03 Aug 2019 09:10:37
So guys with Maguire in what you think should we do with Axel? Should we loan him out again so that he is a regular starter in a team and gets regular game time to improve or keep him around. I know we will be able to give him chances with lot of games to be played and many will be wishing to keep him but at this stage is it good for him to not play regularly?

{Ed004's Note - I would loan him to a team like Newcastle where it appears he will be a first choice option under Bruce and keep Smalling another year. But Smalling may be sold and if thats the case Axel and Jones should be our back up cover}


1.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 09:40:08
Personally I’d keep him and make him third choice (Bailly would be third but for his injury) and look to sell/ give away Rojo. However I think Ole sees Jones as his third choice so will probably loan Axel out.

I’ve not been a Smalling-hater as much as some, but I really worry about him now with VAR, he could conceivably give away a penalty a game. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if someone like Newcastle came in with £15m for him now that we’ve signed Maguire.


2.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 09:45:18
I feel he should be 3rd choice, Jones, Smalling and Rojo have had years to cement themselves as first choice and have not. If we didn't get a CB, I was all for Tuanzebe and Lindelof as our first choice pairing.

A loan in the PL may be another option but I think he is as good as Jones, Smalling or Rojo so we may as well give him a go. We've also got the Europa League and cup competitions so he should be first choice in the early stages of those.

I'd guess he may get just as much from staying at United this season as a 3rd choice than being first choice at a club who will be fighting relegation, hardly have any of the ball and generally just ask their CB's to defend and nothing else.


3.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 09:45:37
Ed004, do you think Smalling would be sold? Think Jones should be the one to go given his injury record along with Rojo and Darmian.

{Ed004's Note - A lot of rumours about it happening now. I would keep him, loan Axel and sell Rojo}


4.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 09:47:43
If we had played things smartly we could have had axel as the 3rd choice centre back:

1.) Lindelof
2.) Maguire
3.) Axel
4.) Bailly (keep him because no one will buy him crocked)
5.) Rojo (will have to keep him because no one will pay his wages)
6.) Jones (should have been released and not given a new deal) . Should be sold, could get a prem move.
7.) Smalling (should have been released and not given a new deal) . Should be sold could get a prem move.

I don't buy the rationale that smalling and jones were renewed because of our need for homegrown players. Axel and maguire would have taken their place in the squad and they're both honegrown last time i checked.


5.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 09:53:27
Ed004, would you be worried if we kept Jones instead of Smalling also given the fact that Bailly has struggled with injuries of late? . Imagine one of Maguire/ Lindelof injured and we are forced to rely on Jones/ Bailly.

{Ed004's Note - In that instance Axel would be kept and I would be confident in him stepping in}


6.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 10:19:13
I believe some of these young academic players are going to have a vital role to play this upcoming season. I think everyone would be happy to give Tuanzebe a chance if the situation demands.

Thanks for your inputs Ed004.

{Ed004's Note - I feel like Axel, McTominay and Greenwood could all have massive parts to play tbh}


7.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 10:20:01
Looking back at Ole's words it might seem like he intends to keep him but that was before Maguire ofcourse.

Like Rj says if we are to play him as first choice in Europe it is sensible to keep him but not as fourth choice behind smalling/ Jones.

Also out of Jones and Smalling I would prefer for us to keep Smalling as third choice for atleast one more year. With var some seen to worry about his grabby hands😊, but I guess it is made too much of and for a third choice he would be alright. He has had some good performances in some games in previous seasons as well. Jones and bailley are so much unreliable on fitness front.


8.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 11:11:08
I'd keep smalling over any of our current cb's.
Lindelof
Smalling
Tuanzabe
Maquire
They'd be the 4 i'd keep. Rojo Jones and Bailey would be the ones I'd make available.


9.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 11:41:44
We should only loan him out if he is guaranteed to be first choice. There is no point loaning him out to sit on someone else's bench.

That said for me and many of you by the sounds of it he should be our third choice centre back.

I would make all of Jones, Smalling, Rojo and Bailly available for sale. Although Bailly won't move for obvious reasons now.

Personally I'd keep Axel, with the Europa League and maybe a couple of cup runs he should get plenty of games. From the bench or in the starting 11 every week.

We can reassess in January and see how many games he has had, if we feel he needs more, then we could loan him out in January. Also Bailly will be returning around then.


10.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 11:07:45
Hi ed004 I've not seen anything on smalling linked with anyone.
Who holds an interest in him?
Id be surprised but he is the one that is most reliable of our cb's so you would think the most attractive for clubs ahead of jones rojo and bailly.

{Ed004's Note - No clue who is interested but Im sure a few premiership clubs would be keen. Just a few twitter rumours but that could be because he hasnt played much in preseason}


11.) 03 Aug 2019
03 Aug 2019 13:21:20
I thought he was injured 004.
Cheers. Have a good day mate.