Greatest Defender of all time?

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Reply 20

Mr Smurf

Pascal Cygan.

Reply 21

The Shed End

Sorry did someone actually just say Sol Campbell?

Reply 22

username1221160

Titus bramble

A legend among men but shockingly underrated by those who know nothing about football.

Reply 23

Manchester United

Maldini or Baresi.

Vidic is the greatest Premiership CB ever though.

Reply 24

scrawlx101

marcel desaily was beast

Reply 25

saeed97

Puyol, koeman, Maldini, Nesta, baresi, beckenbauer, cannavaro. Those are the best off the top of my head.

Reply 26

Mackay

From my lifetime, it's Maldini.

Reply 27

Tom.x.Gotze

Der Kaiser, what a player that guy was, unbeatable and beautiful to watch.

Reply 28

TheGiantPunkGooner

Was going to put a joke comment, but there's enough of those already.

In all seriousness, for me, it has to be Igor Stepanovs.

Paulo Maldini's a close second.

Reply 29

Mackay

Cannavaro is looked back upon with rose-tinted glasses. He was never exceptional. He had a brilliant World Cup in 2006, admittedly, but he was untested for years in Serie A and he never shone at Real Madrid. It was always laughable that he got the Ballon D'Or, in my opinion.

Reply 30

username917703

Original post by Mackay

I agree. He won it because he won the World Cup. Same with Ronaldo in 2002.

Reply 31

TornadoGR4

Ian Harte

Probably Maldini, though I saw & looked up to Puyol more

Reply 32

Mackay

Original post by Wilfred Little

I agree. He won it because he won the World Cup. Same with Ronaldo in 2002.

Maldini is the greatest for me, but a few run him close from my lifetime.

Reply 33

xxbradkennedyxx

Scirea, Elias Figueroa, Nilton Santos, Djalma Santos, Fachetti a few lesser known greats

Hipster spotted^

Original post by The Shed End

Hipster spotted^

PRSOM.

If we're talking about rivals for Maldini, you can't really look past Puyol. Those two are a cut above everybody else - be it Terry, Ramos, Cannavaro, Vidic or whoever.

Reply 36

The Shed End

Yeah would say from players I've watched in my lifetime individually based on ability and longevity it would be Maldini and Puyol as the stand-out examples, then Terry, Vidic, Nesta, Desailly, Kompany, Stam, Tony Adams, with #ssnqkoscielny not far behind (srs not srs). Then if you were to include centre-back partnerships then you'd be looking at including the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Carvalho, Thiago Silva, Sol Campbell, Martin Keown, and possibly Carragher as well

Although this thread is dominated by centre backs, who are leaders, obviously vocal and dominant in their positions on the pitch, also need to think about left and right backs who are equally as important to teams as centre-backs. Ones who can influence a game both defensively and offensively, so I'd be inclined to include the likes of Cafu, Ashley Cole, Philip Lahm and Alves.

Just from players I've grown up with, I'm sure people would rate Beckenbear, Baresi, Lucio etc more.

Reply 37

username358506

Original post by The Shed End

If we're including wing backs surely Roberto Carlos is the first name on the list?

And why is everyone so quick to mention Baresi and not Scirea?

Neither Hierro and Sammer have received mentions either.

:facepalm2:

Reply 38

The Shed End

Original post by Stalin

Completely forgot about Carlos.

Honestly, can't say I've ever heard of Scirea. Hierro? Not really an all-time great, just seems an example that someone would use to make them seem a bit left-field. Sammer is a shout though.