Premier League Thread 2012/2013

[AZOffaly]

No flaws? I always thought Ferdinand was a good reader of a game, quick, and liked to play the ball. However I'm not sure he was as physically strong as you'd like a centre half to be. I don't think it's any coincidence that his best games and runs of form come when Vidic is beside him to do a lot of the dirty work.

[NAG1]

No flaws? I always thought Ferdinand was a good reader of a game, quick, and liked to play the ball. However I'm not sure he was as physically strong as you'd like a centre half to be. I don't think it's any coincidence that his best games and runs of form come when Vidic is beside him to do a lot of the dirty work.

They have formed a great partnership but even with Johnny Evans, Ferdinand still looks like a class above anything else in the EPL.

[rossie mad]

Cannot understand how that clown ferdinand is in the team of the year.
Without doubt the most overrated footballer of all time.

I make you mad as a box of frogs. In 25-odd years of watching English football, I've never seen a better defender in that league. He's in the autumn of his career now, but at his peak he had no flaws in his game (which doesn't mean he didn't make mistakes, everybody does). Very few defenders in history I would say that about.

Everbody entitled to their opinion but to say that about this clown is unbelieveable.
I am of the opinion that central defensive partnership should be tough and strong and put your body on the line put in big tackles and basically be as no nonsense as you can get.
Rio has none of the above.He can pass the ball yes but he isnt a last line of defence type.
Give me Vidic every day of the week and Kompany and shawcross there after before that muppet.
He always looks for an excuse after a goal is conceded whether it be a teammate or official where too often than not if he managed to get across and make a tackle it would be more beneficial.

[Billys Boots]

Cannot understand how that clown ferdinand is in the team of the year.
Without doubt the most overrated footballer of all time.
Delighted for baines he deserved at least that.Thought he should have got a nomination also was brillant all season.

I saw that Baines is the player who has created most chances for team mates of all players in the Top-5 leagues in Europe.

[thewobbler]

Cannot understand how that clown ferdinand is in the team of the year.
Without doubt the most overrated footballer of all time.

I make you mad as a box of frogs. In 25-odd years of watching English football, I've never seen a better defender in that league. He's in the autumn of his career now, but at his peak he had no flaws in his game (which doesn't mean he didn't make mistakes, everybody does). Very few defenders in history I would say that about.

Everbody entitled to their opinion but to say that about this clown is unbelieveable.
I am of the opinion that central defensive partnership should be tough and strong and put your body on the line put in big tackles and basically be as no nonsense as you can get.
Rio has none of the above.He can pass the ball yes but he isnt a last line of defence type.
Give me Vidic every day of the week and Kompany and shawcross there after before that muppet.
He always looks for an excuse after a goal is conceded whether it be a teammate or official where too often than not if he managed to get across and make a tackle it would be more beneficial.

Honestly, when you mention someone like Shawcross, it just makes it seem like you gauge defensive worth by how hard they'll kick an opponent. There is so much more to being a  defender than throwing yourself in front of everything that moves.

For the past decade when Rio has played, United have had one of the top three defences in English football every year. This is despite having had a number of below par keepers, and some very average players like Brown, O'Shea and Evans playing major parts in their seasons. For the past 3-4 years they haven't even had a midfield general worth talking about.

Ferdinand has marked big ones, small ones, quick ones, slow ones, skilful ones, and angry ones. But there isn't a single player I can think of who has had something close to an Indian sign over United during that time.

No doubt about it, Vidic's more aggressive and physical qualities make him a great counterpart for Ferdinand. But Ferdinand is one of the few players I've seen who can comfortably flit between the sweeper role, the stopper role, and between the left side or right side of defence. Vidic can't. Kompany can't. Shawcross would try, and fail miserably.

The only players I've seen in the Premiership who could have given him a run for the money were Adams (right up there, based on his last few years when he started to play a bit of ball), King and McGrath (both of whom neither had the luck with injuries, nor the trophies to stand comparison).

[Bingo]

The PFA are a laughing stock really. They booked a guy who's comedy routines are well know considering his shows titles normally include the "n" word. Its also clear (and he remarked on it himself in his opening lines of the act) that he booked as someones idea of political correctness. Sums them up really.

But the bigness joke is the voting system. I can't think of any other voting that is done before the season is over. It was done about 3/4 of way through the season, no one knows how its going to finish or who is really going to step up to the plate and really make a difference. Players will just vote for the "form" player at the time - clearly reflected in the top 3. Its like asking the oscar judges to watch 3/4 of the films and then vote.

To me, the player of the year is between two players, possibly 3, it needs to be measured in what they have achieved and what their team as achieved. To me, Van Persie won United the league, his early season form was unstoppable and he put United in a position where they where untouchable, he's back at it again and sealed the deal for them. Sure he hit a wobble but such was his form, he had given united and himself that breathing space.
The other player was Benteke, if Villa can avoid the drop, it is largely down to him and the scores he has scored in a team very low on confidence. He has achieved hugely in a struggling team.

The third is Bale, IF, spurs can hang onto a champions league spot.

Suarez has been very good as well but what have Liverpool achieved? Nothing.

[Declan]

Liked Dara O'Briain's tweet re Hunter - Free Reg D Hunter! RT @andydavison: Christ, only the @PFA could oppose racism by trying to get a black man to work without pay.

[rossie mad]

Cannot understand how that clown ferdinand is in the team of the year.
Without doubt the most overrated footballer of all time.

I make you mad as a box of frogs. In 25-odd years of watching English football, I've never seen a better defender in that league. He's in the autumn of his career now, but at his peak he had no flaws in his game (which doesn't mean he didn't make mistakes, everybody does). Very few defenders in history I would say that about.

Everbody entitled to their opinion but to say that about this clown is unbelieveable.
I am of the opinion that central defensive partnership should be tough and strong and put your body on the line put in big tackles and basically be as no nonsense as you can get.
Rio has none of the above.He can pass the ball yes but he isnt a last line of defence type.
Give me Vidic every day of the week and Kompany and shawcross there after before that muppet.
He always looks for an excuse after a goal is conceded whether it be a teammate or official where too often than not if he managed to get across and make a tackle it would be more beneficial.

Honestly, when you mention someone like Shawcross, it just makes it seem like you gauge defensive worth by how hard they'll kick an opponent. There is so much more to being a  defender than throwing yourself in front of everything that moves.

For the past decade when Rio has played, United have had one of the top three defences in English football every year. This is despite having had a number of below par keepers, and some very average players like Brown, O'Shea and Evans playing major parts in their seasons. For the past 3-4 years they haven't even had a midfield general worth talking about.

Ferdinand has marked big ones, small ones, quick ones, slow ones, skilful ones, and angry ones. But there isn't a single player I can think of who has had something close to an Indian sign over United during that time.

No doubt about it, Vidic's more aggressive and physical qualities make him a great counterpart for Ferdinand. But Ferdinand is one of the few players I've seen who can comfortably flit between the sweeper role, the stopper role, and between the left side or right side of defence. Vidic can't. Kompany can't. Shawcross would try, and fail miserably.

The only players I've seen in the Premiership who could have given him a run for the money were Adams (right up there, based on his last few years when he started to play a bit of ball), King and McGrath (both of whom neither had the luck with injuries, nor the trophies to stand comparison).

I may have an old fashioned outlook on defensive mentalities but i firmly believe that the hard man centre defenders were always the back bone of all successful teams.
Anyone who played with aggression in the back four would always get that adrenalin rush after putting in a good hard fair tackle knowing that the other man would have definitly come out on the wrong side.That adrenalin would drive you on to performaces at times was beyond your actual level.
While hard tackiling defending isnt the be all and end all of defenders i think a defence with four players without certain levels of this quality has a weak link.
Mcgrath was ten times the palyer ferdinand was and just because he hasnt as much medals isnt a yard stick of how good he was.

[nrico2006]

What, so to be a good centre back you need to be the bonecrusher who launches into tackles?  Give me Ferdinand any day, a man who read a player, shadowed and dispossessed forwards instead of lunging in and conceding penalties, free kicks and red cards etc like your stereotypical tackler, i.e. Vidic or Terry. 

[Hound]

The PFA are a laughing stock really. They booked a guy who's comedy routines are well know considering his shows titles normally include the "n" word. Its also clear (and he remarked on it himself in his opening lines of the act) that he booked as someones idea of political correctness. Sums them up really.

But the bigness joke is the voting system. I can't think of any other voting that is done before the season is over. It was done about 3/4 of way through the season, no one knows how its going to finish or who is really going to step up to the plate and really make a difference. Players will just vote for the "form" player at the time - clearly reflected in the top 3. Its like asking the oscar judges to watch 3/4 of the films and then vote.

To me, the player of the year is between two players, possibly 3, it needs to be measured in what they have achieved and what their team as achieved. To me, Van Persie won United the league, his early season form was unstoppable and he put United in a position where they where untouchable, he's back at it again and sealed the deal for them. Sure he hit a wobble but such was his form, he had given united and himself that breathing space.
The other player was Benteke, if Villa can avoid the drop, it is largely down to him and the scores he has scored in a team very low on confidence. He has achieved hugely in a struggling team.

The third is Bale, IF, spurs can hang onto a champions league spot.

Suarez has been very good as well but what have Liverpool achieved? Nothing.

If Benteke had played as well before Christmas as he has since Christmas, Villa would be a mid table team and Villa would have achieved nothing either!

Benteke only scored in 4 of Villa's 17 league games up to Christmas. Since then he's been great alright. Over the course of the season, as good as Suarez? I don't think so. But at only 22 I'd imagine Villa will be getting some big offers during the summer.

Dead right re timing of the awards. RvP lost out because he was in a barren spell at the time of the voting. He should have been the winner in my view, with Bale and Suarez for 2nd and 3rd.

[Emmett]

Ferdinand was a top class defender, not the best there has been over the last 25 years in my opinion, but still a very good player. A successful defence is all about the partnership in the middle, Ferdinand and Vidic were as good a partnership as there has been - at their peak. They are both clearly on the wane however.

For what it's worth here are my top 5 central defenders in the past 10/15 years

1 - Marcel Desailly
2 - Nemanja Vidic
3 - John Terry
4 - Rio Ferdinand
5 - Sami Hyypia

Jonathan Woodgate was one of the best defenders I have ever had the pleasure of watching, made everything look so simple. Such a pity about the injury problems he had to endure.

[Minder]

I would have Ledley King in any argument of best central defenders, good on the ball, quick aggressive. When he was playing well he was as good as any of them.

[NAG1]

Ferdinand was a top class defender, not the best there has been over the last 25 years in my opinion, but still a very good player. A successful defence is all about the partnership in the middle, Ferdinand and Vidic were as good a partnership as there has been - at their peak. They are both clearly on the wane however.

For what it's worth here are my top 5 central defenders in the past 10/15 years

1 - Marcel Desailly
2 - Nemanja Vidic
3 - John Terry
4 - Rio Ferdinand
5 - Sami Hyypia

Jonathan Woodgate was one of the best defenders I have ever had the pleasure of watching, made everything look so simple. Such a pity about the injury problems he had to endure.

Can't believe he would even make it into the top 5, cant remember a more over rated player in a long time. Shows you what the English media can do for you though, that British bull dog JT. 

[Billys Boots]

Hummels and Subotic were excellent in central defence last night. 

[HiMucker]

Colin "Braveheart" Hendry.  Took on the original Ronaldo in his prime and stuck him in the back pocket.  World class defender.  should have left Rovers