Smalling Hopes For Better Luck

Chris Smalling feels Manchester United are due a change in fortune after suffering “one of those days” at Stoke City.

In the first half alone, the Reds were hit by the loss of a deflected goal and injuries to two defenders. Smalling feels the way his team regrouped and then levelled through Robin van Persie’s 12th goal of the season merited a better outcome than a first-ever defeat at the Britannia Stadium.

“I thought we dominated for large parts of the game and on another day the chances we had might have gone in,” said Smalling, in a post-match interview outside the team bus.

“It was massively frustrating. Their first goal was one you can't do much about but we came out of the second half and got ourselves back in the game.

"After we got the equaliser, I thought we'd go on and maybe score two or three because that's what our play deserved. But a wonder-strike from Charlie Adam set us back.

“We pressed for the whole second half, we had a lot of the ball but it wasn’t going for us. Even at the end when Wayne’s free-kick was tipped onto the post, it just wasn’t our day.”

Smalling isn’t asking for sympathy, however, even if other examples of bad luck in recent games can be cited. Instead, he’s hoping the pendulum will soon swing the other way.

“I guess it's how the game comes,” he mused. “You get injuries, you get certain decisions against you, you get deflections, there have been a few deflected goals this year which have really not been down to us. But hopefully in turn we'll be due our good fortune.”

One factor which Smalling feels could favour United in future games is the return of van Persie and Wayne Rooney. The pair started together for the first time since the win over Arsenal in November and although they still have to regain full match fitness, Smalling admits it’s encouraging to see them in tandem again.

“Going into the Cardiff game we were very confident with Robin and Wazza coming back and now we've got Juan as well,” reflected Smalling.

“Today we went into the game very confident again, and even when we were behind, we felt very positive, we still played our football and created chances. On another day, nine times out of ten, we'd have won the game.”