'another good game' until he makes a mistake in the near future then it will be 'how is he even starting!'
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 34
- Clean sheets
- 8
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
I don't understand why VAR isn't used for fouls, like the non tackle that got Smalling booked (same with Lingard).
If the ref blows for a foul, someone can review the incident in seconds and just say 'red', 'yellow, or 'no card'. It's ok to have soft free kicks but the cards tonight were all over the shop, Lingard's was literally for standing near Vidal whereas Busquets took out Pogba on the counter three times and only got one yellow.
Oh yh and Smalling was decent. Smashing Messi's stonker of a conker was a highlight
If the ref blows for a foul, someone can review the incident in seconds and just say 'red', 'yellow, or 'no card'. It's ok to have soft free kicks but the cards tonight were all over the shop, Lingard's was literally for standing near Vidal whereas Busquets took out Pogba on the counter three times and only got one yellow.
Oh yh and Smalling was decent. Smashing Messi's stonker of a conker was a highlight
A big weakness to us on the ball of course and the ref was a joke with the fouls constantly from any player falling the second there was the slightest bit of contact, but defensively he really is top class.
Chris was Mike again today! Very good
Basically. This merry go round is ridiculous. He did well to not get totally embarrassed by Messi today but let’s face it... he wasn’t exactly tested was he.
Bar injured, 100% guaranteed. He might be dropped at the beginning, but just like season after season, he'll creeping back as an indisputable starter.
Well there's a reason a centerback is called defender.
Solid today. He usually is very reliable.
Loved when he went through Messi.
Amazing
Plays well against top club, cant have been tested then.Sounds like you're the one that needs testing
Chris was not fecking around was he?
Solid enough performance and that yellow by that incompetent twat of a referee was baffling.
Solid enough performance and that yellow by that incompetent twat of a referee was baffling.
He wasnt tested because he cleaned everything up at the half way line and didn't let them test us.
The two times they did, shaw was sleeping and lindeloff played them in on a ball smalling was going to cut out ahead of Suarez.
Played well I thought and smacked Messi in the moosh which seemed to unnerve the poor little love. Job done.
A squad player. He does his best, and we should not ask or expect much more.
He is an Old Trafford loyalist, and for that reason I would keep him.
He is an Old Trafford loyalist, and for that reason I would keep him.
His better than Lindolof, gets unfairly criticised on here. Despite constantly shutting down elite forwards
He was good. Definitely unfortunate to get booked and a few of the fouls were annoying to get given against us. If I had to be super critical, there were a few moments where he snapped at the ball to clear it, but when he's not the best on the ball under pressure it's fine sometimes to just be no nonsense and get rid of it, it's not like it ever put us under serious pressure. He excels in games where he has to concentrate on defending and I think he'd have managed to clear the Suarez header if it didn't take that nick off Shaw, really unfortunate.
The main complaint of the night is he didn't leave that heavy one on Suarez instead of Messi.
The main complaint of the night is he didn't leave that heavy one on Suarez instead of Messi.
Mike Ramos
This crap is getting tiresome. He was excellent again
Love how Smalling is being criticised for his on the ball play when Lindelof did absolutely nothing with the ball and failed to play any progressive passes but he's meant to be the ball player.
Smalling's just better than him.
As I have been saying all season: He's our best center back. A lot of the things he's doing is going unnoticed, like for example; he rarely loses a header. Compare that to our other CBs who all are quite weak in the air. Smalling is also faster than all of them and has a natural instinct in defending where I think Lindelof for example lack.
Smalling has his fare share of poor performances since 5 years.. Lindelof has never looked back in this season and has continued to grow. Just last game smalling was co responsible for the goal against wolves.
Amazing
Sounds like you're the one that needs testing
Has played well against Juventus, Barcelona, Spurs, Chelsea, PSG Liverpool this season and well against City last season even if we struggled a bit in that game.
What team is going to test him more? Beat Real Madrid? Bayern? Napoli?
Against weaker sides you might want someone better on the ball than him when we will dominate, but I would much rather spend our money to improve our attack if we want to beat easier teams easier.
It is weird, but probably because of the situations where Smalling got involved and played it safe only clearing the ball while some might think it would be cool to see us make a risky pass or slow things down. I understand the need for calmness at times, but his decision to do it didn't put us under pressure which I then have to respect, since the choice came from the CB. Pretty ironic that he gets criticised for that when Lindelof played it as safe as he did in even a more advanced position with less pressure.
To be fair he sorted Messi out like he said he would 
All jokes aside he played with the aggression and desire needed. His size allows him to dominate forwards in ways that Lindelof never could.
Just a shame the ref fell for Suarez's play acting nearly every time it came near him, that yellow was such a joke
All jokes aside he played with the aggression and desire needed. His size allows him to dominate forwards in ways that Lindelof never could.
Just a shame the ref fell for Suarez's play acting nearly every time it came near him, that yellow was such a joke
Man Utd 2:1 West Ham
Didn't notice him much but overall we defended poorly.
Wasnt him.Are you suggesting that you didnt notice him but he must have done poorly?
Are you suggesting that you didnt notice him but he must have done poorly?
No, the opposite. I didn't really notice him do anything bad but we were so easy to attack against.
2 awful full back performances, no defensive solidity in midfield, people were calling it before the game that the Cb's would have a tough day. He had an average level of performance, less intensity than against Barca, expended a lot of energy in that game probably, and hat yet another new line up around him to adapt his game to.
His through-ball to Rashford was one of the few moments of quality.
Decent today, but he can do better. We defended poorly as a team though which didn't help anyone out.
He brought the ball out of defense bypassing the press several times today, including his key pass
Thought he had a really good game. Can't remember any mistakes at all, but had a lot of involvement in a good way.
Definitely one to keep in our defence.
Definitely one to keep in our defence.
He was good.
Solid performance and almost got an assist.
I have seen Smalling plays more effective forward passes than either Jones or Lindelof. That pass he made on Rashford is added into the collection.
Think he was relatively poor today and involved in situations he normally solves better, but he's between two CL matches against Barca and played with new constellation of defenders around him, so Im not worried.
Showed determination not only to do his job but to do the creative job the midfield was filming to do too.
People give Smalling way to little credit. He is good enough to be part of United. It's not like Jones is any better on the ball than Smalling. I would clear out all central defenders - maybe besides Lindelöf, but certainly Rojo, Bailly, Jones - before getting rid of Smalling. He actually is one of few players in the squad that has expertise in something, i.e. strength, heading and pace.
With that being said, I do think we need another central defender that is world class. None of ours are. Our problem is that all of them are decent - just like our entire squad.
With that being said, I do think we need another central defender that is world class. None of ours are. Our problem is that all of them are decent - just like our entire squad.
I was just coming to post about that having seen it on MOTD. I'm not saying he's the new Rio but when you have people suggesting he can't even pass a football it's important to give him praise when he marches into the opposition half and sets up a good chance.
- Status