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2017-18 Performances

View full 2017-18 profile

6.0 Season Average Rating
Appearances
45
Clean sheets
20
Goals
4
Assists
0
Yellow cards
4
Status
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hes class when hes not got time to think on the ball
 
Very good today. When Rojo comes back, we will have 4 great defenders to choose from, all at very appropriate ages. It is Mourinho's dream in central defense.
 
He's been quietly brilliant this season. Some of this lot wanted him sold.

If he wasn't here we'd be playing our new shiny clown from Sweden, so suffice to say I'm pleased he's still starting and performing at his best.
 
Another great performance, we really do have the best depth at CB in the league.
 
I don't fear strikers like Llorente with him on the pitch, aerially the most dominant CB in the league.

If only he didn't have a seizure every time he has to play the ball.
 
He's great. Our most versatile CB - can play as the aggressor with pussy cats like Blind and Lindelof, or take a back seat and sweep with the other lunatics.
 
Solid defensively. Has been decent with the ball today too. Made good runs out of defence with the ball. Won that aerial ball in a tight space on the chest and then on the turn too, Fellaini-esque. I've always thought the criticism he gets for his ball playing is overly exaggerated anyway. He keeps it simple, but he's often capable of doing more, and he showed a fair bit of it today. It's a rep he'll never shirk.

I think he could have tracked Alli better on the chance he spooned just wide, but it was a great ball to be fair. Might be slightly harsh criticism, but that's just about the only thing you could put against him today.
 
Kag said:
He's been quietly brilliant this season. Some of this lot wanted him sold.

If he wasn't here we'd be playing our new shiny clown from Sweden, so suffice to say I'm pleased he's still starting and performing at his best.
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To be fair, most of the criticism he received was for his lack of quality and/or confidence on the ball. But he very rarely loses aerial or physical duels. Imagine what he could be if he could bring the ball out and pass with a bit more confidence...
 
Great game again. He found his form from last LVG season and doing a brilliant job so far.
 
kr0nix said:
To be fair, most of the criticism he received was for his lack of quality and/or confidence on the ball. But he very rarely loses aerial or physical duels. Imagine what he could be if he could bring the ball out and pass with a bit more confidence...
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People have been attacking his defensive abilities saying he's a mistake waiting for happen and is poor. Yet you can count his massive errors on one hand and he is one of our most consistent defenders. TBH I dislike this obsession with ball playing defenders. We don't need a team full of them, you also need those who defend first.
 
The best iv seen from him in a long time just when I had given up on him having a future here as well .
 
He's having a very good season, probably been our best CB even though he hasn't been first choice
 
When he's on the pitch, I don't get that nervous feeling when teams put crosses in. Actually I hope they do.
 
Still can't believe some people were having a go at him on the match day thread. He was very good and has been frequently this season, seems some cannot pass on a chance to have a moan about him.
 
He was fantastic. I thought he was man of the match, it was between him and Young but voted for Martial.

This season he is pure quality. People really confuse ability on the ball with actual defending.
 
Red_toad said:
Still can't believe some people were having a go at him on the match day thread. He was very good and has been frequently this season, seems some cannot pass on a chance to have a moan about him.
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What could they possibly have been complaining about? He didn't put a single foot wrong and actually defended on the front foot which Bailly and Jones weren't.
 
Red_toad said:
Still can't believe some people were having a go at him on the match day thread. He was very good and has been frequently this season, seems some cannot pass on a chance to have a moan about him.
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Apparently he didn't play enough penetrative passes to Herrera and Matic who were obviously penetrating the Tottenham team from 15 yeards behind the half way line.
 
acnumber9 said:
What could they possibly have been complaining about? He didn't put a single foot wrong and actually defended on the front foot which Bailly and Jones weren't.
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prtk0811 said:
No , he needs to build from the back that penetrative pass to matic and Herrera in space, when he has space.

Sideways is where there is highest pressure and there is no penetration with it. The more matic and Herrera get space and time on the ball when you beat high press the more chance we can create.
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OnlyTwoDaSilvas said:
Solid defensively. Has been decent with the ball today too. Made good runs out of defence with the ball. Won that aerial ball in a tight space on the chest and then on the turn too, Fellaini-esque. I've always thought the criticism he gets for his ball playing is overly exaggerated anyway. He keeps it simple, but he's often capable of doing more, and he showed a fair bit of it today. It's a rep he'll never shirk.

I think he could have tracked Alli better on the chance he spooned just wide, but it was a great ball to be fair. Might be slightly harsh criticism, but that's just about the only thing you could put against him today.
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He did track him to the extent that it was possible. Dele came from deep with a lot of built up speed and the ball from Eriksen was great behind the line of defence. The only one who could have got to Dele there would have been a player who had started tracking him from deeper and had built the same pace as him.
 
My MOTM. Not my favourite defender but he was solid and for me, the leader today.
 
MadMike said:
Apparently he didn't play enough penetrative passes to Herrera and Matic who were obviously penetrating the Tottenham team from 15 yeards behind the half way line.
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I wonder if Barca fans complain about Messi's defensive contribution and lack of winning defensive headers in his own box? Some should appreciate a player for what he's good at, not expect him to be something he's not.

Smalling can't win with some, he's very good at defending and a pretty essential part of the squad, we've no other player who can win headers as well as he does. Until we move into some European super league we'll always need strong players who are good in the air.
 
MadMike said:
He did track him to the extent that it was possible. Dele came from deep with a lot of built up speed and the ball from Eriksen was great behind the line of defence. The only one who could have got to Dele there would have been a player who had started tracking him from deeper and had built the same pace as him.
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Eh? Smalling could and possibly should have got there, he simply let him get in behind him, but it was a brilliant pass.
 
I loved his tackle on Dembele in the second half. Decisive and strong. You can tell he is confident when he plays like that.
 
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