30 Oct 2018 13:53:29
Question for Ed001 if you are around, what do you think of Victor Lindelof? Or your opinion of him?

{Ed001's Note - decent defender, good on the ball but a little on the weak side. He is adjusting though and becoming more robust as he gets more games. His main issue is his defensive partner - Smalling is all over the place and it is messing with any chance of him showing decent positional sense. If he gets a partner alongside him he can work with, I think he will be a very good long term choice at centre back.}


1.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 14:08:26
Definitely agree with you on him being on the weak side, though it's improving. Said it last week after the Juve game that he needs to play with a better CB, no-one can excel playing alonside Smalling, if anything they get worse. Maybe Jose can see how good Lindelof can be so he hasn't really took him out of the team this season, nor criticised him. Haven't really seen Koulibaly but meant to be very good, him or Alderweireld alongside Lindelof would be excellent.


2.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 14:37:12
Hopefully jose, woodward or whoever deals with transfers can make room for a new centre back in january.

We have the likes of jones, rojo, smalling and bailly who have been in and out of favour with Mourinho and at least 3 if not all 4 should be allowed to find new clubs.

I think jones and smallings contracts are up in the summer, do posters think they should be renewed?

Also on a side note what were the club thinking giving rojo a 5 year contract in 2016?


3.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 15:25:03
Would definitely keep Bailly, the rest can go.


4.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 15:49:08
I think Bailly ha been treated unfairly.
Smalling has made plenty of mistakes.
At the time Bailky became the fll guy for the poor team performances.


5.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 16:00:08
The thing with Bailly, Smalling, Rojo and Jones - they are all scrappy defenders, the type suited to teams that are under the kosh and throw their head where most wouldn't put their feet!

Whilst we have been pretty awful for a while now compared to our previous standards, these type of 'last ditch defenders' rarely get to play to their strengths, on the ball they are poor, positionally they are poor (which is why they fly around) and they don't have footballing brains.

We need to sign defensive players who ooze authority, calmness and a clever nastiness. Most of our current batch are guys that would be first over the trench as cannon fodder, we need a general or even a Rambo (stealthy but effective) - not fodder.

Doing this will also mean we can sack off Matic and the role he plays, that extra man in midfield we can push forward so we can actually focus on attack, which will help strengthen the defence. So many things to change (proper RB as well, maybe Sidibe will be gettable in Jan), but fundamentally I get why Jose wanted CB's but he would probably just buy the wrong type again.

3 years in and I still see glaring holes, players not suited to one another's game, a lack of cohesion everywhere. Some nice inter-play on Sunday though, so hopefully he will stop tinkering and let a settled team form bonds.


6.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 16:03:48
The reason Lindelof has improved in the last few games is due to a massive increase in his strength and aggression, it has been very noticeable, he is still prone to the odd terrible ball out but he is generally good with the ball at his feet, better than any of our other central defenders anyway. I think until Jan I would play him with Rojo and see what happens.


7.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 16:39:40
agree there beast.

maybe that's one of the reason we were linked with the likes of godin and bonunchi. we are in need of an experienced defender.

the likes of Jones and smalling should have learnt from rio and vidic but they have only gone backwards since.


8.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 17:19:37
Smalling jones and rojo should all be binned. Bailly could go either way it depends on what the issue is there. We do need an old head to guide them. Lindelof, Shaw and dalot have a lot of potential. Add in Tuanzebe etc. Just needs an old head.


9.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 18:13:34
I don’t think it has helped that he has had to cover the left centre back position but I have really liked what I have seen over the last few games. If we could buy an experienced ‘left’ centre back who is postionally sound and move Lindelof to the right I think he could be outstanding for us.


10.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 19:59:59
Lindelof is a good covering defender, watches runs well and usually gets there, makes it difficult to get a shot in, almost a bit of a sweeper. He isn’t an organiser, commander or leader, he doesn’t take the first header. He doesn’t easily move out to cover his full back, almost like he needs telling when to go out to cover. He needs a commander next to him, but unfortunately he has Smalling. Smallings tackle for their penalty on Sunday was utterly ridiculous and where was Smalling when David Luiz crashed the header against the post. Smalling is too inconsistent and doesn’t command a defence. Lindelof with a good strong commanding defensive leader alongside may not be a bad player.


11.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 22:49:42
I posted during LVG’s first season that Chris Smalling should donate his salary and match fee to the other 10 players on the pitch with him and got slated for it. Chris Smalling is one of the single worst players I’ve seen at united in the last 25 years. Jones is ten times the defender, the lad unfortunately is injury prone.


12.) 30 Oct 2018
30 Oct 2018 22:52:20
I like lindelof but as all said above, his defensive partner has always been lacking imo. Bailly would in my eyes and should have been the perfect partner but he has had a few dodgy moments and again does not look like he is massively built. We need a commander. Koulibaly would be my pick. But what i'd give for vidic in his prime right now.


13.) 31 Oct 2018
31 Oct 2018 00:52:17
Would prefer Ferdinand or Stam Redwhiskey.


14.) 31 Oct 2018
31 Oct 2018 03:20:43
Pallister would do nicely.


15.) 31 Oct 2018
31 Oct 2018 11:28:06
I think Chris Smalling is a visitor here going on the number of dislikes.


16.) 31 Oct 2018
31 Oct 2018 22:30:53
Good post beast. I agree with a lot of that.