12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Clean sheets
- 20
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Status
Well, Smalling had never been a favorite of mine and wanted him out for some time now.
He’ll never be the top class defender we really need. He has been one of the most stabile in our defence this season but he makes to many bad decisions.
Mou has some decisions to make and some Money to spend on the defense and Midfield when next transfer Windows Opens. I’m not sure I see Smalling as a part of the future.. maybe next season as a sub.
He’ll never be the top class defender we really need. He has been one of the most stabile in our defence this season but he makes to many bad decisions.
Mou has some decisions to make and some Money to spend on the defense and Midfield when next transfer Windows Opens. I’m not sure I see Smalling as a part of the future.. maybe next season as a sub.
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Stones has played 14 games. Kompany has played 14 games. Otamendi has played 31 games
So in half of City's games, they havent used their ball playing CB. They've really suffered right?
And then theres grass is always greener syndrome. We were linked with Rojo, apparently he was the ball playing CB we need. He didnt turn out to be significantly better on the ball. A while later and now we've signed Lindelof, he's going to be our ball playing CB. Once again he hasn't done a lot to show that.
Its not that there arent good ball playing CBs out there that are better than Smalling. Its just our fans seem to think everyone is that player when its actually very rare for a CB who is both solid defensively and also very good on the ball. Most of them are not better than Blind was at CB, where he was good on the ball but didnt convince everyone with his defending. But honestly by the end of his run at CB he was doing a very good job.
Most of them in those teams are worse defenders than Smalling. Most of them play with a better defending CB next to them to try and cover that. Thats why it makes no sense whatsoever to replace our best CB with a ball playing CB. It would be like replacing Matic with an attacking midfielder. We can get one, but you obviously don't replace the defensive type player with the more offensive minded one otherwise you will lack on the defensive side of things. And thats already our problem with the fullbacks and midfield leaving a lot of spaces exposing our CBs.
So if we absolutely need a ball playing CB, play Blind next to Smalling and get over it. Or spend £80 million on a proven top class ball playing CB and pair him with Smalling until one of our other CBs can become a better defender than he is.
Such a weird question, when you use yesterday's game as the stick. There were two CBs that were obviously worse than Smalling from both team starting XI.
Takes massive cajones to make another big derby mistake vs. a player like Kompany only to shove it right back in face later in the same game.
We need characters like this.
We need characters like this.
SERIOUS QUESTION! Could Smalling play for Liverpool? ffs
For Liverpool - No. Liverpool's defensive frailities earlier in the season was more because of the system rather than personnel. Both Van Dijk and Matip are good defenders, and considering their style, Smalling would not get into their team.
For City - No. For obvious reasons.
FOr Chelsea - Again no. They play 3 at the back and one of them has to constantly step up from back. Smalling would make their defence weaker.
For Arsenal - Yes. If we want to sell Smalling, I think Arsenal will be in for him and would pay 35M easily. Even though their defenders take part in lots of build up, and Smalling not so good at it, overall Smalling would improve their defending.
More important question is " HOw has he been for us" and the answer is he has been our best CB. Yes, we can do with a better one especially considering his ball playing abilities but I will get rid of others first before Smalling.
I honestly think he's the "average top side defender". That's a weird definition but I think he wouldn't be out of place at a Liverpool, Arsenal or Roma but he isn't something special either.
You think Otamendi is better than Smalling?
In Man City setup, Quite easily.
Of course he is
You gotta give more credit to Kompany, his goal was all about aggression and desire. He could have scored that goal against almost any defender in the PL.
I wonder if next year, when we win the PL/and or make a deep run into the UCL with Smalling in the team, if some here will EVER turn around and show appreciation to Smalling.
They won't. Even when his own teammates voted him player's player of the year in 2016 his detractors claimed Blind carried him that season!
Corrected for you...
Nice delicate finish, I thought, when he could have whacked it, fluffed it or shinned it.
Total credit to Kompany for the goal, sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition for simply wanting it more or outsmarting the defender.
He's been a mainstay of our side this season - and if we get a points total in the high 80s eventually - you have to give him (and our keeper) a lot of credit. Valencia and Young too, defensively, have been unsung even if they don't offer much in an attacking sense these days.
Total credit to Kompany for the goal, sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition for simply wanting it more or outsmarting the defender.
He's been a mainstay of our side this season - and if we get a points total in the high 80s eventually - you have to give him (and our keeper) a lot of credit. Valencia and Young too, defensively, have been unsung even if they don't offer much in an attacking sense these days.
Yes, that’s also to the point. Thanks.
I mean this is what happened with Carrick, now I feel like he gets a lot more appreciation so who knows, maybe Smalling can turn it around.
SERIOUS QUESTION! Could Smalling play for Liverpool? ffs
I know, it is only a short time since Utd fans watched Lovren against Lukaku ffs. Rudiger would not improve Utd and while Christiansen may turn into an exceptional player he is not better at the moment. Spurs have a nice unit, but they have a habit of looking bad when it really matters. No place for him at City but if he had 2 performances in big games like Otamendi had last week we would be kickstarting an assassination fund.
People have this idealized view of defenders who are wonderful on the ball while making very few mistakes. Outside 1 or 2 you have a better chance of finding a unicorn.
This thread is brutal; Smalling gets slaughtered no matter what game it is. The guy just scored a winner in a derby, surely you can credit him for having the mentality to bounce back from earlier in the game when he got beaten by Kompany.
Especially considering that our other CBs are doing their best to look like shite. Jones can't stay fit, Lindelof is scared of the ball when it goes above his waist, Bailly has been a train wreck since coming back from injury.
Smalling isn't perfect, I can understand why we are in the market for defenders, but he's had his fair share of good performances.
Especially considering that our other CBs are doing their best to look like shite. Jones can't stay fit, Lindelof is scared of the ball when it goes above his waist, Bailly has been a train wreck since coming back from injury.
Smalling isn't perfect, I can understand why we are in the market for defenders, but he's had his fair share of good performances.
What is this fixation with having a ball playing defender? Would you guys rather have someone like Stones to play hollywood passes whilst fecking up clearances all the time?
This is the Premier League, where 75% of teams defend in 2 banks of four and lump it up to their 6 foot 5 striker to head it in when they get a chance. The best defender in our squad against 6 foot 5 strikers is probably.... Chris Smalling. You guys want him sold so we can concede more goals from set pieces?
Don't get it.
This is the Premier League, where 75% of teams defend in 2 banks of four and lump it up to their 6 foot 5 striker to head it in when they get a chance. The best defender in our squad against 6 foot 5 strikers is probably.... Chris Smalling. You guys want him sold so we can concede more goals from set pieces?
Don't get it.
And Matic said this after the game.
"I just want to say one thing," Matic told MUTV. "I think Chris Smalling was the main star.
"This is the best game for our fans because I know what it means to them, especially when we know that if they won they would win the league and we didn't allow them to celebrate in front of our supporters.
Smalling is a great defender, he just sucks on the ball which is a real downside.
In the 2nd half he was a monster, made so many good tackles and headers.
In the 2nd half he was a monster, made so many good tackles and headers.
The state of caf.
Squad player? Irrespective of who is the other centre back, he is always starting for us. Jose clearly trusts him, why do people think he will be upgraded when we have one of the best defensive record in the league, he is always fit and he has scored 3 winners this season. That's equivalent to 9 points, pretty sure he hasn't cost us 9 points with his occassional brainfarts. There is no defender in the world without mistakes and unless we are buying two better defenders than him, he isn't even going to be benched. Getting sold is out of question.
Squad player? Irrespective of who is the other centre back, he is always starting for us. Jose clearly trusts him, why do people think he will be upgraded when we have one of the best defensive record in the league, he is always fit and he has scored 3 winners this season. That's equivalent to 9 points, pretty sure he hasn't cost us 9 points with his occassional brainfarts. There is no defender in the world without mistakes and unless we are buying two better defenders than him, he isn't even going to be benched. Getting sold is out of question.
If we are getting rid of central defenders I wouldn't be starting with Smalling that's for sure.
I think it's pretty obvious he's never going to be the top class centre back we hoped he'd be but he'd a be a good backup option.
We should not be taking his fitness record for granted. He's very rarely injured these days. At least you can rely on him to be ready to play, unlike Jones and Rojo.
I think it's pretty obvious he's never going to be the top class centre back we hoped he'd be but he'd a be a good backup option.
We should not be taking his fitness record for granted. He's very rarely injured these days. At least you can rely on him to be ready to play, unlike Jones and Rojo.
Man Utd 0:1 West Brom
Worth a mention today. Got utterly man-handled by Rondon. Probably lost at least 75% of his duels.
Actually got the ball a lot, with which he did the 'Smalling special': play a trickling, slow ball to a teammate in 15 acres of space, about 3 feet behind them. Thus ensuring any potential momentum is slowed faster than this footballing brain.
If we upgrade him and at least one full back we're going to look very different next season.
Actually got the ball a lot, with which he did the 'Smalling special': play a trickling, slow ball to a teammate in 15 acres of space, about 3 feet behind them. Thus ensuring any potential momentum is slowed faster than this footballing brain.
If we upgrade him and at least one full back we're going to look very different next season.
Always at least one person blaming our best CB for the deficiencies of the entire team. One of our best players today like normal
I'd fully disagree with that. Smalling wasn't the problem today, went about his business as usual. Pogba, Matic and Mata caused us more issues.
He was one of our better players today..
Rondon bullied him. Was man against boy.
Wait...what?
Smalling absolutely dominated him in the first half, won everything against him no matter how much advantage Rondon had. It was actually hilarious how one-sided that duel was.
Second half was a bit more even, but that was just because the ball was being played a bit shorter so Rondon could take it on his feet. No possible way for Smalling to win those ones without fouling him, so he just stopped him actually going anywhere with it.
For once our defenders, when defending were just about fine.
Our full backs going forward we’re predictable and shit.
Our CMs were all shit.
Mata, Sanchez, Lingard, Martial and Rashford were all rubbish.
Our full backs going forward we’re predictable and shit.
Our CMs were all shit.
Mata, Sanchez, Lingard, Martial and Rashford were all rubbish.
Rondon vs the Split Condom.
"Whoscored?" says he won 67% defensive duels. I predict they were nearly all against Rondon. So he won more than he lost.
Rondon is a total lump to be fair, he's not good at much else other than bullying centre backs. He made mincemeat of Lindelof in the few duels they had.
Rondon is a total lump to be fair, he's not good at much else other than bullying centre backs. He made mincemeat of Lindelof in the few duels they had.
Well, thats hyperbole if i've ever seen it.
Rondon "manhandled" Smalling? Come on, kept the ball well a few times, Rondon is after all an experienced striker who is goodd at that but he never caused any real problems for Smalling. Different story against Lindelof. And the passing thing? When Utd have 70+% of the ball, much of it 25 yards out, focusing on his passing is pointless.
We'll look more or less the same. Shite.
Just like how we've replaced Blind with a central defender that is worse at defending and worse on the ball.
Lost count of the amount of high balls Rondon took down with relative ease. That’s being bullied, by any definition.
Of course there is. Step in front of him and intercept the pass.
Truth.
- Status