Chris Smalling ....

[vagrant]

Would he be in the England squad if he was still at Fulham and didn't play for Man Utd.

I very much doubt it.............

[A Humble Man]

Yes.  I do not think the England manager is biased against Fulham players.

[cottage cheese]

Would he be in the England squad if he was still at Fulham and didn't play for Man Utd.

I very much doubt it.............

Stockdale was picked....so that proves any bias against fulham wrong

[St Eve]

Regardless he seems to get injured quite frequently

[Holders]

Would he be playing for Fulham?

[cebu]

Would he be playing for Fulham?

Not as long as Senderos is available ... 086.gif

[Burt]

Would he be playing for Fulham?

He would be the scapegoat of choice.

[MasterHaynes]

I'd take him back by waiving the final payments and an % to UTD of any sell on fee.

[Barrie]

Did someone mention Senderos?

[HatterDon]

In all seriousness, his first season with United was a surprise. He played often and won an England cap or two. I thought it interesting that he got so much game time with them since, had he stayed, he'd have only featured in the odd cup game. You may remember that that season was the very best of the Thames Barrier. I wouldn't have traded H&H for any CB pairing in the league that season.

We always assume that when a player leaves for a bigger club that he'll disappear. Smalling was very much the exact opposite his first season. He's still a better call for England at CB than either Ferdinand or Terry and at RB better than Johnson.

[St Eve]

I cannot agree. I don't rate him but it seems Woy does.

[HatterDon]

I cannot agree. I don't rate him but it seems Woy does.

So, Fergie rates him ad Roy rates him, but ... .

[vagrant]

My point was that at the moment I don't think he is good enough. I do not regard him as an International player and if he was still with us playing how he is at the moment, he would be overlooked.
But he now plays for Man. Utd so a must be good enough, although he hardly plays and is fairly average at present........

[TonyGilroy]

If you're young and English and getting some game time with one of the 6 big clubs you will get picked for England.

That's a reflexion of how few England qualified players there are in the Premier league and a recognition that such players have promise.

We're long past the days when there were 200 English guys playing regular top league first team football and the England team (and latterly squad) was always that deemed best. A place really had to be earned.

In 1971 the Arsenal double winning team had English players like Peter Simpson and George Armstrong as ever presents who never played for England.

[Holders]

Wasn't Armstrong Scottish?

[TonyGilroy]

Wasn't Armstrong Scottish?

Geordie.

[LRCN]

he's a class centre half who is young and improving, and will get experience of being in the international setup of a national side for whom he'll be playing for years and years. especially considering the woes of england centre halves at the moment. how many would you pick ahead of him? jagielka is injured, lescott isn't playing and would be fourth choice anyway. looking down the list of centre halves shawcross is the next available option of first choice players.

i don't see the problem and it seems to me as if you're either just looking for one or not considering anything other than smalling's united connection. good on him and roy i say.

[HatterDon]

he's a class centre half who is young and improving, and will get experience of being in the international setup of a national side for whom he'll be playing for years and years. especially considering the woes of england centre halves at the moment. how many would you pick ahead of him? jagielka is injured, lescott isn't playing and would be fourth choice anyway. looking down the list of centre halves shawcross is the next available option of first choice players.

i don't see the problem and it seems to me as if you're either just looking for one or not considering anything other than smalling's united connection. good on him and roy i say.

AGREE

We DO have a habit of praising players who leave us for lesser clubs and damning those who leave us for bigger clubs. I honestly think that Phil Jones and Chris Smalling should be ManU's and England's CB pairing for the next 5 years or so. One problem with that is that SAF hardly uses either at CB.

[Whiteroom]

I know that this doesn't affect a players raw ability, but there is something to be said for playing for a club of that size, in title winning matches, major cup games and alongside some of the greatest player in the world. It can't hinder a players ability to then perform on the international stage.

[St Eve]

I cannot agree. I don't rate him but it seems Woy does.

So, Fergie rates him ad Roy rates him, but ... .

I don't. Just an opinion.