Me and my son were watching the treble video last night and he asked me who i thought was the better defender of Stam or Vidic.Initialy i said Vida without hesitating but after thinking for a while i am not sure and a choice of either player at their best is a hell of a tough one.
Stam V Vidic
- Thread starter Cheltenham Red
- Start date
Stam.
I thought Stam without hesitating. Now I've given it some thought and I still think Stam.
thing was stam never really had a permanent partner, in the centre of defense, he had to do alot of the work himself, ronny johnsen was good but nothing more..
Would have said Stam but the champions league final has changed my opinion of Vidic quite a bit. He was magnificent during the game, our best player and showed me that he truly is world class. So I'm sitting on the fence for the moment.
Jip Jaap Stam
Stam, probably. He was the main man at the back and won the league every year he was at the club. He never had a partner anywhere near as good as the one Vidic now has.
Was a big Dutch man...
It is not even close.
From the little I've seen of Stam (via old videos and DVD's), I'd have to say him.
Stam is/was the better defender, but Nemanja is not far off.
A better question would be - who'd win in a fight? I suspect Vidic.
A better question would be - who'd win in a fight? I suspect Vidic.
Stam was great but also capable of some very silly mistakes, maybe because he didn't have a proper partner, or maybe I'm thinking of someone else
don't know, I have a long term memory loss
don't know, I have a long term memory loss
This makes me feel old.
Sorry.
stam. just as hard, but also had more ability on the ball.
no doubt about it Jip Jaap Stam was the better overall defender. Not putting Vida down in anyway hes class in his own right but Jaap was a feckin monster of a defender who never had a true partner for a sustained period of time.
shame really but life goes on
shame really but life goes on
Never had the chance to see Stam at United 
I'd probably call them even. Vidic is only 26 though so has a long time to surpass Jaap.
That's okay, if it makes me feel old then there's bound to be plenty of poster's feeling ancient right now.
Vidic is better.
Stam was a very good defender but he made plenty of mistakes and tended to make silly fouls in dangerous positions. I think sometimes people tend to overrate his time with us but that said he was a huge loss when he left mainly because his replacement was Laurent Blanc.
Stam was a very good defender but he made plenty of mistakes and tended to make silly fouls in dangerous positions. I think sometimes people tend to overrate his time with us but that said he was a huge loss when he left mainly because his replacement was Laurent Blanc.
One thing Vidic has over Stam is goalscoring.
Jaap scored just the 1 goal for us while he was here. Considering his size and the quality of crosses coming in, you would have expected a couple per season.
Vidic must have scored about 5 goals already by now, and often important ones (I can remember an equaliser at Wigan, equaliser vs Benfica, winner at Everton...) and that only adds to his charm.
While both players were aggressive on the pitch, it came across in different ways. Vidic flies into tackles and leaves his opponents in a heap, whereas Stam usually just out-muscled them - I remember him brushing Shearer off the ball with arrogant ease... Old Trafford loved it! Also the famous incident with Zamorano when he wouldn't let the Chilean barge into him, standing his ground with hilarious consequences.
Jaap scored just the 1 goal for us while he was here. Considering his size and the quality of crosses coming in, you would have expected a couple per season.
Vidic must have scored about 5 goals already by now, and often important ones (I can remember an equaliser at Wigan, equaliser vs Benfica, winner at Everton...) and that only adds to his charm.
While both players were aggressive on the pitch, it came across in different ways. Vidic flies into tackles and leaves his opponents in a heap, whereas Stam usually just out-muscled them - I remember him brushing Shearer off the ball with arrogant ease... Old Trafford loved it! Also the famous incident with Zamorano when he wouldn't let the Chilean barge into him, standing his ground with hilarious consequences.
Stam...
Colossus
Colossus
Stam = Vidic with pace.
Stam is better but that is a severely detrimental comment towards Vidic. I don't think there is any defender in the Premiership that has handled Drogba better than Vidic has.
thats one thing I was never happy about with Stam, with Rio, Vidic and even Brown they go to good areas for heading. Stam used to go to the sides out the way
Rose tinted specs as regards Stam lads, Vidic has a far better record defensively and bags the odd goal.. and what's this bullshit about Stam being good on the ball?? Neither would be a ball playing centre back..
Vidic has Rio as his partner...
Vidic has looked average whilst playing with other partners.
Stam was a ball playing defender.
The thing with Vidic is that he never ever makes a fecking mistake. He's unhuman.
Stam probably was the better player but he made his fair share of mistakes.
A tie.
Stam probably was the better player but he made his fair share of mistakes.
A tie.
Stam was a monster till he got injured
Still id say Stam
Still id say Stam
Stam easily...at the moment.
Rubbish.
True. I can recall Miller going through on goal against us because of Vidic's mistake but Foster saved us there.
Obviously everyone makes mistake and I'm not holding that against him but it's not like he's flawless as some are making him out to be.
Stam, but a very close call
Here we again with this bollocks. Vidic is a rock for Man Utd and for Serbia. And was a rock for every team prior to that. So don't say he is average without Rio. I could say the same thing about Rio prior to the arrival of Vidic.
He has forged a partnership with the Serbian team at the back as well as one with Rio here, Sam never had that which makes things a lot harder. Stam was the better defender, but Vidic has been improving year on year so who knows?
Stam.
Uncompromising defender. Stam, sometimes made defending against the very best look easy. Vidic can look laboured at times, still a great player and one of the best centre halfs in the world, but Stam was something else.
He had Vidic's determination and like Vidic you just knew he would win any so called "50-50's" except Stam was quicker, smarter and he had what you would expect from any dutch defender; good technical ability.
Uncompromising defender. Stam, sometimes made defending against the very best look easy. Vidic can look laboured at times, still a great player and one of the best centre halfs in the world, but Stam was something else.
He had Vidic's determination and like Vidic you just knew he would win any so called "50-50's" except Stam was quicker, smarter and he had what you would expect from any dutch defender; good technical ability.
Not really, Rio's been a top top defender for years.
Vidic has done pretty much the same, in fairness, you can't hold his first season against him, when he came in we were miles behind.
Without running the risk of another Vidic Rio debate, when Vidic came and established himself the defense was much stronger then in previous years FACT.