Have to say I am surprised he is the CB with the least minutes on tour, apart from the injured Bailly.
Still don’t get why Rojo is getting more minutes.
Still don’t get why Rojo is getting more minutes.
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Rojo plays on the left and Smalling doesn't.
Smalling doesn’t fit our new style of play so he’ll probably be the first CB out the door.
ANy hope of selling Rojo is by showcase him in friendly games. So hopefully potential buyers wouldn't use last season as Rojo's standard.
That is just a reach. Teams are not going to sign him based off a pre season.
They might if he can demonstrate he is fit again
That's the only explanation I can think of. I'm not buying the RCB, LCB reasoning. It's like saying Pogba would render useless if playing RCM instead of LCM.
Well the RCB, LCB aspect is the reason. Central midfielders are more comfortable on the ball so they can pick it up on different sides.
We need five CBs.
Or five minimum, I'd even say, given how injury prone several of them are.
Smalling definitely shouldn't be first on the list to go, regardless of what people think (or think Ole thinks) about his ball playing ability.
Jones, Bailly and Rojo clearly have bigger question marks over them. As does Axel, albeit for different reasons.
Or five minimum, I'd even say, given how injury prone several of them are.
Smalling definitely shouldn't be first on the list to go, regardless of what people think (or think Ole thinks) about his ball playing ability.
Jones, Bailly and Rojo clearly have bigger question marks over them. As does Axel, albeit for different reasons.
CB has limited duties. Positioning, marking, and tackles, with occasional passings. There's no need left footed has to be LCB, and right-footed has to be RCB. That just doesn't make any sense.
Anyway, Rojo is doing good against Milan. It may attract some suitors.
Smalling and Bailly dont play on the left for a reason.
I would expect that Rojo's inclusion is more as a surrogate for Maguire. Put Lindelof on the right, alongside a player who prefers to play LCB.
It could be.
For all the stick he gets (and I have been critical of him a fair bit during his time here) he's a very good natural defender-see his colossal performance against PSG for example. Consequently i'd be a bit annoyed if we didn't get a decent price for him.
In a massively inflated market i'd think 25-35 million would be a decent price. I do wonder if a smaller club could afford his wages though
He's barely played this pre season, surprisingly. Maybe we're waiting to sell him with Maguire incoming?
But we let in 54 goals. Sell him
I think it's the most likely scenario.
All this talk about him being our best CB and he's had 0 minutes in the last two friendlies. How are you going to spin that one?
Because i dont think he suits the way ole wants to play 99 percent of the time.
But if, if, if, we are under pressure with 10 minutes left, or we starting leaking goals, itl be smalling that comes of the bench or will fill in. Not rojo, or jones or bailly.
Sometime you just need a guy who can defend.
He didn't look pretty happy on the sidelines.
Maybe Big Mike is Oles pick for the opener against Chelsea. And using these games to bait in potential Rojo/Jones/Bailly buyers.
Based on the last 2 friendlies, our new style of play looks an awful lot like our old style of play.
What's he worth? And who would buy him? I remember Wenger having a soft spot for him, so shame he's not around anymore.
Anyway I doubt it'll happen, as I defy Woodward to get all this business done in the next few days.
Anyway I doubt it'll happen, as I defy Woodward to get all this business done in the next few days.
Doesn't fit our style of play? Rojo can't pass the ball for toffee. How does he fit more than Smalling?
No way should Smalling be sold. Bailly, Jones and Rojo all before him for me. I really don't get the hate he gets. He's not too drawer but he's not bad either.
No way should Smalling be sold. Bailly, Jones and Rojo all before him for me. I really don't get the hate he gets. He's not too drawer but he's not bad either.
He starts most seasons in the cold doesn't he, and always works his way in and stays in.
Let's see how it pans out this season.
Let's see how it pans out this season.
Not a fan of his but Rojo, Jones, and Bailly should all be sold long before him (I realize Bailly can't be sold due to his injury, but the overall point still stands).
This makes too much sense to happen.
Though I think Smalling is likely to leave first because he's the only one who is remotely saleable, since he's not perennially injured. He's a good option for a lot of sides. Who on earth would be dumb enough to pony up a transfer fee and a salary package for either Jones, Bailly and Rojo, besides us?
It'd be stupid though. We can improve on Smalling, and we already have done with Maguire, but the 3 defenders much worse and much less reliable than him need to be punted first, even if it's for free. Take the hit and get rid. Smalling would make a much better rotation option than those 3, and it's not even close.
Ole is trying to modernise our style of play with fast pressing and good technical players.
Southgate did the same with England.
What did both do? Bin Smalling off.
Do people actually think we’ll get 40m for him? We’d be lucky to get 20.
Southgate did the same with England.
What did both do? Bin Smalling off.
Do people actually think we’ll get 40m for him? We’d be lucky to get 20.
Would be a bit of a kicker if he left now, he's due a testimonial next year.
And that sums up the standards we’ve accepted. Him, Jones, Young etc have stayed here far too long because of how much of a mess the clubs been.
We might have gotten £40 million for Smalling if @Ekeke was a billionaire.
I'm all for a more technical approach and Maguire will certainly bring that, but we have 3 centre backs who are much worse and much less reliable than Smalling. Smalling being the first out the door makes no sense at this stage.
Bailly doesn't fit the style of play because he's got ligaments made of biscuit and can't get on the pitch to play in it, and he's the worst header of the ball I've ever seen from a centre back. Same applies to Jones, bar the heading. And Rojo is Rojo, mysterious long term injuries and has only played 18 games in 2 years, when he does play he seems two two-foot someone or do something ridiculous.
Those three need to be binned before Smalling. As it stands, Smalling is the best rotation option of that lot despite his limitations. He is fit more often than not, and is a reasonable defender.
IMO Maguire and Lindelof 1st choice and Smalling and Axel back up is a decent crop of centre backs. Sack off the rest. Then bring in another solid CB next summer and move Smalling on then.
And neither has won anything
I'd be surprised to see him leave first, at least he's nearly always fit.
Southgate got England as far as they’ve got in years.
Let’s give Ole a chance. If Smalling was anywhere near as good as you like to make out, top sides would want him for a good fee.
We’ll see him to a bottom half team in the league for less than 20m.
An easy set of fixtures got England the furthest they've got "in years"
People have been saying Smalling is worth a small amount and will leave for a mid table or bottom half team for a good 4 or 5 seasons.
He's still here and one of the best options for United captain and has outperformed 2x £25-30 CBs Bailly and Lindelof in the time they've been at the club.
If he's indeed for sale, let's see how many top clubs would be in for him. I'd argue none because he's a really limited player.
We'll be lucky to get £20m for him, plenty on here hugely overrate Smalling. Yes, he's better than majority of other CBs at the club but guess what? They are all fecking shit, none of them would go to a top club and none would fetch a good fee.
I dont think we'd get as much as in the past for Smalling because of his age. I dont think he'd be signed by a "top club" either since the only 2 we have in the PL atm are Liverpool and City.
Arsenal and Chelsea would take him for sure imo
2 teams that want to play out from the back would take Smalling?
We've wanted to play out from the back, but Smalling has outperformed the players who were better at it so we kept going back to him. He'd outperform an Arsenal and Chelsea CB too.
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