14 Feb 2016 02:53:13
I can't stand multiple players surrounding the referee, (none of which happened today I think), what I can't stand even more is no players from a team appealing for any decisions/ free kicks etc. One of which is outright poor gamesmanship the other just trying to put a bit of pressure on a referee which normally coincides with appeals from the other team. I saw neither from united today and it shows a complete lack of desire to win a game when it gets to that stage. We seem to allow teams lately to bully us and no one seems to raise their hands up or have strong words with the referee. It makes it easy decisions for the referee especially when we are away from home. This shows a complete lack of leaders. Oh, and on another note, I thought (and I've seen it fairly regular this season, Smalling is a squad player if we are to play at the highest level. He can also provide cover at right back. But, he is constantly out of position and is actually being carried by Blind. The sooner we get in 2 quality cb's the better as Blind shouldn't be there either. And I say this that Martial being probably our best player so far this season I actually think Blind is not far behind even being played out of position.

{Ed007's Note - I still don't know how people can back Smalling, I still don't know how people ever did. He belongs in the same bracket as your Cleverleys and Welbecks.}

1.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 09:26:03
Smalling has been great this season. What he needs is an experienced centre half alongside him. Not a midfielder. I would personally put him in the top 3 CH in the premier league.

{Ed001's Note - are you being serious? Or does great mean extremely and exceedingly average on a good day to terrible on any day when he doesn't have the whole team protecting his obvious and glaring inability to defend?}

2.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 09:37:53
With all due respect Bond, a fit Welbeck would get in that side every week and look good and are I say it even Cleverly. I've haven't seen such a week United squad in years. Smalling's marking for the second goal was what I'd at my Thursday night 5-aside games which will still be more fun than shelling out more of my cash on this dross to watch us toil in the Europa League. Being at the Stadium of Light yesterday has pushed me over the edge. Enough is enough.

3.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 09:45:59
I feel about Ed001 and supasub. I don't know what the fuss is about Smalling but you can see ever since we actually change our approach with how our dm played we have been leaking goals. Smalling is one of the reasons for this. His positional play is very bad. He got to much protection from our midfield and that made him look good. He gives away unnecessary fouls as well. He is nothing but a squad player. We need atleast 2 CB to start and 1 of them for me would be Winston Reid the other Ignazio Martinez/ Laporte/ mustafi/ Varane or Marquinous.

4.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 09:54:58
I've been shot down so many times for calling Smalling out. The guy had two DM's protecting him and fullbacks that were not allowed forward. Every time we open up the play he looks terrible.

I said it before and I'll say it again we need two CB's!

5.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 10:38:25
Smalling has the attributes to be a good defender in that he is tall, strong and quick. But these are just half of the attributes needed to be a top centre back. What he is missing is technique and understanding. Things you learn if you train in an academy from a young age. Which Smalling didn't.

His touch and passing let him down, against Sunderland even DDG had a higher pass completion rate. And his reading of the game means he is constantly out of position. Some times his pace recovers it for him and sometimes his defensive partner covers him.

If he had a strong and vocal CB alongside him, someone to talk him through the game and direct him then he might be decent enough to get us top four. But if we want to challenge for silverware then we need two CB of top quality.

6.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 12:32:51
Smalling is a squad player. Improvement has been seen sure. But that's an average of 6/ 10 rather than 4/ 10. 50% improved under LVG yes. United standard? Absolutely no way. We have many positions to fill. 2 CBs is the priority.

Dear Jose.

7.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 12:45:33
Is Chris Smalling the new Wes Brown? I think so.

8.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 12:55:40
IMO, Smalling is a defender, pure and simple. He is not a leader or a thinker on the pitch. If he did have a leader next to him, organising him and the rest of the defence, I think he would come into his own. The guy is a top defender - defender being the operative word - he just isn't that good at much else, hence why he looks all over the place at times.

9.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 13:35:27
Tuor10, Smalling has the physical attributes of a defender but like the Tin man in the wizard of Oz he needs a brain.

Being big strong or quick doesn't make you a good defender otherwise Adebayor would be a great defender too.

The best defenders in the world have an understanding and ability to read the game and get themselves in the right places at the right time.

This is something Smalling seems unable to do. We need two to defenders if we are to get back to the top again.

Personally I'd go with Laporte as I feel he has the best balance between defending and bringing the ball out from the back. While he is much better at defending than say Stones. Then I'd go for one of Mustafi, van Dijk or Manolas to play alongside him.

10.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 14:16:23
Stones needs to get away from Everton, or at least Martinez, or he'll be ruined as a proper defender.

11.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 14:31:54
People rave about Stones due to the way he waltz's up the pitch with the ball, and to be fair to him he is excellent at that. But he isn't as strong in the air as someone of his hight should be and he does get caught out of position more often than he should be. He has excellent potential but he has several areas of his game he needs to improve on if he is to reach that level. Then consider it will cost upward of 50m for him and I'm slightly put off. that's why Laporte is the better option imo, he is already a better defender, almost as good bring the ball out from the back, has just as high a ceiling and would cost less. Also being a lefty makes it easier to look for a partner for him. The only reason to pick Stones ahead of Laporte is due to him being English. But to be honest both Eric Dier and Reece Oxford look like they could both be every bit as good as Stones if you wanted to go the English route.

12.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 15:29:02
Shappy, I went with my brother-in-law to watch a few Everton games a good while back, and Stones was immense every time I watched him.

Haven't seen him live for a while, but the brother-in-law, who's a Goodison regular, says that Martinez is ruining him as a defender. Concentrating on the ball-playing, whilst neglecting the core attributes you need for a central defender - tackling, positioning, heading etc.

He actually hopes, as a football, and an England fan (yes, I now have an Englishman in my family, and no, I'm not thrilled about it), that Stones leaves for the sake of his own development.

If this happens, and he's developed by a coach/ manager with sound defensive instincts, then I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

13.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 15:48:52
I'm not writing him off, I just think for a defender who isn't yet the finished article paying upwards of 50m is poor value. When you consider you could get other players with as much potential who are further along the path of realising that potential for 15-25m less. It all seems like a poor deal.

We could potentially get Laporte and Mustafi for the same money as just Stones.

Would you rather have a Stones/ Smalling partnership next season or a Mustafi/ Laporte?

I know which one I feel would be more capablenof getting a top four finish.

14.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 18:26:26
stones is doing it in the epl .
im a massive fan the lad is going to be a top top player .
he looks a better player than rio at the same age and i think he could well go on to be as good.
i would also take good young english lad over a spanish one all day long.

15.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 19:21:54
jred, First off Laporte is French, although he has played all his professional career in Spain. I agree that Stones looks set to become a top top player, and I agree he looks further ahead of Rio at the same age, although Rio had bit more aggression about him.

And in an ideal world I too would prefer to see an English lad playing for the club ahead of lads from any other country as long as he was of the same standard of course.

But we need a couple of CB's this summer, a CM a ST and a winger. If DDG or Darmian leaves then we will need a GK and a RB as well. That's between 5 and 7 players. I'm not sure we can afford the luxury of paying 20m more for a player because he is English when he is no more talented than the French alternative. It will be the difference between being able to sign two CB's instead of one. With our luck if we did put all our eggs in one basket and signed Stones he would likely break his leg in his first game for us and be out for most of the season, leaving us with a defence no better than the one we have this season.

16.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 22:22:59
if i could buy 1 cb in the world i would go for stones .
the money is there and this boy like shaw (also english and good in the epl ) are going to be stars .
worldclass young english players . the united way.

17.) 14 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 22:50:06
Shappy, there's absolutely no guarantee that Laporte would make it in the premier league. I like what I've seen of him, but I'd always err on the side of premiership experience, when deciding between two talents, even if it does mean paying over the odds. It's not my money, and the British boys tend to not go running off to Spain, when Barcelona or RM come calling.

18.) 15 Feb 2016
14 Feb 2016 23:50:55
Like I said guys I wouldn't be gutted if we signed Stones, in fact I'd be delighted. But the club is in need of several big players, as long as we can get the players we need I really don't care how much they cost. But I am also a realist and appreciate that the wallet isn't bottomless. We need two CB if Stones is one then that is likely to be 70m on CB's alone, we need a CM so there's at least another 30m, a winger is another 25-30m and a top ST is close to 50m these days. So now we're talking 175-180m at least. If DDG and Darmian leave then add another 50m to that to replace them. Suddenly we are well over the 200m mark. Do you think the Glazers will pay it or do you think we will be short a player or two.

19.) 15 Feb 2016
15 Feb 2016 01:00:35
ed
has said laporte is off to barce.
its not our money and we have plenty to spend.
it doesn't have to be flavour of the month fancy media players.