[Hernandez - BFA]

I've been patient and excited with the Blind at CB experiment and I'm glad it's working out so well. An absolute joy to watch. It's sometimes unfair to have a player who can pass a ball so sweetly from defence. His pass to Mata was similar to his WC pass for RVP vs Spain. Hits is so aesthetically.

Love our Dutch Lion.

 

[caid]

He may struggle to nail down a place this season.

Love the op of this thread.
Van Gaal has this one right, he's as good at cb as elsewhere imo
(which is pretty damn good)

 

[gooDevil]

Love the op of this thread.
Van Gaal has this one right, he's as good at cb as elsewhere imo
(which is pretty damn good)

?

What was unreasonable about thinking he would struggle to nail down a starting place at that time?

I'm not embarrassed to say I didn't see this move to CB coming.

 

[Hammerfell]

I actually really like him playing at CB. Providing the team does their jobs correctly in other areas then his physical weaknesses are unlikely to be exposed on a regular basis. He offers so much going forward that I think it's worth the risk of him playing there.

Plus he's pretty dreamy.

 

[Santiago_KinderBueno]

I actually really like him playing at CB. Providing the team does their jobs correctly in other areas then his physical weaknesses are unlikely to be exposed on a regular basis. He offers so much going forward that I think it's worth the risk of him playing there.

Plus he's pretty dreamy.

I've never ever wanted to be so amish.

 

[caid]

?

What was unreasonable about thinking he would struggle to nail down a starting place at that time?

I'm not embarrassed to say I didn't see this move to CB coming.

Its funny in hindsight
He's been a surprise

 

[Andy_Cole]

He's done well. However with our lack of left back cover with Rojo and Shaw out, and with Jones fit again perhaps get the Smalling and Jones partnership back and Blind LB.

 

[Sereques]

Based on what we've seen of Otamendi so far, will you guys still prefer Otamendi over Blind?

 

[Bwuk]

Based on what we've seen of Otamendi so far, will you guys still prefer Otamendi over Blind?

Bit early too say. Blind has started well, in a side he already played for. Otamendi has moved to a new country, where he can't speak the language (i don't think he can) and to a new side.

I hope Blind has the better season but it's too soon.

 

[Wade3]

Based on what we've seen of Otamendi so far, will you guys still prefer Otamendi over Blind?

Mangala was trash last year and has done pretty well for City this season. Some players just take longer to adapt to a new league and a new country. There's no denying Otamendi's qualities though.

With that being said, Blind was a solid player last year and has performed very well this season. Him and Smalling make on forget about the CB issues that were being discussed earlier in the year.

 

[CG1010]

Until the last couple of months in the last season, the beginners guide to beating United was to press the CBs and midfield and United would more often than not crumble under the pressure, due to poor technical abilities of the players. Even mediocre teams were able to seize initiative and control of the midfield. Due to a combination of buying better players and coaching the existing ones we became assured in our passing and duly punished Tottenham, Liverpool and City in that run. However from the Chelsea game onwards, opposition went for a course correction and started staying deep and letting us play in front of their defence and midfield. Since then we have also generally struggled to score many goals (except very recently).

With Blind, and his passing ability, we have a perfect tool to counter the opposition's tactics (other than having better attacking players of course!). He has got the ability to pick out passes from the deep and he has contributed to several important goals this season already. Our setup has left the opposition in a quandary - should they press high up to our CBs or stay back and we have a solution for either of the two strategies.

 

[jojose]

The most important thing blind does at centre back is takes all responsibility off Smalling to "build up the play". Thus allowing Smalling to concentrate on defending and defending only. As Blind gets more time on the ball at the back than in a holding position it also helps him get his head up better. In midfield everything was always side ways. At centre half he quite often fizzes a pass into the front or even goes long. Its good for smalling, good for blind and at the moment good for the team.

Sure he might struggle when we go away to certain clubs that will bombard us wit the high ball. Rio and Vidic could never handle Fellaini at Goodison. At the highest level blinds strength in the air isn't going to be an issue as we wont face that kind of style. Equally, lightening fast players when standing up a centre half will glide past most. We also defend fairly deep and so his reading of the game (which is excellent) really helps him in at centre back. He's no slower or no more vulnerable in the air than Hummels.

 

[Dion]

@Dion you are confusing the Southampton game with the Liverpool one. Pelle was the one who stayed with blind for first 30 minutes and then went over to smalling s side. Benteke did nothing all game for Liverpool vs us except that goal.

The same thing happened with Benteke which is why it was so bizarre when Pelle did it the next weekend even though Pelle was beating him in the air rather than into feet mostly.

 

[keener]

Blind's ball control has been superb this season but his is beginning to separate himself in the quality of his passing. He's been sublime recently. Loving it and hoping he can stay paired with Smalling although a more physical Jones may eventually be needed against the bigger guys.

 

[stepic]

He's done well. However with our lack of left back cover with Rojo and Shaw out, and with Jones fit again perhaps get the Smalling and Jones partnership back and Blind LB.

No chance. Blind won't be and shouldnt be moved. We have Darmian and Young as options at LB.

 

[Andy_Cole]

No chance. Blind won't be and shouldnt be moved. We have Darmian and Young as options at LB.

Probably you're right. I'd just like Jones having another shot in the starting lineup. Still believe he could break in for us and be Smalling's partner for years to come, for United and England.

 

[Pexbo]

Probably you're right. I'd just like Jones having another shot in the starting lineup. Still believe he could break in for us and be Smalling's partner for years to come, for United and England.

I'd much, much rather have Blind's assured, intelligent play and superb passing from deep than Jones' calamity and reckless "9 poor first touches in a row has somehow found me in the oppositions half" style of carrying the ball out from deep.

 

[Adam-Utd]

The same thing happened with Benteke which is why it was so bizarre when Pelle did it the next weekend even though Pelle was beating him in the air rather than into feet mostly.

I think it's because they are both right footed they want to start from the left and run behind the right CB, being able to shoot on their right foot. If they start making runs from the right they are either running straight or cutting in on their left foot.

 

[SSSSnake]

Danny boy is a class act. He's proved everyone wrong. Long may his form continue.

 

[Borys]

The most important thing blind does at centre back is takes all responsibility off Smalling to "build up the play". Thus allowing Smalling to concentrate on defending and defending only. As Blind gets more time on the ball at the back than in a holding position it also helps him get his head up better. In midfield everything was always side ways. At centre half he quite often fizzes a pass into the front or even goes long. Its good for smalling, good for blind and at the moment good for the team.

Sure he might struggle when we go away to certain clubs that will bombard us wit the high ball. Rio and Vidic could never handle Fellaini at Goodison. At the highest level blinds strength in the air isn't going to be an issue as we wont face that kind of style. Equally, lightening fast players when standing up a centre half will glide past most. We also defend fairly deep and so his reading of the game (which is excellent) really helps him in at centre back. He's no slower or no more vulnerable in the air than Hummels.

This is the first thing I thought about when we I saw him in CB position. They complement each other so well- Smalling is a psychical beast but also has excellent positioning and anticipation (unlike Jones for example), but when on the ball, he struggles under pressure. Having someone like Blind, who will always find a way to get out of trouble is doing wonders.

I wouldn’t trust Blind with any other CB but when Smalling is around, I am not worried at all.

 

[prath92]

The same thing happened with Benteke which is why it was so bizarre when Pelle did it the next weekend even though Pelle was beating him in the air rather than into feet mostly.

I watched the Liverpool game and don't remember even once benteke doing anything to create problems for Blind. Blind even brushed him off the ball at least 2 times with ease and this actually made Gary Neville wonder if benteke isn't 100% fit.

 

[m1y2]

Danny boy is a class act. He's proved everyone wrong. Long may his form continue.

he's injured all the time

 

[Dion]

I think it's because they are both right footed they want to start from the left and run behind the right CB, being able to shoot on their right foot. If they start making runs from the right they are either running straight or cutting in on their left foot.

Quite possibly, seems silly when they were getting joy down that side originally though.

 

[SSSSnake]

he's injured all the time

haha yeah how many goals has he scored since Arsenal? He's made of glass.
Reminds me of that Samuel L Jackson character from Unbreakable.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

He's been brilliant so far this season, really making that CB spot his own. As someone else said, it's practically cheating having a player who can pass as well as he does from the center of the defense.

Still think he was LVG's best signing last summer.

 

[Dion]

Like I said, good player but not a natural defender.

 

[Empire]

Like I said, good player but not a natural defender.

He's a good centre back.

 

[lem8sh]

Not a natural defender, too slow for left back and physically not strong enough for centre of midfield.

 

[Roboc7]

Not sure if he was worse at cb or in midfield tonight, no idea why he wasn't subbed. I see the logic of playing him against sides who park the bus or who we dominate possession against but in any game where the other side attacks with any quality and speed he is a big liability and smalling is almost defending for both of them at times.

By all means keep playing him at home against certain teams but he has to be left out of some games, starting with arsenal on Sunday.

 

[Dion]

He's a good centre back.

For a team that defends by keeping the ball. He showed again today why he isn't a natural defender.

 

[soap]

Below par today at CB and when moved into MF.

He's a good centre back.

He's at the very least a decent CB, yes. He's done much better than I thought he would and has filled in admirably there. With Jones back and Shaw out it makes more sense to me to move him to LB. We wouldn't lose much, if any of Blind's ability to find clever forward passes and he's clearly a better option than Valencia (who he'd be replacing, effectively, with Darmian going to RB, which would also make sense). I get that him playing in the centre mitigates for Smalling's relative lack of ability on the ball but a) that's a price worth paying and b) Smalling is improving on the ball all the time.

 

[Devil may care]

Tough game for him today as Wolfsburg pressed us and he didn't have the space to bring the ball into midfield and get his passing going.

 

[2mufc0]

Was a liability today, was worried everytime a player would run at him, only positive is he can play great balls from deep. He's painfully slow and weak to play centre back. Jones looked good when he came on let's hope he can kick on like Smalling, we need it if we are going to win anything.

 

[Empire]

For a team that defends by keeping the ball. He showed again today why he isn't a natural defender.

It doesn't matter whether he's natural or artificial or whatever else, if he's a good centre back then he's a good centre back. Juan Mata was poor against PSV but excellent tonight, that's why you look at all the games the player has played. So far he has shown himself to be a good centre back.

 

[Empire]

He's at the very least a decent CB, yes. He's done much better than I thought he would and has filled in admirably there. With Jones back and Shaw out it makes more sense to me to move him to LB. We wouldn't lose much, if any of Blind's ability to find clever forward passes and he's clearly a better option than Valencia (who he'd be replacing, effectively, with Darmian going to RB, which would also make sense). I get that him playing in the centre mitigates for Smalling's relative lack of ability on the ball but a) that's a price worth paying and b) Smalling is improving on the ball all the time.

It makes sense to move him to LB because Jones is a good centre back and Darmian is better than Valencia. So that back four is superior, but Blind has still shown himself to be a good centre back this season.

Louis van Gaal will probably know what the right thing to do is anyway. He might decide we benefit from a more attacking right back and then have a decision to make for centre back. We'll see what happens.

 

[Acole9]

He's lucky we didn't sign a centre half this summer because otherwise I couldn't see where he'd fit into the starting eleven. We've got many more players that are better than him in midfield and that showed tonight when he switched there.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It doesn't matter whether he's natural or artificial or whatever else, if he's a good centre back then he's a good centre back. Juan Mata was poor against PSV but excellent tonight, that's why you look at all the games the player has played. So far he has shown himself to be a good centre back.

Bingo. Typical redcafe. One bad game and the agendas come out.

 

[Dion]

It doesn't matter whether he's natural or artificial or whatever else, if he's a good centre back then he's a good centre back. Juan Mata was poor against PSV but excellent tonight, that's why you look at all the games the player has played. So far he has shown himself to be a good centre back.

That's just silly, centerbacks do different jobs in different systems. He's good in systems where keeping the ball is the primary method of defending, he isn't in systems or games where teams see more of the ball and are more likely to go blow for blow. He's situationally a good centerback.

Bingo. Typical redcafe. One bad game and the agendas come out.

Amusing but alas incorrect. Since this is a continuation of a discussion that started before this game, where I was praising him . He's repeatedly struggled in games where teams have gotten at him this season where more natural defenders would have fared far better. Thankfully in general he (and the team) are very good at keeping the ball and limiting the amount this happens. Acknowledging the issues caused when our possession system breaks down and Blind is exposed isn't an agenda, which just seems a buzzword for dismissing arguments you dislike. I believe you used the same phrase with regards to my comments about Falcao when he first signed, which turned out to be less of an agenda and more of a reality.

 

[Sir A1ex]

He's lucky we didn't sign a centre half this summer because otherwise I couldn't see where he'd fit into the starting eleven. We've got many more players that are better than him in midfield and that showed tonight when he switched there.

There's another thread bemoaning our squad depth, and the lack of O'Shea type players to rotate in and give other players a rest. Surely that is exactly what his role should have been with everybody fit?

 

[2mufc0]

There's another thread bemoaning our squad depth, and the lack of O'Shea type players to rotate in and give other players a rest. Surely that is exactly what his role should have been with everybody fit?

I think this is and should be his future at the club.

Might be a bit harsh saying this because he has done well for us but he's a jack of all trades but master of none.