I was very critical of Berbatov during his spell with us. I remember his as a very good player but not the right player for us. I rated Tevez higher as a better fit to the team.
Biggest Myths in Football
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Of course not. But it is a team game which is my point.
Agree.
The Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo frontline was awesome.
This is mad. I do think that Terry caught and overtook him in this space over the course of their careers, especially off their left feet. But Rio looked like he was born being able to carry the ball and pass left foot, right foot. He was the perfect centre half.
Before anyone gets confused, I don’t think Terry was ever the better player, but he really became a better passer with every career year. I do think he was a better passer for the final couple of years of their respective careers.
Ok this is the craziest take of all crazy takes. You might as well add that Beckham was actually pretty mediocre at striking a ball while you’re at it.
This is a bit of a myth itself. The names are awesome, but don't think they played that well as a trio all that often
Terry was a magnificent passer off both feet. The dream CB, certainly the best in PL history for me.
Would walk in any team at his peak.
Not sure about this. It’s true after Berbatov came along but I recall many examples of an incredibly fluid front 3 performance.
This is true. It was really annoying. He was good on the ball in general but he did lump it long too much. In his defence, it was probably mostly due to poor movement in front of him.
Right, and Rio was an absolutely integral part of the successful team he was part of alongside Vidic.
Of course. We just disagree as to how much one made the difference over the other.
Where would he play in modern systems?
His type of player has pretty much been coached out.
He was a top diver as well.
Oh totally agree.
Nah you're correct. Ole's problem was always that he was a bit old fashioned and hands off on the finer points of how we looked to play, so when we'd run into a really well drilled/pressing side we'd look horrid as there wasn't a clear coached formula in how to progress the ball against it. It's why we mostly had to play purely on the counter against other top sides. Now, who knows how it might have turned out if he had gotten the targets he pointed out throughout his time with us (Bellingham and Haaland being the obvious ones). He was also far too forgiving when it came to clearing players out and moving on from some.
But yeah lockdown football with Martial/Rashford/Greenwood firing on all cylinders and Pogba/Bruno playmaking was awesome to watch. Martial that 19/20 season is still my favorite striker season we've had post SAF, and then he became a sicknote and lost his legs for good.
Part of the longest run w/o conceding?
In fairness with Rio i remember him being very composed and classy on the ball but I don't recall passes like Martinez makes for us that were so direct and quick and into the forward's feet. I do think he was our best defender from 06-08, and then Vidic was the more important from 08-11. Both were exceptional defenders.
I wish someone would do a match compilation of Rio's MOTM performance at Anfield in 07-08. Absolutely bossed Torres.
I wish someone would do a match compilation of Rio's MOTM performance at Anfield in 07-08. Absolutely bossed Torres.
If memory serves Vidic and Edwin were the only two consistent players in that defence that got the record.
To be fair to Rio, Martinez is probably the best ball playing central defender in the world. There are very few that can rival him over the recent years in that aspect.
His posture made him look good on the ball but he seldom did anything productive with it, whereas Vidic looked rigid but was more consistent in playing simple balls forward into the midfielders ahead of him.
Probably nowhere. He is 44y old.
Correct me if I'm wrong here but I think Evans played more in that run than he did.
This is a myth in of itself. I rated Rio at the time as both better than Vidic and the best centre half that I've seen us have, but many preferred Vidic. They'd both flourish in today's game, still compliment one another and Rio would still be better.
No, checked, seemed Rio started most, 7-8 or so
Ah, fair, well done Rio then!
Yeah like that Torres moment gets brought up time and again about Vidic and his supposed lack of pace and grace… when Torres also got the better of Ferdinand at his peak too. Vidic also marked peak Drogba better than anyone, had him in his pocket so much that Drogba hit him in frustration in the CL final.
Berbatov came across as an indulgent and unnecessary signing at the time that broke up the forward line. I also felt the way things were going that you couldn’t carry a player like Berbatov that did nothing off the ball, especially compared to Tevez who was all action and fluid with Rooney and Ronaldo.
It was probably motivated by Ferguson’s hatred for Tevez’s agent/third party too, but I didn’t think Berbatov made us a better team. He was truly elite on the ball, but lacked a bit more off it to be one of the world’s best strikers. It summed it up that even in his best season where he scored 18 league goals, he was still dropped for Javi Hernandez for important games including the run to the CL final.
Rio and mediocre 
Feck me. He’s the best CB in the clubs history by a distance.
Feck me. He’s the best CB in the clubs history by a distance.The Riovisionists are out in force and they will not settle for anything less than the heads of Jaap Stam and Vidic.Rio and mediocre
He’s better than both. And by a distance. There’s no revision. It’s not like Carrick for example where Rio wasn’t thought of as being great when he played. In fact it’s just you.
I disagree!
That Keegan's Newcastle were blowing everyone out the water and scoring tons of goals, but they conceded loads too, whereas United weren't as free scoring but far better defensively.
Newcastle 95-96 scored 66 conceded 37. Man United scored 73 conceded 35.
Also, this one is not a myth but I read it on the BBC a while back and my jaw dropped, so worth sharing I think.
United's 98-99 team that played all season is unforgettable.
Schmeichel, Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs, Yorke, Cole.
Week in week out that team would go out and win.
That starting 11 started just 2 games all season! 2!! Inter Milan and Coventry. That is mind blowing.
Newcastle 95-96 scored 66 conceded 37. Man United scored 73 conceded 35.
Also, this one is not a myth but I read it on the BBC a while back and my jaw dropped, so worth sharing I think.
United's 98-99 team that played all season is unforgettable.
Schmeichel, Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs, Yorke, Cole.
Week in week out that team would go out and win.
That starting 11 started just 2 games all season! 2!! Inter Milan and Coventry. That is mind blowing.
I think that goes for nearly every great team, when we reel out the famous 2004 Arsenal XI or the Chelsea one the following year, you find they actually started very few games together.
The 1994 team was more unforgettable than the 1999 team and 2008 team.
Keane, who basically played with all of them, says the same. Real glint in his eye when he talks about that 94 team.
Rio is the best CB we've had.
Long for us to have a player like Kanchelskis again.
Not in cental midfield though, which is the myth of Gerrard
He was a world class player in his prime, but that wasn't in CM
I'd have him in my top 10 PL players of all time, but not my top 10 PL CM's
I think that depends on the era. He would definitely qualify as a typical box to box midfielder the way PL teams played in the '90s and early '00s. On the international stage and later on in the PL itself, finesse, control and positioning were much more valued attributes in midfielders hence he was covered by Alonso by Rafa and moved on from that midfield role. It also explains why it just never worked for England.