All this talk of Rio's new contract, Negotiations started & fingers crossed, has made me think about who has the Best Defensive pairing in the league.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Immediately I had to say Man U and yes I'm biased but 15 clean sheets don't lie. Perhaps a slight weakness in the air but it doesn't show up often. More concerning is United inability to play rough and tumble i.e. Bolton. Of course Chelsea are equal on 15 clean sheets but then again Man U don't have the luxury of 5 CENTER BACKS. Perhaps in years gone by Terry/Gallas could have laid claim but frankly I believe you'd look long and hard to find a pair of more arrogant, insufferable tantrum throwing louts than those two.
CHELSEA: So With Terry in and out and Carvalho struggling for form I think we can discount Chelsea with Alex looking like a top class striker but shaky at best as a center
back, Ben Haim isn't top four material & Ivanovic is MIA, such a shame about that.
ARSENAL: I've said my piece about Gallas & as for Toure he's very good but I honestly just don't know whether I'd call him class. Senderos has been impressing me as he deputizes though so who knows. Arsenal aren't even in the top 5 for clean sheets so they're out.
LIVERPOOL: Carraghers had an up and down year but I put that down to missing Agger terribly. Poor love sick puppy. Hyypiä's been descent but that's it and Skrtel has been under terrible pressure in his first premier league season so I won't judge. Lack of a decent partner see's L'pool drop out.
EVERTON: Out side the top four it's been a great season for defenders everywhere. I actually believe you'll find a few center pairings that embarrass the multi million pound defenders who strut around Stamford Bridge and the Emirates like **** of the walk. Lescott, Yobo & Jagielka have all been playing out of their skins & fourth place is the least they deserve. All credit to the genius that is David Moyes.
ASTON VILLA: It's been the rise and rise of Martin Laursen. If anybody could give Lescott a run for his money in the goal scoring defender stakes it's this man. That said Villa definitely deserve an honorable mention for their defensive pairing. If I could work out who it belongs to. Melberg/Laursen would get a top 3 finish easy. The problem inherent is that Melberg is playing right back and about to jump ship and join The Old Lady. So that leave Laursen and Bouma? Knight? Davies? Well whoever they are they're doing a bang up job at any rate.
MAN CITY: Arrrghh! I know! Yet Richards/Dunne have been immense and even with the knee injury keeping Richards out presently I still feel city will cope as long as their captain Dunne remains standing for me he's been the most impressive city player alongside Petrov. Steady as a rock and happy to let Richards soak up the limelight. Very Impressive.
TOTTENHAM: I'm sorry? What? Yeah I know what you're thinking but if King can get a run of games, Bale can get fit and Dawson can start putting pressure on the two of them as ridiculous as it sounds next year Tottenham could have one of the best defenses next year. Including top four teams. Hutton, Woodgate, King, Bale with Dawson waiting in the wings. Crazy isn't it. Ramos, that loony Spaniard. Didn't anyone give him the memo? That building a top team is meant to take years. The memo must have been written in English.
So THE VERDICT: I won't beat around the Bush.
CHELSEA: OUT.
ARSENAL: OUT.
LIVERPOOL: OUT but unfortunate.
ASTON VILLA: RELUCTANTLY OUT. If it was Melberg/Laursen maybe but with
no clue as to who actually is their partnership plus the fact that they can leak
goals at times I can't give it.
MAN CITY: 4th. No not out of spite. As good as Richards/Dunne are, Richards has some growing up to do. City aren't leading cleans sheets mainly due to their away form. Also the rest of the team need to chip in. Attack together, defend together. One feels the missing puzzle piece will click eventually.
EVERTON: 3rd. I know with the current league position and the fact they are 3rd on the clean sheets list behind only Chelsea and Man U this seems like a cop out. Here me out . They are merely third because through no fault of their own Everton's center halves are great but the top two teams center halves are awesome.
MANCHESTER UNITED: 2nd. Okay I'm aware people are fainting now. Some are screaming others trying to track me down to administer a firm smack to the head. Well guess what I believe that Ferdinand/Vidic are the best defensive pairing in the league. So if they're the best why are they second? Good question. To answer that I guess we have to look at number one.
TOTTENHAM: 1st. It's official folks. I've gone Banana's! Goodness only knows how many goals conceded earlier on. Key words, EARLIER ON. So what captivated me so much as to bump the best defensive duo in the league to 2nd place. Well for too long we've seen top four domination in the league and ultimately it came down to defense. Finally I've seen the light. A team outside the top four with a defense equal to any I've seen this year and for several years. How long ago was Hutton a supposed Man U target. How did Ramos pull that off? Money? Sex? Sorcery?Who knows. He already had King so the foundation was laid. He knew Dawson needed a kick up the bum and what better way than to create competition for his place? Woodgate, though? I can't even begin to fathom how Ramos saw the potential there. To say that came out of the blue would be understatement of the year. Bale. Already there true and when he comes back Tottenham will have a wall that's remarkable for so many reason but to put it succinctly. Money. £15 million is a lot of money but to put together a defense that a big four team would have paid twice as much for. Priceless. Reason two. Speed. This defense was put together in the time it would take Ferguson to begin the mind games that are the precursor to haggling/destabilizing the enemy. I.e. Lyon, Benzema. Reason number 3. Desire. For a team to beat the likes of Chelsea you have to keep out the combined talents of Drogba, Kalou, Shevchenko, Pizzaro & last but not least Anelka. Plus Lamps, Ballack, Essien and Alex, Joe Cole, Malouda. Get my point? That's takes real team spirit and desire. Final reason 4. In an age of crisis for English football to have three center halves all of which are top quality defenders is a spectacular feat on it's own. To have three top center halves all of whom are ENGLISH is miraculous on an almost holy scale. Ladies, Gentlemen, I am awed and I am inspired.
Well done Tottenham. Well Done Ramos.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Immediately I had to say Man U and yes I'm biased but 15 clean sheets don't lie. Perhaps a slight weakness in the air but it doesn't show up often. More concerning is United inability to play rough and tumble i.e. Bolton. Of course Chelsea are equal on 15 clean sheets but then again Man U don't have the luxury of 5 CENTER BACKS. Perhaps in years gone by Terry/Gallas could have laid claim but frankly I believe you'd look long and hard to find a pair of more arrogant, insufferable tantrum throwing louts than those two.
CHELSEA: So With Terry in and out and Carvalho struggling for form I think we can discount Chelsea with Alex looking like a top class striker but shaky at best as a center
back, Ben Haim isn't top four material & Ivanovic is MIA, such a shame about that.
ARSENAL: I've said my piece about Gallas & as for Toure he's very good but I honestly just don't know whether I'd call him class. Senderos has been impressing me as he deputizes though so who knows. Arsenal aren't even in the top 5 for clean sheets so they're out.
LIVERPOOL: Carraghers had an up and down year but I put that down to missing Agger terribly. Poor love sick puppy.
Hyypiä's been descent but that's it and Skrtel has been under terrible pressure in his first premier league season so I won't judge. Lack of a decent partner see's L'pool drop out.EVERTON: Out side the top four it's been a great season for defenders everywhere. I actually believe you'll find a few center pairings that embarrass the multi million pound defenders who strut around Stamford Bridge and the Emirates like **** of the walk. Lescott, Yobo & Jagielka have all been playing out of their skins & fourth place is the least they deserve. All credit to the genius that is David Moyes.
ASTON VILLA: It's been the rise and rise of Martin Laursen. If anybody could give Lescott a run for his money in the goal scoring defender stakes it's this man. That said Villa definitely deserve an honorable mention for their defensive pairing. If I could work out who it belongs to. Melberg/Laursen would get a top 3 finish easy. The problem inherent is that Melberg is playing right back and about to jump ship and join The Old Lady. So that leave Laursen and Bouma? Knight? Davies? Well whoever they are they're doing a bang up job at any rate.
MAN CITY: Arrrghh! I know! Yet Richards/Dunne have been immense and even with the knee injury keeping Richards out presently I still feel city will cope as long as their captain Dunne remains standing for me he's been the most impressive city player alongside Petrov. Steady as a rock and happy to let Richards soak up the limelight. Very Impressive.
TOTTENHAM: I'm sorry? What? Yeah I know what you're thinking but if King can get a run of games, Bale can get fit and Dawson can start putting pressure on the two of them as ridiculous as it sounds next year Tottenham could have one of the best defenses next year. Including top four teams. Hutton, Woodgate, King, Bale with Dawson waiting in the wings. Crazy isn't it. Ramos, that loony Spaniard. Didn't anyone give him the memo? That building a top team is meant to take years. The memo must have been written in English.
So THE VERDICT: I won't beat around the Bush.
CHELSEA: OUT.
ARSENAL: OUT.
LIVERPOOL: OUT but unfortunate.
ASTON VILLA: RELUCTANTLY OUT. If it was Melberg/Laursen maybe but with
no clue as to who actually is their partnership plus the fact that they can leak
goals at times I can't give it.
MAN CITY: 4th. No not out of spite. As good as Richards/Dunne are, Richards has some growing up to do. City aren't leading cleans sheets mainly due to their away form. Also the rest of the team need to chip in. Attack together, defend together. One feels the missing puzzle piece will click eventually.
EVERTON: 3rd. I know with the current league position and the fact they are 3rd on the clean sheets list behind only Chelsea and Man U this seems like a cop out. Here me out . They are merely third because through no fault of their own Everton's center halves are great but the top two teams center halves are awesome.
MANCHESTER UNITED: 2nd. Okay I'm aware people are fainting now. Some are screaming others trying to track me down to administer a firm smack to the head. Well guess what I believe that Ferdinand/Vidic are the best defensive pairing in the league. So if they're the best why are they second? Good question. To answer that I guess we have to look at number one.
TOTTENHAM: 1st. It's official folks. I've gone Banana's! Goodness only knows how many goals conceded earlier on. Key words, EARLIER ON. So what captivated me so much as to bump the best defensive duo in the league to 2nd place. Well for too long we've seen top four domination in the league and ultimately it came down to defense. Finally I've seen the light. A team outside the top four with a defense equal to any I've seen this year and for several years. How long ago was Hutton a supposed Man U target. How did Ramos pull that off? Money? Sex? Sorcery?Who knows. He already had King so the foundation was laid. He knew Dawson needed a kick up the bum and what better way than to create competition for his place? Woodgate, though? I can't even begin to fathom how Ramos saw the potential there. To say that came out of the blue would be understatement of the year. Bale. Already there true and when he comes back Tottenham will have a wall that's remarkable for so many reason but to put it succinctly. Money. £15 million is a lot of money but to put together a defense that a big four team would have paid twice as much for. Priceless. Reason two. Speed. This defense was put together in the time it would take Ferguson to begin the mind games that are the precursor to haggling/destabilizing the enemy. I.e. Lyon, Benzema. Reason number 3. Desire. For a team to beat the likes of Chelsea you have to keep out the combined talents of Drogba, Kalou, Shevchenko, Pizzaro & last but not least Anelka. Plus Lamps, Ballack, Essien and Alex, Joe Cole, Malouda. Get my point? That's takes real team spirit and desire. Final reason 4. In an age of crisis for English football to have three center halves all of which are top quality defenders is a spectacular feat on it's own. To have three top center halves all of whom are ENGLISH is miraculous on an almost holy scale. Ladies, Gentlemen, I am awed and I am inspired.
Well done Tottenham. Well Done Ramos.
