Is Branislav Ivanovic the greatest right back to ever play in the Premier League?

deadybai

I honestly think this guy is completely underrated, by the media anyways. Everyone thinks Gary Neville is the best RB in the premiership but I think Ivanovic is a more complete and overall better player. Great goal scorer to. 31 goals since joining the club in 2008. Scored the winner in the 2013 Europa league final. 2 PFA's for RB of the season as well.

Mourinho has this to say about him '"Is he one of the club's best ­signings? I think so,"

"He came immediately after I left [after my first spell in charge] and after that he made a fantastic contribution for this club. He is a competitive animal with a big heart.''

I never really hear anyone talk about him thats why I'm wondering what your opinions are on him?

Blatter

Nope. Very solid pro over the years but can be suspect at right back although he escapes criticism for it, probably due to the amount of goals he scores.

G. Neville, Zabaleta and if you want to count Denis Irwin as a RB were better, as was Sagna at his peak.

LeeJM

Theres a reason everyone thinks its Gary Neville......

syngindub

greatest right back, thats an interesting one alright. been a few superb lefties alright..Neville was brilliant but i wouldn't go for an all time great by any stretch. will need to jog the memory for this one

tastyt

No way, he's actually a centre back but can't get a game there for Chelsea so does a job at right full. Very solid in fairness and great for a few goals.

Zabaleta is a better fullback.

And I think Neville definitely was.

deadybai

LeeJM wrote: »

Theres a reason everyone thinks its Gary Neville......

I am a United fan and watched Neville. I just think he is only regarded as the best rb as there isnt really much competition for the best. I think Ivanovic is a better player.

extra gravy

This guy wasn't bad!

syngindub

LeeJM wrote: »

Theres a reason everyone thinks its Gary Neville......

who other than GN, we must be missing more !!

syngindub

thats it.. Paul McShane..re-Ignite that appreciation thread

Guy:Incognito

LeeJM wrote: »

Theres a reason everyone thinks its Gary Neville......

.......because they forget about Rob Jones.

syngindub

Paul Parker was good

Alfred Borden

He would be in my top four with Neville Dixon and Zabaleta, probably comes down to personal preference then but Zabaleta is the best Premier League right back for me.

irish bloke

One of the most redicilous thread titles I've ever seen on boards....

glued

Nope and he's possibly the most overrated. He's an average enough defender and he never seems to be questioned about his positioning which is awful but he has a knack for scoring goals.

Dixon and Neville are the two that stand out for me

LeeJM

My top 5 RB of the PL era would be 1. Neville 2. Pablo Zabaleta 3. Lee Dixon 4. Bacary Sagna 5. Stephen Finnan and also wanna mention Rob Jones of Liverpool in the early to mid 90's if he had stayed fit he would probably have kept Neville out of the England team for a few years.

Alfred Borden

rarnes1 wrote: »

Dixon and Neville are the two that stand out for me

Dont know how I forgot about Dixon :pac:

deadybai

Didnt think people rated Zabaleta so highly. Great player alright. Wasnt he kept out of the City squad for a while by someone when he first arrived?

Steve Finnan was actually unreal for Liverpool as well.

No.

I like him, but he's a bit...agricultural.

He'd possibly be one of the better ones though. It's not a position where names trip off the tongue, possibly one where there were better players in years gone by. But think Zabaleta is the top one around, he gets forward, he tackles hard...it's the two basics for the position.

enfant terrible

Lauren was great in his time at Arsenal.

daRobot

deadybai wrote: »

Steve Finnan was actually unreal for Liverpool as well.

Glad it was recognised. He was fantastic in his day.

Mr.Nice Guy

Stephen Carr was also brilliant when he first burst on the scene and made the PFA Team of the Season on two occasions.

With regards the topic, I do think Ivanovic is terrific when he plays right-back. I would say Neville though for his consistency over several seasons stands as the best of the Premier League era.

titan18

I'd have Neville and then Dixon. Ivanovic is good, but not that good imo

~Rebel~

Yeah, i'd definitely have Finnan ahead of Ivanovic (who is still very very good obviously), but Neville is better than both.

Darkglasses

deadybai wrote: »

Didnt think people rated Zabaleta so highly. Great player alright. Wasnt he kept out of the City squad for a while by someone when he first arrived?

Not really, Corluka was there before him but Zabaleta went straight into the XI when he arrived in 08. Micah Richards got a few runs in the years after but Zabaleta was always the first choice.

CSF

Fernando Nelson for me.

rob316

Neville, finan and zabeleta for me. Zabeleta is a player I really admire and probably my favourite outside of Liverpool.

spock.

Dixon or Finnan would get my vote. Ivanovic is still a great player though.

Ferris_Bueller

Would have thought Neville and Dixon were better, Ivanovic is under rated though, such a solid player for the past couple of years. Steve Finnan was a good player but I think the Irish/Liverpool bias is shining through for anyone who rates him as the best.

jungleman

Finnan for me, all the way. Josemi, Kromkamp (alright, they were awful), and Arbeloa couldn't take that RB spot off him. Finnan was just unbelievable.

Alfred Borden

Changed my mind, got to be this guy....

NIMAN

Some of the names being bandied around here for the best ever RB in the EPL show just how much of a weak point it has been for every team since the EPL started.

Cos none of the players mentioned here are great players. Good maybe, but great? Not a chance.

NIMAN

NIMAN wrote: »

Some of the names being bandied around here for the best ever RB in the EPL show just how much of a weak point it has been for every team since the EPL started.

Cos none of the players mentioned here are great players. Good maybe, but great? Not a chance.

Yep.

Steve Finnan? I mean, he was grand like...but Steve Finnan?

Hulk Hands

You can try cheat sometimes and name Irwin as a rb, which solves the issue. Lauren is quite underrated, he was a very good player, as is Ivanovic and Zabaleta tbf. It's still probably Neville though, hard to argue against him.

BMJD

Imagine if we could've had

Given

Finnan - Dunne - Cunningham - Irwin

as a stable lineup for a few years, that's a world class defence

Anywho I think Gary Neville was probably the best, very consistent for so long.

Richard Hillman

Yes for me

The Mulk

Deleted User wrote: »

Yep.

Steve Finnan? I mean, he was grand like...but Steve Finnan?

Steve Finnan made the players Prem team of the year ahead of Neville, while he was with Fulham, and I think became a better player at Liverpool. So I think there's some justification.
I always felt he was better than Neville but the fact was the England full back got him a lot more plaudits

Iused2likebusts

Zabaletta for me however it's hard to compare neville with him as a full backs role has become a lot more attacking in recent years.

ricero

Finnan was very underrated for lfc

Chrissybhoy

Ireland have had some decent RB who played in premiership

Finnan
Carr
Kelly
Coleman
Kenna

SlickRic

Neville and Dixon are above Ivanovic for a start.

I'm a fan of Ivan, but he can be rash, he's not brilliant positionally, and just doesn't inspire the confidence in me that those first 2 would.

PhlegmyMoses

NIMAN wrote: »

Some of the names being bandied around here for the best ever RB in the EPL show just how much of a weak point it has been for every team since the EPL started.

Cos none of the players mentioned here are great players. Good maybe, but great? Not a chance.

I genuinely think that Neville was a great player. Excellent in defence and became and excellent crosser and great on the overlap. Him and Beckham on United's right were scarily good for seasons. I know many won't rate him that highly but I think he was one of the best RBs in Europe over a period of 10 or so years.

hullaballoo

I'm a Chelsea fan and I presumed the thread title was a pisstake.

I like Ivanovich but he's not even the best right-back in the current Chelsea starting XI, never mind EPL history! He's consistently caught out of position, has no pace and (maybe because he's built more like a rugby player than footballer), he tends to give away cheap free kicks in dangerous positions because he can look clumsy. He's strong at defending corners, though. I don't think his goal return counts for much. He's a defender first and foremost and if rating him on defensive qualities, there are many players streets ahead of him.

Always liked Corluka myself but that's probably because his name is fun to say.

Seriously though, for me Neville was the best RB in the EPL, even if he's not an all-time great. He performed consistently over a long period for Utd.

keeponhurling

Chrissybhoy wrote: »

Ireland have had some decent RB who played in premiership

Finnan
Carr
Kelly
Coleman
Kenna

Yes, Garry Kelly was brilliant, albeit not for as long a time as Neville

Hank Scorpio

BMJD wrote: »

Imagine if we could've had

Given

Finnan - Dunne - Cunningham - Irwin

as a stable lineup for a few years, that's a world class defence

Anywho I think Gary Neville was probably the best, very consistent for so long.

World class might be stretching it a little..

Solid base for the team though

I'd go for Neville for pure longevity and quitting when he felt he had lost it after a bad injury, his book is a good read

blueser

hullaballoo wrote: »

I'm a Chelsea fan and I presumed the thread title was a pisstake.

I like Ivanovich but he's not even the best right-back in the current Chelsea starting XI, never mind EPL history! He's consistently caught out of position, has no pace and (maybe because he's built more like a rugby player than footballer), he tends to give away cheap free kicks in dangerous positions because he can look clumsy. He's strong at defending corners, though. I don't think his goal return counts for much. He's a defender first and foremost and if rating him on defensive qualities, there are many players streets ahead of him.

Always liked Corluka myself but that's probably because his name is fun to say.

Seriously though, for me Neville was the best RB in the EPL, even if he's not an all-time great. He performed consistently over a long period for Utd.

I think the OP must have been on the sauce when he started this thread.

davycc

only one clive wilson

klose

Thought the writing was on the wall a bit when Chelsea signed felipe Luis and azpilicueta would return to his natural right back position, obviously not in the end. Solid pro all in all and a high level of consistency so he's certainly in with a shout.

Fuhrer

Hes not even the best right back on his team