How good is Chris Smalling?

I disagree about the touch bit. Also, in terms of passing Evans is way ahead.

Smalling's a beast though, and he's something that's not really common: A naturally gifted defender. Not a talented football player who happens to be a defender(I.E. Rafael) but a naturally gifted defender.
 
.Phil1968 said:
I don't know who the clown Mirror reporter who gave the marks for players out of 10 yesterday is but to give 5 for Smalling is ridiculous. :wenger:
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Probably didn't watched the game, just saw that Smalling replaced Evans in second half and we conceded two times.
 
Lol I was trying to think who he looks and sounds like and its fricking Moss from IT crowd. It's insane I just saw an interview with him and they sound exaclty alike.

Classic.
 
ghaliboy said:
Lol I was trying to think who he looks and sounds like and its fricking Moss from IT crowd. It's insane I just saw an interview with him and they sound exaclty alike.

Classic.
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Gets even better when you look at Smalling's old picture with the afro
 
For some reason I'll always remember the first time I saw him when he scored an own goal which lost Fulham the game. But you could tell there was something special in him. Then he signed for us and after an early game (perhaps his debut I can't remember now) he gave an interview and was incredibly composed. I thought then that he's going to make it big, and become a captain one day for Utd and England.

Sunday was a sensational performance considering he had to come off the bench. Had a point to prove as well after Kompany beat him at the corner that gave City the 1-0 win last April. Responded brilliantly. The Aguero tackle was superb but also the one on Dzeko which I thought he'd score as it was similar to his goal against Spurs.
 
he is a bit too slow on the ball - he takes that extra touch to get the ball under control whereas someone like Ferdinand and Evans 9 times out of 10 is prepared to pass it almost immediately.

And he doesn't use his physique as well as he could - he is a giant but he doesn't behave like one. You don't see him brush people off the ball - like he should

If he improves those bits he is right up there with the best in the country.
 
Think he's already one of the best in the league to be honest - it's just that injury has stopped him from getting the time to really show it on a more regular basis. It's not like he's put in the odd top class performance. Some of his games have been phenomenal and I think he'd walk into or be a prominent figure for pretty much every team in the country if he had a better track record with injury. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, etc, even City. I like what I've seen of Nastasic but I've seen nothing to suggest he's better than or as potentially good as Smalling.
 
All I can do is to echo the sentiments expressed here that Smalling is a sensational center back in the making. We're very fortunate to have him.
 
I'm no ITK or supreme talent scout but seeing him in Toronto on his debut you could just tell he was special.
 
I have just seen a stat which says that he has only 1 yellow card in Premier League. Amazing.
 
We're going to look back at this thread in a year or so and wonder why so many of us in December of 2012 saw Smalling in such a cramped and limited light. In two years, some the December 2012 posts here will go down as hilarious.

"Sensational" is actually an understatement in describing Smalling's service to United so far. And he's only going to get better, and when he does the fukkers at Real will try to turn his head.
 
95% pass accuracy from 41 passes. 4/5 accurate long balls. Evans averages 3.6 accurate long balls per game.

Smalling's passing certainly isn't bad, in fact it is very good, it is just that he is inconsistent, some games he goes off the boil in that regard.

Could have been at fault for Sunderland's goal though. I couldn't tell from the replays.
 
Jimy_Hills_Chin said:
95% pass accuracy from 41 passes. 4/5 accurate long balls. Evans averages 3.6 accurate long balls per game.

Smalling's passing certainly isn't bad, in fact it is very good, it is just that he is inconsistent, some games he goes off the boil in that regard.

Could have been at fault for Sunderland's goal though. I couldn't tell from the replays.
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Was really good today. I've been a bit critical about his passing, but today even that was spot on. I couldn't tell who was to blame either; that's the problem as our defenders played well individually, but there is something lacking.
 
Revan said:
I have just seen a stat which says that he has only 1 yellow card in Premier League. Amazing.
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He's not sliding all over the place for one thing. I like defenders who can win the ball staying on his feet.
 
He's so composed off the ball, never seems to panic
 
So much potential to be a top class centreback. Him and Jones are the future for our back line.

We finally have 4 fit centrebacks and surely will be keeping some clean sheets in the near future.
 
5 years from now, Smalling and Kagawa are gonna go down as 2 of our best signings in the 21st century. You read it here first.
 
Towards the end, when he was on the left touchline up against either Sessegnon or Campbell, the strength and composure to shrug off challenges and calmly pass his way out of a corner was like watching Jaap Stam back in the day.
 
He is excellent player, isn't he?
 
Ironically its quite the opposite when it comes to Smalling and Jones.

Smalling looks he has always been playing professional football since young age and Jones looks like a very talented young player who until couple of years back played non-league football.

I am talking about the the way they play and the technique etc.
 
23 Years Old.

Can't wait to see Evans at 29 playing with 27 Year Old Chris Smalling.

You're welcome to dig up my "Quote me" thread and put me in there for this one:

That will be a partnership that helps win our next European Cup.
 
Absolute beast. Very intelligent for his young age and my god is he very composed on the ball. Fell asleep along with the rest of the defence on a couple of occasions but he's still one of my top candidates for MoM today.
 
Easily biggest physical presence on the pitch, even after Vidic came on.

Beast of a defender.
 
It would be him and one other for me, as long as he's fit. If given the sort of amount of games Evans has had over the past 18 months, heaven knows where Smalling would end up.

I have thought for a while that he's as good as any centre-half in the League.
 
He's our only defender with any semblance of pace. He should really be a starter.
 
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