No, currently in the squad but today he scored his 15th for United, he has now caught up with Vidic. Pallister had 12 and Rio never got into double figures. I think Bruce is our highest scoring CB by far
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Clean sheets
- 20
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Status
No, currently in the squad but today he scored his 15th for United, he has now caught up with Vidic. Pallister had 12 and Rio never got into double figures. I think Bruce is our highest scoring CB by far
Partly at fault for both their goals but grabbed an important goal.
Mourinho awarded him motm.
Fantastic defender. Never going to be a ball playing CB but does the defensive stuff as well as any.
As soon as the ref awards the free kick they are supposed to fall back to prevent the opposition from taking advantage of the huge space between our defenders and our goal..Smalling is stuck complaining about the free kick. Valencias mistake isn't a get out of jail free card.
He had a good game stitching together something from an abysmal defensive display from the other three defenders.
THIS so much, people can lament his lack of ball playing skills and occasional brainfarts but he's the only dominant CB in the air we've got at our club. We need to pair him with Bailly and see if they have any sort of chemistry because him and either of Jones/Rojo/Lindelof are not the solution.
Matic is at least equally to blame for the same reason. He should have stood on the ball instead of complaining.
He had a fantastic game, not sure how I can say this when we conceded 2 goals but he wasn't at fault and combatted everything very well. Always dependable for a few goals a season.
Those are some odd stats, the 13 passes completed stood out to me, so a quick look on whoscored shows 69 and 10 aerial duels won?
Equally to blame for not taking a yellow card is a bit of a stretch....
Not easy to deal with Benteke. Aerially, he's the strongest in the league, according to stats.
It was always going to be how well our centre backs can deal with the aerial bombardment by Palace, but all in all, I felt Smalling dealt with it pretty well.
Took his goal very well too. Fantastic header.
It was always going to be how well our centre backs can deal with the aerial bombardment by Palace, but all in all, I felt Smalling dealt with it pretty well.
Took his goal very well too. Fantastic header.
Solid again. We need to find him a reliable partner.
An important goal, but feck me if this guy is our senior CB and should lead our defense. Him and Lindelof made Benteke and that other guy look like Ibrahimovic, fecking pathetic both of them.
Well the de gea save it was lindeloff who was marking him but smalling came across in a last ditch effort from behind so maybe that one doesnt count.
He gave away 2 fks in the air so surely that should count as an aerial dual lost.
Thought he played well. In the second half he played a couple good balls through midfield as well
Liked how Mourinho gave him a high five after he held off Benteke for the ball to go out for a United throw in. @GifLord any chance you can make a GIF of it? It occurred from 21:25 to 21:35 mins in
He was a one man defence today for most of the game as Lindelof just hides for me. Would like to see how many headed clearances he made tonight. Poor for the first goal but otherwise he defended very well. Important goal too
I guess no strikers are absolutely allowed to have good games against our defenders. Benteke didn't score anyway. Jesus.
Played two big lads practically on his own. We'd concede so many goals from headers if he wasn't in the side.
He was bad. Amazing that he still appeals for offside when the game is still playing, mind Young does it too.
Every game he has some brainfarts. Good game overall, but needs to iron out the mistakes. He is 28, was at fault for both goals. We are not Crystal palace, he needs to be consistent over 90 minutes.
Fathered Lindelof through the match.
If it’s a foul, then it’s no longer a ‘duel’, that’s why they aren’t registered as aerial duels.
Interesting, in his post match comments?
I can see how he's part responsible with Valencia for the 2nd, but I don't see how he's fault for the first
Players stand in the way of, or run in front of, quick free kicks all the time and get away with it.
He was ropey in the first half. Some good moments and some real sloppiness, though that was the case for the whole team. Much better 2nd half. Some monstrous headed clearances. Played some good forward balls too.
Sky didn’t award one so they asked Jose and he picked Smalling.
A game of two halves (more or less) for him. After the second goal he improved, scored and did a lot of good defensive work. But the first part was not good. Not good at all. He makes far too many mistakes to ever be a reliable first-choice defender. He's cost us too many times already.
I can see how he's part responsible with Valencia for the 2nd, but I don't see how he's fault for the first
Partially. I thought he left Benteke too much space, which Smalling does like to do at times, giving strikers too much space when they run at him and he goes back and back. Benteke then played it to Townsend and the rest is history.
Great goal to bring us back in it but why is he so prone to switching off?
I beg to differ. Smalling had no cover because Valencia was late back, so if he don't hold up Benteke and try to "push him wide" he runs the risk of letting Benteke in the box on the outside. That's an unnecessary dangerous move. We have a lot of people central so it shouldn't be a problem, he should focus on holding him up and block any chance of firing of a shot from that angle, which he does.
I swear any defensive move he makes and people find a way to put some blame on him. Can't even give away a good few words after an important goal, its really weird. He wasn't alert for the second goal tho, and deserves some criticism for that. But in my view, I was pleased and impressed with his performance in the second half. He was actually leading by example, showed great heart and contributed not only with his goal but with his 'get it done' attitude. Looks an important part of the team again
Don't show the player on the inside.I can see how he's part responsible with Valencia for the 2nd, but I don't see how he's fault for the first
It's basic stuff.
Not for me, sorry. Benteke did a diagonal run towards the corner of the box. Hard to get any tighter without risking the ball played behind you and looking like a fool. Entirely unrealistic to expect that they won't complete a pass at the edge of the box and putting that as a blame on the defender. If any mistake was made it was not picking up the runners. But it was an unfortunate goal over all.
I can see how he's part responsible with Valencia for the 2nd, but I don't see how he's fault for the first
I watched some US version and Danny Higgingbottom put most of the blame on Smalling because he didn’t show Benteke down the line.
He didn't show him on the inside. Unless our definition of showing vastly differs.
It was similar position to that chance Morata had at OT, left hand side, isolated 1 v1 with little support for either player. In that situation Smalling went to ground thinking he could nip the ball away, today he stands up and tries to slow the break. Lindelof, Young and Pogba were far more at fault than Smalling for that imo, though he does take a share.
Need to see the second goal again, such a weird goal for this level.
He was great but still partly to blame for the second. As a defender there your first instinct should be to get home as soon as the whistle goes. Made up for it with the goal though, and was very good otherwise.
Rubbish first half and early second half, but our other players perform worser than him.
Our best defender today, which doesn't say much actually.
Stop freckin relying on the linesman to help you defend sheesh.
Good Goal of redemption, and good passion late 2nd half.
Our best defender today, which doesn't say much actually.
Stop freckin relying on the linesman to help you defend sheesh.
Good Goal of redemption, and good passion late 2nd half.
He pretty much showed him whatever instead of forcing benteke to go wide and on his weaker foot. Basically stood off him and let him do whatever he wanted.
As several else has pointed out, he needs to force Benteke out wide by opening up that side and blocking off any option to pass or go in central. Instead, he's left stranded where Benteke can either go wide or go central...opening up both sides is far more dangerous than forcing him out wide ...In the end he has all the time in the world to pick out the pass. It's no excuse in terms of what our midfielders are doing for not picking up Townsend, but it's difficult to understand why some think that Smallings defending is ok there.
- Status