• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Football World XI's - Eurpoe, South America, Africa

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
True they've both been pretty good this season actually. I just saw way too much **** last season for me to say they're the two best CBs Europe can offer though.

Very true VK had his worst season last year, but has shown some decent recovery to start this season

I saw a article few months ago on ESPN from the erudite Gabrielle Marcotti talking about modern defending Are today's central defenders worse than their predecessors - ESPN FC

Marcotti raises some excellent points, but I would still lean more to the view that the quality of defending has declined. Even with all the rules changes that support attackers more, fact that teams defend more as a unit and full backs bomb forward a lot more than back in the day.

When i started watching football around EURO 96, some great center halves have been around: the french trio of Desailly, Blanc, Lebouf. Italian giants like Maldini, Cannavaro, Nesta, Costacurta. The arsenal backline of Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Nigel Winterburn, along with Sol Campbell later. The united's backline at one stage of Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and Denis Irwin and later Jaap Stamp.

Other great individual defenders like Hierro, Matthaus, Sammer Paulo Montero, Samuel Kuffor, Gheorghe Popescu, frank de boer etc etc etc.

With the full-backs it was much of the same. Guys like Thuram, Lizarazu, Dan Popescu, G Neville, Zambrotta, van bronkhorst, Cafu, zanetti, michael reiziger, willy sagnol, pannuci etc etc were all very adept at their main role as defending, while also contributing in attack. For years Roberto Carlos was often seen as the odd-man full-back, who was more comfortable going forward than defending.

In recent years when I watched certain teams defend it reminded me off the old school ways although they were few and far between:

For example Chelsea last season with Cech or Cortoius/Ivanovic/Terry/Cahill/Azpelicueta The Atletico team that won la liga and got to c league final - Cortoius/Juanfran/Godin/Miranda/l Felipe; Juventus with Buffon/leichesteiner/Chellini/Barzagli/Bonnuci/Asamoah; Dortmund circa 2013 when Weidenfeller/Subotic/Hummels/Pizceck were playing out of their skins under Klopp; 2008 United Van der sar/Ferdinand/Vidic/Evra/Neville
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
I'm definitely in favour of modern CBs. Truth is guys at Chelsea/Atletico don't make as many mistakes because their job is easier. Defending's always been more a collective effort than one of individuals though.
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
I mean I am slightly sympathetic of Kompany these days. City play pretty high up the field and he didn't exactly have a lot of protection last year with Fernandinho out of form.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Oh god.

edit: The football thread gonna be good though
Yes, I can't wait for the awful posts. I've been waiting to hear more about Ashley's relationship with Cheryl for several years now. I'm also hoping for a sequel to that post where it was suggested that Ashley ought to shoot people who question his ***uality.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
ftr

1. Yes he had to step his game up. Since he now moving up to posch white food & he to find a way to make sure the paper was thicker



Haa yalll really dont understand the psycology of dealing with these hoes of today. Lets leave it as that.





Haa well yall keep it up. I just waiting for the day he scores a goal againts Arsenal.

Back to football...GOOD GOMAE ASH..BULLET!!
 

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Yes, I can't wait for the awful posts. I've been waiting to hear more about Ashley's relationship with Cheryl for several years now. I'm also hoping for a sequel to that post where it was suggested that Ashley ought to shoot people who question his ***uality.
What is with people on CW not knowing when I'm taking the piss lately?
 

Uppercut

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I'm definitely in favour of modern CBs. Truth is guys at Chelsea/Atletico don't make as many mistakes because their job is easier. Defending's always been more a collective effort than one of individuals though.
Ramos-Boateng seems the obvious pairing to me. Sort of depends on which timescale you choose.
 

Uppercut

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Kompany started the season really well but he had a long run of poor form before then. Hummels didn't have a good season at all last year either.

I wouldn't have them too far down the list but would definitely prefer to pick someone from one of the clubs that win everything. Picking Buffon over Neuer is in CW's top ten worst-ever opinions, though.
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
I'd probably go something like this.

Neuer

Lahm
Ramos/Pique
Boateng
Alaba

Busquets
Modric

Robben
Silva/Özil
Ronaldo

Lewandowksi
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
I'm definitely in favour of modern CBs. Truth is guys at Chelsea/Atletico don't make as many mistakes because their job is easier. Defending's always been more a collective effort than one of individuals though.
Care to elaborate on why you think their jobs was easier?

While i'd have to say i'm more in favour of CBs of the past - i doubt we will see a CB win the Ballon D'Or or world player of the year like Cannavaro did in 06 anytime soon, even if we consider that it may be harder to do with Ronaldo/Messi scoring performances always likely to make them yearly candidates for that accolade.
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
This guy pisses me off on twitter but he's correct about modern CBs IMO. ?Why Are There No World-Class Centre-Backs These Days?? | Tactics, Busquets, et cetera.
Article making similar points to Marcotti on ESPNFC - http://www.espnfc.com/blog/marcottis-musings/62/post/2582383/are-todays-central-defenders-worse-than-their-predecessors - But as i mentioned above IMO In recent years when I watched certain teams defend it reminded me off the old school ways although they were few and far between, despite although the known changes to the game:

For example Chelsea last season with Cech or Cortoius/Ivanovic/Terry/Cahill/Azpelicueta The Atletico team that won la liga and got to c league final - Cortoius/Juanfran/Godin/Miranda/l Felipe; Juventus with Buffon/leichesteiner/Chellini/Barzagli/Bonnuci/Asamoah; Dortmund circa 2013 when Weidenfeller/Subotic/Hummels/Pizceck were playing out of their skins under Klopp; 2008 United Van der sar/Ferdinand/Vidic/Evra/Neville
 
Last edited:

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Do you ever make a post that doesn't involve mentioning analyses undertaken by other people, and/or long lists of players?
 

Top