Smalling and Jones

To be fair, they are up against the best striker in the league and the whole back four are getting zero protection from midfield.
 
When paired with someone else at centre-back each can look very good. Too often together they look like inexperienced rookies thrown in as an emergency to cover an injury crisis. There's no real chemistry between the two, remarkable given how long they've played together.
 
They are meh players and it had been clear for years to me, but somehow the managers cannot see it. When we play against shit teams, they are okay and considering that for most part we are a very organized and defensive teams, it works. But any time we have to play a semi-decent attacking team, it is either park the bus and get found in defense. Kane has been toying with Jones and it is hardly a surprise.
 
Both are still better than any of the other defenders we have that fans on here like to pretend are really good.
 
Skills said:
Don't get why smallings getting shit. Blocked Alli's shot when Jones lost a regulation header, and now Jones just smashes in an own goal. He's the only one defending competently.
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It's baffling, isn't it? Jones is having a 2/10 performance, and people are expecting Smalling to do it all. The problem is that Smalling is playing below par today and Jones is having an absolute mare.
 
No goals conceded since boxing day.. Jones has been involved for the majority of that right? One unlucky moment, one shite moment tonight.

The 2 man midfield is creating the problems.
 
Nate Dogg said:
Why do we bother with these 2 idiots.
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City buy Laporte and make it 250 million on defenders in two years on the same day we field a back four and keeper that we could also have put out seven years ago in 2011.
 
The team can't break any kind of pressure. The two of them are unable to make a positive pass, leaving it up to dea gea to hoof if they don't put it out of play themselves. The amount of unneccessary extra attacks we conceide because of this is alarming.
 
On a serious note, how much could we hope to get for these two in the summer?
 
SirAF said:
Jones is fine, Smalling is shit using the ball though
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Both of them are shit.
There’s no way Kane would dominate Eric Bailly like he’s done these bottlers. The first goal was a disgrace. Jones saw that ball coming all the way and he still let Kane win that header. He’s too poor to be a United player. How did we go from Vidic to an albatross like Jones.

Smalling has always been a liability. He’s so poor on the ball. He panics even when the press is 300 yards away. He’s been at United for donkey years but its evidently clear he cannot cut it. These 2 should be sold next summer. They are simply not good enough. We have given away 2 terrible goals.
 
Jones has been dreadful but I mostly blame mourinho for this. The first goal is Jones but getting overrun in midfield is Jose's fault. Let's be honest in an away game like this we expected him to start fellaini/Herrera
 
Skills said:
Don't get why smallings getting shit. Blocked Alli's shot when Jones lost a regulation header, and now Jones just smashes in an own goal. He's the only one defending competently.
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That's normal for redcafe. No matter how Smalling performs people complain about him, no matter how much of a disaster Jones is people will defend him.
 
So frustrating to see Smallings passing. Always sideways or back. Most of the time to players under pressure.
Even adding a third midfielder will not beat the press if he keeps selling short passes to wrong options.
 
Only blaming them for the goals is harsh, the entire team has been poor. The midfield offer no protection, Young has been very poor in dealing with cutting off the deliveries from his wing, which has not helped by the fact that he has to deal with two people at times.
 
kps88 said:
To be fair, they are up against the best striker in the league and the whole back four are getting zero protection from midfield.
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Exactly. I don't think any two defenders would be able to cope with being outnumbered every time Tottenham attack.
 
The transition from defence to midfield is non-existent. Can't trust any of them for that, need Bailly back ASAP.

Also doesn't help that we've lost the midfield battle with our lineup.
 
I see it like this. They are good against weaker teams. When they guard one attacker. But at highest level all their flaws come on surface. Bad with the ball, lots of panicking, bad decision making, losing concentration. Then you see how average they are. They have mistake in them and against big teams that mistake is costly. In big matches they play good when we park the bus but when we go in open play they are vulnerable.

Personally, for years i hope that they will be sold ( especially smalling) but they are still here. In first 11!
 
Son Of Sam said:
Both of them are shit.
There’s no way Kane would dominate Eric Bailly like he’s done these bottlers. The first goal was a disgrace. Jones saw that ball coming all the way and he still let Kane win that header. He’s too poor to be a United player. How did we go from Vidic to an albatross like Jones.

Smalling has always been a liability. He’s so poor on the ball. He panics even when the press is 300 yards away. He’s been at United for donkey years but its evidently clear he cannot cut it. These 2 should be sold next summer. They are simply not good enough. We have given away 2 terrible goals.
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I’ve always had time for Jones. Smalling, however, is utter shite.
 
Both average have always been and will always be. With them being around our starting XI we won't win anything notable!
 
The problem is the ZERO lack of cover provided by the 2 CMs. They are just getting bypassed by Spurs. This happens EVERYTIME a decent midfield plays against any two with Pogba in it. He is a LIABILITY. United may as well play with 10 men in matches like this.
Yes no doubt it would be better defensively with 3 in midfield, but only because 2 CMs would be defending and not depending on Pogba, so he is free to do his fancy bits. But that is only covering for Pogba's incompetency. Spurs and United have started with almost the same set-up, the big difference is that Spurs CMs are playing well leaving their front 4 to attack at will, United's two CMs are overrun, because Matic is trying in vain to cover for two players.
 
They've been our best partnership so far this season...

Jones has been atrocious today. For the first goal he lost the header then ball watched instead of trying to get back (Young was even worse at that). Scored a bad own goal. Lost his man from a free kick to give him a good chance. Was out-muscled by Kane to set up another good chance.

Smalling has done as much as he can at the back end to cover those mistakes. Outside of those final blocks he's been fairly poor himself though.
 
Skills said:
Don't get why smallings getting shit. Blocked Alli's shot when Jones lost a regulation header, and now Jones just smashes in an own goal. He's the only one defending competently.
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Are you serious? Do you see how often smalling kicks the ball outside even when nobody is near to him? Do you see that every time he allows player to get in front of him and play with the ball?
 
They were never good enough.

You can kid yourself all you want, you’re convincing nobody.
 
Surprised with two things.

One; How many people rate Smalling. He’s constantly out of position and two steps behind the rest of the back line. He’s nervous, dithers in possession and has poor distribution. For a ‘big guy’ he’s soft and poor in air.

Two; Not seen anyone mention Rojo. Our best defender last season IMO. Sharpe, aggressive and always on the front foot. Good on the ball and confident. An has great leap and a good head.
 
Kag said:
They're very good defenders that play regularly in a side that barely concedes goals and doesn't score enough. Go figure. Or go knee jerk.
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in what world?
 
Interested to know what our win percentage is with these two starting?
 
You can blame the midfield all you want, but Kane was allowed to have the ball to feet so many times without even any pressure from these two. You wou
 
12oskell said:
Surprised with two things.

One; How many people rate Smalling. He’s constantly out of position and two steps behind the rest of the back line. He’s nervous, dithers in possession and has poor distribution. For a ‘big guy’ he’s soft and poor in air.

Two; Not seen anyone mention Rojo. Our best defender last season IMO. Sharpe, aggressive and always on the front foot. Good on the ball and confident. An has great leap and a good head.
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Bailey is our best defender and trust me as shite as Jones and Smalling can be they are both better than Rojo who is also a liability.
 
They're both decent defenders, but absolute liabilities on the ball. When so many teams are pressing, it's like playing with 10 men when in possession.

The difference in Vertonghen, Sanchez and our two CBs on the ball was night and day. Is there a CB as bad on the ball as Smalling, starting regularly at a top club in Europe? I'd be surprised if there was.
 
Lawman said:
in what world?
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The world in which we have one of the best defensive records in Europe. Or the stark reality that we have consistently had a goals conceded column similar to that of the league champions in recent years.

All the while, we score sod all.

We went 1-0 down and the game was over because we can't attack with any sort of idea. That's the world we're in. But people can shove their heads up Mourinho's arse some way further and pretend it's Smalling and Jones.
 
We need a RB, LB and a world class CB in the summer. We laugh at City buying defenders, but that's the type of money we need to throw at our defence. It's shocking that we still have to start a defence from 2011 (with makeshift FBs). Jose needs to take part of the blame here - why drop so much money on Lindelof? Buy a proper CB and play him!
 
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