Smalling / on loan to Roma 1 year

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Shame we can't sell one of these extra defenders. A loan and £3m is nice but it doesn't solve the long term problem. He'll be back on our books again next season if we don't find a suitor.

I'd also rather have Smalling as a backup than Jones or Rojo, but I guess no one wants to buy them for obvious reasons.
 
Seems stupid. Our best option for backup/rotation. We'll be fecked when Maguire or Lindelof gets injured and Jones, Rojo, Bailly are already injured. Being forced to play a youngster seems irresponsible.
 
Anyone who thinks this is a good idea has their head in the clouds . Smalling is arguably our 2nd but definitely 3rd best CB and we are letting him go on loan ?
Jones is a injury prone mess who cant be trusted Axel is totally unproven at PL level and Rojo is clean useless ..
So we have no back up in midfield no back up in the forward line and we are now letting our main back up CB leave .
We are being taking for a huge fecking ride by the Amercians and our top 8 finish this season then might wake up some of our fans .
 
We have been complaining about the chuckle brothers for years, when we do something about it people go nuts.
I think we could use Smalling this season rather than Jones or Rojo but it´s a part of moving forward, if Ole is ok with this I am ok with this.
 
Bailly is injured, you can't sell an injured player and there's still hope for him as he's still young.

We wanted to sell Rojo but apparently weren't able to up until now.

Smalling and Jones are 4th and 5th choices CBs. Quite frankly, selling the 4th or 5th choice cb is the same. Especially as Smalling will be 30 in 2 months while Jones is still 27.

Jones and Rojo are better on the ball than Smalling. It quite makes sense when you think about it.

I personally I'm quite happy with this. Just sell one of Rojo or Jones and we will be good.

Let the kids have their chances, we won't do worse than 6th anyway whatever team we put out. And at least it'll allow us to actually plan for January as we need players.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
One is injured and you know that won't be the end of it. I would say we have 3 CB's.
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I expect Maguire to play every game bar the league cup games, partnering Lindelof in the league and Tuanzebe in the Europa. As long as one of Jones & Rojo can stay fit between now and Bailly's return we have a partner for Tuanzebe in the league cup
 
klsv said:
I don't know what people want. Scream about clearing the deadwood, and when it happens, "no, not that deadwood!". If we'd need to wait for the very worst of our squad to leave first, Smalling would probably end up having a longer career at United than Giggs.
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Smalling isn't deadwood though. He just wasn't good enough to be starting.
 
ArjenIsM3 said:
Dalot and Young can cover for AWB and Shaw. In case of emergency there's O'Connor/Williams/Laird who would be very happy to get some minutes. Loads of posters on here seem to think one of them should start ahead of Young anyway (I don't agree btw)

Also, don't forget about Tuanzebe.
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I understand but still have no trust in these young lads in such a very important season. All I wish that there is some strategy by the club.
 
Tel074 said:
Anyone who thinks this is a good idea has their head in the clouds . Smalling is arguably our 2nd but definitely 3rd best CB and we are letting him go on loan ?
Jones is a injury prone mess who cant be trusted Axel is totally unproven at PL level and Rojo is clean useless ..
So we have no back up in midfield no back up in the forward line and we are now letting our main back up CB leave .
We are being taking for a huge fecking ride by the Amercians and our top 8 finish this season then might wake up some of our fans .
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He's not our main back up CB. Ole said that axel is.

He'll 30 in 3 months. not good with the ball at his feet. There's no point to build a team with him in it. We have 6 CBs now. 6. How is that no back up!
 
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He is indeed better than Rojo, Jones and Bailly. If it was a choice between losing them or him, I'd want them gone.

It doesn't really work that way though. He's a third/fourth choice CB in a squad that has seven, which makes him expendable even if others are theoretically more so.
 
I’m genuinely concerned about what we’re doing at the moment. I’m not a huge fan of Smalling, but I recognise, like many in this thread, that he is at least good enough to be a reliable back up to the first team. The others aren’t. We are two poorly timed injuries away from having a Tuanzebe-McTominay centre back pairing.

The Sanchez deal is bad enough for us, but this is even worse - £2.7m and when he comes back he’ll be a year older and a year closer to the end of his contract, which he signed in December mind you. His value will decline far more than that in a year. Ridiculous decision.
 
Are we just selling/ loaning out everyone? Smart plan, we’ll have to forfeit every game. No one can be blamed.
 
VeevaVee said:
Seems stupid. Our best option for backup/rotation. We'll be fecked when Maguire or Lindelof gets injured and Jones, Rojo, Bailly are already injured. Being forced to play a youngster seems irresponsible.
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Spot on ! Everyone saying play the kids are having a laugh. Play the kids finish 8th and these kids will be chucked out for not being good enough and their one chance is gone . I read people comparing them to the class of 92 but they had Pallister Keane Parker Irwin Mcclair who had been there and done it . This is becoming embarrassing
 
FootyGirl88 said:
I wonder why he said this

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Just to keep value/keep the player happy if they don't leave I imagine. Wasn't long ago he talking about Alexis looking sharp and nearly at full fitness reading to make an impact in the team.
 
Mr H said:
He's not our main back up CB. Ole said that axel is.

He'll 30 in 30 months. not good with the ball at his feet. There's no point to build a team with him in it. We have 6 CBs now. 6. How is that no back up!
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It's no back up because Jones is shite plus injury prone,Bailly is out for 6 months so I've no idea how u include him , Rojo like Jones is terrible Axel will be playing his 1st ever PL football (I like him ). How is that adequate back up ?
 
The Cat said:
What has Bissaka got to do with it?

And you have left out the two most likely to partner Maguire.
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What if we need to play someone else rather than Lindelof and Maguire? what if some of them got an injury? along side those injury prone Jones and Bailly?
 
Sassy Colin said:
On the one hand, Smalling is a great defender and deserves to play every week, good luck to him.

On the other, if one of Lindlehof or Slabber gets injured, there is no one better than Smalling to come in and cover for the games they are out.
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Exactly. Bailly is injured, Jones will get injured and Rojo is crazy.
 
Tel074 said:
It's no back up because Jones is shite plus injury prone,Bailly is out for 6 months so I've no idea how u include him , Rojo like Jones is terrible Axel will be playing his 1st ever PL football (I like him ). How is that adequate back up ?
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Exactly we potentially have one back up in Axel. I wouldn't trust the other three in an U-10's game.
 
So Tuanzebe is basically our 1st option if Maguire or Lindelof are not available?
 
Gopher Brown said:
I’m genuinely concerned about what we’re doing at the moment. I’m not a huge fan of Smalling, but I recognise, like many in this thread, that he is at least good enough to be a reliable back up to the first team. The others aren’t. We are two poorly timed injuries away from having a Tuanzebe-McTominay centre back pairing.

The Sanchez deal is bad enough for us, but this is even worse - £2.7m and when he comes back he’ll be a year older and a year closer to the end of his contract, which he signed in December mind you. His value will decline far more than that in a year. Ridiculous decision.
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Great post !

Ive no idea what is happening at the club but it's not good . You don't just start chucking players out on loan when you already have a paper thin squad
 
If you remember Smalling signed a new contract just after Ole came in and now he's being jettisoned.

Might suggest that Herrera saying that the club came in with an offer too late is the truth.

Also suggests that Mourinho was behind offering Jones and Smalling new contracts.
 
Get in! See you later Smalling, dogshit CB, makes everyone nervous around you, 2/3 mistakes a game, not a top 6 CB, enjoy Italy lad
 
I would rather Bailly, Jones or Rojo. Smalling can actually be useful with his aerial ability.

Anyone else find it a bit weird that Ole wants ball playing centre-halfs, yet plays Lingard and McTominay in the middle of midfield?
 
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