Maybe he's using a different deodorant.
Is Smalling the best defender in the league?
- Thread starter Andy_Cole
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Maybe he's using a different deodorant.
Yes.
Yea, sure!
No
someone really thinks koscielny is not only a better CB than Smalling, but best in the league?..................... wow
Honestly, he's been a good defender for a long time and has had many excellent performances for us in the past. I'm not especially surprised that when he has stayed fit and been first choice he has performed at such a high level. He's always had the talent to do so
same Koscielny who didn't start performing to standards until he was 28 years old
Yes, Smalling is the best defender in the league. He's been fantastic this and last year as going into August 2014 I thought Jones would be the man to step up but by January '15, it was obvious to me that Mike Smalling was the Man!
YES.
With defenders it's easy to focus too much on their small or big mistakes rather than weigh that against how many positive things they do. Smalling's upside - speed, strength, heading, one on ones, ability to cover others' errors - is massive and outweighs any of his rivals. By comparison, the occasional misjudgments usually do not cost goals anyway. He's still young and learnin' and improving to a degree and has a couple more years of tutelage under van Gaal until the next manager comes in. My hope is that Jones will reap the same benefit from van Gaal's management.
Certainly is proving a lot of doubters wrong thats for sure.
Nah but this season hes not 1 lvl above his normal form, but 3. Ever since he changed his name to Mike hes been amazing.
I was laughed at last season when I said Smalling was our best defender. This is from 2014/15
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I think Jones could still become an excellent CB but he needs to stay fit to become one. He is still quite young but his fitness is a huge issue.
Arsenal fan.
Smalling is head and shoulders above Koscielny though, best CB in the league easily.
Best defender in the league? Try best in the world! Heck, the universe.
I really do think he is the best in the league. He's been good for 3 years, was excellent last year, and is magnificent this year.
I really do think he is the best in the league. He's been good for 3 years, was excellent last year, and is magnificent this year.
He's really great this season. Only thing a bit lacking is his passing.
And hopefully he cut out the stupid moves (like the red card against City last year.)
And hopefully he cut out the stupid moves (like the red card against City last year.)
Top ten in the world imo
That *was* his only career red card.
Like all CBs, we mostly notice them when they screw up, I don't think he's half as error prone as Jones or Evans.
Definitely. Hard to come up with 10 defenders who have been in better form over the past year or so.
Second only to Kompany for me and given how many games Kompany misses a season I wouldn't swap.
I would have agreed easily last season also. But i would have laughed if you said that he would even be considered the best defender in the league.
I think his passing is actually excellent for a CB. He's not going to make incisive passes, but he makes very good cross field passes out to the left and almost always maintains possession. Also when Smalling does advance the ball forward he's such a beast that it seems to take more than 1 defender to commit to him which opens up space for others.
He's much improved in this regard since LVG took over and probably in the upper echelon of CBs overall in terms of decision making and maintaining possession with the ball at his feet. I feel that he very rarely hoofs the ball forward at all times like he used to.
When he boss Arsenal and City attack, then yes.
He did last season at the Emirates (dominated Welbeck and in one great move beat him for pace and made a great tackle on him) and at Old Trafford (City 4-2 win where he even scored the 4th) and even against Chelsea (saved a one on one with Willian after Rojo gave the ball away). He was immense in all the big games save for City away, the red card
You could always find something a player hasn't done and say he'll only be considered good if/when he does that thing, ad infinitum.
But you can only defend what you come up against, and so far, Smalling has been immense.
But you can only defend what you come up against, and so far, Smalling has been immense.
I once heard a set of scouse fans discussing if Daniel Agger was the best defender in the world!
I wouldn't mind he wasn't even considered the best in England at that time, where they got the crazy notion he was that good I don't know.
Yes I think he is. Kompany being injured probably means Smalling is the best outright now. Although at the beginning of the season it looked as if Kompany had re-discovered some of his good form.
Actually, what I notice about him this season is, what a beast he is. Don't think anyone outmuscled him this season yet. Sometimes you just see him decided he will get the ball and he usually gets it. Even following forwards back to their own half. Or that press on opponent's DM (was it against PSV?), when he took the ball deep in their half and then dribbled past the defender, only to have his shot saved.
A toss up between him and Kompany, both still short of world class though. Smalling has every chance of becoming top3 in the world if he continues his current trajectory, nevertheless. Kompany will only decline from now on.
I recently moved to university in London and have discovered some of the Arsenal fans I've met are thousands of times more deluded than Liverpool fans, Koscielny better than Godin and Boateng now apparently. Not all of them, mind.
Almost came back with a clean sheet from the Emirates with McNair and Blackett for CB partners save for a 90th minute screamer by Giroud.
Kompany's had a good start to the season but before that he was poor for a good 18 months, he's living off his reputation now, his weaknesses are showing, he's not close to being a top 5 CB anymore. His name's covering his performances. As for Smalling, if he continues his trajectory he could become a behemoth, still a way off yet.
i think it's fair to say he's one of the most improved defenders - combination of the stewardship of LVG and the coaches and his inner drive / ability to learn and improve.
Think he has a bit to go before we can class him as the best defender in the league though as I feel that should go to Kompany. However, I do feel t's the first time since vidic / rio have left that we have a leader at the back again - something he's grown into over last few years and credit to the lad
Think he has a bit to go before we can class him as the best defender in the league though as I feel that should go to Kompany. However, I do feel t's the first time since vidic / rio have left that we have a leader at the back again - something he's grown into over last few years and credit to the lad
The way I'd evaluate whether he's the best is to ask myself would I swap him with any other current PL centre back and the answer is no I wouldn't. Aldervereld on his day is very good and Kompany is a class act but I think Smalling is better with the ball at his feet.
Wasn't Wenger interested in him last season and some fans were willing to let him go? Wow!
Right now he's got to be considered the best in the league!
Who else realistically can be considered??? Arsenal have been pretty poor at the back as have Liverpool. Chelsea have been terrible and City without Kompany are all over the place.
The only one who can be considered really is Kompany. But he has missed the last two games so you have to go with Smalling.
The other thing being overlooked is that he's playing in a back 4 that consists of a new right back who's now had to switch to left back. A new right back in place of Darmian and his centre back partner is not a natural centre back. That's all pretty amazing!!
Who else realistically can be considered??? Arsenal have been pretty poor at the back as have Liverpool. Chelsea have been terrible and City without Kompany are all over the place.
The only one who can be considered really is Kompany. But he has missed the last two games so you have to go with Smalling.
The other thing being overlooked is that he's playing in a back 4 that consists of a new right back who's now had to switch to left back. A new right back in place of Darmian and his centre back partner is not a natural centre back. That's all pretty amazing!!
Don't think I've ever been pissed at a player as much I was when Smalling got sent off against City. What a turn around its been for him.
His confidence is at all time high. That along with his physique, maturity/experience every year and his natural talent is making him the player he is.
Must be an absolute nightmare to try and get around. He is just a really great defender.
Must be an absolute nightmare to try and get around. He is just a really great defender.
Why would you be pissed at Smalling? He got both cards for trying to clear up other peoples failures - blame them. The first card, for delaying Hart's quick kick, was a blown assignment for one of the attacking players (or all of them). If the kick isn't delayed, Aguero has a one on one downfield - the delay allows defenders to get back. That he was a bit obvious and got booked for his trouble was a function of doing an unfamiliar job - which he shouldn't have had to do. The second was another blown assignment (Valencia?). The mistiming was split second but, if Milner gets passed him, the pull back is an almost certain goal. And he had the sense to make sure the tackle was outside the area. Both of the cards were deserved, but both were the result of him taking responsibility for clearing up after the failures of his teammates.
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