Manchester United: Smalling Speaks on Blind Partnership

Manchester United’s centre-back pairing has been one of the best in the league this season.

Manchester United may be struggling in attack, but their defense has been formidable all season long thanks to Chris Smalling and Daley Blind.

In the most recent match, the Red Devils eked out a 1-0 victory over Everton thanks to a superb team goal. Anthony Martial took the Man of the Match award for his strike and good performance, beating out Chris Smalling and Juan Mata.

While all were worthy contenders, and Smalling certainly deserved some of the credit for Manchester United’s 15th clean sheet in the Premier League, Daley Blind should have at least been nominated.

His defensive display against Romelu Lukaku kept his team in the match, as he thwarted the Belgian on several occasions. Critics of the Dutch defender say he doesn’t have the physicality or pace to contain opposing strikers. But thus far, Blind has been able to overcome his physical restraints with tremendous reading of the game.

Even in the first half when Marcos Rojo was consistently burned by Gerard Deulofeu, Blind was able to contain Lukaku while covering the left side of the field. His positioning more than accounts for his lack of pace.

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While supporters have been lethargic in recognizing Blind’s contributions, his defensive partner has enjoyed their relationship. Speaking on the subject, Smalling said:

"“We know we can rely on each other and whenever there’s a danger, it’s not a case of having to over-cover because you don’t trust your partner. We trust each other fully. We have brought out the best in each other as the games have gone on, and we will do as the games continue to come.”"

The defensive duo have hardly missed a beat recently, in general only allowing a goal per game. Over the course of the season in the league, they’ve bettered that mark by allowing just 27 goals in 30 matches.

And it’s been massively important that the back four and David de Gea limit the opposition’s scoring, as Manchester United have relied heavily on goalscoring from one or two of their players.

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Of course, Blind is naturally a defensive midfielder, but due to injuries in the back at the start of the season he was deployed as a defender. His versatility allowed him to make the transition seamlessly, and Smalling further praised him for it:

"“With each game and each performance, Daley has put any criticism to bed and he’s been one of the top centre-backs this season. Ever since he joined the club, he’s rarely been injured and he’s been able to achieve a very high consistency, be it in midfield or at centre-back. He’s a joy to play alongside.“It’s great that he’s naturally a midfielder, but he’s got his passing range down to a tee and defensively he’s sound as well. He brings a lot to our defensive line in knowing that he can play the ball out and really cut through teams.”"

The Dutchman’s influence has been all over the field, evident by his key passes, along with a goal and assist in the league.

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In what has been a largely underwhelming season for Manchester United, Blind has more than exceeded expectations. The Smalling-Blind partnership has been key in keeping the possibility of Champions League play open for next season, but it will come down to the squad’s ability to score goals for the run-in.

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