23 Mar 2015 10:06:11
So a few thoughts on yesterday and where we now stand after calming down (a little) from the excitement of yesterday.
A couple of months ago I was given a bit of a hounding for saying that I thought Herrera had been good but not excellent so far in his United career.
I still stand by that up to that point, I didn't think he had played how I knew he could and maybe that was just due to not being given a run of games. Who knows what the reason was for him not playing earlier in the season, maybe something happened or it was to do with the court case or something else, but that all seems long forgotten now. I can now say that Herrera has been excellent and will be a top player for us in the Champions League going forward (fingers crossed we get there). At his best wow, what a player we have on our hands.
Chris Smalling has taken a lot of stick from numerous people also and I have always been a big fan, especially with a run of 2-3 games. He can bring the ball out of the defence well and the amount of headers he wins is phenomenal. He is also pretty quick, and though prone to the odd error, if he can cut them out and stay fit (which has been his big problem) he could go on to be a massive player for us and could mean only 1 centre back being signed in summer.
A few weeks back people were saying how scared they were of this run of fixtures and I said I was looking forward to them, these are the games I look for when I buy my season ticket, they are the games I enjoy and the games that give massive confidence if we win. We have big game players and top quality big game players at that and this was the time for all the hard work to finally pay off. Thank God I have been proved right so far, I would have been delighted with 4 points before the Spurs game, 6 points just did not seem realistic, if you would have said we would get 6 points with 5 goals and 1 conceded you would have been laughed off this site!
We just need to continue this good form and I think Champions League football will be ours next season. I also think how we play in the games against City and Chelsea will help us for next season.
Finally I heard quite a lot of people saying 'it was better under Moyes' a month or so back, this is Moyes who hasn't beaten Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool away from home in the league in his whole career. LVG has beaten 2 out of 3 at the first attempt with 1 to go. Finally we are starting to see the manager and team we all hoped we would this season and long may it continue.
23 Mar 2015 11:34:13
Great Post! Totally agree.
23 Mar 2015 11:53:25
Chris Smalling has made great strides since his red card vs City. He has great natural tools, size, strength, speed, just needs some composure, and he looks like he is being coached to take the ball down far more often and play calmer.
He handled the tussle with Balotelli well yesterday, hurrying back into position while Balotelli was being restrained by his own fans.
23 Mar 2015 12:06:18
I spoke to a guy who used to coach at Liverpool a few months back who worked with Smalling at England's youth level and he said to me that he has all the attributes to be 'one of the best defenders in the league'.
He said he needed more self belief and to overcome his injuries. I scoffed at the time but I tell you now I'm getting closer and closer to purchasing a ticket for the Smalling Bandwagon!
Ps. He also said he was told Felliani was the hardest worker in training and it just goes to show how a bit of hard work can turn your fortunes around!
23 Mar 2015 12:17:17
Good post GDS2.
23 Mar 2015 12:17:25
Have never been a big fan of Smalling but at the minute he is showing great improvement. Much more composed than Jones who just seems to have mad moments.
Smalling and Rojo for me to see out the season. Jones to be sold in summer with 1 top defender to come in who has the OrganisationAl skills to bring these on along with McNair/Blackett
23 Mar 2015 12:46:55
Sell Evans and Thorpe, not Jones. Bring in two top CB's. Hummels and Otamendi.
23 Mar 2015 13:41:23
Brad,
If this season has shown us anything it is that we should be careful who we just 'sell in the summer'. I imagine you would have had us selling Young, Fellaini, Smalling, Valencia, some even wanted Rooney gone but these players have shown that they have a place at the club. Jones is still a very young lad, it is easy to think he is older than he is because he started so young and has many appearances.
Despite his injury record he has played 124 games so far in his career and has a lot of potential. He has not perhaps improved in the way we hoped he would, but to just sell him now would be a mistake in my opinion. I agree with Sydney, Thorpe and Evans need to be the players that leave, we will need a bigger squad next season (even if we only make Europa, not tempting fate on a CL place just yet) and quality in depth is extremely important.