Smalling Proud To Captain Manchester United

Manchester United's stand-in captain Chris Smalling said Arsenal's late equaliser on Sunday left a sour taste at the end of an otherwise "proud day" for him.

Ander Herrera's well-executed volley gave Louis van Gaal's side the advantage after half an hour at Old Trafford but, despite another dominant display in terms of possession, United dropped two points when Tyler Blackett deflected Theo Walcott's cross into his own net.

"I think for 60 or 70 minutes we were the better team, but then we really needed to see out the game," Smalling told ManUtd.com. "We were a bit too open and paid the price, albeit with another deflected goal – something that’s gone against us recently.

"In these games you need to get that second goal and unfortunately we didn’t, and paid the price at the end. All the lads have come in and it’s almost as though we’ve lost the game. We’ve still got another game and then we’ll look back and say we have performed against the bigger teams. It can only look good for next season, when hopefully we’ll be more consistent."

Smalling was given the captain's armband in the absence of Wayne Rooney and said: "It was a big honour. When the manager told me the night before, it was always going to be one to look forward to. If we had got the win it would have been a lot nicer to savour, but it was still a proud day for me.

"This season, some of us have had to step forward, especially with some of the older players leaving, so it’s nice that it’s being recognised. I think my game has progressed well, in that we’ve done a lot of work on the field, and have been given a lot of responsibility going forward as a unit. Each week we’re improving and everyone is feeling that togetherness."

The defender also praised the fans for their support in 2014/15 and hopes the Reds can reward them with silverware next season.

"It’s not a season when we’re massively celebrating, it’s a step," he said. "Next season we know that won’t be good enough. But our fans at the end were terrific. Hopefully next season we’ll be having a parade with something to really cheer about.

"As the season’s gone on, we’ve got better, but Chelsea’s consistency from day one has won them the title. Sometimes they didn’t play well and still won games. They saw off games like Sunday's; they might have won it 1-0. Next season, it’s a case of starting on the front foot and keeping that consistency.

"It will be tough against Hull [next weekend]. They’ve got a lot to play for but we’ll want to finish the season on a high. We want to make sure we go out with a win."

United midfielder Michael Carrick praised Smalling after the game and believes his 25-year-old team-mate's performances this season justify the decision to make him captain.

"I think he’ll take to it well," Carrick told Sky Sports. "He’s developed an unbelievable amount over the last few months. He’s really become more vocal on the pitch and he's a bit of a leader in the back four. Maybe that's due to the added responsibility and experience.

"He’s not classed as a youngster any more – the potential people talk about in youngsters, you’ve got to live up to that. He’s come on so much, and that’s resulted in him being named captain."