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Top 5 central defenders of the last twenty years...


Budgie.

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For me:

 

1. Paulo Maldini

2. Lillian Thuram

3. Fabio Cannovaro

4. Carlos Puyol

5. Ricardo Carvalho

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For me:

 

1. Paulo Maldini

2. Lillian Thuram

3. Fabio Cannovaro

4. Carlos Puyol

5. Ricardo Carvalho

 

Baresi and Sammer would be street ahead of Puyol in my top 5.

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1. Franco Baresi

2. Matthias Sammer

3. Frank de Boer

4. Lothar Matthaus

5. Tony Adams

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Forgot his name but the Milan centre half who partnered Baresi.

 

Costacurta?

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boy_in_maroon

For me:

 

1. Paulo Maldini

2. Lillian Thuram

3. Fabio Cannovaro

4. Carlos Puyol

5. Ricardo Carvalho

 

 

Was'nt Thuram played mostly as a right back? Still a great player none the less :thumbsup:

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Bert Le Clos

From the last 20 years you've got;

 

Laurent Blanc, Jurgen Kohller, Marcel Desailly, Mathaus Sammer, Paulo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Alessandro Costacurta, Jaap Stam, Cira Ferrara, Fernando Hierro, Franco Baresi, Roberto Ayala..........

 

Puyol and Carvalho don't get close IMO.

 

If I had to pick 5, it's;

 

1. Baresi

2. Maldini

3. Cannavaro

4. Sammer

5. Blanc

 

Baresi was phenomonal, anyone who says he didn't have the pace to be ranked as one of the best is talking nonsense. In fact, none of my top 5 had real pace, but that's partly what made them so good. Their eading of the game was superb.

 

Oh, and I rate Thuram as a right back :thumbsup:

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1. Gordon Petric

2. Kevin James

3. Fabien Leclercq

4. Kevin McKenna

5. Ismael Bouzid

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Tommy Wiseau

From the last 20 years you've got;

 

Laurent Blanc, Jurgen Kohller, Marcel Desailly, Mathaus Sammer, Paulo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Alessandro Costacurta, Jaap Stam, Cira Ferrara, Fernando Hierro, Franco Baresi, Roberto Ayala..........

 

Puyol and Carvalho don't get close IMO.

 

If I had to pick 5, it's;

 

1. Baresi

2. Maldini

3. Cannavaro

4. Sammer

5. Blanc

 

Baresi was phenomonal, anyone who says he didn't have the pace to be ranked as one of the best is talking nonsense. In fact, none of my top 5 had real pace, but that's partly what made them so good. Their eading of the game was superb.

 

Oh, and I rate Thuram as a right back :thumbsup:

 

 

Good post, and more or less the same list as I would go for. OP's list is way too modern IMO - some of the players about in the early/mid 90s made defending into an art form.

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From the last 20 years you've got;

 

Laurent Blanc, Jurgen Kohller, Marcel Desailly, Mathaus Sammer, Paulo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Alessandro Costacurta, Jaap Stam, Cira Ferrara, Fernando Hierro, Franco Baresi, Roberto Ayala..........

 

Puyol and Carvalho don't get close IMO.

 

If I had to pick 5, it's;

 

1. Baresi

2. Maldini

3. Cannavaro

4. Sammer

5. Blanc

 

Baresi was phenomonal, anyone who says he didn't have the pace to be ranked as one of the best is talking nonsense. In fact, none of my top 5 had real pace, but that's partly what made them so good. Their eading of the game was superb.

 

Oh, and I rate Thuram as a right back :thumbsup:

 

Having seen some of the other lists mentioned I'd probably change my number 5 to Costacurta or Baresi but Puyol should definitely be in there. Ten seasons as first choice at the best league club in the world, can't argue with that.

 

Some of the players on your list are a bit dubious:

 

Sammer played centre midfield for most of his career and in the last few years as a sweeper.

 

Stam was very good for a couple of seasons for Man Utd but dipped badly afterwards, was only a squad player at Milan.

 

Desailly was a much better midfielder than he was defender imo.

 

Hierro aswell was much more effective up the pitch and scored many goals from midfield.

 

Ayala was a great player but struggled at Milan and barely played.

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cannavaro

Nesta

j.terry ( i know people will disagree here lol )

baresi

maldini

 

I also did rate people like thuram, stam, ayala etc etc but they were not consistent enough for me... Puyol was very top to being in my top 5.

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Bert Le Clos

Having seen some of the other lists mentioned I'd probably change my number 5 to Costacurta or Baresi but Puyol should definitely be in there. Ten seasons as first choice at the best league club in the world, can't argue with that.

 

Some of the players on your list are a bit dubious:

 

Sammer played centre midfield for most of his career and in the last few years as a sweeper.

 

Stam was very good for a couple of seasons for Man Utd but dipped badly afterwards, was only a squad player at Milan.

 

Desailly was a much better midfielder than he was defender imo.

 

Hierro aswell was much more effective up the pitch and scored many goals from midfield.

 

Ayala was a great player but struggled at Milan and barely played.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean Puyol and Carvalho wouldn't make the first list. I meant IMO they wouldn't be near my top 5. I would have them both top 5 in the world right now though.

 

Desailly, Hierro and Sammer did play midfield but were definitely world class centre halves too. Sammer in particular was phenomonal at Euro '96.

 

Puyol also benefits from playing in a side who are rarely troubled defensively, both for club and country. When Barce weren't at their best during the early '00s they were often caught out defensively by holding a high line and Puyol stepping out of position.

 

Stam and Ayala I agree are probably the weakest on my origional list but both were as good as Puyol or Carvalho. Neither did much at Milan but Stam was excellent at PSV and Man U and Ayala was one of the best in La Liga during Valencia's successful spell where they regularly finished above Barcelona.

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PsychocAndy

Levein would have been on that list but for injuries.

Agreed as would Alan McLaren

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Harry Palmer

1. McPherson

2. Maldini

3. Baresi

4. Hansen

5. Zaliukas

 

 

Can't be arsed thinking of others...I'm sure there are loads...

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Would go with:

 

Paulo Maldini

Alesandro Nesta

Lillian Thuram

Rio Ferdinand

Lucio

 

Further mentions to Sol Campbell (early 2000's), Franco Baresi (in his prime in the late 80's), Pietro Vierchowod, Laurent Blanc, Ronald Koeman (not so much as a defender but on overall contribution), Jurgen Kohler, Fabio Cannavaro, Carles Puyol, Nelson Gamarra and Celso Ayala.

 

Matthias Sammer was an attacking midfielder who latterly played as a sweeper, if you are counting him as a centre half then Lothar Matthaus should also be included.

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Craig Levein

Dave McPherson

David Weir

Alan McLaren

Andy Webster (was goin to pick Pressley but changed my mind)

 

 

 

Don't really take much interest in any other clubs so this has to be my choice.

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Too exposed by lack of pace imo. Definitely top drawer though. :thumbsup:

 

Away and shite, Baresi never had pace and it never left him exposed, he always knew what the striker was going to do 2 moves before the striker did

 

Also I wouldn't class Maldini as one of the greatest centre backs (I would have him in my top 5 players of all time) but for me he lost something when played in the middle

 

My top 5

 

Baresi

Blanc

Nesta

Sammer

Stam

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Sammer was a central midfielder who played the last couple of years of his career as sweeper behind two CBs.

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PsychocAndy

I can only think he must have played over 20 years ago because there is np Danny Blind in anyone's list & if you haven't got Barasi at the top of that list your under 10 or know nothing about defenders

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fabienleclerq

1. Gordon Petric

2. Kevin James

3. Fabien Leclercq

4. Kevin McKenna

5. Ismael Bouzid

Get in!!

 

Im only twenty four so i can only name ones for say last 15/16 years if its to be my opinion,

 

Maldini

Hierro

Blanc

Puyol (how people can say he doesn't come close i dont know)

Cannavaro

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PsychocAndy

Barasi

Blind

Cannavaro

Levein

Tony Adams

 

 

Left myself open to be ripped but this is my opinion

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hmfc_steve
<br />Barasi<br />Blind<br />Cannavaro <br />Levein<br />Tony Adams <br /><br /><br />Left myself open to be ripped but this is my opinion<br />
<br /><br /><br />

 

trolling post imo ... :-)

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rossthejambo

I'd go with in no order...

 

Maldini

Vidic

Carragher

Hierro

Adams

 

 

Jamie Carragher?! :huh:

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MALDINI (best defender ever, imo)

 

Costacurta (Solid world class defender in his own right. Only overshadowed by the greatness of Maldini)

Stam (Held Man United defence together during his time there)

Hierro (The rock in a very good Madrid team)

Puyol (consistently good at the top)

 

Worthy mention to: Matthaus, Blanc and Vidic

 

That covers last ten years.

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