Sad that United fans push myths like this about their own players.
Harry Maguire
- Thread starter BlueCelery
- Start date
Sad that United fans push myths like this about their own players.
He is absolutely abysmal at it, regardless of your love about him. If that wasn't the case, he would have been playing in the first World Cup semi-final England has played since 1990.
Are you an England fan?
The problem with smalling's passes lies in their weight (either a bullet or barely reaching the recipient) and the amount of touches he needs to before completing the easiest of them, not the accuracy. Whoscored doesn't account for that I guess.
I'm English. Do you think I'm and England fan?
No, he isnt. He's very basic at it. He keeps the ball and finds his teammate.
He doesnt lose the ball like someone who is terrible at passing would. Thats the incorrect picture people paint when they say he cant pass. He can. But he doesn't try anything but the basics.
He cannot play it forward into the path of a player because he has to hit it with his instep, constantly curving the ball, so it slows down.
That and he takes the whole school boy first football lesson "the ball goes the direction your chest is facing" to heart meaning he has to rotate to face the pass recipient.
Onto the matter of Maguire, I thought we should of bought him from Hull, although I do think playing in a 3 helps him...
I wouldn’t mind tbh. None of them are very good. Bailly would be the best if he could stay fit.
The best out of a terrible bunch
It would potentially make sense if you weren’t an England fan - I could then understand your insistence that Smalling should be playing as purely Utd bias.
He's terrible on the ball. Just because we are United fans we shouldn't pretend that our players are better than they really are.
Theres a reason for that
It isnt.
Its understanding that hes a very good defender, and not believing fluff and hype about player names, instead judging them on what they actually do.
Stones hasn't been doing anything complicated as the middle of the England back 3. He has a reputation of doing more. He has a name for doing more. He hasnt done more at this tournament. And thats what I'm saying Smalling is capable of. If Stones was playing a bunch of great passes from the back straight into a striker in a great position, then sure thats not something Smalling is going to do often. He hasnt done that.
Yes. He doesn't take risks. He keeps the ball with his passing.
Thats not what would happen with someone who cannot pass. They'd try and keep the ball and miss their target
He’s aware of his limitations to be fair to him and 99 times out of 100 he’ll play a simple pass. You can see as soon as he tries anythin more complicated why he adopts this approach
I dont believe thats true. I've seen him play more complicated passes and do it fairly well over the course of his United career, its just something thats rare for him to even try. He doesnt have the confidence to do it on a game by game basis. So we're used to seeing him do the basics and play it left and right or to Matic who is deep and offering and hes never asking for the ball. He's always happy enough if someone else wants the ball.
Ander is another case of this. He has the ability to play more complicated passes than he does, but he doesnt seem to have the confidence to try it on a regular basis. So most of the time its just safe simple passes and then occasionally he'll play a great pass to put someone in, making you wonder why he doesnt try it more often. But he doesnt. He doesnt have the confidence. That doesnt mean he'll never have it.
So he can do it, but doesn’t have the confidence to do it, and so doesn’t do it... but you think this means he could do it for England, and play instead of the lads that are in the possession of the shirts who have been doing it all WC. Bonkers.
What nonsense is this? In the first decade of the EPL alone :
92/93 Spurs 8th conceeded 66
93/94 QPR 9th conceeded 61
94/95 Wimbledon 9th conceeded 65, Southampton 10th conceeded 63
98/99 Liverpool 7th Conceeded 68
Those are 5 teams finishing around 9th having conceded more than 60 goals. I suggest you do your home work proper before claiming you are calling anyone out on alleged lies.
He's had a fantasic world cup so far. Him and Stones best CB duo in the tournament. Recognize talent when you see it!
I really like smalling. He has had some great spells at United and is a likeable, hardworking player. Despite that, I can totally see why he has been left out from this England squad. He would not fit in this side, and would hinder our build up play.
Thought this thread was about Maguire. Why so much talk about Smalling?
The Smalling ultras have taken over as per...
“I told my players that for me, beautiful is not giving our opponents what they want,” he added. “I even joked with Smalling, ‘With your feet, we’re for sure not playing out from the back!’ ” - Jose Mourinho
It's very weird, I can't recall the last time England had a defence that were better with the ball at their feet than actual defending. None of Stones, Maguire or Walker are defensively the strongest yet all 3 can play, Smalling + Cahill would've been defensively stronger but then we'd have to resort to long balls.
Have to say I'm loving the change in tactic. Makes me want United to go back to 3 at the back.
Have to say I'm loving the change in tactic. Makes me want United to go back to 3 at the back.
This. Smalling is a perfect summary of english struggles the past 30 years.
He doesnt have to do it for England. Stones isnt playing complicated passes either
This post could have been cut and pasted straight from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It is just so absolute bonkers that it looks hilarious.
I mean he doesn't do it, but he can do it, but he only rarely tries to do it, cause he doesn't have the confidence to do it, so he doesn't do it. But put him in England's defense which actually does it, he can do it. Unless he cannot do it. In which case ... ok, I stop.
Stones isnt playing complicated passes from the middle of England's back 3, so why would Smalling?
People need to let it go. He didnt get called up for a reason and Southgate knows him well. He had a plan and sticked with it. Southgate is in the semi final and the success gives him the right decision. If England failed massively, the Smalling decision would have been a hot discussion. But now the surprised success proved him right
He is at times though, and he is cool as a cucumber under pressure. When the other team presses, regardless of circumstances, Stones is calm and always find a player without resorting to long balls to Row Z. I mean, don't you remember what happens when other teams press our defenders. They panic, and it is either ball to De Gea or to row Z. While England is passing from the back, in fact, England's defense (next to Spain obviously) is the defense which is most comfortable on the ball. And that is extremely important considering that England is playing with one pure midfielder. Have a defense which panics and then the gameplan would resemble a shit version of Stoke City under Pulis.
I think somebody randomly suggested we swap him for McGuire.
I think he can but he isnt. He's playing a very simple passing game and yes of course he's more composed than Smalling, but Smalling isnt made of jello like a lot of posters make out. He can make basic passes out to his other CBs who look to make progress more often. Walker plays lots of long balls, Maguire tries to play a more creative pass up the pitch and join up with the midfield. Smalling isnt likely to do either of those things well, but Stones' limited role he can do. And he doesn't have to replace Stones either, because Stones has the ability to play on the right or left of the back 3 and do the same as Maguire and join up with midfield.
Me too, a little bit, though I still think there's room for Smalling or a Smalling-like out and out defender in that 3. Flank someone like him with two stronger ball players, and there is solid balance there. I like this England back 3, yet like you I don't rate any of them as rock solid defenders - Maguire being the closest to that. Stones is good on the ball but is very weak defensively, and Walker as an LCB seems mental but somehow it works. Put a pure defender in that back 3 and it is strong. Right now it is effective but it is still a concern.
You should check out the rest of his twitter. Some of the pictures he captions had me in tears
Amazing caption, Walker would fit right in here!
This man got style, I love him. Wouldn't mind him here.
Is he better than we have, if yes we need to sign him simple as that, hows his injury record?
I said in the last 20years... As The First four you mention were 42 games Per season so not really comparable
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994–95_FA_Premier_League
Oh and Liverpool conceded 49 that year (they scored 68)... Sloppy homework chief... Must do better
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998–99_FA_Premier_League
So yup still calling bullshit on ya
Sell Rojo, Jones & Smalling and sign him