Teso, Is the reason Jamie Carrager gave up on England because John Terry told Rio that he liked his Corn-rows more often!!
I rate ball-playing central defenders higher than the likes of Vidic and Carvalho as well, but I wouldn't say they're complementary defenders to their superior partners. While ball-playing CBs could perhaps be more talented, it's the combination of two defenders with different skill-sets that forms an effective defensive unit.
Carvalho is a ball playing central defender. You just admitted to their superiority yourself with your admission that they are more talented.
Scratch that. I meant to say Puyol. Anyways, more talent doesn't always equate to being a superior player. Every world class side needs a player like Vidic and Puyol as much as they need Ferdinand and Pique. From an individual standpoint, a ball-playing defender has more skills, but you can't assess a team's defense based on individuals. Defense should be judged as a unit and it's the combination of a ball-playing defender, a warrior and complete lateral defenders that forms an effective defense.
As I stated in a previous post: 'It is why ball playing central defenders are regularly rated above stoppers when discussing best defenders. Vidic, despite being perhaps the very best at what he does, will always be behind the very best ball playing central defenders in the world. Not by form as previous season have shown but in terms of overall talent.' So on paper, yes I would.
next year we should add Giorgio Chiellini to the list. He will be a top CB in the world by next year.(if he stays healthy) this past year the best defender in the world was Maicon
Toure/Campbell Terry/ Gallas Maldini/Nesta Lucio/Zivkovic Cannavaro/Materazzi Look at these combinations of successful CB partnerships over the years and tell me whom is the "Ball player" and whom is the "Hack", in many cases one may have a little more ability with the ball at their feet, and of course the other may be more prone to elbowing someone in the face. But in no f*ckin way can you pidgeon hole these talented duos into some sort of Batman and Robin case study. Christ, CBs are the only two guys on the field that fundamentally, in almost every possible way, in the modern game,...play the same position. To start arbitrarily start proclaiming one plays a different position entirely (or as some would lead you to believe) is, to quote some moron "ignorant at best and dishonest at worst". Vote Quimby!
Jagielka is a very good player, one of the best CBs in the Prem based on last season's form and there's no reason to believe he won't continue to stand out. However, I wouldn't mention him as a candidate for the best in europe. Perhaps in a couple of years if he overtakes Terry or Ferdinand for England.
I made a new poll. I don't know what I was thinking with some of these picks. Here is the link: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1100565 Mods you can close this thread.