Best Defender Ever Poll in The Guardian

[enigma]

Cafu
Maldini
Mcgrath
Baresi

Surprised to see Rijkaard in there. I think of him more as a midfielder. His best years were in the centre nyway.

[Dr Butler]

Where's Kent Nielsen on that list ?   


in no particular order
Cafu
Maldini
Moore
Mc Grath

UTV
The Doc

[SteveN]

I can't see let alone open the link but my all time back four would read Cafu - Beckenbauer - McGrath - Maldini with Sleeuwenhoek on the bench. 

My dad a life time Villa fan always thought McGrath was the second best ever defender, second to John Charles who was before my time.

[UsualSuspect]

I'm not being biased when I say McGrath is the best central defender i've ever seen, I've watched Baresi, but McGrath was better.

Such a weird sixth sense he had that he could position himself knowing where the danger would come from, like a snooker player who thinks 3 shots ahead.

Couldn't have put it better

McGrath read the game better than any other player I have seen

That is a man who really is a villa legend

[darren woolley]

C.Alberto
P.Maldini
B.Moore
P.Mcgrath

What a solid looking defence.

[JD]

C Alberto
P Maldini
F Beckenbauer
God

[JUAN PABLO]

Don't vote for the good ones, vote for the three shittest ones and McGrath, better chance of winning that way!

just what I was thinking ;-)

[Concrete John]

C Alberto
P Maldini
F Beckenbauer
God

That's what I went for also.

I'll echo someone else's sentiments that it's refreshing to see God getting up to 4th in a poll like this as it mist mean a lot of non Villa/Ireland fans also realise exactly how good he was!

[eastie]

Mcgrath was a legend but I have to go for beckenbaeur.

[Matt C]

I voted for McGrath to play right back, left back and centre half.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

I voted Cafu, Maldini, McGrath, Moore.

Darren Moore's a bit too slow to be put in that company, surely...

[lovejoy]

But the Torygraph said Bruce and Pallister were better?!

[Somniloquism]

Just a question as never seen him playing but was Beckenbauer really a defender. I thought with his position he played more of a deep lying midfielder/playmaker. For example alot of peopkle say in 1970 him and Charlton cancelled each other out but when Booby was subbed Beckenbauer pulled the strings for the Huns to win.

[Monty]

Just a question as never seen him playing but was Beckenbauer really a defender. I thought with his position he played more of a deep lying midfielder/playmaker. For example alot of peopkle say in 1970 him and Charlton cancelled each other out but when Booby was subbed Beckenbauer pulled the strings for the Huns to win.

Exactly the point I was going to make. He played sweeper, not centre-back, so his job was to bring the ball out of defence. Before that he played orthodox central midfield and acted as playmaker. I wouldn't put Beckenbauer in an all-time back-four, simply because he never really played in one.

For me, I'm going to have to say a back four of Cafu, Moore, God and Maldini, with Baresi and Tassotti as outside bets.

[TheSandman]

But the Torygraph said Bruce and Pallister were better?!

Times actually.

My votes: Cafu McGrath Beckenbauer Maldini