Chris Smalling | Match Discussion thread 2018/19

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I thinks he's just a limited player, if we were really challanging for the top titles, he would be a squad player.

I've got nothing against him, he's done really well for the club, I just happen to think if we really want to challenge we need better.
 
Mr C said:
I thinks he's just a limited player, if we were really challanging for the top titles, he would be a squad player.

I've got nothing against him, he's done really well for the club, I just happen to think if we really want to challenge we need better.
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That's my thinking he needs to be demoted to squad player not sold he'd be a pretty solid 3rd choice CB but it's up to people to come in and prove they're better as currently 3 have tried and all 3 have failed to prove they're better than him.
 
jsp said:
That's my thinking he needs to be demoted to squad player not sold he'd be a pretty solid 3rd choice CB but it's up to people to come in and prove they're better as currently 3 have tried and all 3 have failed to prove they're better than him.
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Quite right! Smalling actually deserves another contract due to his commitment every week. He's a £60k a week player, not £120 like reports are but thats why Utd are in the position they are in now.
 
Red Warrior said:
Quite right! Smalling actually deserves another contract due to his commitment every week. He's a £60k a week player, not £120 like reports are but thats why Utd are in the position they are in now.
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Thing is at Utd £100k a week is pretty much the basic salary now can't imagine there's many on less than that.
 
We have the highest wage total in the league and have to get in under control.
 
Red Warrior said:
ha yes but how many SHOULD be?
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Thing is when you're top earner is on £350k plus bonuses its pretty hard to argue against the guys who are the squad players being on £100k a week.

Utd's wage structure is a complete mess because they've allowed new signings to be top earners rather than guys who've earned the wages with them. Keane, Becks, Ronaldo, Rooney were all on silly money for the time when they signed deals but those contracts were earned on the pitch in Utd colours we've given that money to players based on reputations built at other clubs. Di Maria, Pogba, Sanchez, Schweinstieger, Zlatan all came in on mega money and only Zlatan really lived up to the hype the rest haven't.

When you sign for Madrid I doubt they start you on top dollar you have to earn the top contract by performing for them.

I imagine the squad players at other top 6 clubs are earning close to £100k a week with the TV money being the way it is I think that number has become the norm for a lot of players.
 
Premier League: Fulham 0-3 Manchester United - 9th February 2019

He did well against Mitrovic after a rusty opening.
 
Nervy start but grew into it I think he’ll be the partner for Lindelof in most games to the end of the season.
 
FA Cup: Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United - 18th February 2019

He played well.
 
Premier League: Manchester United 0-0 Liverpool - 24th February 2019

He was excellent.
 
Defensively fantastic. But what was he doing in the dying seconds not throwing himself at that cross.
 
There was a great moment where he stepped out of defence and aggressively won 2 tackles in succession beyond the halfway line. Said before, defenders are more comfortable now being able to defend on the front foot.

I've been a big critic of Smalling but have to say he's been fantastic since he's come back from injury, even his ability on the ball has been much improved. Continues like this then Southgate may recall him having exiled him for being poor with the ball.
 
That run forward in the second half was fantastic. He could easily have got motm over Shaw. He was the leader of the two yesterday which we don’t see enough of.
 
Great defender but not good enough on the ball it's a drum I'll never stop beating but it is a problem for me he is the natural partner for Lindelöf in the current group but still want to see an upgrade as he should be the 3rd choice going forward.
 
To be honest I’ve always been a big admirer of Smalling and I think he is pretty under appreciated in truth. Yes his on the ball skills are not great but actually I think they are improving and he is clearly putting work into it on the training ground. His defending has never been in doubt. Just wish he went with all his might to get that goal in the last minute!

If the partnership between him and Lindelof continues to develop then why not keep it as that in the future. A right back is the more pressing issue for me. Shaw is developing well and we have a world class goalie. Not saying we won’t get a new CB in the summer but sometimes a partnership is what it’s all about.
 
I kind of see him as being the John O'Shea or Henning Berg of his generation but he's been forced to play because we haven't had A grade centre backs to keep him out of the team.

To me he's good enough for the level we are at now which is fighting for top 4 but not good enough for where we want to be which is fighting for the top 1.

It's easy to forget that the guy went from Maidstone in the conference to Fulham to Utd within the space of a year from memory he cost us about £10m by the time his contract is up he'll have done a decade at the club playing regularly and helping us to win a few trophies so I don't really have much beef with him it's the other half of the chuckle brothers that does my head in.
 
Champions League: PSG 1-3 Manchester United - 6th March 2019

He was excellent.
 
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Premier League: Manchester United 2-1 Watford - 30th March 2019

Another strong performance. Without checking the stats, he seemed to win nearly everything in the air.
 
Yeah cracking performance today backs to the wall stuff but defended strongly against a bullying striker in Deeney and a tricky player in Delofeu.

He’s got no issue with this type of playing style really suits him but it’s not how Utd should be playing.
 
Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Manchester United - 2nd April 2019

His worst game of the season.
 
Champions League: Manchester United 0-1 Barcelona - 10th April 2019

Bossed it again.

He's played well against Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool, Juventus, PSG and Barcelona this season. He's been United's best centre back again.
 
The inconsistency between the two performances you’ve mentioned shows why he’ll never be a top class CB.
 
Whst 2 performances. He mentioned in one post his worst game of the season against wolves, and probably still our best centre half on the day. Opposed to 6 good performances against top opposition. He is entitled to a bad game like everybody else.
 
boothstownred said:
Whst 2 performances. He mentioned in one post his worst game of the season against wolves, and probably still our best centre half on the day. Opposed to 6 good performances against top opposition. He is entitled to a bad game like everybody else.
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I think when you are talking about the very top centre backs you might get one or two horror show games a season, a few average games but a lot of totally dominant performances to the point where you don’t really notice them being brilliant. That was the standard set by his predecessors and it’s probably harsh to judge him against them but that is the standard Utd have to b aiming for.

Smalling is not a world class centre back but he is a good one if we can get our squad into a position where he’s the 3rd choice then I think we are doing fine.
 
I wouldn't disagree with you on that but there are at least 3 centre backs we need to be getting rid of before smalling.
 
boothstownred said:
Whst 2 performances. He mentioned in one post his worst game of the season against wolves, and probably still our best centre half on the day. Opposed to 6 good performances against top opposition. He is entitled to a bad game like everybody else.
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‘His worst game of the season’ ‘bossed it’ 1 week apart. 1 against top opposition 1 against decent opposition. Top class centre backs rarely have absolute shockers. He has more bad games than he should do and has too many mistakes in him to be a starting CB at United.

I didn’t think he was that outstanding against Barca. I don’t like him as a player and don’t feel comfortable with him at the back or on the ball so judge him harshly but for me he’s one of the more over rated players on this forum. He definitely hasn’t been better thing Lindelof this season.

And 3 CB’s to get rid of? It’s not difficult to be better than Jones. Bailly is inconsistent and Rojo is disabled. Isn’t a statement of intent being better than those. He doesn’t start for City Liverpool or Spurs and we need better players than those sides to beat them. That’s the level we should be at.
 
On The radio, it sounded like he had a mare agaisnt Barca, and was lucky not to receive more than the one booking.

Dived in all the time and was pretty awful they had me believe. And it wasn't like it was an anti united pundit, it was Dublin.
 
I watched the game against Barca and thought he was good. I am not saying there aren't better centre halfs around but they are certainly not at this club. And what you are accusing smalling of can certainly be directed at lindelof who when he has a mate runs like paddy cerrand and cant jump more than 2 inches of the ground. All I am saying is until we buy 2 centre halfs better than him he is the best we have, and in honesty he isn't that bad.
 
If I was to write a list of priorities. Replacing Smalling would be way down the list.

I think people just criticise him out of habit because they can’t criticise him for his level of performance.
 
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