Inter Yer Nan
Full Member
A dickhead who is liable to get sent off at any given moment? Bit harsh on Rio.
A dickhead who is liable to get sent off at any given moment? Bit harsh on Rio.
I'd agree with that list. I'm never quite sure how I rate Stam because it sounds like he peaked after leaving United and I didn't really watch him at any other club. Good to see McGrath so near the top. Him and Rio were similar in the way they make defending look incredibly easy.I would have him as the best centre-half I've seen in Britain's top divisions during my lifetime.
I never saw enough of some of the foreign players to make comparisons but Baresi was something else.
Stam was second to Ferdinand at United.
1. Ferdinand
2. Stam
3. McGrath
4. Vidic
5. Buchan
6. Pallister
After that it doesn't really matter but Bruce, Johnsen woulkd be up there.
Actually you're rightA dickhead who is liable to get sent off at any given moment? Bit harsh on Rio.
The same could be said about Rio.Really? I thought Vidic complemented Rio. Without Rio there wouldn't be Vidic. Akin to Carvalho and Terry imo.
I disagree. Rio is the best English defender i've seen, and the second best I've seen at United, but Stam was something else. He was Rio and Vidic rolled into one.At least as good as, if not better than, Jaap Stam.
They didn't need each other to look brilliant, though. They both regularly looked superb with whoever else took the place of their regular partner if he got injured/banned. Jonny Evans, O'Shea, Silvestre, Brown, whoever. Stick either one of them in our current XI alongside Jones, Lindelof or Smalling and he'd a) be immense and b) form a better CB pairing than any currently available to us.The same could be said about Rio.
Both were excellent and complemented each other,Vidic the muscle,Rio the speed.
Don't disagree with you overall but the bolded part is a bit of a myth.Rio was better than Vidic. Rio never got exposed by a single player - while Vidic always struggled against Torres. The one flaw Rio had was that he wasn't a particularly physical player. But he was quick, good in the air, read the game well and had a technical ability superior to all other centre-backs at the time.
Vidic was his complete opposite - he was a tank. Completely fearless, ruthless in the tackles - and always cleared any ball entering the area. He was also a much bigger threat at set-pieces than Rio.
It was the ultimate partnership.
Vidic always struggled against Torres.
It’s been debunked nicely here - https://www.redcafe.net/threads/player-mismatches.438303/#post-22466949Don't disagree with you overall but the bolded part is a bit of a myth.
Rio was strong as an ox. He wasn't very aggressive - which is why he almost never got booked - but he was never bullied, physically, by anyone he came up against.Rio was better than Vidic. Rio never got exposed by a single player - while Vidic always struggled against Torres. The one flaw Rio had was that he wasn't a particularly physical player. But he was quick, good in the air, read the game well and had a technical ability superior to all other centre-backs at the time.
Vidic was his complete opposite - he was a tank. Completely fearless, ruthless in the tackles - and always cleared any ball entering the area. He was also a much bigger threat at set-pieces than Rio.
It was the ultimate partnership.
People still believe in this Myth? Really?while Vidic always struggled against Torres.
Agreed,I think they both had a superb skill set and working in tandem together.They didn't need each other to look brilliant, though. They both regularly looked superb with whoever else took the place of their regular partner if he got injured/banned. Jonny Evans, O'Shea, Silvestre, Brown, whoever. Stick either one of them in our current XI alongside Jones, Lindelof or Smalling and he'd a) be immense and b) form a better CB pairing than any currently available to us.
Why is it a myth? It can happen with the best of them. It's true Torres scared the daylights out of Vidic; Harry Kane makes mincemeat of Lovren at Liverpool (but which top striker wouldn't? Guy is next to useless, Lovren, that is) Michael Owen used to run any defence ragged, van Nistelrooy had most defenders on toast......People still believe in this Myth? Really?
Aye.Rio was strong as an ox. He wasn't very aggressive - which is why he almost never got booked - but he was never bullied, physically, by anyone he came up against.
I think you are mistaken. Rio did get exposed. Please remember I love the guy and I thought at one point he was the best in the world. But I seem to remember Bellamy and Anelka getting the better of him and embarrassing him a few times. The Bellamy one was horrible to watch against us in the 4-3 game with Owen scoring in the last minRio was better than Vidic. Rio never got exposed by a single player - while Vidic always struggled against Torres. The one flaw Rio had was that he wasn't a particularly physical player. But he was quick, good in the air, read the game well and had a technical ability superior to all other centre-backs at the time.
Vidic was his complete opposite - he was a tank. Completely fearless, ruthless in the tackles - and always cleared any ball entering the area. He was also a much bigger threat at set-pieces than Rio.
It was the ultimate partnership.
Not really. Rio and Silvestre, Brown, etc were really error prone. Rio and Wes with their corn rows were a laughing stock at the time. Physical attacks relished coming up against them but it was Rio’s losses of concentration that were the real killer.They didn't need each other to look brilliant, though. They both regularly looked superb with whoever else took the place of their regular partner if he got injured/banned. Jonny Evans, O'Shea, Silvestre, Brown, whoever. Stick either one of them in our current XI alongside Jones, Lindelof or Smalling and he'd a) be immense and b) form a better CB pairing than any currently available to us.
Dreadlocks Rio was pretty shite for us. His career came full circle when he shaved it and kept it short.Just for a bit of comparison this video popped up on my Youtube feed earlier, dated from 2006:
Something to think about next time we write a new player off after their first 3 touches. Rio had some terrible games for us in the early days.
I think so too, but if I could pick just one for my team, I’d go with Ferdinand. I really think he is the best central defender I’ve seen at United since I began watching, ahead of Stam, Vidic and the short lived peak of an injury free Ronny Johnsen.Really? I thought Vidic complemented Rio. Without Rio there wouldn't be Vidic. Akin to Carvalho and Terry imo.
Don’t really agree with most of your assesments of Ferdinand +1. What I do agree with is that he was error prone in his first years here. But still then, mostly very good.Not really. Rio and Silvestre, Brown, etc were really error prone. Rio and Wes with their corn rows were a laughing stock at the time. Physical attacks relished coming up against them but it was Rio’s losses of concentration that were the real killer.
Rio and Evans were a really poor combination. Vidic +1 was a really strong defensive unit. That run where United broke the clean sheet record, I am pretty sure it was Vidic and Evans for most of it.
Rio had a couple of outstanding years either side of winning the Champions League but people forget how error prone he was before then and how injury prone he was after. It honestly shocked me how highly rated Rio is on this board. An incredible talent but apart from when he was next to Vidic for a couple of outstanding seasons, he never really fulfilled it.
Rio very rarely scored for us though. I can remember one against Liverpool and one in his last home match for Sir Alex.During his prime, he had great anticipation and rarely had to make slide tackle. If he misses a tackle, he had pace to burn too. Not bad at scoring as well.
We won the title with Rio and Brown.......Not really. Rio and Silvestre, Brown, etc were really error prone. Rio and Wes with their corn rows were a laughing stock at the time. Physical attacks relished coming up against them but it was Rio’s losses of concentration that were the real killer.
Rio and Evans were a really poor combination. Vidic +1 was a really strong defensive unit. That run where United broke the clean sheet record, I am pretty sure it was Vidic and Evans for most of it.
Rio had a couple of outstanding years either side of winning the Champions League but people forget how error prone he was before then and how injury prone he was after. It honestly shocked me how highly rated Rio is on this board. An incredible talent but apart from when he was next to Vidic for a couple of outstanding seasons, he never really fulfilled it.
What the feck is this monstrosity?One of our best centre halves in my time and i started standing on the Stretford end when it was Martin Buchan and Brian Greenhough. Gordon mcqueen was pretty awsome as was japp stam but rio pips them for me.
Remember listening to Fergies discussing Rio a few years a go. He rated him the best and said if a defender ran at Rio he would just nip in and take the ball. Good in the air, good reader of the game, great tackler and his running with the ball out from the back upto the attackers, he was as good as we've had.
(Sorry about typing changes this site doesnt like my typing)
Rio wasn't error prone but he was capable of a lack of concentration when the game was 'easy' and he took risks, but that's also what made him so good. He's possibly the best CB I've ever seen, better than Stam. Vidic spent quite a bit injured as well but Rio marshalled the defence brilliantly, he was much better than you're giving him credit for.Not really. Rio and Silvestre, Brown, etc were really error prone. Rio and Wes with their corn rows were a laughing stock at the time. Physical attacks relished coming up against them but it was Rio’s losses of concentration that were the real killer.
Rio and Evans were a really poor combination. Vidic +1 was a really strong defensive unit. That run where United broke the clean sheet record, I am pretty sure it was Vidic and Evans for most of it.
Rio had a couple of outstanding years either side of winning the Champions League but people forget how error prone he was before then and how injury prone he was after. It honestly shocked me how highly rated Rio is on this board. An incredible talent but apart from when he was next to Vidic for a couple of outstanding seasons, he never really fulfilled it.
As a centre back pairing? When was that?We won the title with Rio and Brown.......
I don't think it had anything to do with the game being too easy. He gave Messi a free header in the box in a Champions League final. It was just poor concentration, he certainly wasn't finding that game too easy.Rio wasn't error prone but he was capable of a lack of concentration when the game was 'easy' and he took risks, but that's also what made him so good. He's possibly the best CB I've ever seen, better than Stam. Vidic spent quite a bit injured as well but Rio marshalled the defence brilliantly, he was much better than you're giving him credit for.
I think it is because some people subscribe to the "if a defender has to make a tackle he has already made a mistake" notion. So they end up underappreciating physical CBs like Vidic.I think it may be due to the fact I wasn't living in the UK or Ireland at the time and watched the games without any UK media narrative but it really shocks me when United fans rate Rio higher than Vidic.