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Best Defence

Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Craig said:
I still maintain that Zambrotta is better then Cole.

Certainly in versability he has it over Cole.
Well he said that he was a better left back therfore versitility is irrelevant
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Serbia and Montenegro for me, Mladen Krstajic and co are not only hard ****s but they have good pace and fantastic strength in the air and on the ground. Only way for them to qualify from the group of death is to utilise this strength at the back and wear down their opponents.

Elsewhere the Spanish defence is pretty darn good though Sergio Ramos is a bit of loose cannon but Carlos Puyol marshals his backline well.

Worst from the major nations has to be Germany, Mertsacker and Huth my God.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Agent TBY said:
It was so much better when Coco could actually play. Then it'd be Coco - Cannavaro - Nesta - Zambrotta. Even Zauri would've done. But Oddo? That's shocking. I'd have thought Bonera to be a better player than him.
Oh come on!

I still do a pretty mean dipsy doodle! To be honest, I didn't even know I was playing, better go and pack the bags...
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Well he said that he was a better left back therfore versitility is irrelevant
indeed, although i always thought zambrotta was a better winger than he was as a full back, i never understood why that transition was made.
 

roseboy64

Cricket Web Content Updater
sledger said:
no bias in your opinion of course.

and if not...then care to say why you think that?
Cole is more of a wingback than a fullback. Heinze therefore is better and he's also good in the air.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
ashley giles is a better slow left armer than shane warne, therefore he is better overall.

Care to state why in terms of ability you think hes better ? Heinze may be better in the air, but that is down to his height, cole is faster better going foward which suits englands style of play, and i have seen nothing to suggest heinze can mark or tackle any better either.
 

Cloete

International Captain
I think you'd be struggling to find a better left back than Ashley Cole.

Thuram and Gallas are better right backs than Neville though.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
They're both centre backs in reality, certainly in Thuram's case.

Gallas is versatile, but should always play the centre.
 

Cloete

International Captain
marc71178 said:
They're both centre backs in reality, certainly in Thuram's case.

Gallas is versatile, but should always play the centre.
Not really. Gallas is definitely versatile but like you say, definitely in the centre.

Thuram's spent ALOT of time on the right though. We'll probably see Silvestre playing on the right hand side with those two in the middle anyway. But I do think they're both better than Neville.
 

Craig

World Traveller
sledger said:
no bias in your opinion of course.

and if not...then care to say why you think that?
TBF before he was injured he was doing pretty well (IMO) in his first season in England and I'm sure the Welsh would love him because apparently he can speak Welsh. That's a bit like me being able to speak Basque or Catalan.

As long as he doesn't take penalties then that is the main thing.
 

Craig

World Traveller
How about Puyol as a right back or perhaps is he is best in the central role like he has been playing for Barca (alongside Oleguer).
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Craig said:
How about Puyol as a right back or perhaps is he is best in the central role like he has been playing for Barca (alongside Oleguer).
Puyol has always been a centre back, he started his professional career as right back though but through the Barca youth system he was a centre back. He did a good job as a right back but his distribution and lack of real pace let him down, he was just a stop gap until Barcelona bought a recognized right back, fabulous centre back though one of the best in the world.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Craig said:
TBF before he was injured he was doing pretty well (IMO) in his first season in England and I'm sure the Welsh would love him because apparently he can speak Welsh. That's a bit like me being able to speak Basque or Catalan.

As long as he doesn't take penalties then that is the main thing.
Heinze can speak Welsh!?!? :huh: :wacko:

One for the "things to bore my mates with in the pub tonight" file methinks....

Actually, now I think about it I'd heard there were communites descended from Welsh emigrants in Patagonia, but the fact that an Argentine international is one of them is very cool tho!
 

Craig

World Traveller
I heard it on TV in 2004 when Man Ure played Sparta Prague at OT (won 4-0).

It went something like this: "Gabriel Heinze - Italian mother, German father, plays for Argentina and speaks Welsh"
 

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