I totally agree with this... a lot raised their eye brows when you signed because of the price tag, but now, it seems like a cheap deal.

bravo, Liverpool

Class player but hasn't been great so far this season from what i've seen, Matip has actually looked better.

Still struggle to look past John Terry in terms of consistency though in that chelsea back line from 04-06.

VVD if he carries on like this though will be in any conversation for a PL team CB. Needs to win a few of the big ones though

He's a brilliant defender and he's been great for you. Has he really outperformed the likes of Messi and Ronaldo in terms of his output for his position though?

Not for me. He's still been probably the best centre back of the last year though.

Having said that, and he's been impressive. I just can't look past messi for Ballon d'or.

36 goals and 13 assists in 29 starts last season in a crap barca team guys a joke.

Maguire was better for a weaker side at Leicester. Now bossing it at the biggest club in the world. The most expensive centre back in the world for good reason. Price tags don't lie. Van Dijk not far behind though.

I actually agree with you - I don't think CR7 or Leo have had amazing year's (albeit, due to their ridiculously high standards), and the ECL often goes a long way in determining who gets the prize.

Be the first defender since Cannavaro, right?

Honestly ive never seen a significantly higher level of play from a CB over 18 months. How much better can a CB get?

comment by Come to Salah, Come to Success. (U12335)
posted 1 minute ago
Honestly ive never seen a significantly higher level of play from a CB over 18 months. How much better can a CB get?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
JT 04-06 .
04-05 season conceded less goals than liverpool did last year and that was with paulo ferriera

comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 5 minutes ago
Class player but hasn't been great so far this season from what i've seen, Matip has actually looked better.

Still struggle to look past John Terry in terms of consistency though in that chelsea back line from 04-06.

VVD if he carries on like this though will be in any conversation for a PL team CB. Needs to win a few of the big ones though
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A few, he has one

John Terry

big one I mean PL

And why would you laugh at John Terry who most consider the best CB of the Pl era? bit odd.

I actually agree with you - I don't think CR7 or Leo have had amazing year's (albeit, due to their ridiculously high standards), and the ECL often goes a long way in determining who gets the prize.
-----------------
its crazy messi scoring 50 odd goals in about 55 games is not considered amazing anymore, vvd has been amazing but those numbers by themselves are still ridiculous

comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 4 minutes ago
Having said that, and he's been impressive. I just can't look past messi for Ballon d'or.

36 goals and 13 assists in 29 starts last season in a crap barca teamguys a joke.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Best player ever....not as influential in the decisive moments as he has been in previous seasons however. Lots of great goals but not the dominant Messi. Comfortably the best player about but don't think he'll win it. Its usually about the CL and big game deciders5

comment by Come to Salah, Come to Success. (U12335)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 4 minutes ago
Having said that, and he's been impressive. I just can't look past messi for Ballon d'or.

36 goals and 13 assists in 29 starts last season in a crap barca teamguys a joke.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Best player ever....not as influential in the decisive moments as he has been in previous seasons however. Lots of great goals but not the dominant Messi. Comfortably the best player about but don't think he'll win it. Its usually about the CL and big game deciders5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
true, would not begrudge VVD getting it, would be a nice change. The modric year was ridiculous though imo.

comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 50 seconds ago
I actually agree with you - I don't think CR7 or Leo have had amazing year's (albeit, due to their ridiculously high standards), and the ECL often goes a long way in determining who gets the prize.
-----------------
its crazy messi scoring 50 odd goals in about 55 games is not considered amazing anymore, vvd has been amazing but those numbers by themselves are still ridiculous
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It is absolutely amazing, but its because they set their own - even higher - standards in previous seasons that it doesn't seem AS impressive in terms of their personal return; their / his performances in some of the biggest games; and what their teams actually won.

As I say, rightly or wrongly, the ECL often has a pretty skewed bearing on the winner. That being said, could anyone argue if Messi won it? Absolutely not, I just think VVD has been more influential on Liverpool than, say, Modric was for Real last year; so I think he's in with a great chance.

Messi should win it on influence every year, but would not begrudge vvd winning it.

comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 2 minutes ago
big one I mean PL

And why would you laugh at John Terry who most consider the best CB of the Pl era? bit odd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
the big one is the CL

If i was going to compare VDV to a great PL CB for playing style it would be Rio.

JT was good but not Rio level and deffo not VDV level.

That's your opinion. Rio had concentration lapses his whole career and had a shorter prime than JT, but each to their own.

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/its-difficult-to-argue-with-jamie-carraghers-choice-for-best-premier-league-defender-ever-121196

Why's Van der Vaart playing CB?

comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Come to Salah, Come to Success. (U12335)
posted 1 minute ago
Honestly ive never seen a significantly higher level of play from a CB over 18 months. How much better can a CB get?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
JT 04-06.
04-05 season conceded less goals than liverpool did last year and that was with paulo ferriera
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You had a defensive manager and bought the league.

comment by (kash) I'm the Mané - 6 Times Baby (U1108)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Come to Salah, Come to Success. (U12335)
posted 1 minute ago
Honestly ive never seen a significantly higher level of play from a CB over 18 months. How much better can a CB get?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
JT 04-06.
04-05 season conceded less goals than liverpool did last year and that was with paulo ferriera
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You had a defensive manager and bought the league.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
this, a completely different playing style to ours

comment by rooney_hernandez (U7012)
posted 2 minutes ago
Why's Van der Vaart playing CB?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
oops, make that VVD

comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by Come to Salah, Come to Success. (U12335)
posted 1 minute ago
Honestly ive never seen a significantly higher level of play from a CB over 18 months. How much better can a CB get?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
JT 04-06.
04-05 season conceded less goals than liverpool did last year and that was with paulo ferriera
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought Terry was an outstanding defender but VVD has the extras, in that he can actually play football also. Not only that but Terry was often in, let's say very organised teams, whereas VVD and whoever the other defender is are often isolated due to our attacking nature and he deals with it so well.

When you weigh up all the areas/facets of CB play.....i don't recall seeing anyone significantly better. Significantly being a key word

Pique was amazing for a while but VVD destroys him in certain areas. Rio and Nests are probably the most similar this century. I didn't watch much football live before 2001 so I'll leave that discussion to people who did. JT was amazing....if you swapped them around however.....VVD would find his job easier and dominate probably more. JT whilst being amazing would be more limited....and perform worse than what we saw of him in that Chelsea team

Are you saying John Terry couldn't play football? he could ping 60 yard passes left and right foot for fun.
And we also relied more on our defence because we didn't have a front line like yours. Obviously its your opinion but JT is considered the best CB by most pundits and a lot of fans for a reason. Certainly not laughable to suggest so.

Also a lot of people forget that we had paulo ferriera at RB during that time who was god awful.

Couldn't play football

I much prefer a VVD / Rio type defender to a Maguire / Terry. Not that the latterly two can't play with the ball - and they'll win everything that goes into the box - I just think that VVD and Rio play with a certain positional intelligence that the other two lacked.

I do take the point about Rio's lack of concentration, at times, however, I've yet to see that in VVD's game (although, I can't say I watch every L'pool match start-to-finish)