Chris Smalling (Getty Images)
When Manchester United signed Harry Maguire in the summer transfer window, it became clear that one of the many centre-backs already at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s disposal would be offloaded and Marcos Rojo was the likeliest candidate (h/t Express).
So when news emerged that Chris Smalling had been allowed to leave the club on loan to AS Roma, it took some by surprise (h/t The Sun). Yet, it wasn’t altogether confounding.
Here was a defender who had been at the receiving end of criticism from fans for quite some time. Following the arrival of Maguire, there was no way he would be featuring on a regular basis given the club also had Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly in the ranks.
With his career stagnating, the former Fulham man decided to move to Italy in an attempt to revive himself. It was a risky move – his former England teammate Joe Hart had moved to Italy after finding himself out of the first-team picture at Manchester City, but that hardly went well.
It should be noted that the 30-year-old Englishman wasn’t the first-choice for Roma boss Paulo Fonseca. The Giallorossi had attempted to lure Daniele Rugani and German Pezzella – players well-versed with the rigours of the Serie A. But with no success, they settled on Smalling.
It was a move wrought with risk for both the player and the club. But things couldn’t have worked out any better for either party. Eight months into his stint with the Giallorossi, Smalling has been one of the best defenders in the Serie A this season and Roma want him to sign on a permanent basis (h/t Sky Sports). He is garnering interest from several Premier League clubs including Arsenal and Tottenham (h/t Metro).
So how did this come to be? How did a player derided by fans, deemed surplus to requirements, overlooked by his national team, turn things around in unfamiliar surroundings in such a spectacular fashion?
A lot of this turnaround has had to do with the way Fonseca sets his teams up. On watching Roma’s matches this season, it is clear that the manager likes to play with a high backline, with his centre-backs encouraged to press high aggressively. He prefers centre-backs who have the pace to cope with runs in behind by opponents. And Smalling fits the bill perfectly.
In the Manchester United side under Jose Mourinho, Smalling was forced to sit deep and absorb pressure, which didn’t always bring out his best qualities.
But at Roma, he has been encouraged to be aggressive and proactive and on occasions when he does get caught, he has been able to catch up with opponents using his pace. What has also helped his situation is his ability to read the game and anticipate danger.
Smalling has been an authoritative presence in the air, aiding Roma’s cause in both boxes. Indeed, he has scored two goals and set up one more, while being an imposing presence in his own box. Due to his heroics, he has been dubbed ‘Smalldini’ by Italian media (h/t The Sun).
Smalling has become the leader of this defence. Often in games, the Manchester United loanee can be seen urging his fellow defenders to push up high and keep up the pressure on the opposition. It is an indication of how he has got his confidence back.
Indeed, Smalling is the second-highest rated defender in Serie A according to football stats experts WhoScored.com, with a rating of 7.11. The Manchester United loanee has won 78 of his 111 attempted aerial duels, made 43 interceptions and won 20 of his 22 attempted tackles (h/t WhoScored.com).
Taking a gamble by moving to Italy, Smalling has proven all his critics wrong and done it in some style.
