Defenders: Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie

[ciderman9000000]

Watching MOTD, they've just highlighted the great defensive work of both Wayne and RVP.

It's truly amazing how two world class strikers can do their part to add such defensive strength to a team effort; we should give such performances more praise than they're currently receiving.

My question is though, are there any world class strikers better at putting in a defensive shift than our pair?

 

[Plechazunga]

Dirk Kuyt?

 

[adexkola]

Tevez?

 

[ciderman9000000]

Dirk Kuyt?

I see your Dirk Kuyt and raise you Andy Carroll.

 

[adexkola]

Messi?

 

[Still ill]

Mido?

 

[Crackers]

Heskey?

 

[adexkola]

Heskey?

 

[Orton]

Inzaghi?

 

[KingEric7]

Rooney and Tevez were quality for this in 2008, but Van Persie's aerial ability when it comes to defending set pieces is actually amazing. We're very lucky.

 

[Skorenzy]

Inzaghi?

He's great at defending in the opponent's place...

always being offside and all that

 

[TuTuHimm]

Berbatov

 

[KingEric7]

Messi?

He's like the worst of the lot at times as brilliant as he is. I swear he spends 20% of his time being absolutely amazing and the other 80% walking around the pitch.

 

[TheReligion]

Erik Nevland

 

[Wittmann45]

Berbatov

World class talent at walking around the pitch and yelling to his team mates to work harder to win the ball back. His immaculate hand waving is second to none really

 

[Brwned]

Shane Long's probably better. Could try getting Paul Dickov out of retirement and then we'd have people really cowering in fear at our abundance of top class defensive strikers.

 

[gamma1]

Édinson Cavani.

 

[Scrumpet]

I remember pundits making a big deal of Drogba doing this years ago. It stands to reason I suppose, many CBs are threats at attacking set pieces so CFs should be good at getting their head on the ball at defensive set pieces.

 

[MG]

Our strikers shouldn't have to be doing any defending.

 

[Ekeke]

Tevez and Suarez are both notable for their defending from the front

 

[ciderman9000000]

I remember pundits making a big deal of Drogba doing this years ago. It stands to reason I suppose, many CBs are threats at attacking set pieces so CFs should be good at getting their head on the ball at defensive set pieces.

True, Drogba was excellent in his own box. I hated him when he was playing in England but, oddly, I miss him now.

 

[ciderman9000000]

Tevez and Suarez are both notable for their defending from the front

That's not really what this thread is about though tbh.

Danny Welbeck imo is one of the very best at defending from the front, but I'm talking about strikers who get back well into their own half and defend at times just as well as the actual defenders.

Personally I believe that anyone who doesn't consider Wayne Rooney as being world class must be full retard; he does a job all over the pitch.

I've tried in the past to find stats for MOM awards in the Premier League, but it's not something easily accessible, I don't think there even is an official MOM, is there? I bet anyone here £20 though that Rooney has more MOM performances to his name than any other player in the Premier League era though, and he certainly hasn't earnt all that from attacking alone.

 

[Brwned]

Cavani's probably the best in the world in that sense. Suárez was doing some excellent tracking back all the way back to left fullback v Arsenal and I'd expect him to keep that up on the wing. Forlan was great at this too really. Uruguayan's know how to make hard-working forwards.

 

[Triple.Threat]

Berbatov

wasn't it Berba who gave away a penalty against Blackburn when we lost at home last season?

 

[Chabon]

Saha was our best defender from set pieces when he was with us.

 

[Marching]

Rooney is one the hardest working footballers out there.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Our strikers shouldn't have to be doing any defending.

So our defenders shouldn't be attacking and scoring either.

Someone have a word with Evans and Evra

 

[Elliott]

They're only doing it 'cause of their massive inferiority complexes though. You'd never see a class act like Balotelli bothering with such nonsense.

 

[Sunny Jim]

World class talent at walking around the pitch and yelling to his team mates to work harder to win the ball back. His immaculate hand waving is second to none really

well done

 

[MG]

So our defenders shouldn't be attacking and scoring either.

Someone have a word with Evans and Evra

Yes I suppose you could look at it that way. No-one's going to argue with Evans and Evra scoring this season, they've both done excellently (and it's been quite surprising really, pleasantly surprising).

I was just saying that our defence has been dodgy at times this season. It's a bit worrying if we need strikers to bail us out every now and then. But we haven't exactly had a fixed back line all season either.

 

[ravelston]

Yes I suppose you could look at it that way. No-one's going to argue with Evans and Evra scoring this season, they've both done excellently (and it's been quite surprising really, pleasantly surprising).

I was just saying that our defence has been dodgy at times this season. It's a bit worrying if we need strikers to bail us out every now and then. But we haven't exactly had a fixed back line all season either.

They're not "bailing us out" - they have a defensive job to do (at corners and free kicks particularly) just as defenders have an attacking role. And anyone who thinks of Rooney as 'just a striker' is ignoring the 80% of his game that makes him really world class.

 

[Galactic]

Steve Bruce

 

[Isotope]

John Charles

 

[wr8_utd]

I think RvP is absolutely brilliant at the near post from corners. He clears atleast 2-3 corners a match at the near post and this is invaluable. Rooney is even better at tracking back though, he's made two great blocks/tackles on 90 mins in the last two games as well and works really hard. We're lucky to have two strikers who contribute so much at both ends!

 

[jdmufc]

Paul Warhurst

 

[Jimy_Hills_Chin]

Drogba was good on corners in his own box.