Paddy Crerand: 'Chris Smalling has responded well'

Paddy Crerand has praised defender Chris Smalling for his displays at the heart of the Manchester United defence since his costly sending off against Manchester City.

The 25-year-old was dismissed in the Manchester derby, which proved to have dire consequences for Louis van Gaal's men as they fell to a narrow defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

However, the England international has been resolute since his return to the side and has played a pivotal role in their surge up the Premier League table.

"Chris has done very well to bounce back," Crerand told the club's official website. "He didn't get a lot of criticism from United fans for the red card, it was mostly from outside.

"That's the great thing about football - everyone has an opinion. I think it's the done thing today to criticise - if you don't have a dig at somebody then no-one notices so people will often say something controversial just to make sure they're noticed."

The Red Devils play Southampton in the Premier League later today.