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Manchester United: What does Victor Lindelof transfer mean for United’s defenders

By Duncan Kwok

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: Chris Smalling of Manchester United comes on for Phil Jones of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford on February 11, 2015 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: Chris Smalling of Manchester United comes on for Phil Jones of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford on February 11, 2015 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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With the much-awaited transfer of Victor Lindelof to Manchester United confirmed, there is intense speculation that Chris Smalling or Phil Jones will be transferred elsewhere.

In this article, we’re going to compare both defenders and try to go inside Jose Mourinho’s to mind predict who will stay and who will go.

Strengths

Chris Smalling is undoubtedly a composed and aerially strong ball-playing defender, who over the past couple of seasons has shown his experience and value to Jose Mourinho. He prefers to move quickly to intercept the ball but he never shirks away from a tackle. Phil Jones, on the other hand, is a completely different defender, a defender that will give all his effort and usually all his effort is twice a normal player’s.

Phil Jones’s strengths lie in the fact that he can carry the ball out of defense exceptionally well, can play many positions and he uses his body and upper body strength to great effect often getting him out off tight situations with a twist of the hips or simply shielding the ball. He had a great run in the first-team in December before succumbing to injury.

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Weaknesses 

Now that we know all the things that make these defenders so valuable, it’s time to start dissecting each player and finding their weaknesses.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the former legendary United manager was always an astute judge of talent and with his claims that Jones could be the greatest player in the universe, expectations for Jones were sky-high and in reality he is a great defender but challenging the likes of Messi as the greatest player in the world, well…no.

The problem with Jones is he plays some good matches and then gets injured, which doesn’t make him exactly Mr. Reliable for his manager and his versatility has come back to haunt him, playing as centre-back and central midfielder is great but you have to be good at one of those positions instead Jones is a jack of all trades and master of none.

When one thinks of Smalling does one think of his majestic passing or those lapses in concentration that really hurt his team? If Smalling could focus for the whole 90 minutes, he could be in the Bonucci class of defenders. To put it simply he would be amazing and possibly world class.

Next: Zlatan leaving United, Premier League

Now, he is like an accidental time-bomb waiting to explode and when he explodes goals are the result, an example of this would be Manchester United’s loss 4-o loss to Chelsea.

Final Verdict

Between Smalling or Jones, Jones must be the favorite to stay because even though he does not play a lot of matches, at least when he plays goals do not start flooding in unlike when Smalling plays.

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