Is Vincent Kompany a top defender or over-rated?

Blatter

Terry is/was the best at defending his own box.

Ferdinand in his prime could defend his own box AND defend one v one higher up the pitch when the occasion called for it. And he could do both to an extremely high level.

It's a bit like comparing van Nistelrooy with Henry. Both fantastic players but at the end of the day Henry had more in his locker.

Arghus

Kompany is a really solid defender ninety per cent of the time, but he's not the man colossus that you hear about in the football media. A few weeks ago he was as jittery as hell against Arsenal, faced with that unanswerable attacking talent that is Nacho Monreal. Gave away a penalty and should have been sent off, he looked to have lost his head by the end of the game. City were bad that day but Kompany was awful. He didn't cover himself in glory last night and I can vividly remember him kicking the ball straight to Coutinho for Liverpool's winner last year at Anfield.

I read this snippet of analysis of Kompany on Zonal Marking after the game- "On his day Kompany is an excellent defender, but there haven’t been many of those days since City won the title two years ago, when the Belgian was the best centre-back in Europe. Kompany remains a fine player, but he’s committed almost every kind of defensive error in the last year or so – vulnerable to pace, capable of scoring crazy own goals, mistiming tackles, getting spun high up the pitch, jumping into tackles two-footed, losing his man at set-pieces, getting caught in possession. English football seems to have a blind spot to his failings, too: one newspaper column declared him the player of the season on the morning of this game, another gave him 8/10 for this display where, again, he was responsible for all three goals. Imagine the reaction had Demichelis cost City three goals in three different ways…

So some people in the media seem to be aware that he's less than perfect, but it could be a while until it breaks through to the mainstream as he's still eloquent and polite so good PR will come his way.

Kirby

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Ferdinand was not very poor for United in his last couple of years. His last year was awful, but he was 35 and destryoed with injuries by that stage.

Terry's best period was Mourinho's first stint at Chelsea. I remember thinking that he was the best young defender I had ever seen back around 2005.

He had a few so-so years after Mourinho left where it looked like his legs were gone and in the last year and a half has returned to some tremendous form in a system that massively protects against any of his deficiencies.

Terry is a great defender. Ferdinand was a great defender. Only on a football forum could people make a definitive call either way and make out like somebody else is mental for thinking otherwise.

For me, Ferdinand has always been my favourite defender. I prefer his playstyle to the likes of Vidic and Terry.

Defenders who are quick when they are young invariably wind up suffering massively as they get older where as the quality slower defenders, learn skills from a young age because they have to....and they never lose it. Ferdinand was a good defender when he could use his physicality to get him out of trouble. When he didn't have that anymore, he was less than ordinary.

When Ferdinand lost his pace, he started to struggle. Badly. And I'm sorry but if you think he still had his pace a year before he left United you are deluded. United should have shipped him out long before they did.

bucketybuck

Kirby wrote: »

And I'm sorry but if you think he still had his pace a year before he left United you are deluded. United should have shipped him out long before they did.

Rio Ferdinand one year before he left United - Premier league title winner and named on PFA team of the year.

:cool:

Kirby

:cool:

See that guy with sunglasses on? He's still slow. Wearing sunglasses, or a medal, doesn't suddenly make him fast. Or a good defender.

Smiley tongue man on the other hand is a great defender.

PhlegmyMoses

Kirby wrote: »

Defenders who are quick when they are young invariably wind up suffering massively as they get older where as the quality slower defenders, learn skills from a young age because they have to....and they never lose it. Ferdinand was a good defender when he could use his physicality to get him out of trouble. When he didn't have that anymore, he was less than ordinary.

When Ferdinand lost his pace, he started to struggle. Badly. And I'm sorry but if you think he still had his pace a year before he left United you are deluded. United should have shipped him out long before they did.

This is a load of nonsense based on the idea that pace was Ferdinand's primary asset. Ferdinand was in the team of the year in 2013 and had a great season when he was 34 going 35, older than Terry is now. How long do you want them to go on for? Player in no longer being able for the top level at 34 shocker.

Kirby

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

This is a load of nonsense based on the idea that pace was Ferdinand's primary asset. Ferdinand was in the team of the year in 2013 and had a great season when he was 34 going 35, older than Terry is now. How long do you want them to go on for? Player in no longer able for the top level at 34 shocker.

Terry will keep playing at a good level long after Ferdinand did. In the same way that waning physical attributes didn't stop scholes from still being the best midfielder at United when he was 38. Because some players rely on their pace and some players don't. You cant lose what you never had and those that don't have it, develop in other areas that stand the test of time a lot better. You are letting your fanboy admiration blind you to this fact.

Talisman

Andersonisgod wrote: »

John Terry replies "hi"

Given his history, it's more likely to be along the lines of "f***ing black c**t".

PhlegmyMoses

Kirby wrote: »

Terry will keep playing at a good level long after Ferdinand did. In the same way that waning physical attributes didn't stop scholes from still being the best midfielder at United when he was 38. Because some players rely on their pace and some players don't. You cant lose what you never had and those that don't have it, develop in other areas that stand the test of time a lot better. You are letting your fanboy admiration blind you to this fact.

Ferdinand had his first bad season at 35, a year older than Terry is now! 35 is a fine age for somebody to go on until. Terry may keep playing until 37 but there is next to no difference and so many other variables to take into account other than the narrow parameters you have set.

Carrick will go on longer at the top level than Gerrard because of the types of players they are. Gerrard is better though.

And go away with this fanboy ****. It's an appalling debating style, makes you look childish, is nowhere near reality and does nothing other than prove my point earlier that footvall forums are rife with people that like definitives in close to call scenarios.

As I said previously, it's hard to make a call between the two. For me it is Ferdinand because I think he read the game better and marshalled his defence very well. He also used his physicality and athleticism where needed.

Too Tough To Die

I've been saying it for a while now. Definitely overrated.

bucketybuck

Kirby wrote: »

You are letting your fanboy admiration blind you to this fact.

Very ironic.

Most people who don't like Ferdinand can still appreciate that he was a top quality footballer, but you seem to be trying to to claim he had nothing but pace and so was found out when that pace went.

Its a rather silly opinion to have. Rio Ferdinand was a fantastic defender in very facet of the game, something he proved again and again at the highest level of the game.

Kirby

bucketybuck wrote: »

Most people who don't like Ferdinand can still appreciate that he was a top quality footballer, but you seem to be trying to to claim he had nothing but pace and so was found out when that pace went.

Don't like him? I couldn't care less about his personality. I'm judging him as a footballer. Do you think so many people would rate Terry if this was a personality contest? Your thought process is so childish.

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

And go away with this fanboy ****. .

You call him your "favourite ever player" and then balk at the notion that people question your objectivity. Sounds about right.

PhlegmyMoses

Kirby wrote: »

Don't like him? I couldn't care less about his personality. I'm judging him as a footballer. Do you think so many people would rate Terry if this was a personality contest? Your thought process is so childish.



You call him your "favourite ever player" and then balk at the notion that people question your objectivity. Sounds about right.

Nope. My favourite defender ever. I can say Maldini or Baresi or Cannvaro or whoever but the reality is that I only ever watched them in the World Cup or the odd CL game.

I've seen a lot of defenders in the PL and Ferdinand was my favourite. This is called an opinion. If you think that having an opinion turns somebody into a fanboy then you have a bizarre way of looking at things.

Winston Payne

Ferdinand's pace had left him by 2009. His back injuries diminished him considerably. But sure he was no good by then anyway hah. Jesus Christ.

Rayne Wooney

You have to find it funny when a self confessed United hating poster is moving goalposts all over in the aid of making a former United player look inferior and then calls out someone for being biased


Anyway Ferdinand in his prime was a better defender than Terry was, Terry was consistent for longer which I admire

Kompany is a very good defender, in my top 10 in the world at the moment easily, he'll get shown up against very top attacking players at times but I can't think of a player who doesn't

0028673

Kompany's form has dipped in recent seasons largely due to injuries in my opinion. He's still a top defender for me but not the Best centre back in the world.

As for the John Terry and Rio Ferdinand debate. They were both world class defenders in their prime. For me I would have a preference for John Terry as a defender. However, a poster made a compelling argument in that Rio could play a high line defence much better than JT (under AVB he's legs were badly exposed)

thebaz

Kompany was a top class defender - his form has dipped this season in particular - as I've said many times football is a confidence thing , hopefully it returns for him.

Kirby

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

You have to find it funny when a self confessed United hating poster is moving goalposts all over in the aid of making a former United player look inferior and then calls out someone for being biased

:eek: Is this directed at me? Self confessed United hater.....I think you have me confused with somebody else. I certainly don't hate united. More over, I've never confessed such a thing or even hinted at such.

By all means, examine my posting history if you so choose. Go nuts. When you come up empty you wont apologise and admit your mistake I'm sure but I expect you to skulk away like that ridiculous accusation never happened.

You claim somebody to be a "self confessed" anything, you damn well better be able to back it up.

AllGunsBlazing

Tbh I don't think he is playing any worse or better thsn at any stage of his City career. We've simply become that bit more aware of his flaws over time. Overall a very gifted player but he suffers from lapses in concentration. You can get away with that a lot of the time in the EPL but not against the elite of Europe.

Oat23

AllGunsBlazing wrote: »

You can get away with that a lot of the time in the EPL but not against the elite of Europe.

Man City should let him come back to Hamburg so he doesn't have to worry about playing in Europe then.

DVDM93

Someone mentioned Cannavaro a few posts back, did you see this? Crazy.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/feb/25/fabio-cannavaro-10-month-jail-sentence

Arghus

Over-rated or not, Arsenal could have done with him tonight.

Up front or at the back.

rwbug

Kompany has always been a front foot defender, defending aggressively and trying to nip in ahead of attackers to win the ball. Playing in this style always meant he would be prone to conceding a few fouls and at times looking silly, but it was worth it because more often than not he would make the right decision.

Currently he seems to want to win every forward ball, even balls that are not there to be won, he needs to sort out his decision making process.

Skylinehead

Arghus wrote: »

Over-rated or not, Arsenal could have done with him tonight.

Up front or at the back.

He has the same weaknesses though, remember last season against Barcelona where he stepped out ridiculously to let Messi through?

Seem to recall him getting away with the blame there too.

Nerdlingr

Skylinehead wrote: »

He has the same weaknesses though, remember last season against Barcelona where he stepped out ridiculously to let Messi through?

Seem to recall him getting away with the blame there too.

He was about five yards behind his defensive back line that time. Played messi on, resulting in the demichelis red card and penalty.

Skylinehead

Nerdlingr wrote: »

He was about five yards behind his defensive back line that time. Played messi on, resulting in the demichelis red card and penalty.

Sorry yeah, different scenario in fairness.

AdamD

He's a cone

CSF

And the narrative now begins in earnest. Kompany has now gone from the greatest CB in football history to the worst.

NIMAN

I never thought he was the best CB in the world, but Sky often hyped him up like he was, I think simply because he plays in their 'best league in the world'.

I agree he is good but I'd say not even in the top 10 in the world.

Talib Fiasco

NIMAN wrote: »

I never thought he was the best CB in the world, but Sky often hyped him up like he was, I think simply because he plays in their 'best league in the world'.

I agree he is good but I'd say not even in the top 10 in the world.

I'd love to see a list of ten better CB's than Kompany please

wandatowell

Great player, just hitting a few injuries and poor form.