This. Smalling and bailly will be the best pairing
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Clean sheets
- 20
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Status
Played well. Still think the problem is Jones and Smalling as a pair. Both seem to go to pieces together, both look much better players next to a different partner.
He did well today. He's always better with another partner, so is Phil - they just don't compliment each other.
How many tackles did he have though?
Excellent performance, should have been motm. Vidic would have been proud of that
Good game.
Opinion still hasn't changed.
Opinion still hasn't changed.
Very good tonight. Back to the wall defending really suits his game.
ok game, not surprised that is his level. But when eric come on that look like a real cb, Smalling is mid table level.
Terrific defender. No idea why he is so shit scared when he has to pass.
Played well in a game that fitted him. He was well screened, so he faced mostly arias balls or things he could cut out. There weren’t a lot of one-twos or free runners through the middle. He got to sit in the middle, read and attack the ball on his terms. When he’s not exposed, he can play like he did today. He was very good.
To be fair which CB in world football wouldn’t struggle against those teams and that standard of speed and passing.
Feck you, Chris! So annoying to have player like him. Not consistent. Why he cant play well like today continuously.
Aye, mentioned it after Newcastle. If you have a back to the walls job on, there aren't many better in the World than Smalling.
The problem with Smalling comes when you are the dominant side with not much defending to do.
Absolutely, although I am still adamant he’s not good enough as a first choice at a club who should be competing for the Premier League and CL.
Lots of headers as opposed to ground pressure, ideal game for him and he thrived on it.
Juventus CBs maybe.
This game will quickly disappear from all public record, along with his many excellent performances over the years.
To be fair to him, Kane doesn't score that often against us as Smalling pretty much has his number when he plays.
Really good today.
Worst praise ever
Are you kidding me? probably the best player in today's game. Very dominant in the air, great defending overall, started the first goal. What were you watching? It doesn't really matter for some poeple, how good game he has, one misplaced pass or a little moment of clumsiness and bang, his performance is shit. He's the best pure defender in the team now.
Wonder who Mourinho wants to use beside him. Remember him and Bailly was pretty good. But Smalling is very adaptive player, he can play a bit calmer role beside aggressive Bailly but he's the best when he is aggressive. Just winning those tackles and headers giving the team good chances to counter
Him and Bailly will be first choice by the end of the season.
Terrific performance, as much as people will downplay it or forget about it afterwards.
Terrific performance, as much as people will downplay it or forget about it afterwards.
Credit where credit is due. He was great today.
Still don't trust him in the long term.
Still don't trust him in the long term.
It actually helps defenders when the midfield contributes defensively. Still maintain that the majority of the problems against Spurs and Newcastle stemmed from issues higher up the pitch. Defenders were not blameless but no CB looks good when exposed as ours have been recently.
One good game,one bad game and then one ok game...this is why He is not consistent enough for Utd
Smalling won 5 headers in our box, only player who won header was Lukaku and he won 1.
Without Smalling we would have struggled to deal with the crosses.
Without Smalling we would have struggled to deal with the crosses.
It was a pretty typical Smalling performance, the difference was our attackers finished chances at the other end of the pitch so we don't need to find someone to blame for not winning.
This all day. Same with jones.
They have zero consistency and that is the problem. I want center halves have 7/10 week in week out not a decking 9/10 then a 4 cos the 4 will cost us games and points as has been proven with these two too many times to think it will change at this point
This. If Lukaku failed to bury his chances and the game ended 0-0 or 1-0 to Huddersfield Smalling would've been scapegoated for the ball to hand. @Antonedwin where are you? Not surprised to see the usual haters silent right now. That was Smalling's 18th clean sheet of the season.
Smalling bossed it today
They just got the best workout they’ve had in months playing Spurs so nah.
Smalling:
Clearances: 7 - 41.2% of the total Clearances.
Aerial Duels: 8 - 53.3% of the total Aerial Duels Won.
Blocks: 3 - 14.3% of the total Blocks (3rd highest, Shaw/Matic joint 1st on 5).
Interceptions: 2 - 16.7% of the total Intercepts (joint 3rd highest with Lindelof, Matic 1st on 4).
Passing Accuracy: 74.2% (that's pretty low, only Romero, Shaw and Martial have lower).
Overall, Smalling had a terrific game defending but a bit dodgy on the ball again. Lindelof had 80% accuracy for some perspective.
What is your problem? Looks like most posters agree he had a pretty good game. You focused on a handball situation that wasn't even fouled, and you can't say a positive thing. Why do you even bother with this thread?
Didn't they go to pieces under pressure from Spurs? It's the classic grass is greener scenario
Yeah I agree with that. Personally i’d Still have him in our squad as a squad player. But unfortunately the other options for me aren’t any better and Bailly still sort of has questions. Will he be the man to take us forward. Or do we need to invest in some more CB’s or will Lindelof come good or even Fosu or Tuanzebe.
Plays so much better when he is not along side Jones.
That was my point.
Both goals came from smalling winning the ball back and starting a counter attack
Haha your sarcasm didn’t translate across then. You’ve at least got to put some Emoji or something in.
- Status