You're correct - most of his career at youth level and then the early seasons at Ajax, it seems he primarily played as a LB and as a CB as a secondary position. I think it was only in his very last season he played in midfield and had that breakout impressive season.
17
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 56
- Clean sheets
- 22
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Status
Tottenham 3:0 Man Utd
He managed out muscle Dier which was surprising, of course he was in that position due to carelessness, I thought he had an average game at best.
Not the best from him today, we could really use a new CB in the summer. I like Blind and see the value in playing him CB in certain games - like Sunderland at home, yeah, play Blind CB by all means. In games when we're almost certainly going to come under sustained spells of pressure then it's not such a good idea.
He's a bit of a lazy fecker isn't he? It's quite often now I've seen him just jog back lazily when he could be putting the attacker under a lot more pressure or trying to follow up a rebound.
absolutely terrible defending for the first goal, whats worse is that he looked like he doesnt even care to get back. WTF did I just see today? Cant wait when one of Tuanzebe/Williams/TFM are ready to play as regular CBs.. They wouldnt have absolutely any problems to catch Alli, or at least to reach out for that pass.. pace is just too important for modern day CBs..
I dont care how many good games he has had at CB, he just has as much bad ones. He isnt a CB for me, period.
Yes, Spurs barely had a look at our goal for 70 mins, but it's clear Blind was crap.
Yes, Spurs barely had a look at our goal for 70 mins, but it's clear Blind was crap.
He's got games where he's done exceptionally well, but he's also had loads of moments where he's directly responsible for goals conceded. Those goals conceded are the difference between us being a comfortable top 3 team, and what we are now, a team desperately trying to get in CL places. A good player, yes, but he is not a centre back for a top team.
I have learned that there is no point butting heads with Blind lovers. I take solace in the fact that this experiment with him at CB will end the day VG is fired; which hopefully is at the end of the season at worst. The new manager will most definitely buy a new CB and Blind will used as be a good squad player, as he should be, for a couple of different positions.
West Ham 1:2 Man Utd
Good performance, I thought him and Smalling dealt really well with anything West Ham threw at us in the second half.
So underrated. He's not the most physical on the eye, but he can mix it. Along with Smalling, he dealt with the West Ham attack pretty well.
Am I the only one who thinks he looks a bit stronger and faster?
No, that side of his game seems to be improving. He outmsucled Dier the other day against Spurs.
Did well, apart from the situation with Carroll's header where he lost the duel.
I think generally hes a smart player and you can tell by his positioning at times. I think hes more suited to being a DM cos of his lack of pace where it wont be exploited as much (whereas if he was last man or defender, he doesnt have the same level of protection).
Perhaps, but that comment was still a generalization of his whole season based on the rage after the Spurs loss.
This reminds me of the old hacky stand up bit about the obese person ordering a diet coke with their 2 big macs and large fries or other fatty food, in a bid not to gain weight.
We have 39 goals. Of the top 12, we're 11th in goals, just ahead of Stoke. In the Ferguson era, we'd expect to clear 39 goals by the halfway point of the season, not with 6 games left. And in the CL, we scored 7 goals in 6 games, which is basically the exact same goalscoring rate.
And look at the table. The top 4 have all scored between 55-60 goals and conceded between 25-33 and only Spurs have conceded less than we have. Our problem is that we've scored 16 less than any of them.
Blind has had a few bad games and he's got obvious deficiencies as a CB, but he's mostly had a very good season and formed a nice partnership with Smalling. Certainly good enough for us to have 65 points and be pretty comfortably top 3.
He should probably be an important squad player getting time at LCB, LB and DM, sure, but he'll probably finish 4th for player of the season voting behind De Gea, Smalling and Martial in some order, right? So I think blaming him is odd.
Good post.
I'm not blaming him. I'm blaming the manager who plays him in centre back and has us scoring so little goals. I think Blind excels in certain areas of being a centre back. That game against Lukaku was a masterclass.
I just feel that he's not up to the standard of a top Manchester United centre back like Vidic and Rio Ferdinand and it shows from the goals we concede directly as a result of his defending. I swear I've never seen a United goalkeeper who has to make as many saves as David De Gea has to in a single game, let alone a whole season. Just last night, he made at least two game saving saves. Usually you talk of concentrating when you talk about United keepers because they won't be needed as much as most other keepers do but we seem to need De Gea to make a couple of tough saves every other game.
I agree with the bolded bit by the way. In fact, I don't think our opinions are too far apart. I like Blind. I think he's one of the better signings Van Gaal has made. But I just don't think he's quite the standard of Vidic, Stam etc.
On the current team, literally only De Gea is at the level of a prime Stam or Vidic. Even Smalling and Martial fall short. Maybe a healthy Shaw if you're a pro-Shaw extremist, which I sort of am.
It seems the days of players like that are over though. There are none left in the senior game and the kids coming through are all focused on different skillsets. Its pace, game reading ability and passing from the back now. Blind lacks one but makes up for it with the other two in spades.
Its not fair to say De Gea is the only thing keeping us competitive. Its his job to make these saves and there only a handful you wouldnt expect other top keepers to make. We're also rubbish at keeping the ball in our attack, so the defense and GK are facing more attacks than they should. Inevitably some will get through.
What centreback is up to the standard of Vidic or Stam, they just simply do not exist at the moment, measure him against defenders currently playing, not the greats of the past.
Fair enough. Doesn't stop me from getting annoyed at him being responsible for conceding goals like the one we did against Alli last week.
Godin is right there IMO, but for whatever reasons a lot of people don't know that he exists and the rest seem to underrate him. But he is around the same level as the likes of Vidic, Stam, Rio and dare I say Nesta and Cannavaro.
Anyway, I agree with your point and I think that Blind has been done very well. In fact, I have been saying for some time now that he is having a better season than Smalling but cause he's slow and small, people don't rate him. And blame him more than they should. Like in last week when while he had some blame for the goal; his partner was the main culprit by going in no men's land, pushing Blind and losing the header which resulted in goal, but no-one blamed him and instead blamed Blind and Darmian (who btw, had a share of blame especially Darmian).
Our defense hasn't been near as big problem as our attack, although a large part of it is because of De Goat, but all things considering, Blind and Smalling have done a relatively good job.
Needs to be played in midfield his passing is definitely in top 3 in our squad, being wasted in CB
Man Utd 1:0 Aston Villa
Reads the game so well. That tackle at the end, where he stopped a tap in for Villa was superb.
I was thinking Van Gaal would rest him today and play him against Palace. Don't think he should rest him against Palace, as they're pretty dangerous going forward and after that is the semi final, so it looks like he'll be playing both.
I was thinking Van Gaal would rest him today and play him against Palace. Don't think he should rest him against Palace, as they're pretty dangerous going forward and after that is the semi final, so it looks like he'll be playing both.
Good player but we should look for better eventually at centre half.
My MOTM, distributed it well and made a crucial interception near the end.
Good game today. His passing was superb first half.
I'd rather keep him as a starter and upgrade on Smalling.
One of his crossfield passes to Valencia in the first was a thing of beauty. That's such a huge advantage to trying to play teams on the counter.
If we are to persist with 2 holding midfielders next season, having someone who can play it out from the back like Blind is priceless.
He's the closest you're going to get to a quarter-back in (proper) football.
If only he was so soft
If only we could merge him and Smalling into one player.
Magnificent passing, magnificent performance, magnificent hair.
Man Utd 2:0 Crystal Palace
Good performance, used the ball well and showed some strength shoulder to shoulder when needed.
He was excellent. Outmuscled guys for fun.
It wasn't very convincing when he was looking after much taller Adebayor during set pieces but it was typical Daley Blind performance that enabled clean sheet.
Was good today. He does struggle a bit when facing runners, as if he is a little lost for what to do. Against Adebayor he was plain and simply out paced and wasn't strong enough, which is fair enough. Against Zaha, when Darmian got a yellow card, he looked a little lost as if he should track the runner, not fast enough, or just block his path.
What do people think is Daley's best position?
Before he came to us I thought his best position was LB / LWB although I knew he was a bit of a utility player, however he hardly seems to have been used in these positions.
Last season he played mainly CM and nailed down the position against the odds
In pre-season LVG inexplicably started playing him at CB - and we all scoffed - but he has now played there all season, again nailed down the position against the odds, and is acknowledged as one of our best performers.
Before he came to us I thought his best position was LB / LWB although I knew he was a bit of a utility player, however he hardly seems to have been used in these positions.
Last season he played mainly CM and nailed down the position against the odds
In pre-season LVG inexplicably started playing him at CB - and we all scoffed - but he has now played there all season, again nailed down the position against the odds, and is acknowledged as one of our best performers.
CB for me.
- Status