29 Oct 2015 18:55:13
Hi eds and devils in red
just to moveon from the small matter of getting knocked out from the capital one cup and all the mini meltdown due to it, i recently read that rooney thinks smalling is currently up there with the best cbs in the world and in his top 3 so where do you guys rate him as compared to other top cbs and what would be your top3.
Thanks.

1.) 29 Oct 2015
29 Oct 2015 19:07:11
On form he's one of the best in the league, not one of the best in the world. He's still not on the same level as Thiago Silva, Hummels, Kompany or Boateng.

2.) 29 Oct 2015
29 Oct 2015 19:28:22
Hard really to compare players in different leagues but you'd have tiago silva and ramos up there for sure. I may be biased but so far this season in the prem I've not seen a better or more consistent centre back than smalling, he's been a revelation.

3.) 29 Oct 2015
29 Oct 2015 19:36:01
Needs to up his ball play before he can be classed as a world class defender, that's what they all bring to the table. Sets apart the good defenders from the world class ones.

4.) 29 Oct 2015
29 Oct 2015 20:13:11
Agree with that anon, distribution isn't the best at times but I'm a big fan of how he brings the ball forward sometimes, opposition tend to panic a bit.

5.) 29 Oct 2015
29 Oct 2015 23:12:48
Thiago Silva, Otamendi, Ramos, Koschielny, Laporte, Varane, Kompany, Boateng, Hummels, Barzagli, Chiellini, Benatia, Sakho, Godin, Mangala, Fonte, Pepe, Howedes aren't they all better than Smalling? Just a small list out of my head, there are plenty more.

6.) 30 Oct 2015
30 Oct 2015 00:03:39
Laporte, Varane, Kompany, Boateng, Hummels, Barzagli, Chiellini, Benatia, Sakho, Godin, Mangala, Fonte, Pepe, Howedes.

sakho, mangala and pepe? really? Those are just some big names you've plucked out from nowhere, if smalling had a fancy latin name and played for someone else then he'd be near the top of everyones list.

Maybe we can add terry, ivanovic, skertel and Chris samba to that list as well. maybe David Luiz and and that 16 year old Belgian lad from fc Ronnie too.

7.) 30 Oct 2015
30 Oct 2015 00:21:37
Mangala has had a though start to he's City career, but is starting to look like himself, has been very good this season, he has played with different partners all season and looks like the beast he is. Tell me what does Smalling do better than him? He is faster, stronger, better passer, stronger in the air and a better ball player. He might be lacking abit in his positioning i can agree.

Sakho is much of the same, exept he has been mistreated by his former manager but are showing class this season when played, also he is former PSG and France Captain. Pepe i don't even bother arguing about, he is a moron with a bad temper and a dirty player some times, but he is way above Smalling. Imo.

8.) 30 Oct 2015
30 Oct 2015 00:37:13
Start watching other teams than United play before speaking of the rest, Naldo, Miranda, Mustafi, Toprak, Bonucci, Sokratis, Garay, Manolas, Castan, Perrin are all very good CB. i'm not saying Smalling is bad, he is a good player but top 3 cb in the world is deluded.

9.) 30 Oct 2015
30 Oct 2015 07:29:35
The grass is always greener on the other side for some of you guys. He is better than almost all of the guys you have listed. They play in much easier leagues and most will get found out if they switched to England. The tempo and intensity will kill some of them LOL. Kos is class and so is varrane and marquinos.

{Ed001's Note - most don't have a team so built on defence in front of them though. Smalling is nothing special, but he has a lot more protection under LVG, that is the difference. A more extreme example is Lovren at Liverpool, played well at Southampton, because they play a similar way, protecting the defence heavily with the midfield, but looked hopeless once he was expected to defend for himself. Smalling is an example the other way, gone from struggling because he was not getting protection, to looking good because he is being protected. It is not his game that has improved so much as the team's defensive performance improving under LVG.}