Any good football manager will tell you that you have to build from the back. Although a decent shot-stopper between the sticks is always welcome, a weak back four is unforgivable.
It’s not the most fashionable or desired of jobs on the pitch, but the boys at the back are the foundations of any good side and should be cherished as much as any superstar striker.
Rampaging full-backs like Roberto Carlos and Cafu traditionally grab all the praise, but they can only do their job if their mates alongside them are willing to remain stoical and sit tight. If anything comes near them, be it football or player, nothing should be getting through a regimented defensive partnership, which should be as concrete as the Hoover Dam.
Chemistry between forwards and midfielders is generally forged by their creative abilities, but an understanding between two centre halves is a rare commodity that only comes around every few seasons. Think back to the likes of
Bobby Moore and Jack Charlton in 1966 or Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen at Liverpool and you have a recipe for untold success, which brought their respective sides some of the greatest prizes in the game.
Bobby Moore and Jack Charlton in 1966 or Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen at Liverpool and you have a recipe for untold success, which brought their respective sides some of the greatest prizes in the game.
Beyond the aforementioned names there aren’t many stand-outs in the field, but here are nine that could always be relied upon to put their head where it hurt and give everything for the greater good of the game.
Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic – Manchester United
We’ll start on a poignant note. Rio Ferdinand has today announced his retirement from football, as reported by BBC Sport, following the 36-year-old’s relegation with Queens Park Rangers.
His venture back to London will never be mentioned as one of the finest periods in his career, but you don’t have to look too hard to find such an example. Alongside Nemanja Vidic, he and the Serbian were untouchable at Old Trafford during their tenure under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Phil Jones and Chris Smalling should probably take some notes
John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho – Chelsea
Sticking with Ferdinand for just a moment, his somewhat tainted partnership with John Terry for England was commendable, but the Three Lions’ lack of success has caused us to look elsewhere.
Although Terry has lined up with the likes of Gary Cahill, Alex and William Gallas at Stamford Bridge, his relationship with Ricardo Carvalho was undeniable. The Portuguese star was almost a mirror image of the Blues skipper; feisty, talented, controversial and hungry.
These two were made for each other.
Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique – Barcelona
Moving away from the Premier League now, we focus on a tale of the old teaching the young in Spain. The wild haired
Carles Puyol had been at Barcelona for nine years by the time Pique returned to the club in 2008, and despite their obvious differences, these two unique individuals got on like a house on fire and easily fitted into the tiki-taka mentality that Pep Guardiola was enforcing at the time.
Carles Puyol had been at Barcelona for nine years by the time Pique returned to the club in 2008, and despite their obvious differences, these two unique individuals got on like a house on fire and easily fitted into the tiki-taka mentality that Pep Guardiola was enforcing at the time.
Although Puyol played less and less games towards the end of his illustrious career, it would be fair to say that Pique has never looked the same since his pal left his side.
Tony Adams and Steve Bould – Arsenal
Arsenal fans have a love/hate relationship with their current centre-backs Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny. The ambling pair have shown great potential at times, but a string of mistakes from both players in the past have left fans bemoaning their existence.
How they must long for the likes of Steve Bould and Tony Adams again. Neither are the most attractive men to ever grace the face of the earth but they couldn’t half play, and they knew where the back of the net was as well, which helps.
Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia – Liverpool
We’ve had United, Chelsea and Arsenal, so here’s a couple of Liverpool legends for some variety. Much like Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher is a Merseyside hero through and through.
The recent departures of both stars from the club have left a sizeable hole, and the Reds will struggle to find a defender who played with as much heart as Carragher did. When he was playing with Finnish star Sami Hyypia, the
Liverpool back-line were at their best and won some of their most prestigious honours.
Liverpool back-line were at their best and won some of their most prestigious honours.
Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta – Italy
Italy’s unprecedented victory at the 2006 World Cup came amid accusations of corruption and fraud within the Italian game, making it a truly unlikely achievement. That slight bit of naughtiness obviously didn’t affect the players one bit, and Cannavaro and Nesta led by example.
The Juventus and AC Milan stars were resolute for Marcello Lippi’s side, which resulted in a famous win over France in the final and the Ballon d’Or award for Cannavaro; the first time that an out and out defender had won the award since 1976, when Franz Beckenbauer was named as the best player in the world
Marcel Desailly and Frank Leboeuf – Chelsea
It’s time for our second Chelsea pairing on this particular list, and it comes from a time when Roman Abramovich’s billions were just a pipe dream.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Blues were admired for the continental flair that Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Di Matteo unleashed upon the Bridge, but Lebeouf and Desailly were two wise old dogs who knew how to tackle, intercept and block with the best of them.
A young John Terry must have been watching with great intent.
Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta – AC Milan
Now we would all love to wax lyrical over Paolo Maldini’s playing days, but how could we ignore the genius and guile of Baresi and Costacurta?
The Italian duo read the game at the highest of standards and often greeted their opponents with rude awakenings, rather than the elegant challenges that Cannavaro and Nesta would later perform. Along with Mauro Tassotti and Maldini, they were part of the finest defence that the San Siro will probably ever see.
Gary Pallister and Steve Bruce – Manchester United
We started on a United pair, so we might as well finish on one. Much of the Red Devils’ success in the past 20 years or so might not have been capable without the contributions of Pallister and Bruce, who were happy to pull their weight at either end of the pitch, scoring 48 goals in their spells at the club, which helped them win three FA Cups and three Premier Leagues during their time together.
It would be fair to say that Bruce’s managerial career hasn’t gone quite as well, whereas Pallister has wisely steered clear of the profession.
Credit: Squawka
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