kazi ipo msimu huu....CHRIS SMALLING ndio senior defender wetu!
[h=1]Smalling relishing senior role[/h]
After a spate of recent injuries decimated the Manchester United defence, Chris Smalling has found himself occupying the role of elder statesman in the back-line and is enjoying the extra responsibility invested in him by manager Louis van Gaal.
United's no.12 started in a back three against Arsenal last weekend, occupying a central position alongside Academy graduates Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair. Despite a difficult start, the fresh-faced Reds defence regrouped and produced an excellent display leading to Smalling being shortlisted for our Man of the Match award.
"I enjoyed that [being the senior defender]. It was obviously a very young back four but I'm very loud and talk quite a lot which was important in that game because of the young lads around me," Smalling told
MUTV.
"We were lucky not to have come off at half-time having lost a couple of goals, but we regrouped and stuck to what we'd trained at and got better as the match went on."
The England international was also full of praise for the young defensive duo of Blackett and McNair and believes their progression will be significantly aided following the toughest of tests at the Emirates.
"I think they are [progressing well], they'll learn a lot from playing in a big game last week in terms of dealing with those sorts of occasions and how sharp it is at that level," Smalling explained.
"Arsenal's forward line was probably one of the hardest we'll face this season, so I'm sure they'll learn much more from that than say a handful of Under-21 games."
