Is Smalling the best defender in the league?

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And Smalling's excellent defending isn't really that new. He's always been good at the very same things, instead he had to embarrass himself out wide as Ferguson persisted with his increasingly stupid rotation policy that worked to the benefit of few and the detriment of many.

Smalling should have been playing week in, week out since about 2012. Instead, he's delivering on the trust he's been awarded now, almost three years later. Injuries played their part, but they were never as pronounced with Smalling as opposed to Jones and Evans.
 
I'm a neutral - no he isn't. Talk about an overreaction after a couple of good games...
 
Most of us knew he had it in him since we bought him.People on here have always said that Jones was capable to do more things but as a defender Smalling was better.
 
Skills said:
Phil Jones would still be ahead of him in the pecking order now. Not on merit, it just happens to be that our manager is a complete and utter imbecile when it comes to judging our defenders. See Blackett making his way into our first team squad.
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One of the best managers of all time is a complete utter imbecile compared to the awesome Skills, who in his life has managed 0 games of football in any level.

And no, not neccesarily Jones was higher than him in the pecking order. Van Gaal clearly said that he'll start the season with Shaw, Blind and Darmian with the RCB position being still in doubt (between Jones and Smalling).
 
If he was at Chelsea he'd get a lot more praise. He's head and shoulders above Cahill.
 
I really couldn't care less if he is the best or isn't but I wouldn't change him for any defender in the league.
 
Skills said:
When it comes to judging defenders there's no stats like assists and goals to bail people out. So they tend to need to grasp onto whatever narrative that is being fed at that time - the City sending off was the big one.

The only reason Smalling actually started getting some credit was also due to Carragher praising him on MNF.
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Yup, some shocking comments in here. He was shit last season according to someone, you'd be amazed they even watch us play.
 
Revan said:
One of the best managers of all time is a complete utter imbecile compared to the awesome Skills, who in his life has managed 0 games of football in any level.

And no, not neccesarily Jones was higher than him in the pecking order. Van Gaal clearly said that he'll start the season with Shaw, Blind and Darmian with the RCB position being still in doubt (between Jones and Smalling).
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He isnt claiming to be the better manager, just questioning his judgement of who the better defender is. He's right too, Smalling is easily better than Jones and no matter which way you paint it now, it's obvious the 1st half teams were his 1st choice 11,something I didn't believe at the time even though some did.

The undecided about RCB slot came after Jones wasn't good enough.
 
No he's not the best in the league but he's perhaps the form defender of the past few games?

Terry hardly looked convincing last week from what I've heard and Kompany was rather poor last season!

But no he's not the best defender in the league. He will need to perform this way for the whole season to be up there and then do that consistently to be the best. But I do think he's got the potential to be top 10 in the world at some point.

What he needs though is a consistent CB partner! Blind was superb last night so it's so far so good but will that continue?
 
He is starting to look the part now but needs a long run of games without injury to continue the superb progress he has made thus far.
 
Wow - he's massively overrated by our fans. Is it just me that feels slightly nervous when he's on the ball. He always seems a clumsy mistake away from us conceding (happened countless times last season).
 
Member 5225 said:
Wow - he's massively overrated by our fans. Is it just me that feels slightly nervous when he's on the ball. He always seems a clumsy mistake away from us conceding (happened countless times last season).
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When did those clumsy mistakes lead to goals on "countless" occasions?

There's his red card, yes, the one and only one of his career.
 
Kag said:
When did those clumsy mistakes lead to goals on "countless" occasions?

There's his red card, yes, the one and only one of his career.
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Must be countless fouls he gives away leading onto yellow cards - the grand total of 8 yellows he's received in his club career. Or the 1 (?) penalty he's given away in 5 years - which wasn't actually even a penalty in his rookie year.
 
Kag said:
What has that got to do with defending?

Positioning, heading the ball, intercepting passes, sniffing out danger. All of that is defending, and only Terry and perhaps Koscielny do that as well as Smalling in the division.

The distribution argument is beyond tiresome. We've won two games because our defenders defended well, not because they played a few pretty passes that inevitably lead to nothing.
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It is a factor in deciding the "best defender in the league" which is the title of this thread.
 
Kag said:
When did those clumsy mistakes lead to goals on "countless" occasions?

There's his red card, yes, the one and only one of his career.
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Yeah, I don't remember those occasions either. He does a few hoofs, but I'd rather see a defender get rid than fanny about with the ball in their own half. Rojo and Jones are a bit more culpable for the latter. Rojo especially trying to turn and play passes with the outside of his boot because his right foot is just for balance.
 
Coxy said:
I'm a neutral - no he isn't. Talk about an overreaction after a couple of good games...
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Couple of good games? Smalling has been brilliant since November last year.

I don't care what anyone says, Smalling is up there with the best CB's in the PL. He's got it all, brilliant in the air, rapid, good tackler and is starting to command the backline. Future captain material.
 
Don't know why people think this is because of only two games? Since the red against city last year he's stepped it up and consistently pulled off world class performances.
 
He's certainly underrated, especially by fans of other teams. He's not in Rio's class but he's improved his game by leaps and bounds since Fergie bought him from Fulham.
 
Andy_Cole said:
Don't know why people think this is because of only two games? Since the red against city last year he's stepped it up and consistently pulled off world class performances.
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Yeah he's definetely stepped up since then. We just need a great partner with him. Hopefully Blind can be this.
 
lem8sh said:
It is a factor in deciding the "best defender in the league" which is the title of this thread.
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It's a small factor. A luxury, perhaps. What decides the best defender in the league is how good they are at defending, in the same way the best forward in the league can be largely assessed on the basis of how often he puts the ball in the net.
 
It's easier for a defender to look good when the whole team is set up not to concede.
 
royboy16 said:
I actually think John Stones may be the best in the league in the next few years if he keeps going the way he is.
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It's a good shout... How about Smalling and Stones for club and country?

To me Smalling has the edge. He's more experienced and playing at a higher level for a bigger club. Though I guess Stones had much more to do last season defensively.

As for Smalling on the ball... I think he's come on leaps and bounds. He is much more confident now and brings the ball out in to midfield more which is what LVG wants from his defenders.
 
Sky1981 said:
Manchester United, or any top 3 clubs in epl are entitled to have a good defender. Bloody good is what it takes to be a Manchester United main cb.

Id say that smailing level is the minimum requirements for top club. It's the likes of jones and evans that makes having smailing looks like a grand blessing. He's nowhere compared to rio / stam / pallister and the rest of our mainstay cb (yet), calling him the best in the league is rawkish
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I wouldn't call it outrageous to say he is the best in the league, who is cleaely better? nor that he's blood good, you're comparing him there to the best defenders this club has seen spanning 2 and a half decades.
 
Polite Poster said:
It's easier for a defender to look good when the whole team is set up not to concede.
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So why doesn't this apply to Cahill and Terry, who play for a far more pragmatic and organized team than us. Smalling was playing with the likes of McNair and Blackett at times last season, and also having to do Antonio Valencia's job at the same time.
 
Kag said:
When did those clumsy mistakes lead to goals on "countless" occasions?

There's his red card, yes, the one and only one of his career.
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For example, against Burnley when he completely forgot to mark Danny Ings. Yep, he scored 2 goals in that game (and so was probably MOTM) but he also caused a goal and also made a similar mistake.

The fact that De Gea was our best player even in matches like against Liverpool when we won 3-0, tells all you need to know about our defense last year. Smalling was the best of them lot, but hardly something that means much.

He was definitely excellent in these 2 matches, and if he continues like this, he'll be the best in the league and one of the best in the world, but at the moment this thread ias as RAWKish as it can be. No need to repeat myself, but we were saying the same for Evans only 2 years ago, when Rafael was also the best RB in the league, Cleverley was the best young midfielder in the league and Welbeck the heir to Henry was the best young striker in the league and only a matter of time before he becomes world class.
 
It's between him and Terry for me at the moment. Terry is currently the better CB but you obviously wouldn't swap them because of their ages.

Mention of Cahill, Fonte, Kompany - None are better than Smalling on current form. All this said, I also think there's lack of quality in this position through the league though.
 
ivaldo said:
I wouldn't call it outrageous to say he is the best in the league, who is cleaely better? nor that he's blood good, you're comparing him there to the best defenders this club has seen spanning 2 and a half decades.
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Somethings are out of his control, but best also should be consistent and not injury prone. He never even finishes 45 games a season being first choice center back. How can he be best?
 
Skills said:
So why doesn't this apply to Cahill and Terry, who play for a far more pragmatic and organized team than us. Smalling was playing with the likes of McNair and Blackett at times last season, and also having to do Antonio Valencia's job at the same time.
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You don't think Terry looked a terrific defender last season ?

I think Smalling is a good defender but threads like this go overboard.
 
Revan said:
For example, against Burnley when he completely forgot to mark Danny Ings. Yep, he scored 2 goals in that game (and so was probably MOTM) but he also caused a goal and also made a similar mistake.

The fact that De Gea was our best player even in matches like against Liverpool when we won 3-0, tells all you need to know about our defense last year. Smalling was the best of them lot, but hardly something that means much.

He was definitely excellent in these 2 matches, and if he continues like this, he'll be the best in the league and one of the best in the world, but at the moment this thread ias as RAWKish as it can be. No need to repeat myself, but we were saying the same for Evans only 2 years ago, when Rafael was also the best RB in the league, Cleverley was the best young midfielder in the league and Welbeck the heir to Henry was the best young striker in the league and only a matter of time before he becomes world class.
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That's one goal. And the goal in question was a lot to do with the timing of an excellent cross by Trippier. Defenders are going to make positional errors, there's a reason title-winning sides still concede around 30 league goals, but that sort of goal isn't anything to do with clumsiness.

The 3-0 against Liverpool was before we settled down. After Christmas, the defence wasn't much of an issue at all. That trend is now continuing into the new season as a result of bringing in a right back that can defend and our left back staying fit.
 
I don't know if he's the best defender in the league or not, it's really hard to say, but it's true that i wouldn't swap him with any premier league defender at this point, maybe a younger terry, certainly with nobody from arsenal, city or liverpool.
 
He's class. I though he was last season too (when fit), but I know that doesn't fit in with the 'two game hype' narrative the naysayers are running with.
 
Nowhere near but he is starting to show some consistency at last, time for Jones who has more raw talent imo to do the same.
 
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