Our best CB this season by a mile.
How good is Chris Smalling?
- Thread starter Plechazunga
- Start date
He does have a proneness to brain farts during games doesn't he?
No.
Seems to be improving as a defender and getting worse as a passer.
He makes defending runners look so easy at times, like today when he swallowed up what should have been a chance for their 9, created by a wonderful Koren ball.
We should buy that machine Dortmund has for passing and put it in his basement.
He makes defending runners look so easy at times, like today when he swallowed up what should have been a chance for their 9, created by a wonderful Koren ball.
We should buy that machine Dortmund has for passing and put it in his basement.
I think Stones and Smalling are similar - they're both more that ball playing type of centre half. Jones is more along the Vidic/Carragher lines that you also need in a great centre half partnership, in my opinion.
When we first signed Smalling, I was so assured that he would be our first choice CB for years. He looked so good for a 21 year old. We've kind of slowed his development by not giving him constant games at CB on a consistent basis. Fergie also is responsible for this. He's 24 now, if we don't give him a permanent place at CB, it's going to be too late for him IMO.
Certainly not. I can hardly recall any. Although he nearly scored an own goal, that could hardly go down as a brainfart as he had no choice but to try and slide it away.
He made Shane Long look slow, yet people still argue that Smalling lacks pace... go figure. He is currently better in the air than Vidic, imo. I think he and Jones can be great together, but Evans' technical abilities and distribution are great too.
I agree with the latter half but Stones is much better at ball playing than either of them. To me, if Smalling/Stones both reach their potential i think it would be better than a Smalling/Jones or Jones/Stones (That would have to be played at least once just for the rhythm!). It's all hypothetical anyway, both of the United lads still need to sort out their irritating niggles, must be frustrating for you all to know that you have a class act in Smalling only for him to be played at RB or to be injured.
I think Stones has the potential to be better than Smalling or Jones. He looks so composed on the ball.
It is frustrating! The most frustrating part of Smalling's career thus far is him being played at RB. Injuries are part of the game, but RB shouldn't be for his sake. Jones is a more versatile player, and thus I don't mind him being played here and there as much, somewhat because he's not as good as Smalling at CB anyhow.
Would you rate Stones higher than Smalling? I've only watched him once, and then he was really good, but we were shit
A poor mans Varane.
Varane seems to go for a sliding tackle at first opportunity whereas Smalling hardly ever does that. Smalling is much better in the air. The only similarity is their pace really.
Just prove how weak we were this season in this position
Evans is probably the best defender we have, but he had a terrible season
Jones is injured every 5 games and I very doubt he can be a top player if he continue playing like that.
Smalling is a good PL center back, but I don't see any development in his game since 4 years (and 2 title).
I would like him to stay, to make the 4th center back behind Evans and a new one, with Jones still covering two or three positions. For a good squad, you need at least 4 center back.
It is frustrating! The most frustrating part of Smalling's career thus far is him being played at RB. Injuries are part of the game, but RB shouldn't be for his sake. Jones is a more versatile player, and thus I don't mind him being played here and there as much, somewhat because he's not as good as Smalling at CB anyhow.
Would you rate Stones higher than Smalling? I've only watched him once, and then he was really good, but we were shit
Stones is the best young ball playing CB in England. People say a new Rio but he was always awful as a ball player unless compared to an Adams or Terry Butcher!
varane is world class young defender and its obvious in most games he plays. Smalling is the opposite.
Give one reason why Smalling is the opposite?
It is frustrating! The most frustrating part of Smalling's career thus far is him being played at RB. Injuries are part of the game, but RB shouldn't be for his sake. Jones is a more versatile player, and thus I don't mind him being played here and there as much, somewhat because he's not as good as Smalling at CB anyhow.
Would you rate Stones higher than Smalling? I've only watched him once, and then he was really good, but we were shit
Stones is a better footballer and Smalling is a better defender at the moment to put it simply. Stones does have 5 years of catching up to do on Smalling though and at 19 is starting for Everton rather than Maidstone/Fulham! It should give him time to develop his defensive naivety and run Smalling close as a 'better defender'.
Okay then... At his prime, Rio was terrific with the ball, and his passing was great too. Not sure if I want you to give arguments to my last question anymore...
Because he's no where near the class of Varane in nearly every department from positioning to ball playing!
Yes he just became a constant hoof defender. He had Roy Keane taking the ball of him for nearly 8 years from 5 yards away!
Interesting that. I remember us having a discussion on being the better footballer and the better defender. Most people argued that Rio was a better footballer than Vidic, but quite a few argued that Vidic was the better defender. The same argument applies to Evans and Smalling for instance.
Everton has a good defense, so let's hope that he can develop. I've always rated Distin - his a frickin beast who is fast as feck, despite his age.
They have about the same pace. Smalling is better in the air and reads the game better, and according to what I've read from others, Varane is prone to making stupid mistakes, which Smalling isn't. Not too sure about that. Varane probably has better technique, as most good defenders do, than Smalling.
His best seasons were 2008-2010 - not much Keane could do about those...
A lot of people on here do think that since he lost his pace his passing became worse - maybe it's related to his back. You probably think Rio was slow too?
Anyone that thinks Smalling is comparable to Varane is blind! Cleverley is closer to Fabregas.
Frustrating to think we almost had him...
In relation to Smalling, I'm a little bit disappointed in how he has / we have developed him.. He looked brilliant 3 seasons ago, he really stood out and seemed to be solid / shrewd purchase. Was never able to take that next step and has been shunted to right back far too often.
It just comes down to if the new manager (presumably LvG) and how he wants to build a new partnership that rivals that of Rio and Vida - in my opinion it should be Jones + new player and Smalling will be the backup.
There was a thread on here that discussed that and a lot of people saw them as quite similar. Too many people judge Smalling from his RB apperances. When playing as a centre back, he's been largely brilliant. He's a beast in the air and wins almost every header, more so than Vidic these days, and he also defends very well on the ground. Welbeck said he was the hardest defender to get past, but I guess you know it better.
I have no idea how Jones has proved more in the CB role than Smalling has. He's a better midfielder and RB, but he's played little as a CB and Smalling has been better, simple as.
He's an amazing centre back; strength, pace, reading of the game are all top notch.
Is it really? Why? Do you think he would have miraculously escaped the Ferguson madness and completely refuted his later belief that experience is more important than the development of young players? How brilliant.
No, what would have happened to him is exactly what has happened to Smalling and Jones, who have been royally pissed upon from a great height. Two or three seasons ago they were the two best defenders in their age category in Europe. They went to those European Championship's and performed excellently.
Varane is talented, I'm sure Mangala at Porto is, too. As is Hummels. However, footballers are never all that different, and they're always the victim of circumstance, for better or worse. Had it been Jones who moved to Madrid, and Varane who came over to United that Summer, I can assure you we would be having the exact same conversation right now. Infact, it would probably be quite ugly. "How the feck did we not go for the English lad Jones, he's fantastic. We only got this reckless Frenchie that only gets a game at right back every three weeks." I can picture it now.
The sooner we give talented young players regular game time then better things will be. They've never even been offered the opportunity to play three consecutive games together. By this point, with some bravery, they should have been starting 30, never mind three.
United, and more importantly, Ferguson, have handled this pair like buffoons.
He hasn't. Anybody that thinks Jones is a better 'defender', in the truest sense of the word, doesn't really know an awful lot about it.
They had three seasons together.Agreed - great post above. Ferguson was normally good with youngsters, but it seemed he relied too much on experience for the CB positions. What I like about playing Jones and Smalling is that they have so much pace, especially Smalling, that they can sit higher up the pitch and not get beaten by pace still. That leaves much less space between the defense and the midfield, which is necessary with our slow central midfield.
The three worst of Keane. I think I reached the conclusion that he's wumming.
He was lucky not to score an OG towards the end, apart from that I think he had a very good game. I am never worried when I see him on the team sheet at CB which is a good sign I guess.
He couldn't have done anything else with that cross TBF. Leave it for the striker and he would be lambasted.
Play him regularly in CB and he's our best defender. Even his passing isn't too bad from there.
Keane and Ferdinand's overlap of their United careers is hardly over 3 seasons of which Rio was banned for around 8 months.So whatever your point was, it hasn't come across. And further neither Keane nor Ferdinand played that way
I don't disagree, as I mentioned I am disappointed in how the club has developed Smalling (and Jones) we certainly haven't got the best out of them and as you rightfully point out they were the 2 best defenders in their category and should have been played more as a pair.
I genuinely hope Smalling gets the opportunities that he deserves but I can't help but think his reputation / talent (again, along with Jones) has taken a hit and I would be surprised to see the new manager go in with both of these as a 1st choice centre half partnership at the start of next season.
Sadly, I'm inclined to agree. For me, it will be a huge stain on our supposed ability when it comes to developing young players. And, it's probably the one thing I was happy that Moyes was doing. I think he would have made a pair out of these two in the end, I just hope Van Gaal has watched them at centre back and judges them on that basis, before he reduces them to the bench for another season.
I believe that Van Gaal will take a long term approach to our defence and hopefully that will mean playing Smalling and Jones/Evans (depending on Jones' injury problems) as our regular CB pairing.
An absolute rock, and it is frustrating that managers see him as useful at right back, because he is vastly superior at CB. Hopefully he becomes one of those players we see as impossible to keep off the first team sheet like de Gea and Rooney.
Am I the only one who has a slight concern about him under Van Gaal ? One thing all his teams have had over the years is proper ball playing centre halves.
Looking at our current options if he does sacrifice one of them I think Smalling might be the one.
Also the Varane/Ferdinand comments above are a bit bizarre.
Looking at our current options if he does sacrifice one of them I think Smalling might be the one.
Also the Varane/Ferdinand comments above are a bit bizarre.
He is rubbish at right back. He should always be a central defender. Just has to cut out some sloppy passing and loss of concentration and he should be ok going forward.