20 Dec 2021 13:07:13
Neville reckons TAA and AR could be the best Premier League fullback pairing ever. Bold claim and I'm not disputing it as they're both highly effective, even if I'm not keen on either. Both have a nasty tackle in them.
But it got me thinking. When is the last time Utd had a truly great fullback, let alone one on each side at the same time? Ours are so lame and I reckon at least 4-5 sides have better options.
With these positions crucial in today's game, I hope they are both areas being looked at, but there never seems to be much talk of them.
20 Dec 2021 13:32:44
Evra was the last top class full back we had. While Dennis Irwin is and will always be the best full back in EPL history period.
20 Dec 2021 13:43:19
Good old Dennis Irwin. Handy at freekicks to say the least. I was expecting a bit more from Telles on this front as he came with a bit of a reputation for being involved in so many goals for his previous club.
Cancelo is the best for me at present.
20 Dec 2021 13:47:34
God, the flack Evra used to get on this site! Irwin was world class. So was Ashley Cole.
20 Dec 2021 14:30:54
Yeah Ashley Cole in his prime was a great full back and one of the only ones i've seen who got the better of Ronaldo on a consistent basis.
20 Dec 2021 14:44:38
Patrick, Evra tended to get flack in this site in his final couple seasons when he started to decline and was capable of what he was at his peak.
Evra between the ages of 26-30 was world class and could have got into any team in the world.
Irwin was class and it's such a shame that the younger fans won't fully appreciate just how good he was. Defensively he locked down his flank. While his crossing and free kick ability is second only to Beckham at our club in the EPL era.
Absolutely phenomenal player.
{Ed014's Note - but not as good as Ashley Cole, period!
20 Dec 2021 14:55:40
Ed014, not as good as Ashley Cole, but Cole in my opinion was the only LB better than Evra at his peak.
20 Dec 2021 15:19:39
What age where you when irwin was at his peak with us shappy? About 6?
Those younger fans like yourself missed a lot?.
20 Dec 2021 16:11:02
Looking back on it Young and Valencia did admirable jobs filling in as full backs under mourinho between 2016-2018 and Shaw has had some good spells like last season.
20 Dec 2021 16:13:31
I was 8/ 9 years old as Denis was in 29/ 30. He was the first footballer I used to impersonate on the play ground and my first footballing hero. And why I spent most of my youth playing at LB despite being right footed.
It would have been great to see him at his peak while I was older to truly be able to appreciate him. But then I think there is a special kind of magic you only get from watching players as a kid, that hero worship element.
20 Dec 2021 16:22:21
I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned Neville. Personally I think he was a model pro and he rarely let us down. But in truth you could always name 3 or 4 right backs at any point in his career that was better than Neville. Never in the Cafu/ Lahm class of full back.
That said I'd have still thought Neville might get a mention.
20 Dec 2021 16:25:09
No comparison between Cole and Irwin, Irwin was well ahead in all departments.
{Ed014's Note - apart from being the best left back in the Prem era! ?♂️?
20 Dec 2021 18:02:12
Funnily enough I first got into the side around 83 just as Irwin got into the team, but it was a certain Danish left-winger named Jesper Olsen the club had signed from Ajax I used to try to emulate.
For me Gary Neville was a completely average player, but he had so many other the other skills so many modern day players are lacking, like desire, motivation, effort. Right at the top on those and maybe that's enough as we had a few of those in that team.
20 Dec 2021 19:48:24
Irwin everyday over Ashley Cole.
{Ed014's Note - ???
20 Dec 2021 19:52:47
Irwin, was fantastic.
I'm man United through an through but alexander Arnold 8s by far the best full back about.
Chelsea defenders are getting to the same stage.
Reese James especially.
I can't remember our last great full back.
Telles is a great goal scorer, yet so far has just shown glimpses.
We need to stick with telles and dalot.
As atm they are are only outlet who threaten attack minded.
20 Dec 2021 20:15:40
Both Liverpool fullbacks, as well as Cancelo and Reece James are doing amazing things at the moment. Chilwell is pretty good too.
Personally, I like James the most right now, i'd love to see him at Utd (I know it won't happen) .
20 Dec 2021 20:35:06
Spenno irwin didn't sign till 1990.
Jesper Olson was about 8 years before him.
20 Dec 2021 23:45:05
Showing my age Ken! Looking at some geeky pages at the time of Olsen it looks like the fullbacks were Clayton Blackmore who I remember well and Mike Duxbury (name is familiar but can't remember more of him) . Also supposedly the great Arnold Muhren signed in 84, can't remember him being there at all but I would have had no idea who he was back then.
21 Dec 2021 09:12:02
I can’t believe no one has mentioned Colin Gibson, the king of LBs. Or if I’m serious for a minute, Arthur’s Albiston, a Fb ahead of his time.
21 Dec 2021 09:42:50
Gabriel Heinze!
21 Dec 2021 11:10:31
mbd, I loved Heinze, but he was never a top class LB. He seemed like one of those players who gets caught between two positions. Not quite good enough in the air to be a CB in the EPL and not quite good enough/ quick enough to be a full back.
Similar to Daley Blind and maybe Lindelof.
Ultimately I think Lindelof, Blind and Heinze would have been/ are best suited to playing as one of the wider CB's in a back three.
21 Dec 2021 12:12:39
Olsen still United's best ever signing in my opinion. Like Spenno I tried to imitate him in style both on and off the field, the haircut was the closest I ever got.
21 Dec 2021 21:08:34
Get out of here with that nonsense ed014 ??.
{Ed014's Note - ok dreamer ??