Let's see how VVD fares over 3-4 seasons at top level before ranking him among the greats. The players he is being compared to had at least 5-6 seasons at top top level, not 1-2.
Judged on the basis of his 17/18 season Salah was better than Henry and Ronaldo. You know though that he isn't because you don't rank a player on the basis of one season.
Thing is the art of defending has significantly changed over the last decade: top teams defend higher up the pitch and the CBs are involved in fewer duels, tackles, clearances, etc. Which makes the job of the CBs and the defenders relatively easier and reduces their (obvious) mistakes.
Two examples with City (as they don't defend clasically, so to speak):
(1) they won 18 games in a row with 4 good but not special defenders in Walker, Otamendi, Stones and Delph. On paper, this defensive line is far from being brilliant. Next season they conceded just 23 goals which was better than United in 08/09 with the best defence in the world at the time. Obviously, City's defenders are not even close to being as good as Rio, Vidi and Evra, but they conceded fewer goals because the art of defending changed and, somewhat paradoxically put, defenders are not as important for the defence as they were earlier (and are much more important for the atack than they were earlier).
(2) City played last night with two kids at CB aged 17 and 18 and were barely troubled. Personally, I think that these kids, talented though they are, would be completely out of their depth if they had to do classical defending at some championship club.
Basically, many people live with old impressions about defending and explain to themsleves Liverpool's defensive solidity with the brilliance of their defenders and, in particular, VVD's skills. He is excellent, obviously, but the art of defending has changed and defence is much more a matter of the overall defensive organisation of a team than of the individual actions of this or that defender. Put VVD back in Soton's defence and he wouldn't look like the best CB in the world, because their defensive organsation is levels bellow Liverpool's.
Judged on the basis of his 17/18 season Salah was better than Henry and Ronaldo. You know though that he isn't because you don't rank a player on the basis of one season.
Thing is the art of defending has significantly changed over the last decade: top teams defend higher up the pitch and the CBs are involved in fewer duels, tackles, clearances, etc. Which makes the job of the CBs and the defenders relatively easier and reduces their (obvious) mistakes.
Two examples with City (as they don't defend clasically, so to speak):
(1) they won 18 games in a row with 4 good but not special defenders in Walker, Otamendi, Stones and Delph. On paper, this defensive line is far from being brilliant. Next season they conceded just 23 goals which was better than United in 08/09 with the best defence in the world at the time. Obviously, City's defenders are not even close to being as good as Rio, Vidi and Evra, but they conceded fewer goals because the art of defending changed and, somewhat paradoxically put, defenders are not as important for the defence as they were earlier (and are much more important for the atack than they were earlier).
(2) City played last night with two kids at CB aged 17 and 18 and were barely troubled. Personally, I think that these kids, talented though they are, would be completely out of their depth if they had to do classical defending at some championship club.
Basically, many people live with old impressions about defending and explain to themsleves Liverpool's defensive solidity with the brilliance of their defenders and, in particular, VVD's skills. He is excellent, obviously, but the art of defending has changed and defence is much more a matter of the overall defensive organisation of a team than of the individual actions of this or that defender. Put VVD back in Soton's defence and he wouldn't look like the best CB in the world, because their defensive organsation is levels bellow Liverpool's.
Hyperbole much? 5 goals in seven games in the league and with our reserve goalkeeper is nowhere near 'insane'