How A Red Card Against Manchester City Was The Making Of Chris Smalling

Chris Smalling is dead, long live Mike.

39 minutes into Manchester United’s game with Manchester City on Sunday November 2, 2014, Chris Smalling walked off the Etihad pitch having been handed his second yellow card in the space of eight minutes.

Smalling didn’t argue with the dismissal. Even with the wailing City fans in his ears he knew how stupid he’d been. He also knew that his Manchester United career rested on his response.

Looking to the heavens, wiping the sweat off his brow, and then trudging for the tunnel were the first steps down a path that just over 12 months later now has some labelling Smalling as the best centre-back in the Premier League.

Up to and including the Manchester City red card Chris Smalling’s career had repeatedly been curtailed, either by injuries, fluctuating form, being played at right-back, or the fact that United had rapidly dove-tailed under David Moyes.

Even after this dismissal, under the meticulous defensive eye of Louis Van Gaal, Smalling would still showcase naïve lapses that quickly progressed into fully blown errors. Luckily he had the astounding David De Gea to save his blushes and stop the crowd from deciding that his potential would never flourish into world-class consistency.

All the while though, despite these occasional haphazard indiscretions, a new toughness was now accumulating in Chris Smalling.

This was no more evident than in the fourth-place deciding encounter against Liverpool back in March, when in the fizzling cauldron of Anfield Smalling found himself tumbling into the crowd alongside Mario Balotelli. Balotelli looked destined to pounce. The Scouse masses physically held the emotional Italian back. Chris Smalling simply remained tall, composed, and stoic, fully aware of his responsibilities. United ran-out 2-1 winners, and returned to the Champions League after just a year long absence.

This didn’t stop calls from fans for a new centre back in the summer though. But either through Ed Woodward’s failure, the lack of transfer options available, or Louis Van Gaal’s belief in the defenders he had, these weren’t answered.

Instead, Daley Blind was moved to centre-back. And after Phil Jones, who started the 4 pre-season games in the summer, was dropped due to the hybrid of an unfortunately timed injury and some questionable performances in these encounters, Chris Smalling was called into the void.

Louis Van Gaal had already decided that he wanted the symmetry of a left-footed centre-back playing on the left side of the central of defence while his right-footed peer did exactly the same. But not even Van Gaal could have dreamed just how wonderfully in-sync Blind and Smalling would become.

The threat of omission had helped Chris Smalling to completely eradicate the gaffes that were threatening to overwhelm his game. And while Manchester United’s lack of attacking potency has been well-documented the credit for just how regimented and stubborn their defence now is really doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

With their roles decided, Blind and Smalling have become the defensive equivalent of the iambic pentameter. Blind organises and constantly communicates, allowing Smalling to finally utilise his height, pace, strength and aggression in a swift and punishing fashion. Even when Phil Jones has been used instead of Blind, or when Van Gaal has deployed three at the back, Smalling was confidently moulded his game to suit.

One on one, Smalling has become unparalleled, while he dominates in the air, is strong and reliable in the tackle, looks as tall as the Hilton hotel, even poses a goal threat, and the exuding pheromones that have come hand in hand with his the new found confidence now trip up attackers before games have even started.

This borderline rejuvenation has come at the right time in Chris Smalling’s life too. Having made a few personal, late-night orientated mistakes – including one of the most ill advised Halloween costumes in the history of All Hallows’ Eve – 26-year-old Smalling’s increased maturity is obvious even to the naked eye.

But he’s not reached the peak of his powers yet. Earlier this month Wayne Rooney insisted that Chris Smalling was one of “the top three centre-halves in the world.” After just four months of consistent quality that’s a little ridiculous.

But the thought that he will one-day be challenging the leading triumvirate of central defenders on the planet no longer is. And if Smalling’s response to this challenge is as impressive as his post-Etihad riposte then it will soon be a reality too.

[Image via Getty/Shaun Botterill & Getty/Michael Regan & Getty/Dean Mouhtaropoulos]