What separates a great defender from a mediocre one?

[saga pinto]

I ask myself this question a lot,when looking at men like roberto carlos who could essentially play almost like a forward and have a bullett to kill all the intangibles one will need like accurate long passing,deaf control and speed with skill,so I say do our defenders on T&T match up in anyway with respect to these qualities.Now would you say paolo maldini and roberto carlos are great defenders and marvin andrews and dennis lawrence mediocre.   

[Ponnoxx]

 Consistency and Fearlessness...Good Defenders are able to perform good every game no matter who they playing...Watch how Chelsea defense does do it

[MEP]

Great defenders have the ability to read forwards as they develop their attack. They are patient and cunning and not afraid to put in a hard tackle just to send a message.

[spideybuff]

Roberto Carlos is not a good defender...

[Filho]

There are some common traits in all defensive positions, but that quastion is too broad. It depends where they play in defense and who they play with. For example...a sweeper needs some different attributes than a left back...etc. Defenders also play within a system. The way the other members of that system play (including defensive midfielders) also influences how good an individual defender seems. Football philosophy and culture is also key. What is considered a good sweeper in Brazil may not be what is considered a good sweeper in England.

To generalize though, the best defenders read the game well, have strong aerial ability, strong in the tackle. Decent speed is always welcome and excellent positional sense is a must (this is essentially knowledge of your system, adaptability and power of concentration). Those with great technique on the ball usually have that extra edge

[Jumbie]

for me a good player, no matter what position requires vision.. must be able to anticipate plays and know how to react to plays.. poise and being comfortable at the position also plays a great part as to how well you play that position.

brings another question.. does a good player on a shitty team get more noticed than one on a good team?

[Themanfriday]

good one on a good team

NEXT???

[truetrini]

ah pair ah tight short pants

[morvant]

tobago dumplin

[Jahyouth]

1) A clean uniform after a game: this means he doesn't tackle very much and stays on his feet

2) A good reader of the game: gets into the best position to defend before the ball or opponent gets there.  He is proactive, not reactive

3) Transitions well from defense into attack: this is what seperates a good "backs" as we used to say long time, from a classy defender today.  Can he get the counter-attack going, or keep his team in possession?  Or does he just boot out the ball?

4) Well chanelled agression: this does not mean that he wants to cuff down the opponent, but he is always first to the ball, winning 50-50's, and getting to the ball in the air at its highest point when heading.

[Jah Gol]

1) A clean uniform after a game: this means he doesn't tackle very much and stays on his feet

2) A good reader of the game: gets into the best position to defend before the ball or opponent gets there.  He is proactive, not reactive

3) Transitions well from defense into attack: this is what seperates a good "backs" as we used to say long time, from a classy defender today.  Can he get the counter-attack going, or keep his team in possession?  Or does he just boot out the ball?

4) Well chanelled agression: this does not mean that he wants to cuff down the opponent, but he is always first to the ball, winning 50-50's, and getting to the ball in the air at its highest point when heading.

I was going to say the same thing.

[Disgruntled_Trini]

3) Transitions well from defense into attack: this is what seperates a good "backs" as we used to say long time, from a classy defender today.  Can he get the counter-attack going, or keep his team in possession?  Or does he just boot out the ball?

This to me separates a great defender form a medicre one.

Anybody could run into ah 50/50 challenge any wild man could jam ah man hard and win the ball. Quation is what he going to do with it after especially when defenders bearing down on them.
Teams like Ac Milan and Chelsea actually walk the ball out of the box because they have great defenders.

[Lightning]

Can we differentiate between wing backs and central defenders?

[KND2]

Good defender is one who seldom gives the ball away and seldom lets attackers get by them.

Speed of Thought ( Read the game well)
Speed of Foot this allows for reaction time to be reduce to attackers
Ball winning Skills

Dog for example
Is a poor passser of the ball, does not have quick speed over short distances but is an excellent ball winner.
Dog as a first stopper is a great choice especially in an air ball league like scotland
Put dog in spain and he will look out of place


John Terry for example

Can pass well
has decent speed and can tackle well enough

Terry is better than dog

but in the right environment Dog can be a great defender
It is about how he fits into the system.

[kicker]

the defensive package according to kicker  

1. Good positional awareness and ability to anticipate/read the play.

2. concentration & composure- mental lapses and defensive blunders are very rare among great defenders

3. timing & tenacity/agression when challenging for the ball--tough but clean tackles and highly intense physical play in general

4. good technique- passing, heading, shooting & ball control......adds to a defenders versatility so that he/she is not a fish out of water when called upon to aid the attack or finish a scoring chance

5. Speed is a big plus

[doc]

Football intelligence.

[football king]

best defender is
-the one that hardly ever has to tackle or be a wild man.
-know how to organise the players around him and communicate.
-maintain possession

beckenbauer, moore, baresi, nesta, maldini. garnett craig, jb.  a few good defenders.

our present defenders have a hard time keeping possesion. to be honest it appears they don't know how.

[trinidre]

Paolo Maldini is a great defender and could easily be the greatest of all time but Roberto Carlos isnt a great defender, he's a great player but that doesnt neccesarrily extend to jis defending capabilites. I've been watching him especially here lately with Real Madrid and he's been getting beaten alot. The other day as see ah man embarrass him put the ball thru he legs and it resulted in ah goal and that isnt the first goal ah see him cause this year

[Peong]

I see a couple men say a defender who does not tackle or does not have to tackle. 
You mean slide tackle right, because a defender who doesn't tackle is like a fish that doesn't swim.

[trinidre]

that is true yes 

[Marcos]

Teams like Ac Milan and Chelsea actually walk the ball out of the box because they have great defenders.

Dred u see d other day when thuram try to walk d ball out?
man get embarrassed, and he is a good defender on a dreadest side

[richpy]

Teams like Ac Milan and Chelsea actually walk the ball out of the box because they have great defenders.

Dred u see d other day when thuram try to walk d ball out?
man get embarrassed, and he is a good defender on a dreadest side

Thuram is not just a good defender - he is a GREAT one. Even the greatest defenders get embarrased at some time.

[Disgruntled_Trini]

Teams like Ac Milan and Chelsea actually walk the ball out of the box because they have great defenders.

Dred u see d other day when thuram try to walk d ball out?
man get embarrassed, and he is a good defender on a dreadest side

that is the bad side about being a defender
you could look good for 89 mins then one lil slip that cause a goal and yuh branded a goat
exact opposite for a striker
he looking shitty for 89 mins (eg Stern) and score one in the last minute and he is a hero

ah good competent back line go be


-----Heinze------Cannavaro------Nesta-----Puyol

with John Terry on the bench

[palos]

Defending, more than any other position on the pitch I believe is a TEAM EFFORT.

Players have to be in synch with each other.  The defensive line has to move as one.  If one defender is not disciplined and moves or doesn't move with the line, it can result in plauying the attacker onside and GOAL!  This is one glaring problem our backline has.

I was watching the Chelsea vs Arsenal match on the weekend and the match commentator was saying how prior to the match, the Chelsea backline was warming up together.  Moving as a unit, doing the same exercises, stretches, positioning, in unision, talking to each other.

I think this, more than anything results in a good defensive performance by the TEAM.

You can have an individually good defender but if the rest of the line is not in synch, goals like rain will pass.

Chelsea's backline is not in and of itself the most gifted individually.  Terry is exceptional, but Gallas, Ferreria, & Carvalho are ok players.  It is how they operate as a TEAM, their ORGANIZATION, in addition to having a very good backstopper in Cech is what makes them so difficult to break down in my opinion.

The Italians have done it for decades.  Others are now catching or even surpassed what they have done.  Italy & Italian football has always been defence first....and devised a TEAM method to play in such a manner.  It is no secret that most of the world's best defenders in the past 50 years have been Italian.  To this day, the greatest defender I have seen is the former Juventus and Italy captain, Gaetano Scirea.  Amazing player.  But would he have been as great had he had a different backline?  Next on my list would be Milan's Franco Baresi.

In summary....a great defender IN TODAY'S GAME has to have the basics covered.  Able to control, pass & move into space to provide his team mate with an alternative.  He is also one who can deny the opposition time and space, is one who plays within the team structure, has the discipline required to adhere to the overall ORGANIZATION of the unit and can retain his concentration for the duration of the time he is on the field.  He s also one who possesses the intangible of HEART and DESIRE.

In contrast, a poor defender is one who does not adhere to the ORGANIZATION of the unit, who frequently loses concentration, who does NOT have the basics covered, and who is challenged in the intangibles.

[santacruz]

hypia from liverpool is very composed onthe ball,makes defending look simps.

[Feliziano]

Defending, more than any other position on the pitch I believe is a TEAM EFFORT.

Players have to be in synch with each other.  The defensive line has to move as one.  If one defender is not disciplined and moves or doesn't move with the line, it can result in plauying the attacker onside and GOAL!  This is one glaring problem our backline has.

I was watching the Chelsea vs Arsenal match on the weekend and the match commentator was saying how prior to the match, the Chelsea backline was warming up together.  Moving as a unit, doing the same exercises, stretches, positioning, in unision, talking to each other.

I think this, more than anything results in a good defensive performance by the TEAM.

You can have an individually good defender but if the rest of the line is not in synch, goals like rain will pass.

that sound like that Arsenal backline from the late 80's-late 90's
that was a boss unit

[vibetrini]

All great defenders that come to mind had exceptional agility... basically a great defender is one who on any given day, against any given attacker, can hold his own in a one-to-one situation... perfect example is maldini... in his prime, there wouldn't be a striker who would say that hands-down he could beat Maldini in a one-to-one situation.

[trinidre]

ah like that back four with heinze cannavaro nesta and puyol, that is ah boss back four

[TrinInfinite]

a defender must be able to play a defensive midfielder role and pass and create space for other teamates, bottom line, we need a ball winner in the defense dat have speed and can bring de ball from de back and pass wit ease without kickin it away

[scarface]

Paolo Maldini is a great defender and could easily be the greatest of all time but Roberto Carlos isnt a great defender, he's a great player but that doesnt neccesarrily extend to jis defending capabilites. I've been watching him especially here lately with Real Madrid and he's been getting beaten alot. The other day as see ah man embarrass him put the ball thru he legs and it resulted in ah goal and that isnt the first goal ah see him cause this year

like yuh forget d rainbow he get from Ilhan Manziz from turkey in WC02