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Defending can be beautiful

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rurikbird

rurikbird

Part of the Furniture
Honorary Member
Carlo Ancelotti pulled a very Rafa-esque move, switching Camavinga to left-back in order to stop Raphinha and… boy did it work!





Kind of reminded me how starved we’ve been of immense defensive performances like this lately. Our summer rebuild must include young players who enjoy defending and shutting down opponents - no matter what position you play them in.

What are some great individual defensive performances you remember?
 
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Fabinho in his pomp was a brilliant defensive CM. His reading of the game and ability to break up play was really world class. It's incredible how rapid his decline has been given his age and injury history. He'd struggle to get a game for Leeds or Wolves right now on merit.
 
RedStar said:
Fabinho in his pomp was a brilliant defensive CM. His reading of the game and ability to break up play was really world class. It's incredible how rapid his decline has been given his age and injury history. He'd struggle to get a game for Leeds or Wolves right now on merit.
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I can't decide which classic quote will Pep be remembered by...

"Intensity", or "Lighthouse". It's close.
 
rurikbird said:
Carlo Ancelotti pulled a very Rafa-esque move, switching Camavinga to left-back in order to stop Raphinha and… boy did it work!





Kind of reminded me how starved we’ve been of immense defensive performances like this lately. Our summer rebuild must include young players who enjoy defending and shutting down opponents - no matter what position you play them in.

What are some great individual defensive performances you remember?
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Paul McGrath vs Italy at USA 94. Ireland 1-0 Italy. It was so impressive Baggio who was up front for Italy that day put McGrath in his team of the tournament.
 
tombrown said:
Of all the memories coming up here, guess who picks a manc defender as his favourite 🙂
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I don't usually agree with Pat, but on this one, I have to come to his defense... Big Paul transcends club affiliation. Our greatest ever player and that performance against Italy was spellbinding. At one point he gave Baggio a few yards head-start from the halfway line and still caught him. With two knees that didn't bend. And drunk. He's a fucking god.
 
Rob Jones' debut at that kip against Giggs has already been brought up, but it remains the most impressive debut I've ever seen. As the game began, I remember flipping out with the best mate that Souness was going to play a nobody to mark the world's best winger in their house - I thought we were gonna lose 8-0. Wow, was I wrong. Rob didn't put a foot wrong... There's no doubt in my mind that injury deprived us of somebody who would have gone done in history as our best ever RB.

Stevie G's emergency deployment at RB in Istanbul was also a thing of beauty.

And if you're approx. my age, witnessing how Alan Hansen could dictate a game from CB was a privilege... I've never seen better at the position. Baresi might be on a par, but nobody's done it better in my lifetime.
 
Whaddapie said:
Rob Jones' debut at that kip against Giggs has already been brought up, but it remains the most impressive debut I've ever seen. As the game began, I remember flipping out with the best mate that Souness was going to play a nobody to mark the world's best winger in their house - I thought we were gonna lose 8-0. Wow, was I wrong. Rob didn't put a foot wrong... There's no doubt in my mind that injury deprived us of somebody who would have gone done in history as our best ever RB.

Stevie G's emergency deployment at RB in Istanbul was also a thing of beauty.

And if you're approx. my age, witnessing how Alan Hansen could dictate a game from CB was a privilege... I've never seen better at the position. Baresi might be on a par, but nobody's done it better in my lifetime.
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Absolutely. Even big Sami, whom I loved, starts on the bench if I'm picking our All-Time XI 'coz Jocky has to be in there alongside the best version of Virgil.

On the subject of Rob Jones, even granted that his career was truncated by injury I'd still rate him as our best ever RB defensively. Jury's out on how he'd have developed as an attacking force but I have never seen, nor do I expect to see, a better defender at RB in a Liverpool shirt.
 
peekay said:
Arbeloa being deployed as a left back on his debut against Messi. I know Rafa's stock is low now, but when he got it right, boy did he get it right.
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Yes - Arbeloa was immense that night (and generally great his whole time with us). It was genius to have a right footer against Messi's left foot.
 
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