalling. All the best at your new club in the summer.

 

[Godfather]

I think he was very good apart from that howler. He just needs to learn to sort his freaking feet out at times. But he was very dominant in the air today which was hugely important

 

[TheReligion]

Good back up. Not first choice.

He'll be replaced in the summer.

 

[Offside]

I'd be getting rid of him and Jones, keep Rojo and Blind and buy a centre half.

 

[villain]

It was another stupid, unnecessary, inept Sunday league defending. Which is precisely the point im making just as that header. On another day a striker with batter anticipation would have punished us, so it's not irrelevant. Defending brillianty for an occasional feck up isn't good enough at this level. Anyway he'll be gone come summer. Good riddance.

He's played in basically every game since his return to the squad, Mourinho clearly rates him.

You've already admitted you have an irrational dislike for Smalling and said its best you avoid this thread because you can't see yourself ever taking to him.

 

[Ballache]

He's mentally fragile, was beasty until he made a mistake and lost his composure.

 

[Raw]

He's okay but he's capable of some of the dumbest mistakes ever.

 

[WhoDaGOAT]

He's woeful. Not good enough for a team that hopes to challenge for the title one day. And he's a senior player at this stage.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Jones was easily worse than Smalling overall but that mistake from Smalling that led to the goal was fecking appalling.

He's so terrible on the ball. What the feck was he trying to do?

 

[Born2Lose]

He's a liability, if he buckles in games like these then moving forward he's not going to be good enough for a club with aspirations to do get back into and progress in the CL>

 

[ariel]

Probably thought it was a stand up show - first the interesting "header" back to DDG, then the dance technique for the goal

 

[Aint gota Kalou]

He's our best cb in the air so will always get minutes but he's liable to a loss of concentration. Really needs to iron that out as he is a dominating cb when he wants to be.

 

[Kag]

Anybody questioning his inclusion only has to look at the numbers of headers and duels he wins around the box. People may want him replaced and that's fine, but if that's the case then the new man needs to be able to head the ball. Because it's increasingly clear that Bailly can't, and both Jones and Rojo regularly lose out in the air. Smalling is our only reliable option in this respect.

 

[Reddevildans]

I've never seen such a dopey central defender at united. It's when he has to think about the game he fails miserably. He simply has no composure on the ball and lacks intelligence .He's great at the raw and instictive parts of the game but doesn't fill anyone with confidence.

 

[RedPed]

Anybody questioning his inclusion only has to look at the numbers of headers and duels he wins around the box. People may want him replaced and that's fine, but if that's the case then the new man needs to be able to head the ball. Because it's increasingly clear that Bailly can't, and both Jones and Rojo regularly lose out in the air. Smalling is our only reliable option in this respect.

At the expense of everything else?? No thanks! He just ain't good enough. Hopefully we will upgrade in the summer. He should do like Schneiderlin did and find a club at his level. If we're planning on pushing on, we need to offload the Smallings and such from the team.

 

[Ultimate Grib]

Our back line was solid until Mourinho went out of his way to soak up pressure. He made it harder for our defenders and in turn mistakes were made.

Smalling made a mistake, which he does from time to time, but yet again we've only conceded one goal and the defence is the least of our problems.

If our defence is not good enough to soak up pressure for 10-15 mins against Middlesborough how will we manage against Barcelona, Bayern, Real Madrid and co.?

The fact of the matter is Chris Smalling is not good enough to be at Manchester United.

 

[sammsky1]

Calamitous today. Seemed abit dozy. So many unforced errors.

 

[goin4glory]

He's woeful and can't be replaced quick enough.

 

[K2K]

Thats the problem. A lot of people in here brush his mistakes under the carpet and focus on his good moments. But his mistakes are getting costlier and more obvious as the season progresses. There is no sugarcoating it anymore

Almost cost us in both the FA cup semi-final and final.

He loves a mistake when it really matters

 

[Kag]

At the expense of everything else?? No thanks! He just ain't good enough. Hopefully we will upgrade in the summer. He should do like Schneiderlin did and find a club at his level. If we're planning on pushing on, we need to offload the Smallings and such from the team.

I think his defending is generally great and I think our defenders come in for a lot more criticism than they should, Smalling included. We concede few goals and don't score enough. So, while I appreciate the constant need to improve, I don't think central defence is particularly urgent. Defenders make mistakes and teams concede goals. I think that gets forgotten at times.

 

[Kag]

If our defence is not good enough to soak up pressure for 10-15 mins against Middlesborough how will we manage against Barcelona, Bayern, Real Madrid and co.?

The fact of the matter is Chris Smalling is not good enough to be at Manchester United.

We had that many bodies in there I think any team with even the best defenders would have become confused and panicked. I think he is, but hey ho.

 

[villain]

I think his defending is generally great and I think our defenders come in for a lot more criticism than they should, Smalling included. We concede few goals and don't score enough. So, while I appreciate the constant need to improve, I don't think central defence is particularly urgent. Defenders make mistakes and teams concede goals. I think that gets forgotten at times.

Precisely.

Our defensive record is actually very good, we rarely concede more than 1 goal. Therefore goals are needed.

 

[Owngoalscorer]

He is a good defender, tackles well and decent in the air but has the first touch and ball control of a flat-footed rhino

 

[Kag]

Precisely.

Our defensive record is actually very good, we rarely concede more than 1 goal. Therefore goals are needed.

It's been good for the past two seasons. They're just not the problem. If you look at the difference in goals for and goals against under Ferguson, Moyes, Van Gaal and now Mourinho, the reason behind our struggles can be attributed to the goals for column. The goals against stays roughly the same, and in line with the other top sides in the league.