Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has claimed that he and Nemanja Vidic are the 2 finest defenders in Premier League historical past.
The 43-year-old and Virgil van Dijk have been visitors on the Between the Lines podcast and have been every requested to call their high 5 defenders in Premier League historical past.
Ferdinand positioned himself on the high of the record. He additionally acknowledged his perception that Vidic doesn’t get as a lot credit score as he deserves for a way good a footballer he was at Manchester United.
“I consider I used to be primary, critical, I’m placing myself primary right away that’s how I strategy every thing. I’m going to go for Vidic second, companion in crime, I believed he led by instance, didn’t ever say a lot. ‘I used to be a talker, an organiser, he was an animal. He was the one participant I noticed that strikers checked out and thought ‘Woah’, take a look at his nostril, he used a head by folks to win the ball however he was truly a greater footballer than folks make out, he learn the sport very well, we had a great partnership.”
The 2 males spent 9 seasons collectively at Manchester United and their defensive partnership is commonly thought-about among the many best in Premier League historical past.
Their time collectively at Outdated Trafford noticed them win 9 main honors, together with 5 Premier League titles. Vidic is certainly one of solely 4 gamers to win the Premier League Participant of the Season award on two events and stays the one defender to win the award.
Manchester United’s protection lacks the solidity and group that Vidic and Ferdinand supplied
Defensive solidity was a trademark of Manchester United up to now and a powerful protection usually supplied the bedrock for the successes they loved of their heydey.
Nonetheless, the Crimson Devils have struggled for defensive consistency within the final decade. Regardless of spending a major quantity to strengthen their backline, opposing groups nonetheless breach the Mancunians at will.
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David de Gea is probably the one member of the backline who lined himself with glory final season. United conceded 57 objectives within the just-concluded season, which marks their worst defensive efficiency in over three a long time.
This can be a good distance off the degrees the membership operated at up to now and certainly one of Erik ten Hag’s priorities will probably be to solidify the backline.
