Put together your best CB-duo of all time

[Sonnet XVII]

Scirea and Beckenbauer

Don't like this, sorry!

And can't think of a less symbiotic All-Time caliber pairing from a systemic/positional standpoint than Scirea and Beckenbauer — magnificent players, obviously, but I wouldn't put them (or indeed other prominent liberos like Passarella) together in the the same central defensive area just as I wouldn't put Di Stéfano and Cruyff or Redondo and Pirlo in the same team considering the overlapping nature of some of their most outstanding individual qualities. The combined effect will most likely be less than the sum of pristine individual parts — structurally analogous to something like Sammer/Blanc instead of intuitively harmonious ones like Sammer/Kohler or Blanc/Desailly.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Don't like this, sorry!

And can't think of a less symbiotic All-Time caliber pairing from a systemic/positional standpoint than Scirea and Beckenbauer — magnificent players, obviously, but I wouldn't put them (or indeed other prominent liberos like Passarella) together in the the same central defensive area just as I wouldn't put Di Stéfano and Cruyff or Redondo and Pirlo in the same team considering the overlapping nature of some of their most outstanding individual qualities. The combined effect will most likely be less than the sum of pristine individual parts — structurally analogous to something like Sammer/Blanc instead of intuitively harmonious ones like Sammer/Kohler or Blanc/Desailly.

No need to be sorry, it's just our opinions.
You are looking for a complimentary pair whereas I've chosen the two best CB's I've seen.
They were such intelligent players that I'd back them to work out the finer details and shine.

 

[shamans]

It will always be Ferdinand and Vidic I do not think there has ever been a CB pairing whose qualities matched up perfectly together.

At their peaks and for that era for sure.

 

[11101]

Baresi and Nesta are the two best defenders I have personally seen. Put Maldini and Cafu on the flanks and it's a perfect back line.

 

[Jeppers7]

Maldini & Baresi

Indeed

 

[Synco]

Baresi with a stopper — be it Kohler or Nesta (depending on a striker that they face).

Examples?

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

That I’ve witnessed; Terry + Carvalho.

 

[WolfInSharp'sClothing]

Billy Wright & Bobby Moore

 

[Class of 63]

Paul McGrath and Kevin Beattie

 

[padr81]

Maldini & Baresi

Well that ended the thread after 2 posts. 100% this.

 

[Billy Blaggs]

Baresi and Moore

 

[Champagne Football]

Tony Adams Maldini

 

[Isotope]

O'Shea - Brown.

 

[Ballache]

Rio and Nesta
Good luck opposing strikers.

 

[xoxox]

Thuram with Maldini would have been amazing

As an actual pairing: Bergomi-Ferri

 

[meamth]

Van Dijk and Lovren. Won the league in 2018/19 season.

 

[BlackShark_80]

Beckenbauer and Nesta

 

[El-Buitre]

Puyol + Hierro

 

[Jib]

Marius Trésor and Lillian Thuram.

 

[ypsipeos]

Late 90s till middle 00s many of you say, sometimes you mention Vidic, but at the same time nobody mentions two of the strongest and best defenders of this time, almost unbeatable on the ground, probably better than Vidic : Puyol and Kuffour.

I am not saying that Kuffour should be considered as top 20 defenders of all time, but that 's what you do with Vidic. He is not one of the best of all time, but a very nice pair with Rio. He has nothing against Nesta or Cannavaro.

EDIT : Walter Samuel is also one more player that alongside Rio Ferdinand would have been immense.

 

[MrMarcello]

Prime Rio and Prime Stam.

 

[Tostao_80]

Ramos should be nowhere near the greatest of all time debate. Baresi Nesta for me.

 

[Cal?]

Maldini & Baresi

/thread

 

[Isotope]

Desailly - Baresi would be awesome.

 

[Colombian Mancunian]

All time Maldini and Baressi.

For United Vidic and Rio.

 

[Hazard Warning]

Terry Carvalho

I’d love to see a back 3 of peak

Desailly Beckenbauer Baresi

Though

 

[Synco]

@harms
Perhaps my last question about Nesta & Kohler was a bit too brief. Against which kinds of forwards would you prefer one over the other & why?

 

[arthurka]

Baresi and Stam would have been some pairing.
But I will put Rio into my defense. Rio and Maldini.

 

[Bwuk]

Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

 

[harms]

@harms
Perhaps my last question about Nesta & Kohler was a bit too brief. Against which kinds of forwards would you prefer one over the other & why?

Kohler was better in the air and more physical — see his battles against van Basten, for example, so him against classic center forwards. Against more quicker and nimble forwards I would prefer Nesta.

 

[Synco]

Alright, cheers.

 

[red4ever 79]

Lindelof/Jones

 

[RooneyLegend]

Paul McGrath and Bobby Moore, Can't see how you get any better.

 

[Hayton]

Steve Bruce & Jaap Stam

 

[MrMarcello]

Balboa-Lalas

 

[2plus2is4]

Ramos should be nowhere near the greatest of all time debate.

He won everything and played a vital role in doing so. Being a CB nowadays isn't all about defending and making no mistakes. I can understand why people are rating other defenders higher, if you mainly consider pure defending skills but overall Ramos is a beast and easily one of the best defending players of all time with probably the biggest impact a defender ever had in a series of crucial games.

 

[Buster15]

Lindelof/Jones

Brilliant pair (of what I am not sure).

If I was choosing an English pair it would have to be Bobby Moore and Tony Adams. Both true leaders as well.

 

[Robbo's Shoulder]

Beckenbaur - Baresi
Stam - Mcgrath for United.

 

[KirkDuyt]

Beckenbauer and Van Dijk.


I'm kidding I'm kidding! Lovren and Van Dijk.

 

[Needham]

Burns and Lloyd at Forest had late 70s Dalglish et al in their back pockets.