This shit again. He's our best centre back!
Phil Jones has played far more minutes than smalling this season. Jones has had plenty of injury problems in the past but so has smalling. I'm not for selling him but people need to get real, he's not baresi ffs.
The only time we should ever be contemplating of letting Smalliing leave is, when Tuanzebe is ready to be our 1st choice CB. Before that, Smalliing whould stay.
I doubt very much we'll sell him but what do I know...
I'd put Lindelof and Rojo below him at the moment tbh.
The attitude of people on here towards Smalling is something I will never be able to understand. He's been our main defender again this season and is playing very well. Yet people want him gone. Thankfully Jose is not an idiot so there's zero danger of that happening.
No way I would sell him - not with the injury record of Jones & Bailly (recently).
Rojo is clearly not on his level of last season (yet) and Lindelöf is still adapting to the PL/Mou as it seems. Therefore selling our most experienced centre back - to a direct rival too - would make absolute no sense.
Rojo is clearly not on his level of last season (yet) and Lindelöf is still adapting to the PL/Mou as it seems. Therefore selling our most experienced centre back - to a direct rival too - would make absolute no sense.
To be fair, if you go over the last 18 months Smalling has almost always been in the team when fit. There's been a couple of times where he's dropped out because of injury and then he's had to wait a few weeks to get back in because of the current pairing doing well, but as soon as one of them got injured or lost form Smalling was straight back into the team and stayed there until he got injured again. The one possible exception was the beginning of this season where Jones and Bailly started the season as first choice, but even that may have only been because Smalling was banned for the first few games. And again that was an example of where the current pairing was doing well so got maintained, but the instant a spot opened up it was Smalling who stepped in and who hasn't been budged yet.
Good luck with that. No way we are selling him. The only real aerial dominance we have at the back.
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Only in the PL. Once you include the CL and other comps Smalling has played quite a lot more.
Jones has played 259 minutes more than smalling in the league. He's our second choice centre half and Bailly is our first choice when he's not injured.
Arsenal thinking we are buddies again because we did business over Sanchez and Miki but its back to frosty relations now again because if we want Ozil we dont need to go through Arsenal anymore. 
Seriously though I dont think there is any issue on our side (Silvestre,Welbeck,Miki) but still no. They cant have Smalling considering at some point during the season we normally end up with a minus quota of defenders due to injuries.
Seriously though I dont think there is any issue on our side (Silvestre,Welbeck,Miki) but still no. They cant have Smalling considering at some point during the season we normally end up with a minus quota of defenders due to injuries.
He does play a lot, because he's third choice and plays whenever one of the other two are injured, which is often enough to get plenty of minutes. If all three are fully fit then he's on the bench.
You may end up being right. But, other than the beginning of this season (a period which Smalling was unavailable for the start of and Rojo was completely unavailable) Mourinho has rarely actually played your supposed first choices together. That may change in the future. It may not. So to speak about it like it's definite is a bit ridiculous. You think and hope it will be, but others think and hope it includes Smalling. At this moment in time the people in the latter camp actually have more 'proof' (for want of a better word).
Nobody will truly know until all three (or four/five if we include Rojo and Lindelof) are all fit. If that ever happens.
I am genuinely confused why anyone would want him to leave to be honest, he's our best in form defender at the moment. At the end of the season, surely if he wants to leave then that is another scenario all together but actively wanting to push him out the door?
I think it is strange.
Ah, I've just seen who the OP is. Not surprising, carry on then.
I think it is strange.
Ah, I've just seen who the OP is. Not surprising, carry on then.
Mourinho won't sanction sale of Smalling in the middle of the campaign this could be revisited in the summer if Arsenal are still interested but even then I believe we would prefer to sell Blind and Rojo ahead of him if we can find buyers for them.
Who would people buy instead?
I would never understand why some people waste so much time trying to trash their own player!Not the time for this. I still have a funny feeling he'll be the first of our five CBs to leave but we're only an injury away from shitstate without Smalling and in any case he's done a great job this year.
Unless he's desperate for a move there's no way we should sanction this.
Unless he's desperate for a move there's no way we should sanction this.
We can sell Smalling this season. Maybe next season if the conditions are right but not this season
Chris Smalling: The most over and underrated Caf player ever.
Eventually we will upgrade but now is not the time.
I think Rojo and Smalling will leave in the coming years, we’ll sign a CB and promote Tuanzebe.
I think Rojo and Smalling will leave in the coming years, we’ll sign a CB and promote Tuanzebe.
Sell him. Brainless defender.
I somehow think Mou is the perfect coach for moulding a centre back in like Rojo, Smalling, Bailly, so if smalling is part of a bid for Özil then fine. He will just turn another medium player good.
If its not for Özil, keep him.
If its not for Özil, keep him.
Imagine saying Smalling is our best defender when we got Jones and Bailly on the squad.
Bailly hasn't played well all season, he's either had a bit of a stinker or been injured. Smalling has had many good games this season.
Bailly has enormous potential, but right here and right now, form and fitness is more important. Smalling is dependable and has been performing reasonably well.
This could perhaps be revisted in the summer, but right now, Smalling is as good as we've got while Bailly is out and Rojo appears to be far away from 100% fitness and Lindelof carries on being Lindelof. We'll need all of them as we continue in 3 competitions.
Personally, I see Jose shipping out Rojo before Smalling.
Would happily sell if we replace with quality.
We need all of our centre backs. Although I don't rate Smalling that highly, given our injury record in defence without bringing in a replacement there is no way we can let him go.
Yeah. I think if he goes it's the summer
Wouldn't consider selling Smalling unless Arsenal offer crazy money, which they won't.
In my opinion we should keep Smalling for another year. That will allow Lindelof time to settle down and Tuanzebe to get a full year of regular first team football elsewhere. For the 2019-2020 Smalling should be sold and Tuanzebe is brought back to replace him.
If we sell Smalling now then maybe we should tempt Milan for Bonucci with the same idea in mind.
If we sell Smalling now then maybe we should tempt Milan for Bonucci with the same idea in mind.
Really? Smalling, Jones, Bailly, Rojo, Lindelof and Blind is six senior CBs and normally only two can start. Seems far too many to me, especially with all the young talent like Tuanzebe, Fosu-Mensah, Poole on our books.
I'd let Blind go. Smalling is a better defender. Blind is a versatile, decent option, but nothing more.
Agreed. Smalling is not top class, but he is far too good to allow Arsenal buying him.
Blind and Rojo should be on the way before Smalling. Also don't like the way our own fans want to get rid of one of our longer serving players who's still relatively young.
Jones is great but he still has one slip per match on crosses, so Smaaling is needed because he is our only reliable defender in the air and we let too many crosses to get rid of him.
Agree and I'd suggest getting rid of Darmian as well. Time to cut clean of Van Gaal's mediocrity.
£40M and he can go.
Nah smalling isnt for sale
Get rid of Rojo, Blind and Darmian before you even dare of selling Smalling.
Get rid of Rojo, Blind and Darmian before you even dare of selling Smalling.