[Vidyoyo]

Okay one thing I'll say in his defence is that the stupid thing he does with his hands looks a little less dumb on nights like tonight.

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

We should have never let Smalling go. I was adamant at the time.

Why we never even tried a Smalling Maguire partnership (when Maguire had just signed) is beyond me.

That's enough caf for one night. Watching them both dither on the ball before inevitably kicking it out of play would be my worst nightmare. Couldn't imagine a worse CB pairing in our PL history.

 

[tomaldinho1]

In truth he’s fine for what he is unless a good youth player comes through, 3rd or 4th choice CB. If he were a regular starter we’re getting a taste of how bad that would be now.

 

[Kostov]

I though Maguire was making this guy bad. It seems he is shit enough himself.

 

[mintyred]

Lideloft is as bad as Maguire but he goes under the radar. His only redeeming quality is that he’s a little better on the ball.

 

[Oldyella]

That's enough caf for one night. Watching them both dither on the ball before inevitably kicking it out of play would be my worst nightmare. Couldn't imagine a worse CB pairing in our PL history.

Smallings passing was fine, it just wasn't ambitious and he would play safe passes, and look ungainly doing it. I could imagine plenty of worse centre back pairings. Hell, I don't even need to imagine, seen several with my own eyes over last few years.

 

[Bobski]

Smallings passing was fine, it just wasn't ambitious and he would play safe passes, and look ungainly doing it. I could imagine plenty of worse centre back pairings. Hell, I don't even need to imagine, seen several with my own eyes over last few years.

Maguire was once considered to be very good on the ball, it was often cited as a key improvement he would bring. I thought too many people had watched those gimmicky runs forward with the ball at Leicester and extrapolated out that he was a ball playing CB.

Smalling is basically Varane-lite, a less polished version, but anyway, a far better defender for Utd than Lindelof has ever come close to.

 

[Leftback99]

That's enough caf for one night. Watching them both dither on the ball before inevitably kicking it out of play would be my worst nightmare. Couldn't imagine a worse CB pairing in our PL history.

Smalling is/was a far better defender and useful in both boxes, unlike Lindelof who is a liability. But yeah a few nice passes to the midfield here and there is more important than the goals conceded.

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

Smalling is/was a far better defender and useful in both boxes, unlike Lindelof who is a liability. But yeah a few nice passes to the midfield here and there is more important than the goals conceded.

If we hold that much stock in our CBs being a threat from set pieces then let's sign James Tarkowski and hire Sean Dyche as our manager.

Not saying I rate Lindelof that highly. He's our 4th choice CB for a reason. But if our aim is to consistently sustain attacks then we need all of our CBs to be good on the ball. I watched Smalling kick the ball out for a throw-in countless times down the years.

 

[Leftback99]

If we hold that much stock in our CBs being a threat from set pieces then let's sign James Tarkowski and hire Sean Dyche as our manager.

Not saying I rate Lindelof that highly. He's our 4th choice CB for a reason. But if our aim is to consistently sustain attacks then we need all of our CBs to be good on the ball. I watched Smalling kick the ball out for a throw-in countless times down the years.

In the last two season City have scored 35 set piece goals to our 12. We're bad at defending them too. But keeping dismissing it as irrelevant.

Its not just CBs, it's a problem with having such a physically weak side across the 11.

 

[A-man]

In the last two season City have scored 35 set piece goals to our 12. We're bad at defending them too. But keeping dismissing it as irrelevant.

Its not just CBs, it's a problem with having such a physically weak side across the 11.

It is very relevant. If we look at our starting XI it is only Varane and Casemiro who are good in the air, the rest are poor (now we have added Rasmus, that will strengthen that area).

 

[Leftback99]

It is very relevant. If we look at our starting XI it is only Varane and Casemiro who are good in the air, the rest are poor (now we have added Rasmus, that will strengthen that area).

It's part of why I'm not as high on Martinez as others. Basically starting with one physical presence down in either box where you would usually expect one. We don't make up for it elsewhere.

 

[IRONTUSK]

Victor is a decent CB. Not top quality and not someone you would have starting if your aim was to win the Prem. He is a good squad player to have around.

 

[golden_blunder]

Smalling is/was a far better defender and useful in both boxes, unlike Lindelof who is a liability. But yeah a few nice passes to the midfield here and there is more important than the goals conceded.

I remember the narrative from smalling haters was that he constantly holds and would be found out by VAR. How’d that work out?

 

[Bobski]

I remember the narrative from smalling haters was that he constantly holds and would be found out by VAR. How’d that work out?

It was the lazy, easy, popular criticism of the day, and as such was repeated and regurgitated in every discussion around him. It was the "McT hides from the ball" of its times but with far less truth. Fans are sheep, Smalling didn't give away a lot of pens for Utd because he generally knew how far he could take it, somehow the thought of a professional player adapting his game to cope with new interpretations was too much of a stretch.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Only a few months where last season he had that decent 10 game run and people were trying to say he's a really good underrated defender that was being held back by previous coaches and Maguire. Basically absolving him of all his past performances and he had so much to show for.

Well as lot of us have been saying based on 6-7 years of games, it turns out that he's just extremely average to poor and constantly flatters to deceive. The issue isn't even that he has no ability, it's just that he's such a coward to actually put himself in situations to affect play. He's constantly deferring to let others take responsibility on a particular play with or without the ball and will just hide 'getting in position' in zonal plays. The second goal where he just watched the ball bounced off Dalot and then did his usual hands behind the back giving Gnabry all the time in the world to take that shot is just typical of him. Scared of conceding a handball and/or tackling to concede a penalty than actually taking a step forward to close the space, ball or man. He was massively protected by AWB for seasons, who was putting in defensive 1-vs-1 masterclasses on that right side and constantly tucking in because Lindelof would barely venture out of his penalty box to help.

Looking at Dalot busting a gut in this sequence, doing all the hard work to slow down Musiala and block the ball only to see Lindelof take no action and then getting ready to put his hands behind his back before the shot is even taken.

Such a pathetic, pathetic player.

 

[Vidyoyo]

That's what we get if you partner him with a proper defender

 

[Murder on Zidanes Floor]

Always solid. Not a game winning monster defender but a solid guy and decent defender. He'd look great at city or arsenal imo

 

[paulscholes18]

He does know he's playing football and not rugby, Christ alive try and break some lines when passing.

 

[Sylar]

He does know he's playing football and not rugby, Christ alive try and break some lines when passing.

I remember he used to try afew years ago and would get rashford behind the opposition defence quite a few times. Don't really see if any more.

 

[Dorris]

A pussy in every sense of the word, has the ability to break the lines but is terrified of doing so.

 

[#07]

Lindelof doesn't like the responsibility for advancing the ball. He has the ability to do it. However, his instinct in possession is safety first. The drop off from Licha in trying to play out from the back...

Also hasn't got rid of his awful tendency to let the opposition whip the ball across the box in front of him.

 

[Irwin99]

I thought he was solid today for the most part, credit where it's due.

 

[Bobski]

That's what we get if you partner him with a proper defender

Is it not somewhat striking that Johnny Evans comes out of cold storage and immediately becomes the leader of the back 4? Lindelof just doesn't have that in him.

 

[gaffs]

Did ok tonight. Still think he plays it very safe. Never commits to anything.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Always solid. Not a game winning monster defender but a solid guy and decent defender. He'd look great at city or arsenal imo

Why do people keep peddling this myth. He's nowhere near their first choice players and would be at best 3rd/4th choice over there, the same he is here. The 'oh those teams don't require as much defending individually and require more quality on the ball' would make sense if Lindelof actually consistently showed he's really good on the ball but he's hasn't. He never delivers on his own terms, it's always circumstantial.

Our most senior defender with the most amount of appearances and minutes played scared, took no responsibility on the ball and in the first half was outshone by a 35 year old, who joined in the summer and has barely any minutes in his legs this season. Second half he started to actually play and contribute because we sat behind the ball and was already 1-0 ahead.

So passive.

 

[Murder on Zidanes Floor]

Why do people keep peddling this myth. He's nowhere near their first choice players and would be at best 3rd/4th choice over there, the same he is here. The 'oh those teams don't require as much defending individually and require more quality on the ball' would make sense if Lindelof actually consistently showed he's really good on the ball but he's hasn't. He never delivers on his own terms, it's always circumstantial.

Our most senior defender with the most amount of appearances and minutes played scared, took no responsibility on the ball and in the first half was outshone by a 35 year old, who joined in the summer and has barely any minutes in his legs this season. Second half he started to actually play and contribute because we sat behind the ball and was already 1-0 ahead.

So passive.

Never said first choice. He's no worse than Ake ffs.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Never said first choice. He's no worse than Ake ffs.

He's nowhere near as athletically or tactically versatile as Ake. He'll be 5th choice at best behind Akanji, Dias, Ake and Gvardiol; that's not taking into account with Walker or Rodri tucking/dropping in. 'He'll look great for City' in the same way McTominay would be a great goal scoring/attacking midfielder if he played further up the pitch for another team. Yes it could happen but it's mostly conjecture based on little evidence of what they've achieved here.

 

[izak]

Pussy

 

[Thom Merrilin]

He's an OK premier league CB but he has one of my favourite last names to say.

 

[Jeppers7]

He kills our ability to progress the ball

 

[Ace of Spades]

Always said that he may have ability, but is too cowardly to be good enough for a top team.

Hope we are ruthless and get rid of him the first chance we get.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Is it not somewhat striking that Johnny Evans comes out of cold storage and immediately becomes the leader of the back 4? Lindelof just doesn't have that in him.

Somewhat. Lindelof isn't a leader and does benefit from playing with someone who is.

 

[Murder on Zidanes Floor]

He's nowhere near as athletically or tactically versatile as Ake. He'll be 5th choice at best behind Akanji, Dias, Ake and Gvardiol; that's not taking into account with Walker or Rodri tucking/dropping in. 'He'll look great for City' in the same way McTominay would be a great goal scoring/attacking midfielder if he played further up the pitch for another team. Yes it could happen but it's mostly conjecture based on little evidence of what they've achieved here.

It's like I'm speaking to a robot. Like seriously, he would be a decent squad player and would look good at city. It's all I've said.

Good lord.

 

[criticalanalysis]

It's like I'm speaking to a robot. Like seriously, he would be a decent squad player and would look good at city. It's all I've said.

Good lord.

You posted a comment to which I disagreed and added some thoughts with examples and a logical explanation. That's as civil as you can ask for on a discussion board.

If you get triggered by that, stay off the internet ffs. It's like I'm talking to a child.

See what I did there?

 

[Halftrack]

Pussy

What's the fecking point of nothing posts like these?

It's like I'm speaking to a robot. Like seriously, he would be a decent squad player and would look good at city. It's all I've said.

Good lord.

You're talking to someone with an irrational, bordering on obsessive dislike for Lindelöf.

 

[Murder on Zidanes Floor]

You posted a comment to which I disagreed and added some thoughts with examples and a logical explanation. That's as civil as you can ask for on a discussion board.

If you get triggered by that, stay off the internet ffs. It's like I'm talking to a child.

See what I did there?

No. Clear that I am not talking about him being a starter but just commenting on his attributes and that they'd suit a team like City. To you, this meant I thought he could be a starter and then started telling me how he'd be sixth choice.

 

[criticalanalysis]

No. Clear that I am not talking about him being a starter but just commenting on his attributes and that they'd suit a team like City. To you, this meant I thought he could be a starter and then started telling me how he'd be sixth choice.

You said he'd look 'great' (your words specifically) at those teams and I said he'll be 3rd-6th choice at best, in which case he wouldn't be 'great' at all. He'd be just another squad player that will flatter to deceive when he gets his chance just like he has his entire career at Utd. I pointed out his so called attributes, which would supposedly become better at another team are a deduction based on nothing he's shown here. You then changed your stance from 'looking great at City/Arsenal' to a 'decent squad player that would look good'.

He had the chance to step up against Burnley and was outshone on and off the ball by a 35 year old; a player that passive and shirking of responsibility isn't going to look great at City/Arsenal. If he was 21 years old fair enough but this guy has over 200+ games for us. A leopard doesn't change its spots!

It's fine to disagree and have different opinions, I just didn't understand why you were so triggered by it.

Somewhat. Lindelof isn't a leader and does benefit from playing with someone who is.

It's funny because last year I remember quite specifically how some posters pointed out he was some great leader because ETH praised him (just like how he has with every single player in the squad including Ronaldo and De Gea) and that he's Sweden's captain. It's really damning on Lindelof, as the most senior defender at the club in his 7th season with the club, that he still can't show any leadership quality on the pitch against Burnley and had to constantly defer to a 35 year old.

 

[lex talionis]

Decent squad man doing a decent job. There can be no complaints about "The Iceman".

 

[Vidyoyo]

It's funny because last year I remember quite specifically how some posters pointed out he was some great leader because ETH praised him (just like how he has with every single player in the squad including Ronaldo and De Gea) and that he's Sweden's captain. It's really damning on Lindelof, as the most senior defender at the club in his 7th season with the club, that he still can't show any leadership quality on the pitch against Burnley and had to constantly defer to a 35 year old.

In fairness to him, I'd he has good experience behind him which translates into the leadership qualities needed for Sweden but it's a different story here. Higher expectations and all that.