da bet7k： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.
da aposte e ganhe： Amidst all the drama surrounding the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez this summer, one man who also headed out the Manchester United exit door – but to little fanfare – was Chris Smalling. The England international’s departure was rather more low-key than some of his former Red Devils teammates, not least because the club secured the big-money signing of Harry Maguire.
After a less than stellar debut that ended in a defeat to Atalanta, Smalling produced an assured display for AS Roma in the 1-0 win over Lecce on Sunday. The 29-year-old looked as solid as a rock at the heart of the defence, and his numbers in the game are certainly something for United fans to take note of.
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One of the big questions surrounding Smalling has always been with the ball at his feet. Jose Mourinho once quipped United didn’t play out from the back in the Europa League final against Ajax due to the centre-back’s shocking technical ability.
“Everyone said Ajax played beautiful football and that the beauty of the game matters. I told my players that, for me, beautiful is not giving our opponents what they want. I even joked with Smalling – ‘With your feet, we’re for sure not playing out from the back!”
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But on Sunday, the 29-year-old was cool, calm and collected, registering 81 touches and completing 92% of his passes. He also showed an impressive quality of being able to stretch the play from deep, completing both of his attempted long balls.
But what’s a centre-back’s main job? To defend of course. And Smalling did that with consummate ease against Lecce. He won seven out of seven duels in the air, and won a further three on the ground too, per SofaScore.
Equally, the Englishman didn’t attempt anything too silly, and when the ball needed clearing, he was happy to do that too. The United loanee showed a great defensive balance in starting off attacks from defence, and playing safe when needed.
Add that to the fact he wasn’t dribbled past once, and the Red Devils bore witness to a virtually flawless display from a player constantly derided by the Old Trafford faithful. He may not have proved them wrong in Manchester, but Smalling is beginning to send a clear message to his parent employers from his new home of Rome.