It's idiotic. The only bad moment I can remember for Vidic against Torres was that time he let the ball bounce and Torres took the ball and scored. For Torres' other two goals against United, when Vidic was playing, he outmuscled Ferdinand for one and headed in another, where Vidic was going to try to cover the cross. 3 goals in 15 game, for fecks sake.
Virgil van Dijk | Performances
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Yeah, and I think Rio was injured/struggling with a chronic back problem around that game too where he couldn't sprint at his usual pace. The Torres thing is nonsense. I'm sure both Rio and Vidic would rate Drogba as far more of handful than Torres ever was.
It's a shame that people focus on Pappis Cisse's career as a whole, rather than that 6 month spell he had at Newcastle which was worthy of conversations about greatness. The number of goals he scored during that period and the spectacular nature of many of those goals is surely enough to be placed on the shortlist of best strikers to have ever played in England.
How many goals did he score in that period? Do you have a YouTube video i could watch? Before I place him in the conversation with Henry and Shearer
I mean... if you really care: Cisse got 13 goals in his first 14 games.
Oh how I love the caf at times: you can make a sarcastic comment downplaying the importance of longevity, without specifically referencing any PL striker, and an Arsenal fan will misinterpret it and immediately leap to Henry's defence
In fact, Vidic did. He named Drogba, Suarez, Aguero and Crouch as the four most difficult forwards he faced in the Premier League.
Drogba is overrated
Was I also defending Shearer?I mean... if you really care: Cisse got 13 goals in his first 14 games.
Oh how I love the caf at times: you can make a sarcastic comment downplaying the importance of longevity, without specifically referencing any PL striker, and an Arsenal fan will misinterpret it and immediately leap to Henry's defence
I could have slotted in Rooney or Suarez' name there. Definitely not Drogba though
He’s a United fan supposedly.I mean... if you really care: Cisse got 13 goals in his first 14 games.
Oh how I love the caf at times: you can make a sarcastic comment downplaying the importance of longevity, without specifically referencing any PL striker, and an Arsenal fan will misinterpret it and immediately leap to Henry's defence
Blasphemy. Take it back right now.
I like how a thread about Virgil van Dijk's credentials as a top tier center-back ended up with that statement. Your opinion on Drogba doesn't change the fact that Vidic apparently found him to be a more difficult opponent than Torres.
Regarding Droba being overrated, I would probably put him in the tier just below Shearer, Henry, Aguero and Suarez myself. He did great things in finals and big games, but his overall goal tally was never all that (although to be fair, Fat Frank had a monopoly on penalties the entire he was there).
Alright, cool. Those strikers you mentioned have all had quality seasons at the highest level for at least 75% of their career. Hence why most people would agree that they should be in the conversation for the best strikers of the PL era.
Van Dijk has had 2 very good seasons at the highest level and that's it. That lack of longevity is why he shouldn't be anywhere near the conversation of top 5 CBs of the PL era.
What an absolute nonsense of a post. Go wum somewhere else. He played around with your team for fun. One of the best players to play in the premier league.
Depends how long your list is. He wasn't THAT good.
Drogba was one of the hardest strikers for defenders to play one on one ever in the Premier League. Other forwards might have scored more goals from dipping into other areas but in terms of occupying space and winning battles Drogba was a menace, and Vidic dealt with him brilliantly which showed his class as a defender.
Van Dijk was a top level defender but the hyperbole on him for the last 36 months has always grated.
Kevin Phillips has to be one of the greatest strikers in premier league history, scored 30 in one season
Which says a lot about how strong that Rio Vidic partnership was because when Drogba was asked who was among the toughest defenders he’d ever faced, he said Rio.
He’s not correcting anyone though.He’s not an Arsenal fan
I think he’s just gotten tired of correcting people.
Van Dijk was brilliant at his peak but it's egregious for Pool fans to suggest he was even on the same level as Rio and Vidic never mind better than them. 
About level with Pallister and Bruce maybe but wouldn't go further than that. Rio, Vidic and Stam were a level above.
About level with Pallister and Bruce maybe but wouldn't go further than that. Rio, Vidic and Stam were a level above.
About being an Arsenal fan? Pretty sure he used to.
I don't understand why there's so much desperation around getting him in the conversation with the best CB's of the PL era. For me it's enough to say that he's been a transformative player for Liverpool and pivotal in our rise to a competitive side in Europe. He doesn't need to be better than Terry, Ferdinand, Vidic etc to be considered a great PL player.
18/19, 19/20 and arguably last season he was one of the best CB's around (probably the best from 2018-2020). That's it.
18/19, 19/20 and arguably last season he was one of the best CB's around (probably the best from 2018-2020). That's it.
Wes Morgan has to be in with a shout for greatest ever PL defenders. A mainstay in a title winning defence that only lost 3 games all season.
It's the longest running jokeHe’s not an Arsenal fan
I think he’s just gotten tired of correcting people.
And I love Drogba! More than I should, given that goal against us in the FA Cup final in 2007
My comment was short for "didn't do enough to be mentioned with Rooney/Henry/Shearer", but was absolutely quality and i admit his stats don't share the complete picture of what he offered to your sides. Better?
Ah sorry thought you meant correcting people with his ‘takes’, which isn’t actually correcting people as his takes are plain wrong.
3 seasons is not a flash in the pan.
For the sake of shooting the shit, how many seasons must one have at peak form to be included in these conversations?
Well, that's just like, your opinion man
Thing is, he's shit at correcting.He’s not an Arsenal fan
I think he’s just gotten tired of correcting people.
I've become incredibly lazy, i won't lie.
It becomes tiring battling cliche after cliche. So I just drop half a bar and keep it moving.
@WeePat is cool though. So I had to expound on my Drogba line.
I think I left someone hanging in the xG thread, i need to get back on that. I probably won't.
Yeah, but does spout nonsense like he is one though. Deserves his tagline.He’s not an Arsenal fan
I think he’s just gotten tired of correcting people.
It's not but the level has been set by the likes of Terry, Ferdinand and Vidic. Those players played and won trophies at a high level for a long time. Longer than three years. Part of the reason Maldini is so highly thought of is his longevity.
I think there's an argument to put Van Dijk in the top 10 PL CB's. Objectively speaking he probably should be in there for his impact at Liverpool.
You could tell Carragher was clutching at straws with his 'impact' remark. He must've assumed Vidic joined a team of champions. If he'd have done any research before tweeting then he would've discovered that Vidic joined a team in transition. Jan 06 was when we were in the midst of an unusually long trophy draught (by Fergie's standards).
He’s not even the centre back who had the biggest impact at Man United, let alone in premier league history. Stam joined in ‘98, won the treble in his first season, a league title in each season he was here, and then departed leaving a hole so big we had to spend a world record fee to replace him.
That isn’t to downplay vidic and his impact, either. He joined a team that hadn’t won the league for 3 seasons, formed a partnership with Rio and we won the next 3, with a champions league thrown in too.
Plus there’s all the stats. Torres scored 3 goals in 15 games against Vidic. Vidic was part of the defence which went 14 games without conceding - still a record. Vidic conceded less goals in the PL, won more games, more league titles, and appeared more times in the PFA player of the year - and all in less games than Van Dijk.
So basically, he’s talking bollocks.
What a baby
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This. It was a desperate attempt from Carragher to make amends for his comments about Van Dijk after the 5-2 loss to Real Madrid. Bizarre that he chose Vidic as a comparison point. I can only assume that he knows (like most other people who work in media) that mentioning United will ensure his comments gain more traction. Plus he also knew that comparing Van Dijk to Rio would've backfired massively, as we all know Rio would've retorted via one of his media platforms. Stinks of the Nunez vs Andy Cole comparisons that were doing the rounds a few months ago.
Both Rio and SAF considered that the game where Rio's chronic back problem finally started to force his decline as a player, or where it became apparent. Rio has a quote about SAF calling him into his office after it.
Yep the reason he chose Vidic was an easy target. Ferdinand and Terry are former team mates that would bite back in the English media. Kompany is Burnley manager and would be asked in the next press conference. Even though Kompany would have been the best option as Van Dijk was better than him and Kompany said as much himself.
Looking back, it's mad how Rio managed to successfully mask his vulnerabilities for most games over the following 3 and a half years. The only other occasion from 2010-2013 that I remember thinking 'oh wow he's really getting his weaknesses exposed here' was when Bale dribbled past him with ease and scored in that defeat to Villas-Boas' Spurs. I'm sure someone will point out a couple of other occasions (FYI I've blanked out most of City's goals from the 6-1 defeat) nevertheless you've got to admire how he didn't suffer from a noticeable drop-off in performances when his decline started. I guess having Carrick sat in front of him helped somewhat.