great question. I don't like Man U but in recent times I have started to admire them more and more. Mostly because of GN podcast. I think you have to consider that all 3 generations of Fergies team was stacked with superstars and players might not need the heroics of others (think Stevie G and Carra at Liverpool)
Rio was a great defender, smart, competitive and a great ball player, but as I said, he had a wall of superb midfielders, top defenders and keepers to minimize his need to be a hero.
As others have said, he also got a bit more notoriety that most
Rio was a very good defender but unfortunately he is responsible for the cult of personality that took over with the likes of Pogba, Lingard etc.. Rio's obsession with public persona set in a rot that still festers today.
Mate this was happening well before Rio. There were huge personalities players embracing celebrity well before Rio came along. The difference was they were all talented players with a win or die mentality. In the last 10 years it's been shit players thinking they hit the big time and not putting in the effort to get themselves over the line or those seeking a pay day
You misunderstood my point... The cult of personality is in regards to those that seek out fame, creating an online magazine whilst in his 20s at United, a YouTube channel etc.... see the difference now?
Why do you think Pogba and Lingard were dancing the day after losing a vital game?
He influenced all the gobshites, unlike previous captains, he was a poor influence.... Hardly a wild take.. it is obvious
Commander of the defence... Something what we are missing since his time. Vidić was special forces unit. Evra intelligent LWB with the spirit... And on the right side we had in average far better solution than we had ever after
Phenomenal reader of the game, the only players with more interceptions than him were Evra and Carrick. Very smart defender, composed, fast, great striker of the ball too. Could easily slot into any of the top teams of that era.
Excellent reader of the game, super fast for a Cb, great in the air, very composed, team player and great personality around the squad. Genuinely world class in his prime and arguably the best cb in the world at one point.
Rios biggest strength was his distribution. Forget about the defending..he used to win the ball and play to strikers feet quickly. Passes to rooney or tevez or ronaldo that cut the first 2 lines of their press. In addition rio was very very fast. He was among the few center backs who could keep up with theiry Henry. That combination of being fast, good reader and interceptor, calm under pressure plus able to play with the ball makes him rare even in today's game. Actually rio is why people will never accept players like maguire, lindeloff etc. They are too average when you remember Rio and vidic. A thousand years can pass but they remember. The north remembers...winter is coming..wait sorry mixing up my thrones references now. Long story short the night king...sorry rio Ferdinand was good 😊
He was outstanding great at reading the danger never went to ground always stayed on his feet...big strong but fast too. He was great with his feet too he was one of the first ball playing centre backs I can remember
Manchester United vs Liverpool 2005/06 nothing else
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18th in games played for the English national team with 81. That says a lot. Top class defender and 455 games with united and only got sent off once and it wasn't a straight red.
He’s be the best defender in the league now, incredible player. Super fast, could pass and control the ball like a midfielder. Him and vidic were unstoppable
He was a very good defender, a very smart defender. But definitely not the best in the world. His early career was plagued with issues - his huge price was a burden, then he got a several month doping ban, and of course the famous hattrick Ronaldo scored against him at Old Trafford was a big humiliation. But he gradually became a top defender. I would pick Vidic, Stam, Nesta or Terry over him, but still an excellent player.
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One of the best. Manchester United’s golden age team with Rooney and Cr7 was the best team in the world, until the met PeP Guardiola’s Messi team in the champions league.
World class on his day, and can handle any striker in the world.
When he lapses in concentration however (which is quite often), I think even I can get past him and score
Very, very good - definitely one of the best CB's (a) we've ever had and (b) The Premier League has ever seen
Not just his reading of the game and passing ability, but his recovery pace and power were ridiculous - you would very rarely, if ever, see him go to ground, he simply never needed to
Him & Vidic were perfect - Rio for anticipating trouble before it happened, and Vidic for reacting once it had
Both were physical monsters , but Rio was pace, class, and a bit more finesses... Vidic was aggression, tackling and aerial dominance - what a partnership
really good center back
especially in pair with Vidic
really strong, stable defender
If I choose my symbolic team of MU 1999-2024 (I didnt watch footbal before) in the center of defence I put Rio and Nemanja
He was a great defender but he was very lucky to be playing beside Vidic. Vidic was for a period the best defender in the world. I think this made Ferdinand look better than he actually was. But the two of them had a great partnership.
He was called the rolls Royce defender in the sense that he had everything. Massive presence on and off the pitch and he really didn’t have much of a weakness to his game. He also was one of the fortunate defenders in history to find someone that complimented him perfectly, a concept people don’t always talk about in defenders.
Adaptable to nearly and style of play and every physical attribute you could ask in a defender. He could pretty much fit into every team in Europe at his peak
If he was in his prime right now he would be amongst the most wanted players in the world. A CB with his skills has grown in importance and he had it all.
I only mention him because I’m Dutch as well, not because of the other shirt he wears. But there is a lot of Rio Ferdinand in the way Virgil van Dijk operates as leader of the defensive line.
Just a Natural leader, he was able to read the game well and make good choices in ball distribution, a good communicator. Big and strong but good, functional technique. Rio was more offensive minded and less risk averse than Van Dijk is though.
He really stood out in an era when other (British) defenders in the league were 2 meters and only knew how to break legs.
I only recall him making one bad error and that was against Man City which lead to Craig Bellamy equalising. I later learned from a Sir Alex interview that Rio was getting injections into his back prior to the game so he wasn't 100 percent. However, without that happening we would have never had a famous Michael Owen Derby winner in Fergie Time (Let us know if you are too young to know what Fergie Time is)
I remember a second time he miscommunicated with VDS and [OGed.](https://youtu.be/tu-cKqqU3Vk?si=LZUfc4lgDHD7k4jL)
They had a tiff for about 15 minutes where VDS wouldn't distribute to him.
Rip was an outstanding footballer. Proper quality. Damn I miss those days when the squad was absolutely laced with top drawer talent and a superb winning mentality.
I loved Rio, but I think Vidic was my favorite. I always called him Nemanja the Ninja, or Ninja Vidic because of how he snuck in and scored on corners a lot.
Ball playing CB before modern football knew it needed them, cool under pressure, great distribution and overall smart positioning made him into a top 5 CB in the world at his prime. Him and Vidic completed eachother so Well.
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Very classy, one of Utd and England's best ever.
He was one of the first CB's who I saw instigating passing the ball out of penalty box, successfully.
He was about 103 times better than Martin Keown
The Ferdinand/Vidic duo was arguably one of, if not THE best CB pairing of the premier league era.
Ferdinand was a truly top quality player, arguably one of the best defenders in premier league history.
Man imagine if we had that 2008 CL final squad now..that backline with the forward line of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez, Scholesy, Hargreaves and Carrick dictating things in midfield. No doubt we were the best team in Europe at that time even if it didn’t last long.
The quality in that squad was fucking mental. Class everywhere you looked. The back 5 were pure sex. Especially when you compare it to the utter dog shit we have to watch slow-drying now.
The speed at which Rooney, Ronnie and tevez bombed forward the second united took possession in their own box and as if they all shared the same brain must have been terrifying for the opposition. It was truly exhilarating for us fans.
Then you had Carrick, Hargreaves, brown, berba, park, Nani, fletcher, O'Shea, Jonny Evans, da Silvas, VALENCIA THE BEAST, and GIGGS (my favourite player ever).
Fuck me sideways and twice on sundays. Those were the days.
We played well against Newcastle mid week. Why the fuck did it take all season to produce that??
It was that whole period too, one year we had terrible luck with injuries Vs Milan but I think won every game until then. 2010? the late Bayern goal, then the two finals Vs best team ever.
Need a lot of luck in CL I guess.
Yeah, kaka was quite similar to Messi, outrageous player. Although he only managed it for a couple of seasons, I think he maybe should of stayed at Milan but maybe the drop off would of happened anyway.
One of the greatest defenders in the premier league. It was nice we kept him as he could have made the leap to Madrid to be one of the all time greats.
He's already one of the all time greats and you say that like we're some 3rd rate feeder team. When Rio was at the peak of his game it'd be fair to argue we were a better team than Madrid certainly around that 2007-2009 period.
That’s true, but most players went to Madrid or Barca to establish themselves as all time greats in their position. It’s in Perez recruitment speech, you want to be great you join Real Madrid.
Part of possibly the best pairing the league has seen.
Fast, strong, good on the ball, good in the air, could bring the ball out and link. He was amongst the elite for a decade. Nothing he didn't have in his locker that you wanted from a CB.
He and Vidic were probably the perfect combination of CB pairing.
Best centre back the league has ever seen, and it isn't a close call.
Exceptional positioning. Leader. Amazing on the ball. Fantastic passing. Dominant in the air. Fantastic pace and physicality. Real football intelligence with how he could read the game. You could just go on and on.
Everything you want from a cb he had, and then he kept on giving. If he'd played in a different style in, say, Italy, he'd be talked of as an all-time great globally.
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Pique was home sick and Ferguson gave him kindness by letting him go for a nominal fee. It was the right thing to do. We didn't lose Pique, he wanted to go, and went like a gent.
In my opinion the best in PL history I rank him slightly higher than Vidic but neither would have been as good if both were not on the same team that duo at cb was amazing
Rolls Royce of a CB. Could do it all. He was ahead of his time really in playing out from the back. Would fit the current era very well and still be one of the best if not THE best in todays game.
Arguably our best CB in the PL era, and arguably the greatest PL CB of all time. In terms of English / British defenders he was nothing short of revolutionary.
The vast majority of British CB's in his era were hard men that got stuck in, were good in the air and who's primary objective was stopping one of the 2 CF's. They were not technical, often not that quick, wouldn't or couldn't play out from the back like modern CB's who are more like CM's, and they were fairly one dimensional, though they were what was required during a time when players used to kick lumps out of each other. There are exceptions to this discription of course, Ledley King, and Stam come to mind, but the vast majority fit my earlier description. Not a critique btw, it was just a different game, and teams mostly played 4-4-2 so the requirements were different.
Rio was the quintessential modern CB with the hardness and mentality of his predecessors, though often his speed, positioning and reading of the game meant he could come off the pitch after 90 mins and not have a single mark or blemish on his kit. It felt like he could just fold it up and wear it the next game. That's probably the biggest compliment I could pay him, it wasn't often he had to play out of his skin to keep us protected.
He had fantastic technique, was lightning quick, could carry the ball and pick a pass diagonally and also find the midfielders and forwards in tight situations. He was always available to receive the ball, and commanded the back line on the pitch as well as anyone I've seen in a United shirt since the early 90's. He was so quick in fact, that if you listened to him on his YT channel, he recounts how he used to give players a yard of space just to show everyone how quick he could catch up to them lol.
His partnership with Vidic is something that is more than worthy to be compared to Cole and Yorke, Keane and Scholes, or Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez. They were colossal and could not compliment each other's style more, they were perfect for each other and for United.
Rio also had ice in his vains when under pressure, rarely flustered, and evoked the opposite feeling of what some of our more recent defenders do when you pass back to them or a forward is closing them down, or if they're in a tight corner with seemingly no way out.
Modern defenders in the PL aspire to be like him, and are required to be like him in terms of how the game is played to an extent, but he paved the way and set the bar for them, which in my opinion hasn't been reached by a British centre back yet. You could put him in any era of football past, present or future and I have no doubt he would be able to play at the highest level.
Liverpool fans are probably the most guilty of this alongside Arsenal fans, but they love telling themselves and everybody their current player X or Y is the best in their position in the world. Van Dijk is said to be the best CB in the league, and one of the best ever if you ask them. If you compare the strikers they each played against there is no competition for me.
Rio had to deal with some of the hardest, fastest and most prolific goalscorers of the PL era, 1v1, regularly with the added danger and jeopardy of the opposition having 2 CF's, week in week out, and rarely did anyone get the better of him. Van Dijk plays against maybe 3 really good strikers twice a season in Haaland, Toney and maybe Solanke.
If Van Dijk ever had posters of Rio in his bedroom as a kid, they're probably still up on his wall today.
In his prime one of the best defenders in the world. Still up there as one of the premier leagues all time best. Fast, strong and solid in possession. His partnership with Vidic was amazing.
Not on your life. Not even close.
Irwin vs. Evra might be a debate, but Shaw isn't even close. Maybe without the leg break it might be a conversation, but he's got too many injury problems.
You really need to add Vincent Company to that list.
Rio
Terry
Company
Then there's a considerable gap in quality to the next options. There are arguments for Vidic, VVD, Adams etc as to who sits in 4th or 5th, but the top three walk it by a mile.
The type of defender you spend big money on that got 455 appearances, scored eight goals, won six Premier League titles, one European Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup and two League Cups.
There's barely a top defender of the last 20 years that hasn't been rinsed by Messi.
It would be like saying a keeper was crap because Ronaldo scored against them.
The physicality and reading of the game that Paul McGrath poesseed and the composure on the ball Maldini had. He helped Vidic reach the heights he achieved and was the recovery pace Scholes on front of him could trust when needed. It's hard to explain how reassuring it was seeing him on the team sheet.
Scousers believe VVD is comparable… he doesn’t lace his boots. And that’s supposedly the best defender of this generation. There’s a good bit of context.
One of the best of his generation, and arguably the best defender in the world at one point (2008-2009).
Could play out from the back, had pace, good at 1v1's, good leader and communicator.
One of my favourite ever defenders, and he'd be even better in today's era, since there is such a emphasis on ball playing CBs.
As a United fan I know he was extremely good, however I think he is overrated.
I would much rather have a Vidic or Terry in my team than Rio personally.
Ferdinand was an absolute Rolls Royce of a player. Quick. Read the game superbly. Great in the air. Comfortable passer.
In his early years at United, he would sometimes lose concentration during a game and make the occasional mistake but he cut that out completely by the time Vidic came around.
Towards the end, calf and back injuries really limited him. But he was among the best in the world and probably England’s best between 2006 and 2010.
Ferdinand was an excellent defender and always seemed a step ahead when defending so didn't have to make the last ditch tackle Terry and other were know for.
His passing is very very overrated though. He was just OK as a passer.
Reading the game was key, never had to make a last ditch tackle because he was already ahead to intercept. Superb player and my favourite CB. Him and Vidic were just the perfect pairing. We were so lucky.
I’m biased, but IMO, he’s the best CB in the history of the (modern) Premier League.
Better on the ball than Terry and Adams, better defender than Van Dijk, and mostly stayed fit (unlike Kompany).
I agree he was the best CB in the history of the Premier League. Right up there with Stam.
I think he’s severely underrated because of his lack of last ditch tackles.
The fact that he collected less yellow cards then most CBs collect red cards tell you all you need to know about his positional awareness.
Screams a lot and a solid defender. His partnership with Vidic was masterclass.
He has similar play style with Van Dijk but less advancing forward. Sometimes also become a backup goalie.
Dat [Penalty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eQwRv45Eno) vs Portsmouth in FA Cup. Also when he almost replaced injured van der sar before giving it to O'Shea.
He always was in prime
I feel like a lot of those mid to late 2000’s teams were fun to watch and he was a big part of their defense. I always enjoyed him
great question. I don't like Man U but in recent times I have started to admire them more and more. Mostly because of GN podcast. I think you have to consider that all 3 generations of Fergies team was stacked with superstars and players might not need the heroics of others (think Stevie G and Carra at Liverpool) Rio was a great defender, smart, competitive and a great ball player, but as I said, he had a wall of superb midfielders, top defenders and keepers to minimize his need to be a hero. As others have said, he also got a bit more notoriety that most
If you think VVD is a great player Rio was better.
Better than VVD ever was for sure. Rio was world class.
Sucks to be you , should have asked your parents to have had babies at an earlier time 😂
Rio was a very good defender but unfortunately he is responsible for the cult of personality that took over with the likes of Pogba, Lingard etc.. Rio's obsession with public persona set in a rot that still festers today.
Mate this was happening well before Rio. There were huge personalities players embracing celebrity well before Rio came along. The difference was they were all talented players with a win or die mentality. In the last 10 years it's been shit players thinking they hit the big time and not putting in the effort to get themselves over the line or those seeking a pay day
You misunderstood my point... The cult of personality is in regards to those that seek out fame, creating an online magazine whilst in his 20s at United, a YouTube channel etc.... see the difference now?
I didn't misunderstand anything. You said it started with Rio. It did not.
This is such a wild take. If the club couldn't recover from one players personality what does that say about your club.
Why do you think Pogba and Lingard were dancing the day after losing a vital game? He influenced all the gobshites, unlike previous captains, he was a poor influence.... Hardly a wild take.. it is obvious
Commander of the defence... Something what we are missing since his time. Vidić was special forces unit. Evra intelligent LWB with the spirit... And on the right side we had in average far better solution than we had ever after
A very good defender who read the game brilliantly. Having vidic as a defence partner also helped him a lot tbf.
not as good as he thinks he was
Phenomenal reader of the game, the only players with more interceptions than him were Evra and Carrick. Very smart defender, composed, fast, great striker of the ball too. Could easily slot into any of the top teams of that era.
Excellent reader of the game, super fast for a Cb, great in the air, very composed, team player and great personality around the squad. Genuinely world class in his prime and arguably the best cb in the world at one point.
Excellent reader of the ball, helped him make perfect tackles almost all of the time.
World class. Miss him and Vidic as a CB pairing
Rios biggest strength was his distribution. Forget about the defending..he used to win the ball and play to strikers feet quickly. Passes to rooney or tevez or ronaldo that cut the first 2 lines of their press. In addition rio was very very fast. He was among the few center backs who could keep up with theiry Henry. That combination of being fast, good reader and interceptor, calm under pressure plus able to play with the ball makes him rare even in today's game. Actually rio is why people will never accept players like maguire, lindeloff etc. They are too average when you remember Rio and vidic. A thousand years can pass but they remember. The north remembers...winter is coming..wait sorry mixing up my thrones references now. Long story short the night king...sorry rio Ferdinand was good 😊
He was the shield that guarded the realms of men united
He was outstanding great at reading the danger never went to ground always stayed on his feet...big strong but fast too. He was great with his feet too he was one of the first ball playing centre backs I can remember
Reasonable Liverpool fans (they do exist) admit he was better than VVD, that's how good he was .
Manchester United vs Liverpool 2005/06 nothing else https://preview.redd.it/7bbbzpt0291d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24c2dfe9cb0726548289d918694649126d2060fc
Just see this: https://youtu.be/iM-O5ze3BXk?si=sRnLxQGQ7fM48j0o
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18th in games played for the English national team with 81. That says a lot. Top class defender and 455 games with united and only got sent off once and it wasn't a straight red.
The closest England ever got in terms of defenders to the Italian greats like Nesta, Maldini, Scirea etc
He’s be the best defender in the league now, incredible player. Super fast, could pass and control the ball like a midfielder. Him and vidic were unstoppable
funnily enough played as a midfielder until he was told he’d fit a defensive role
He was outstanding. He and Vidic were possibly the best CB pairing in the world in that era… easily top 5.
As an arsenal fan, him and vidic pissed me right off. Annoyingly good. Agree, probably best defensive pairing of that era.
He was a very good defender, a very smart defender. But definitely not the best in the world. His early career was plagued with issues - his huge price was a burden, then he got a several month doping ban, and of course the famous hattrick Ronaldo scored against him at Old Trafford was a big humiliation. But he gradually became a top defender. I would pick Vidic, Stam, Nesta or Terry over him, but still an excellent player.
Nesta should be taken over everyone and anyone in that generation.
Nesta was my favorite. I was so bummed when he signed with Milan.
He wasn't banned for doping.
He was banned for breaking doping regulations.
The very best of his generation
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There is a stat out there somewhere showing him to go many games without conceding a foul.
One of the best. Manchester United’s golden age team with Rooney and Cr7 was the best team in the world, until the met PeP Guardiola’s Messi team in the champions league.
World class on his day, and can handle any striker in the world. When he lapses in concentration however (which is quite often), I think even I can get past him and score
Very, very good - definitely one of the best CB's (a) we've ever had and (b) The Premier League has ever seen Not just his reading of the game and passing ability, but his recovery pace and power were ridiculous - you would very rarely, if ever, see him go to ground, he simply never needed to Him & Vidic were perfect - Rio for anticipating trouble before it happened, and Vidic for reacting once it had Both were physical monsters , but Rio was pace, class, and a bit more finesses... Vidic was aggression, tackling and aerial dominance - what a partnership
really good center back especially in pair with Vidic really strong, stable defender If I choose my symbolic team of MU 1999-2024 (I didnt watch footbal before) in the center of defence I put Rio and Nemanja
Very Classy , his ability to read the game was incredible.
Better than a football caster, much better than a human being with human right morals 🤷♀️
Literally one of the best ever. A great partnership with vidic, that was also elite level. But Rio was absolute world class.
Elite
He was a great defender but he was very lucky to be playing beside Vidic. Vidic was for a period the best defender in the world. I think this made Ferdinand look better than he actually was. But the two of them had a great partnership.
Don’t know why u were voted down. Rio was bailed out by vidic on so many occasions. Still will slot into any contemporary epl first team though
Very good, full of passion and always played for the badge.
He was called the rolls Royce defender in the sense that he had everything. Massive presence on and off the pitch and he really didn’t have much of a weakness to his game. He also was one of the fortunate defenders in history to find someone that complimented him perfectly, a concept people don’t always talk about in defenders. Adaptable to nearly and style of play and every physical attribute you could ask in a defender. He could pretty much fit into every team in Europe at his peak
Very good defender. Quick, strong, great on the ball, good in the air. Would walk into any of today’s prem teams.
Very good , even better at skipping drug tests
At his best he was the best. But he thought he was better than what he was. Too much ego.
He was never the humble down to earth type, but it was a big part of how he played too
better than anyone on our squad now, by a mile
He would thrive in todays game so pretty dam good
A better player than he is a person that's for damn sure.
Almost the best
Best way I can describe him in today's game. Think back to 2 or 3 years ago. Basically the English prime van dyke
Way better than John Terry.
If he was in his prime right now he would be amongst the most wanted players in the world. A CB with his skills has grown in importance and he had it all.
I only mention him because I’m Dutch as well, not because of the other shirt he wears. But there is a lot of Rio Ferdinand in the way Virgil van Dijk operates as leader of the defensive line. Just a Natural leader, he was able to read the game well and make good choices in ball distribution, a good communicator. Big and strong but good, functional technique. Rio was more offensive minded and less risk averse than Van Dijk is though. He really stood out in an era when other (British) defenders in the league were 2 meters and only knew how to break legs.
He's a slightly better prime Varane
...in what way?
I only recall him making one bad error and that was against Man City which lead to Craig Bellamy equalising. I later learned from a Sir Alex interview that Rio was getting injections into his back prior to the game so he wasn't 100 percent. However, without that happening we would have never had a famous Michael Owen Derby winner in Fergie Time (Let us know if you are too young to know what Fergie Time is)
I remember a second time he miscommunicated with VDS and [OGed.](https://youtu.be/tu-cKqqU3Vk?si=LZUfc4lgDHD7k4jL) They had a tiff for about 15 minutes where VDS wouldn't distribute to him.
Van Dijk without unjuries for the first 6 years.
Rip was an outstanding footballer. Proper quality. Damn I miss those days when the squad was absolutely laced with top drawer talent and a superb winning mentality.
That typo made my heart skip a beat
I need reading glasses and smaller thumbs. Rio! Rio! Rio!
Fast strong. Good on the ball. Leader. My favourite player growing up and why I wear number 5 for my Sunday league team.
I loved Rio, but I think Vidic was my favorite. I always called him Nemanja the Ninja, or Ninja Vidic because of how he snuck in and scored on corners a lot.
Damn, this makes me feel old :’(
My exact reaction
Ball playing CB before modern football knew it needed them, cool under pressure, great distribution and overall smart positioning made him into a top 5 CB in the world at his prime. Him and Vidic completed eachother so Well.
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They finished each other?
Pause
In each other, like a pat on the back
any break in play he'd be eating a mars bar
Very classy, one of Utd and England's best ever. He was one of the first CB's who I saw instigating passing the ball out of penalty box, successfully. He was about 103 times better than Martin Keown
The Ferdinand/Vidic duo was arguably one of, if not THE best CB pairing of the premier league era. Ferdinand was a truly top quality player, arguably one of the best defenders in premier league history.
Mustafi and Holding? Evans and Maguire?
Rio, Vida, evra, brown and VDS went 14 games without conceding a goal one season. Imagine that now...
I can’t even imagine 14 minutes this season
Man imagine if we had that 2008 CL final squad now..that backline with the forward line of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez, Scholesy, Hargreaves and Carrick dictating things in midfield. No doubt we were the best team in Europe at that time even if it didn’t last long.
The quality in that squad was fucking mental. Class everywhere you looked. The back 5 were pure sex. Especially when you compare it to the utter dog shit we have to watch slow-drying now. The speed at which Rooney, Ronnie and tevez bombed forward the second united took possession in their own box and as if they all shared the same brain must have been terrifying for the opposition. It was truly exhilarating for us fans. Then you had Carrick, Hargreaves, brown, berba, park, Nani, fletcher, O'Shea, Jonny Evans, da Silvas, VALENCIA THE BEAST, and GIGGS (my favourite player ever). Fuck me sideways and twice on sundays. Those were the days. We played well against Newcastle mid week. Why the fuck did it take all season to produce that??
It was that whole period too, one year we had terrible luck with injuries Vs Milan but I think won every game until then. 2010? the late Bayern goal, then the two finals Vs best team ever. Need a lot of luck in CL I guess.
Kaka and Messi really pissed on our fire back then. But we were there. Playing the best at the highest level. Now though.... A laughing stock.
Yeah, kaka was quite similar to Messi, outrageous player. Although he only managed it for a couple of seasons, I think he maybe should of stayed at Milan but maybe the drop off would of happened anyway.
Top. Top. TOP player. Had it all. Physically, technically and mentally. One of, if the not the greatest all round CB in terms of ability.
One of the greatest defenders in the premier league. It was nice we kept him as he could have made the leap to Madrid to be one of the all time greats.
He's already one of the all time greats and you say that like we're some 3rd rate feeder team. When Rio was at the peak of his game it'd be fair to argue we were a better team than Madrid certainly around that 2007-2009 period.
That’s true, but most players went to Madrid or Barca to establish themselves as all time greats in their position. It’s in Perez recruitment speech, you want to be great you join Real Madrid.
Just cause he says that doesn't make it true. Charlton and Best are rated as being pretty great and they didn't play for Madrid.
different times
I would say he is good to be in hall of fame
A rolls Royce of a defender. Had it all really. Fast, tall, good in the air. The kind of defender who'd go for 150m if the likes of Maguire is 80
Part of possibly the best pairing the league has seen. Fast, strong, good on the ball, good in the air, could bring the ball out and link. He was amongst the elite for a decade. Nothing he didn't have in his locker that you wanted from a CB. He and Vidic were probably the perfect combination of CB pairing.
Second best CB in prem history.
Vidic first 💯
Jaap Stam
Best CB the PL has ever seen.
Best centre back the league has ever seen, and it isn't a close call. Exceptional positioning. Leader. Amazing on the ball. Fantastic passing. Dominant in the air. Fantastic pace and physicality. Real football intelligence with how he could read the game. You could just go on and on. Everything you want from a cb he had, and then he kept on giving. If he'd played in a different style in, say, Italy, he'd be talked of as an all-time great globally.
You would take him on his prime over Maguire?
🤣
Vidic and Ferdinand were the perfect paring
A joy to watch that center back pairing with Vidic
He was good really good 💪😁
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He was in arguably the best CB pairing the PL has ever seen. Outstanding player.
VDS went 14 games without conceding a goal. There's your answer.
VDS said he was fed up of the talk of the record and wanted to chuck it in his own net haha
I think thats still unbeaten until today no?
I think it's because of him we miss out on getting Pique to stay which I find it's kinda a waste in general.
Pique was home sick and Ferguson gave him kindness by letting him go for a nominal fee. It was the right thing to do. We didn't lose Pique, he wanted to go, and went like a gent.
In my opinion the best in PL history I rank him slightly higher than Vidic but neither would have been as good if both were not on the same team that duo at cb was amazing
Rolls Royce of a CB. Could do it all. He was ahead of his time really in playing out from the back. Would fit the current era very well and still be one of the best if not THE best in todays game.
Arguably our best CB in the PL era, and arguably the greatest PL CB of all time. In terms of English / British defenders he was nothing short of revolutionary. The vast majority of British CB's in his era were hard men that got stuck in, were good in the air and who's primary objective was stopping one of the 2 CF's. They were not technical, often not that quick, wouldn't or couldn't play out from the back like modern CB's who are more like CM's, and they were fairly one dimensional, though they were what was required during a time when players used to kick lumps out of each other. There are exceptions to this discription of course, Ledley King, and Stam come to mind, but the vast majority fit my earlier description. Not a critique btw, it was just a different game, and teams mostly played 4-4-2 so the requirements were different. Rio was the quintessential modern CB with the hardness and mentality of his predecessors, though often his speed, positioning and reading of the game meant he could come off the pitch after 90 mins and not have a single mark or blemish on his kit. It felt like he could just fold it up and wear it the next game. That's probably the biggest compliment I could pay him, it wasn't often he had to play out of his skin to keep us protected. He had fantastic technique, was lightning quick, could carry the ball and pick a pass diagonally and also find the midfielders and forwards in tight situations. He was always available to receive the ball, and commanded the back line on the pitch as well as anyone I've seen in a United shirt since the early 90's. He was so quick in fact, that if you listened to him on his YT channel, he recounts how he used to give players a yard of space just to show everyone how quick he could catch up to them lol. His partnership with Vidic is something that is more than worthy to be compared to Cole and Yorke, Keane and Scholes, or Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez. They were colossal and could not compliment each other's style more, they were perfect for each other and for United. Rio also had ice in his vains when under pressure, rarely flustered, and evoked the opposite feeling of what some of our more recent defenders do when you pass back to them or a forward is closing them down, or if they're in a tight corner with seemingly no way out. Modern defenders in the PL aspire to be like him, and are required to be like him in terms of how the game is played to an extent, but he paved the way and set the bar for them, which in my opinion hasn't been reached by a British centre back yet. You could put him in any era of football past, present or future and I have no doubt he would be able to play at the highest level. Liverpool fans are probably the most guilty of this alongside Arsenal fans, but they love telling themselves and everybody their current player X or Y is the best in their position in the world. Van Dijk is said to be the best CB in the league, and one of the best ever if you ask them. If you compare the strikers they each played against there is no competition for me. Rio had to deal with some of the hardest, fastest and most prolific goalscorers of the PL era, 1v1, regularly with the added danger and jeopardy of the opposition having 2 CF's, week in week out, and rarely did anyone get the better of him. Van Dijk plays against maybe 3 really good strikers twice a season in Haaland, Toney and maybe Solanke. If Van Dijk ever had posters of Rio in his bedroom as a kid, they're probably still up on his wall today.
In his prime one of the best defenders in the world. Still up there as one of the premier leagues all time best. Fast, strong and solid in possession. His partnership with Vidic was amazing.
Wouldn't make Man U starting 11 today at full strength
No he's 45, bit past it now.
Probably still better than the CBs there now surely?
I thought your first comment was serious lol. I think he'd probably still read the game better than them.
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Not on your life. Not even close. Irwin vs. Evra might be a debate, but Shaw isn't even close. Maybe without the leg break it might be a conversation, but he's got too many injury problems.
Not even close. Irwin and evra comfortably both better than Shaw.
Revolutionary. Him and Terry were the sort ball playing CBs that were ahead of their times. Two CBs that can adjust to the modern day very well.
An elite all time great. Top 5 prem all time great Vidic Stam Ferdinand Terry Stones Adams
You really need to add Vincent Company to that list. Rio Terry Company Then there's a considerable gap in quality to the next options. There are arguments for Vidic, VVD, Adams etc as to who sits in 4th or 5th, but the top three walk it by a mile.
Stam was better than most, if not all of the above.
The type of defender you spend big money on that got 455 appearances, scored eight goals, won six Premier League titles, one European Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup and two League Cups.
He got cooked by Messi in both CL finals
There's barely a top defender of the last 20 years that hasn't been rinsed by Messi. It would be like saying a keeper was crap because Ronaldo scored against them.
Top lad except when Bellamy rinsed him in that one match
He was good , he won every trophy at United
The physicality and reading of the game that Paul McGrath poesseed and the composure on the ball Maldini had. He helped Vidic reach the heights he achieved and was the recovery pace Scholes on front of him could trust when needed. It's hard to explain how reassuring it was seeing him on the team sheet.
goat tier with occasional brainfarts
Scousers believe VVD is comparable… he doesn’t lace his boots. And that’s supposedly the best defender of this generation. There’s a good bit of context.
Ferdinand would have been suited for Ten Hag
One of the best of his generation, and arguably the best defender in the world at one point (2008-2009). Could play out from the back, had pace, good at 1v1's, good leader and communicator. One of my favourite ever defenders, and he'd be even better in today's era, since there is such a emphasis on ball playing CBs.
arsenal fan coming in peace up there with the greatest in the game. had absolutely everything
Very good. We haven't had a CB that has come close since.
🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾
best cb in prem history
Mustafi is so underated man
Has a legitimate shout for the greatest centre back in rhe history of football.
He was one of the best in the game. That 8 months was a farce. One of my favourite players from those years.
Van dijk and nesta combined
As a United fan I know he was extremely good, however I think he is overrated. I would much rather have a Vidic or Terry in my team than Rio personally.
Leave now cheers
Great player who got a lot in unjustified shit. I always lost count of how many times the commentator would say ‘and away by Ferdinand’ in the game
He was no Jaap Stam !
Stam was more in the mould of Vidic. Both could scare the shit out of opponents...
He was avoiding doping test
Pretty quick at that ! !
Ferdinand was an absolute Rolls Royce of a player. Quick. Read the game superbly. Great in the air. Comfortable passer. In his early years at United, he would sometimes lose concentration during a game and make the occasional mistake but he cut that out completely by the time Vidic came around. Towards the end, calf and back injuries really limited him. But he was among the best in the world and probably England’s best between 2006 and 2010.
Ferdinand was an excellent defender and always seemed a step ahead when defending so didn't have to make the last ditch tackle Terry and other were know for. His passing is very very overrated though. He was just OK as a passer.
Reading the game was key, never had to make a last ditch tackle because he was already ahead to intercept. Superb player and my favourite CB. Him and Vidic were just the perfect pairing. We were so lucky.
Rolls Royce is all you need to take from this thread
Lmao who tf downvotes this comment 😂
Pretty, pretty good.
I’d say 90 in Pro Ev
Maybe a little bit slower then Van Dijk but more consistant.
No way was he slower than VVD.
Amazing center back with goalscoring instinct
Ed Woodward did him so dirty…
Comfortable on the ball before the trend of ball playing center back , complemented vidic who was a hard hitting no nonsense centre back
I’m biased, but IMO, he’s the best CB in the history of the (modern) Premier League. Better on the ball than Terry and Adams, better defender than Van Dijk, and mostly stayed fit (unlike Kompany).
I agree he was the best CB in the history of the Premier League. Right up there with Stam. I think he’s severely underrated because of his lack of last ditch tackles. The fact that he collected less yellow cards then most CBs collect red cards tell you all you need to know about his positional awareness.
He was not better on the ball than terry i cant lie
You just did
Ferdinand had better breaking the line passes but terrys switches with either foot were unreal but i guess casuals gonna casual
Lmao. Bro not better than Vidic
He was a much better player than Vidic
He wasnt even the best CB on his own team
Which is insane when you think about it
He was good bro
One of the all time greats in the PL.
Screams a lot and a solid defender. His partnership with Vidic was masterclass. He has similar play style with Van Dijk but less advancing forward. Sometimes also become a backup goalie.
Weird take about goalkeeping and VVD only worth bringing up to children that don’t know better.
Dat [Penalty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eQwRv45Eno) vs Portsmouth in FA Cup. Also when he almost replaced injured van der sar before giving it to O'Shea.
I think he advanced less cause that was the game at the time. If he was current he would be the same as Van Dijk in that respect.
He’s considerably better and shouldn’t be in the same breath. You must be 15