30 Jun 2025 14:41:46
On the topic of cb's. Who's a top class cb that went under the radar in the past? Sometimes there's players that are excellent but because there's no media pawning over them or they're quiet about how they apply themselves, they slip under the radar.
I'll go with Johnny Evans. Announced his retirement today, had a few injuries over his career but that lad was top class and never got the plaudits he deserved. Fantastic cb for me.
30 Jun 2025 14:56:31
Ledley King. A great CB but a shame that he had chronic knee issues and couldn't play more than a game a week. Deserved a move to a bigger club if not for his knees.
30 Jun 2025 15:29:22
I have never liked any man utd players. full stop. and never will. full stop.
Evans would not have been selected for any top Liverpool side, during the same eras he played in: mark wright, john scales, hyppia, henchoz, kolo toure, agger, carragher, ibou, vvd.
I'd even put Djimi Traore before him, as he has won a European cup winners Medal, Evans was so bad that when man utd won the 2008 final luckily as usual! he had been loaned out to Sunderland for the second half of the season, as he was a bag of Gladys Knight!
30 Jun 2025 15:44:50
Paul McGrath, one of the most Rolls Royce defenders from my youth (on a par with Hansen in terms of ability, IMO) .
However, he was a flawed genius. His multiple injuries were probably driven by his drinking which was in turn driven by the turmoil in his personal life - fostered, not wanted by his mother's family due to being a mixed race child in the late 50s early 60s etc.
30 Jun 2025 15:46:20
Lol Evans ? come off it mate, you're having a laugh.
30 Jun 2025 15:47:32
I wouldn't say Evans was a top class cb but he was definitely dependable and quite underrated. He could pass the ball decently well long and short, read the game well, lacked top end pace but was smart in positioning and anticipation of danger.
Was Ledley King really underrated? All I ever heard about him when he was around was how he was England's best center half and if he could play more than a game a week he would have gone to to the very top of the game.
Surely Matip has to be near the top of this list? He won everything with us next to Virgil, and injuries aside you can't really complain about his performances in the biggest games.
30 Jun 2025 16:01:22
Evans went to leister and made Harry maguire look mistakenly like a quality cb. Ledly king is a great shout. Rednapp would train him less and have him available 1 game a week if possible.
30 Jun 2025 16:05:49
McGrath was an amazing player, he had all the qualities that you'd need to be a modern center half as well, I still have a McGrath Ireland shirt that I wear from time to time.
30 Jun 2025 16:07:31
I’ll go with Sami Sami Sami Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz.
Both underrated in my opinion.
Evans couldn’t get a game for ManU.
30 Jun 2025 16:18:57
Matip was excellent. Dominant in the air, physically strong, excellent footballer and could read the game, reminded me of Gary Gillespie, another lad who flew under the radar. Also Matip binned off international football to concentrate on playing for us.
Steve Bould at Arsenal was as solid as they come, but almost always overlooked.
30 Jun 2025 16:47:49
Batman7, that had a lot more to do with the way Claude Puel (as defensive a coach as you will ever find) had LC set up defensively. It really had not that much to do with Evans, IMO.
This is why I don't give too much credit to those CB's who play in such systems till I see them play in another system where they will have to defend 1 v 1, something both Maguire and Evans were poor at as soon as they left LC, IMO.
As for Big Joel, I agree with VV. For me, he is one of THE most underrated CB's the PL has ever seen, IMO. He had his flaws like everyone else BUT on his game, top class defensively, creatively and offensively.
30 Jun 2025 16:53:24
Ruddock. Even if it's just for that header against Man U.
30 Jun 2025 17:11:11
Igor Stepanovs. *runs away*.
30 Jun 2025 17:46:53
Phil Jagielka.
30 Jun 2025 18:06:25
Carvarlho at chelsea. Terry got the praise but carvalho was always ahead of game.
30 Jun 2025 18:23:34
Jonny Evans played less than a season under Puel at Leicester.
30 Jun 2025 19:00:45
I was just thinking Carvalho Akira. Good shout.
Now you've said that though I think I'll say Kolo Toure. Massively overshadowed by his colleagues and defensive partners for Arsenal and City but had a great career and from memory only really let us down badly once. Very solid and consistent defender.