In a footballing era where more and more emphasis is placed on the amount of goals scored by both teams and players, there's a deviation from the art of defending. More and more, the roles of defenders has even evolved to include playmaking from deep to lay the attacking template for the team. But even in these times we can't dispute the popular saying that "attack wins you games, but defense wins you titles.
This articles seeks to highlight these Centre back defensive pairings that had laid a solid and sometimes impenetrable rear guard for their teams to thrive. With the array of options available, and to do justice to these options, this is going to be done based on the different leagues. This edition will focus on the premier league with other leagues coming subsequently.
WES MORGAN AND HARRY MAGUIRE (LEICESTER CITY)
I wouldn't be surprised if some people disagree with this two making the list, but we all were witness to the marvelous season they both had for Leicester City as they performed one of the biggest football upsets in recent memory.
The two centrebacks were the rock upon which Ranieri built his empire.
Wes Morgan was tough, fearless and rugged which was complimented by Maguire's technicality, moderation and leadership. They were a perfect foil, making sure that Schmeikel had very little to do in the course of the season.
It might have just been a season, but the achievement of that season, considering the odds against them made it even more spectacular.
TONY ADAMS AND MARTIN KEOWN (ARSENAL)
Many of us got acquainted with Arsene Wenger's arsenal teams as one flashy in its play but soft in its underbelly. This wasn't the case in the 1998/99 season when Tony Adams and Martin Keown led the gunners from defense as the competed with Manchester united for the title.
The duo were a rock in defense, combining brute force and on-the-ball intelligence to create a real guard that conceded only 17goals throughout the season. This was the era where the gunners were genuine contenders for titles with these kind of players laying the foundation for the attack to blossom.
JOHN TERRY AND RICARDO CARVALHO (CHELSEA)
The arrival of Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho heralded a new chapter in the history of Chelsea football club. But I don't think that this defensive pairing has received the attention and recognition that they deserve. Every formidable defense is mostly a combination of one half who's fearless and uses brute force with the other party being technical and intelligent.
This was the case with Terry and Carvalho, one of the most iconic pairing in the premier league history. Terry was rash, fearless, and direct while Carvalho was intelligent and cunny, a perfect foil for Terry's explosiveness.
With the two rocks in defense, Chelsea cruised to the league title conceding just 15 goals throughout the 2004/05 season. No one personified Mourinho's system more than this two. These two could be used to lock a prison and no prison would escape.
NEMANJA VIDIĆ AND RIO FERDINAND (MANCHESTER UNITED)
Well, if these two did not make this list, then the list wouldn't have been complete. Rio was already a star and one of the most expensive defenders in the world when the Serbian walked through the Old Trafford doors. Little did we know that we were about to witness arguably the most iconic and effective partnerships in the premier league.
Vidić was the true definition of dedication, passion, aggression and brute force coupled with elite ability. The Serbian's force was perfectly complemented by Rio's class, pace, reading of the game, and technicality. This was Sir Alex's perfect marriage that laid the foundation for the club's dominance in the late 2000s.
The two combined to make sure Van der Sar went more than 1000 minutes without conceding a single goal en route winning the league and reaching back to back UCL finals.
Honourable mentions to the likes of Kolo Touré and Sol Campbell of the invincibles and Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel of the Benitez era.
You're free to disagree with my list and air your own views.
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