Ferdinand or Vidic in their pomp

[Massive Spanner]

I have a theory that the dumber you are off the pitch i.e Rooney and Ferdinand, the more intelligent you are on it...

Or maybe footballers are just really thick.

I think possibly a combination of both.

Football intelligence.

In the same sense that Scholes looks permanently retarded when he is doing anything. He is using 98% of his brain on football, leaving just a meager 2% for stuff like facial movement, speech, ability to stay clothed etc.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Vidic is closer to his "pomp" now than Vidic but you're still more likely to see a top class defensive performance when you pair Rio up with A.N. Other than his defensive partner.

Vidic has been one half of a few defensive horror shows this season but I can't remember Rio being on the pitch during any really poor displays, defensively.

I may dig out some stats to back this up...

With Rio

P27 A15 = 0.55 goals conceded/game

Without Rio

P31 A34 = 1.1 goals conceded/game

That's a huge difference, right there. Somebody needs to do the same for Vidic.

 

[Brwned]

I think Rio will be remembered as one of the great defenders of his generation while I'm not sure the same will be said of Vidic.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

What?

If you mean the occasional verbal faux pas I see where you're coming from but he's paid to be intelligent and athletic on the pitch whatever he comes across off it is really for him to address...it's of no consequence to me

 

[Massive Spanner]

If you mean the occasional verbal faux pas I see where you're coming from but he's paid to be intelligent and athletic on the pitch whatever he comes across off it is really for him to address...it's of no consequence to me

Uhh, it wasn't exactly a serious question/statement...

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Uhh, it wasn't exactly a serious question/statement...

TBH the stuff he comes out with does make me laugh, I'm sure he's a hell of a lot brighter than he lets on....after all it would hurt his perceived gangsta street cred

 

[peterstorey]

I think Rio will be remembered as one of the great defenders of his generation while I'm not sure the same will be said of Vidic.

Vidic is overrated like all thud and blunder defenders when compared to the ones who do their job quietly like Ferdinand.

 

[The Black Pearl]

Rio, in his pomp & even today he seems that bit more intelligent than Vidic. Alot of the time he makes defending look way easier than it actually is.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Vidic is overrated like all thud and blunder defenders when compared to the ones who do their job quietly like Ferdinand.

Vidic doesn't do his job quietly???

 

[Laphroaig]

So what's the score so far? 40-0? Poor Vida. We've got the two best CB in the world, though, we really do.

 

[Brwned]

Vidic is overrated like all thud and blunder defenders when compared to the ones who do their job quietly like Ferdinand.

I'd say most agree that defenders of his type are looked at more favourably by your average fan, but for a defender of his ilk would you have Vidic highly rated? Even just in this generation, how would you compare him to the likes of Puyol, Terry etc. ?

With Vidic

P45 A35 = 0.78 goals conceded/game

Without Vidic

P13 A14 = 1.07 goals conceded/game

 

[Pogue Mahone]

With Vidic

P45 A35 = 0.78 goals conceded/game

Without Vidic

P13 A10 = 0.107 goals conceded/game

Worth posting my Rio stats again:


With Rio

P27 A15 = 0.55 goals conceded/game

Without Rio

P31 A34 = 1.1 goals conceded/game

 

[Freak]

Rio

 

[Rado_N]

I don't get this idea that Rio is thick, and if it's based on nothing more than his twitter account then it's a bit daft really. He always comes across well in interviews and his other business ventures show he clearly has a brain.

 

[MacMUFC]

I think Rio will be remembered as one of the great defenders of his generation while I'm not sure the same will be said of Vidic.

Rubbish.

 

[Boss]

Rio.

 

[Hectic]

I don't get this idea that Rio is thick, and if it's based on nothing more than his twitter account then it's a bit daft really. He always comes across well in interviews and his other business ventures show he clearly has a brain.

Sure it's just a joke, what do we have to base Rio being thick on apart from his spelling and content of his tweets? In his interviews he certainly doesn't come across thick, or close to it.

 

[Brwned]

Worth posting my Rio stats again:


With Rio

P27 A15 = 0.55 goals conceded/game

Without Rio

P31 A34 = 1.1 goals conceded/game

I misread the West Ham 4-0 game, as I was chalking them up I saw the 4-0 and skimmed over it assuming it was ours because it's so absurd we'd lose a game 4-0! Changes the stats without him a fair bit given the small number of games.

 

[Rado_N]

I think Rio will be remembered as one of the great defenders of his generation while I'm not sure the same will be said of Vidic.

I don't agree with that, Brwned, Vidic is class and will be rightly be remembered as a great.

Vidic is overrated like all thud and blunder defenders when compared to the ones who do their job quietly like Ferdinand.

That is, unsurprisingly, bollocks.

 

[Brwned]

Rubbish.

That's constructive.

Who would you say are the best defenders of this generation first of all?

I don't agree with that, Brwned, Vidic is class and will be rightly be remembered as a great.

I did say 'not sure' because I knew plenty wouldn't agree!

 

[Rado_N]

Sure it's just a joke, what do we have to base Rio being thick on apart from his spelling and content of his tweets? In his interviews he certainly doesn't come across thick, or close to it.

Lack of basis for comments doesn't always stop people from coming to bizarre conclusions though. If it is a joke then fair enough, but some of the posts in the twitter thread back when it was just him suggest people seriously believe it.

 

[Werewolf]

Ferdinand any day of the week and by some distance.

 

[Big-Red]

Which begs the question, why is he so thick off the pitch?

That's just blatantly wrong, if I judged people on here by what they write on the internet I wouldn't trust anyone here to do anything semi decently.

As for the OP, Rio.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I misread the West Ham 4-0 game, as I was chalking them up I saw the 4-0 and skimmed over it assuming it was ours because it's so absurd we'd lose a game 4-0! Changes the stats without him a fair bit given the small number of games.

So you did, damn you. All duly edited and corrected now.

The presence/absence of Rio remains a much greater influence than the presence/absence of Vidic.

We should actually probably recalculate it, ignoring all the games in which neither of them played (e.g. WHU in the CC) but I cannae be arsed.

 

[SmashedHombre]

I think Rio will be remembered as one of the great defenders of his generation while I'm not sure the same will be said of Vidic.

Not just of his generation, of all time. In his prime I reckon he was the best player in the world for a point.

 

[LARulz]

Ferdinand no question

 

[MikeUpNorth]

Obviously Rio.

 

[MacMUFC]

That's constructive.

Who would you say are the best defenders of this generation first of all?

I try.

Lets say the generation is within a 10 year age gap. Ferdinand, Vidic, Puyol (although not as great as some make out), Lucio, Nesta, maybe Sol Campbell too. I could probably name a few more. You don't think Vidic at his best was as good as those lot?

 

[Hectic]

Lack of basis for comments doesn't always stop people from coming to bizarre conclusions though. If it is a joke then fair enough, but some of the posts in the twitter thread back when it was just him suggest people seriously believe it.

No, it doesn't, you're right. I'd like to think it's a joke, or harmless fun rather then people seriously judging him off twitter.

Not just of his generation, of all time. In his prime I reckon he was the best player in the world for a point.

Same here, I reckon Vidic will go down as a great, Ferdinand as one of the greatest defenders ever.

 

[MacMUFC]

By the way, I just find using stats is bollocks when comparing defenders. Never tells the true story.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Not just of his generation, of all time. In his prime I reckon he was the best player in the world for a point.

High praise indeed but you may have something there. I would have put him above Cannavaro, and he won the Ballon D'Or

 

[adexkola]

Vidic is overrated like all thud and blunder defenders when compared to the ones who do their job quietly like Ferdinand.

Nonsense. Being more physical does not make you a worse defender. Ferdinand wasn't world class when he was getting turned inside out by the likes of Yakubu in his early days with us. They have different styles, but are both world class. People seem to remember how immense Vidic was at the back in 08-09, with Ronaldo and Ferdinand having slow starts to the season.

That said, Rio.

 

[lynchie]

It's definitely Rio. He just makes defending look easy.

Has he been booked at all this season?

Just looked it up, and it seems his last booking was against Liverpool on 14th March 2009. Mental for a centre back.

 

[Rado_N]

Stats may not tell a whole story, but the recent one of how long Rio had gone without conceding a single freekick was astonishing. Until Pogue jinxed him and he got bloody booked the next game!

 

[Wibble]

Vidic has had a brilliant season but United's defence looks at it's best when Rio and Vidic are alongside each other. Rio makes everyone he partners seem even better than they are. The best central defender that I have ever seen and I've seen a few. The culture of Rio and the more combative nature of Vidic is an ideal partnership.

 

[Brwned]

So you did, damn you. All duly edited and corrected now.

The presence/absence of Rio remains a much greater influence than the presence/absence of Vidic.

We should actually probably recalculate it, ignoring all the games in which neither of them played (e.g. WHU in the CC) but I cannae be arsed.

Can't be arsed with that in the slightest!

Not just of his generation, of all time. In his prime I reckon he was the best player in the world for a point.

I was going to say the same thing, but the second point was already controversial I thought it might just get laughed off completely if the first point was too.

Plus I've seen a grand total of about one all-time best centre backs (ignoring Rio) so I didn't really have much ground to make the claim given I've not seen 90% of the competition!

 

[MacMUFC]

Same here, I reckon Vidic will go down as a great, Ferdinand as one of the greatest defenders ever.

From the viewpoint of whom? Neutral fans? Most neutral fans I speak to rate that horrifically overrated scumbag in London higher than our two unfortunately.

I spoke to someone the other day who reckons he could "name 30 defenders better than Vidic". Yeah, that doesn't quite cover the neutral fan base I know...

 

[Jayvin]

Rio Ferdinand, without a shadow of a doubt.

 

[Brwned]

I try.

Lets say the generation is within a 10 year age gap. Ferdinand, Vidic, Puyol (although not as great as some make out), Lucio, Nesta, maybe Sol Campbell too. I could probably name a few more. You don't think Vidic at his best was as good as those lot?

'tis true, doesn't look out of place there at all to me. I was going for a nice-sounding, conclusive statement to make the point that while Vidic is immense, Rio at his best was a level above (for me). Didn't turn out too well.

Alright, I'll go with what Hectic said:

Same here, I reckon Vidic will go down as a great, Ferdinand as one of the greatest defenders ever.

What d'you reckon?

 

[MacMUFC]

'tis true, doesn't look out of place there at all to me. I was going for a nice-sounding, conclusive statement to make the point that while Vidic is immense, Rio at his best was a level above (for me). Didn't turn out too well.

Alright, I'll go with what Hectic said:



What d'you reckon?

I'm one step ahead of you!