How good is Chris Smalling?

I've always said it, if played consistently in the right position, he can become a world class defender, in my opinion. Super performance tonight.

Him and Jones should be our centre back partnership next season.

Careful now, you might get the CAF-dictionary-police on your tail for using the term "world class" without properly defining it. You'd be much better off saying he is really, really, really, really good.

I'm starting to feel that Smalling is becoming an unsung hero for anyone not a United fan. The commentators don't seem to recognize his talent other than him being very fast and good in the air.
 
Careful now, you might get the CAF-dictionary-police on your tail for using the term "world class" without properly defining it. You'd be much better off saying he is really, really, really, really good.

I'm starting to feel that Smalling is becoming an unsung hero for anyone not a United fan. The commentators don't seem to recognize his talent other than him being very fast and good in the air.

:lol: My mistake. I feel Smalling can become a really, really, really, really good centre back in the future.


Bold point - Typical :annoyed:
 
Thought he did really well. Definitely our best defender IMO. Should be him and Evans next season with Jones rotating through there.
 
yup, he did well. still need a top class CB signing though, as neither smalling, evans and jones are capable of going through a season without spending sometime in the treatment room.
 
I think we should start next season with Smalling as our first choice centre back. Then take a look at the different combinations with Evans, Jones and I imagine, the next recruit. It's a shame he spent so much of this season on the bench and then at right back. His distribution needs a lot of work but his defending has been pretty good.
 
Thought he did really well. Definitely our best defender IMO. Should be him and Evans next season with Jones rotating through there.

I'd prefer Smalling and Jones starting with Evans rotating. Evans is great on the ball, but I think Jones is better at defending. He's a brute. I agree Smalling is the best of the 3 though. I think he and Jones could form a concrete partnership for both club and country if given the chance.
 
I'd prefer Smalling and Jones starting with Evans rotating. Evans is great on the ball, but I think Jones is better at defending. He's a brute. I agree Smalling is the best of the 3 though. I think he and Jones could form a concrete partnership for both club and country if given the chance.

I think Jones is still a bit immature at times. He makes some rash decisions and gets caught out with his positioning. That's why I'd have Evans ahead of him anyway, and his ability on the ball.
 
Smalling and Jones (mostly Smalling) are currently getting torn a new arsehole by the Soccer Saturday panel on SSN. Anybody watching? They're all trying to be diplomatic, but you can tell Le Tissier and Merson are on the verge of saying "Nah, they're shit".
 
Smalling and Jones (mostly Smalling) are currently getting torn a new arsehole by the Soccer Saturday panel on SSN. Anybody watching? They're all trying to be diplomatic, but you can tell Le Tissier and Merson are on the verge of saying "Nah, they're shit".
Well, they're absolute Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime then. Another 2 peoples opinions to ignore. Especially if they have actually watched our games against Bayern, where Jones practically shut down Ribery, twice, and Smalling was great at CB.
 
They might have had a point on Smalling and Jones if they weren't basing their opinions on the game vs Bayern. According to Merson, Leicester City should put a bid in for Smalling. :rolleyes:
 
I think Jones is still a bit immature at times. He makes some rash decisions and gets caught out with his positioning. That's why I'd have Evans ahead of him anyway, and his ability on the ball.

Tend to agree. He and Smalling both have a lot of potential - but seem to lack composure at times. As neither is particularly physical or dominating you need positioning and composure to play at the top level.

Without the latter it's hard for the players in front, or your keeper to have confidence that you're not going to drop them in it.

I don't think either benefits from being played out of position either. A full back needs to be more than a defender in modern football and midfield doesn't require the same sort of thinking.

These two need to be playing in their proper positions regularly and given a chance to build a partnership based on experience. It doesn't happen instantly.
 
Smalling and Jones (mostly Smalling) are currently getting torn a new arsehole by the Soccer Saturday panel on SSN. Anybody watching? They're all trying to be diplomatic, but you can tell Le Tissier and Merson are on the verge of saying "Nah, they're shit".

Merson! As if anyone would hang off his ever word, he dissolved his brain years ago!
 
Has to be first choice centre back here now. The only problem is when he is on the ball, he tends to hoof it and lose possession, but this can be fixed.
 
Has to be first choice centre back here now. The only problem is when he is on the ball, he tends to hoof it and lose possession, but this can be fixed.
I agree but is this really his fault? The only CB who can always play himself out of trouble and make an accurate pass is Evans. Everyone else needs some passing options. Once we improve on that he will be fine IMO.
 
I agree but is this really his fault? The only CB who can always play himself out of trouble and make an accurate pass is Evans. Everyone else needs some passing options. Once we improve on that he will be fine IMO.
Agreed. I think it's truly a lack of defensive screening from our timid central midfield and the general disjointed shape of it that highlights our defenders deficiencies on the ball. I mean, improving it won't make him Ferdinand reborn, but it would certainly provide him a safe pass, and allow him to feel far more composed and assertive with the ball.
 
At least Welbeck rates him:

Who is the toughest defender to get past in training? Ben Sapora

Wow, that is not an easy question to answer because we’ve got loads of top defenders at the club. But in all seriousness, I would have to say Chris Smalling is the most difficult to get past in training. He’s one of our fastest players and can rival most of the forwards for pace. He also reads the game really well and is always in the right place at the right time, clearing up any danger. I’m just glad that I get to play with him for both United and England. I’d hate to play against him!
 
Agreed. I think it's truly a lack of defensive screening from our timid central midfield and the general disjointed shape of it that highlights our defenders deficiencies on the ball. I mean, improving it won't make him Ferdinand reborn, but it would certainly provide him a safe pass, and allow him to feel far more composed and assertive with the ball.
That's correct. I believe we do have some very good defenders, they just need a little help to look really good and confident.
 
Couldn't believe that Soccer Saturday 'punditry', talk about excessive doom and gloom. Listed about a dozen players who are on the way out, said £200m isn't anywhere near enough for the "huge" rebuilding job needed - and that Smalling, Jones, Evans, Rafael won't cut the mustard and with Mata in the no.10 we'll need to sign three "world class midfielders" as well. Phil was the only one saying we'd be back in the CL in 2015/2016 as well. Ridiculous.

Edit, oh and we'd be over the moon selling RvP on for £5m apparently!
 
Merson hasn't got a clue. He's part of that old breed of pundits that I sincerely hope is dying out fast, as we move on to people who actually have a clue like G Neville and, to his credit, Carragher.
Smalling is very good; perhaps hasn't improved as much as we would have liked, but he needs to play regularly and with the same partner for that to happen. He has all the physical and technical tools to be a great CB, and his defensive instincts are also good in my opinion. His composure on the ball may never be à la Rio in his prime, but if we had a midfield that was better at taking over/offering passing options all the time, this wouldn't matter so much.
 
Couldn't believe that Soccer Saturday 'punditry', talk about excessive doom and gloom. Listed about a dozen players who are on the way out, said £200m isn't anywhere near enough for the "huge" rebuilding job needed - and that Smalling, Jones, Evans, Rafael won't cut the mustard and with Mata in the no.10 we'll need to sign three "world class midfielders" as well. Phil was the only one saying we'd be back in the CL in 2015/2016 as well. Ridiculous.

Edit, oh and we'd be over the moon selling RvP on for £5m apparently!
The Soccer Saturday panel tends to concentrate all the woes of modern punditry into one tidy, slightly moronic package.
 
Well, they're absolute Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime then. Another 2 peoples opinions to ignore. Especially if they have actually watched our games against Bayern, where Jones practically shut down Ribery, twice, and Smalling was great at CB.

It was weird, they were showing all of Smallings highlights against Bayern as one of them was jabbering about how Smalling will never be good enough. Barmy.
 
I'm used to pundits spouting complete and utter crap about our players. They love to sharpen their knives and launch into their cliched criticisms at any opportunity. Even last season, DDG was meant to be some sort of liability who was going to be shipped back to Spain. Look how long Ronaldo was labelled a "one trick pony" for or Ferdinand was apparently "prone to losing concentration" etc. Don't listen to these morons.
 
Explain.
Surely they're both pretty physical! Smalling is a colossus, and Jones is a real warrior!

Neither is a Vidic or Stam type, blood and thunder able to intimidate or physically dominate an attacking player.

Smalling is tall but slight, and whilst Jones gets stuck in, he isn't physically imposing.

Nothing wrong with that by the way, plenty of top defenders (perhaps the majority) rely on reading the game well and both are physical enough to do very well.

Smalling should watch Rio Ferdinand. He's string but not all about the physical. He's played so long because he can read the game and has good distribution. Mostly he's calm under pressure.

Jones needs a bit more of that too. He makes rash decisions at times.
 
A lot of people I speak to - non Utd supporters, don't really rate Smalling, but I think he's class, and fully expect him to be starting at centre back for us next season.
 
we are in for a CB...that must be why the speculation is all about. But if we do go for a CB, it would be because we would be light in that department.

currently we have Jones, Smalling and Evans (assuming Rio and Vidic are gone)....and unless we promote Keane...we will need to bring a quality CB in....that is why that Portuguese lad has been mentioned.
 
No way. I'd be distraught. Get him a full season of football under his belt and he'll prove how good he is. I know he's won over quite a few hearts, I can't see him being sold at all.
 
Smalling is the best CB at the club in full form. No chance will Moyes let him leave.
 
Obviously he's very good defender. I have faith in him and also Jones and Evans. All we need is another right back so we can stop playing him out of position.

And there is no way we will sell him.
 
Evans is better, and Jones has a higher ceiling. I like Smalling, but with Vidic leaving we really need one top class centreback to replace him, which only leaves us with one first team place for three players. I'd play Evans alongside the new guy, and have Jones for the future.

Smalling isn't a youngster anymore (I think he's 25? Certainly over 24) and whilst he's phsyically strong, his actual footballing skills are laughably inept.