Loved that bit. When Jose joined I wondered which players would be most affected by his coaching. Seems the correct answer is Rojo and Jones.
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Loved that bit. When Jose joined I wondered which players would be most affected by his coaching. Seems the correct answer is Rojo and Jones.
Mourinho won't admit it to the outside, he's defending the player; but on the inside he will have a talk with Rojo.
Seems like it. Wtf did I just read?"Drop the two-footed lunges"? It's so obvious it hardly needs to be said (but it seemingly does), but Mourinho is right to focus on his brilliant performances and the fact that we've had a bunch of similar stuff against us (like Bravo on Rooney and that keeper on Zlatan in addition to those he mentioned) that we've not been given, when asked about it.
Scholesy's invented a new term, combining feckless and reckless?
He's found back the form he had in his first season here but he's also still doing what caused him to get dropped. The absolute mad tackles he makes at times. He's always been a good player and he's shown it 2 out of 3 seasons so far but you can't fault someone for wanting him out cause he looks like he'll cost us games with his rashness.
Rojo seems to be a time bomb waiting to be sent off. I think this 2 successive game where he goes in 2 footed. I think Jose talks to him. We won't be winning any games with 10 players. I hope he doesn't do that anymore regardless of him trying to win the ball. Low IQ player.
Disagree. Rojo was decent at best during his first season with us before the injury. Too often he went into tackled and came out with nothing or let the attacker bullied him when he tried go for strength battle.
Yes he got his shoulder injury due to his recklessness. That's what you're right.
Now he is clearly better than he has ever been in our shirt. He doesn't let attackers have a sniff. Better positioning, winning the ball clean and not tackle the air (still need to drop those 2 footed tackle though); and even today showing improvement in aerial duel.
Stranger thing happened with a team with a man down doing better than with 11 men, Chelsea vs Barcelona in that infamous CL semi final second leg Abidal and another with Terry, Real Madrid vs Barcelona last season with S. Ramos sent off... I am not saying he should keep doing this type of tackle, what I say is we can't just hypothesize a scenario and drop him while he's doing this well and destroy his confidence. I agree Mouriho should have a word with him so he can learn not to do this.
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It's all a bit mad back there, Rojo & Phil Jones. I have every confidence in them, honestly I do.
I particularly like how Rojo doesn't appear to believe that there is anything wrong with these flying two footers that he launches into & they are being done well up the field or missing altogether so we should be OK I think.
I particularly like how Rojo doesn't appear to believe that there is anything wrong with these flying two footers that he launches into & they are being done well up the field or missing altogether so we should be OK I think.
You're right that he's been better this season than he was in the first season. Was supposed to mention that but forgot to when I finished typing.
Don't think our players would have voted him Player's Player of the Year last year if Smalling was completely shite. You're comparing Smalling to the likes of Boateng and Ramos, and yes, he's not on that level. But to say Rojo is closer to that level is completely laughable.
Anyway, I agree with you so far as much that Rojo is playing really great these days.
You think Marcos Rojo is on the same level as Sergio Ramos? Thats quite an opinion.
Seems so alright. I won't fall into that trap again.
Think he's brilliant.
Definitely in form but needs to learn how to tackle normally. Completely unecessary going in 2 footed and he'll be sent off next time. He got away with it twice, refs will be watching out for it now.
Very good game, very stupid tackle. Focusing on the positives, he has been in great form lately. Benteke was quite all night.
Referees will be out for him now. I didn't think yesterday's challenge was too bad but he needs to cut it out.. It seems instinctive so it won't be too easy to do that.
The only concern I have is that it's the second time he's done it in quick succession. I love a hard tackler in the team, but there's a line I don't want our players to cross. I'd rather we didn't have a player that regularly endangers opponents. I'm not saying that Rojo is that player - apart from these two incidents I can't remember him doing it before. But he does need to show a bit more savvy when tackling.
There's also the concern that refs are going to be keeping a closer eye on him now. Perhaps he'll get unfairly punished for a good tackle because refs view him as someone who can't control his tackles.
I just hope these are two random incidents that just happened to come close together in an otherwise unblemished season, because you're right, he has been great for us in recent weeks. He and Jones have really stepped up when we needed them in Bailly and Smalling's absence, and neither deserve to lose their place without a fight. It's also nice having someone with Rojo's fire back there. He just needs to control it a bit more.
Footballers can be very dumb. I mean exceptionally dumb. I've seen the tackle back a few times and I still can't work out why Rojo needs to go in with 2 feet. You can say the same, in my opinion, about every 2 footed tackle. It's so unneccesary. And these professional footballers, who are earning astronomical sums of money, know that if the ref sees it and judges it as endangering the opponent then it's a red card. So why is it still happening?! This season is shaping up to be a real battle for us to finish in the top 4, if we start playing parts of matches with 10 players it will become so much more difficult. I'm not entirely convinced by Rojo as a footballer at all, if he can't tackle without risking a red card then we have to cut our losses with him.
Would you say this had he been sent off 2/3 matches? I like rough and tumble defenders but one has to think about the team.
I've always been quite favourable to Rojo on here and never had as much of a problem with him as most but despite the recent good performances those two tackles have really soured me on him. At best he's going to get sent off and worst he might injure someone. He's being stupid. I can't believe someone didn't speak to him after the Everton game for him to do it again. A ref is going to send him off soon for something undeserved because of these tackles, he needs to cut it out.
I know this is an incredibly minor point, but I feel like I'm losing my mind.
People keep saying this is his second this week or second in two games. But the first was against Everton wasn't it? So a week and a half or 4 games ago.
Right?
People keep saying this is his second this week or second in two games. But the first was against Everton wasn't it? So a week and a half or 4 games ago.
Right?
Yeah, we played Everton on the 4th and this is our third game since.
He's doing it instinctively. He used to do the same thing when he first started with us too ( the difference was he wasn't jumping in, but sliding in with two feet) so I get the feeling he thinks its a perfectly fine way to tackle.
It's his Argie trademark move. Heinze's was smashing people in the face area with his elbow.
Been excellent lately, but he's lucky that he's not had two red cards against Everton and Palace.
I wonder what Jose views as the pecking order for our CBs now. Clearly Bailly is at the top, but between Smalling, Blind, Jones and Rojo, I'd say Rojo and Jones will be at the top after Bailly. He doesn't seem to want to play Blind at CB anymore either, which leaves Smalling as 4th choice?
I wonder what Jose views as the pecking order for our CBs now. Clearly Bailly is at the top, but between Smalling, Blind, Jones and Rojo, I'd say Rojo and Jones will be at the top after Bailly. He doesn't seem to want to play Blind at CB anymore either, which leaves Smalling as 4th choice?
Playing fantastic, but he's gonna cost us a game with the two-footed tackles.
I can't agree that it's instinct. Instinct is De Gea putting his hand up to make a point blank save. With the tackle Rojo has time to think about how he wants to make the tackle, and he must surely know that 2 footed tackles are a red card offence. Mourinho has to take a lot of responsibility if it happens again because he should be giving him a real dressing down. We can't afford to be throwing points away because we're playing matches with 10 men. He should be taking him to one side and reading the rulebook to him - literally.
His "finisher", if you like.
They're highlighting his tackling now.
2 footed lunge against Everton & last night. Sigh.
Silly and lucky boy.
2 footed lunge against Everton & last night. Sigh.
Silly and lucky boy.
Those 2 footed tackles are worrisome, TBS. I wonder if it's because he's getting wrong-footed. He's a left-footer, right? But he led with his right foot on the tackle last night, and then kinda dragged in the left foot. Just tossing it out there.
You just know that some attention seeking ref will give him a red card for a yellow card situation in the near future.
Absolutely going to happen.
Not going to get distracted by him playing well at the moment. He is playing well for his standards, but is no where near good enough for us if we want to be challenging for the title and other honours.
He's a liability and we should not hold on, unless he is 3rd choice.
Wouldn't phase me at all if we got rid.
He's a liability and we should not hold on, unless he is 3rd choice.
Wouldn't phase me at all if we got rid.
He's our 4th best CB and a scrotum of a LB, let's not get carried away here lads. Much like Jones, the thing I'm most pleased about is that he's staying fit!
You're so one sided and with all due respect clueless when it comes to Smalling. First of all, he's not just a bit quicker than Fellaini, he's one of the quickest players we have on the team. It wasn't too long ago when he bailed out Rojo after getting dispossessed by Willian almost leading to him going one on one with De Gea. Smalling outpaced the speed merchant Willian to the ball in a straight up race and saved a sure goal. Also, he's aerially the most dominant defender in the team. He won 121 (63.68%) aerial duels last season. No one came close, not even Fellaini who only won 48 (51.6%). He was one of the contenders for MOTM when united beat City 4-2 at OT in 2015, if you remember he even got the fourth goal of the game with a towering header, he also kept Aguero quiet when we beat them 1-0 on their turf. He's also the only CB we have who's also a goal threat, with 12 goals scored since he signed. He was playing injured against Chelsea and its been well established. He will force his way back into the team when fully fit
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I'm surprised with his heading ability. He seems to have a knack of getting to the ball first in the air. Have seen him win headers several times during corners, shame he could not direct it towards the goal.
Couldn't agree more and I like rojo as a CB, there's no comparison. Smalling is so much better.
He's barely put a foot wrong except for a few bad tackles and people suggesting he's not good enough? Smalling has been average since his great form last season. With him and Jones we've looked as stable at the back as we have for a long time.
I agree, and it will be proven when he gets back to full match fitness. Mourinho will have a selection headache with Rojo and Jones in fine form but once Smalling gets his first start back he's not going to be dropped
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