I think you are a bit clueless tbh. Smalling stopped the attack and help him up, if he dove in he would of caused the goal himself. He did what he should have, the rest of the team let him down.
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Common sense. Take the risk and break up the attack. You think Vidic or Stam would have contained Mahrez?
It didn't have to be a tackle then, he could have even went touch-tight with Mahrez to try and make the pass more difficult. Standing off for that 1/2 seconds just give Mahrez and Vardy all the time they needed.
Overrated? How is he overrated? He gets shat on by fans every week regardless of how he plays and he gets blamed for every goal even when it's not his fault. Did you use the wrong word or something?
Exactly. Excellent recovery run and held Mahrez up. The runners back should've covered Vardy better.
Yes seen it tens of times. When Vidic didnt try to contain Torres and dive in on him was his worst times in a United shirt. Several other times he didnt dive in and it cost us less
Yes.
Seriously? How is this the thread to get bumped after the goal? All he can do is hold Mahrez up and stop him from going for goal. THe rest of the team should have been sprinting back to get back into position.
You get touch tight with Mahrez in the box (where you can't touch him) and you get dribbled. He's not a mug.
I’ve had enough.
If people accept this mediocrity then you don’t have the right to complain about us being fecking shite. It’s your own fault. You defend this bollocks.
I’m a United fan and we’ll be a much better team without Smalling, Jones and Young in it. PROVIDING we get top class replacements and not more painfully average English dross.
I’ve had enough of people saying we don’t need top class defenders just because De Gea is making them look fecking good.
If people accept this mediocrity then you don’t have the right to complain about us being fecking shite. It’s your own fault. You defend this bollocks.
I’m a United fan and we’ll be a much better team without Smalling, Jones and Young in it. PROVIDING we get top class replacements and not more painfully average English dross.
I’ve had enough of people saying we don’t need top class defenders just because De Gea is making them look fecking good.
Jones is at fault there. Feck's he doing.
Smalling probably should've tried to get a bit closer to Mahrez to force the pass quicker, but it's Jones' feck up really
Smalling probably should've tried to get a bit closer to Mahrez to force the pass quicker, but it's Jones' feck up really
I remember those games thinking dear god just stop him.
He wants him to make a pass, not run past him or get a shot on goal. Its on his teammates to get back in position to cover a pass that Smalling cant concentrate on.
You are clueless when it comes to defending, obviously. There is no decent defender in the world who would try to press Mahrez in that situation.
Can't be blamed for that, was obviously Jones' fault.
Not sure. I think if he does that he gives Mahrez the opportunity to beat him and get a shot. I think he did the right thing and contained him. It would have worked if the others had bothered to sprint back.
If he dives in on Mahrez and gets it wrong, he's the last man and he's off. It's not worth the risk. Going a goal down is better than going a man down. He held him up sensibly. Someone should have tracked Vardy and they didn't. Jones, Young and Lindelof all guilty of jogging back. If they all bust a gut, there's adequate cover and that layoff doesn't happen.
Young and Lindelof are both watching the ball right there and could see that Vardy just turned Jones. But all 3 of them are either in line with or ahead of Vardy. Terrible tracking back.
Also just watch Vardy who actually runs while all 3 of those lazy turds jog for the initial few seconds and by then its too late.
Also just watch Vardy who actually runs while all 3 of those lazy turds jog for the initial few seconds and by then its too late.
I'll trust Mourinho's judgement over Jaybomb from Redcafe. If you think that United are mediocre due to their defence then there's not much point discussing anything football related with you.
People are trying to blame Smalling for that goal? 
Except Mourinho is only playing him due to Bailly’s injury.
People are trying to blame Smalling for that goal?
It's fecking mental. Seriously, agenda posting to the extreme.
Young hoping to play offside 20 yards into the opposition half but it s Smalling's fault.
Very clear which poster has obviously never played football before.
Well I haven't been following everything on the Caf but he was thought of as the best defender in the league a while back.
Except Mourinho is only playing him due to Bailly’s injury.
He's still playing him though, isn't he? He has been picked over Rojo and hasn't been booted out of the club like you seem to be advocating.
So what's your point?
Really harsh to criticise Smalling on that goal... This is Mahrez we're talking about, he could past any defender in the league.
In that situation you hold there player and you should (rightly) assume your teammates aren't being lazy twats and are with there runners.
In that situation you hold there player and you should (rightly) assume your teammates aren't being lazy twats and are with there runners.
Ok, bye. Thanks for the entertainment.
Literally one man defence today because the three besides him have been rubbish, and of course the goal isn't his fault.
Except Mourinho is only playing him due to Bailly’s injury.
When Smalling came back in to the side vs Southampton, Smalling and Bailly tended to play together, they played 5 or 6 games together and probably would have continued to do so if Bailly hadn't have gotten injured.
It's absolutely not the "only" reason he's playing.
Saw this thread bumped and don't know why!
Smalling did well to catch Mahrez and stop him having a free run and shot on goal.
Then you see him pass the ball, and you're thinking, there's no one there, like in that Brazil 1970 world cup clip, as someone comes storming into shot and scores.
Ridiculous defending from both Jones and Lindelof, total lack of awareness, as if thinking Smalling can just hold Mahrez up for 30secs while we get back
Smalling did well to catch Mahrez and stop him having a free run and shot on goal.
Then you see him pass the ball, and you're thinking, there's no one there, like in that Brazil 1970 world cup clip, as someone comes storming into shot and scores.
Ridiculous defending from both Jones and Lindelof, total lack of awareness, as if thinking Smalling can just hold Mahrez up for 30secs while we get back
Didn't think he did too much wrong for the Vardy goal (even if it's not elite level defending).
fecks sake Smalling was just about the only one out of our defense who wasn't at blame for the goal.
In hindsight Smalling probably could have been slightly more aggressive in that situation (in terms of getting a bit closer to cut off the pass, not diving in), but overall he did well to hold him up as long as he did. He was put in an almost impossible situation thanks to Jones and Lindelof jogging back.
He's been easily our best defender again today. Won pretty much everything he's gone for. Had that one bad miskick when put under pressure by Vardy, but otherwise he's been good.
He's been easily our best defender again today. Won pretty much everything he's gone for. Had that one bad miskick when put under pressure by Vardy, but otherwise he's been good.
Not been great today. His defending has not been bad, but not just feeling good with him at all. Think it is the general poor mood around due to the City and Bristol defeats and it effects the performances.
Jones could knock De Gea out with a haymaker and then smash the ball into our open goal on purpose and someone people on this forum would post 'wtf was Smalling doing there!?'
Hilarious people actually trying to blame Smalling in that situation.
Look at that picture up there FFS.
Jones for some reason steps up tight to Vardy then just let’s him run off of him without tracking him back.
Young has no clue Mahrez is about to run in behind him.
Smalling is then put in an impossible situation yet some want him to either cover Vardy’s run and leave Mahrez free to score OR dive into Mahrez potentially conceding a pen and getting a red card.
If Smalling dived in Mahrez easily has the skill to either dive or get away from Smalling and score/pass to Vardy.
If Jones or Young covered their respective runs we don’t concede, simple.
Look at that picture up there FFS.
Jones for some reason steps up tight to Vardy then just let’s him run off of him without tracking him back.
Young has no clue Mahrez is about to run in behind him.
Smalling is then put in an impossible situation yet some want him to either cover Vardy’s run and leave Mahrez free to score OR dive into Mahrez potentially conceding a pen and getting a red card.
If Smalling dived in Mahrez easily has the skill to either dive or get away from Smalling and score/pass to Vardy.
If Jones or Young covered their respective runs we don’t concede, simple.
Clearly Young was the biggest culprit. He was massively out of position and let Mahrez go. That left Smalling having to come across to cover and ultimately one on one vs Mahrez.
Jones followed Vardy in and was just outpaced as they raced back up the pitch.
Incredible that some are blaming Smalling for that.
Jones followed Vardy in and was just outpaced as they raced back up the pitch.
Incredible that some are blaming Smalling for that.
It's a brutal position for him to be, my minor criticism for him is given he could see Vardy was running into the box in his peripheral vision he should've tried to force Mahrez on his weaker side and take that pass out of equation. As said it's a very difficult for him because he's basically playing the odds if he leaves him alone and allow him a 1 on 1 vs De Gea.
That was when Jones and Rojo were injured.
Mourinho gave Rojo a rest tonight cause he only played 3 days ago. The entire team is different apart from Pogba and Lindelof really.
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