I've been hugely impressed with the back five this season, so I thought it might interesting to find out how it compares to defences in our past. Just vote for the best back 5 in your opinion.
Well Lovren and Killer would be my two centre backs. Bale at left back? No Shaw actually, Shaw's a better defender. Right back, not sure. Keeper would be Niemi probably.
Lovren would have to be here for a good few years before i considered him one of our best ever. For me the best five is; Niemi, Bridge, Dodd, Lundekvam and Svensson.
What about Niemi, Bridge, Claus, Killer and Doddy. Baird wasn't really a starter pre cup final in '03'. Our current defence is doing a stellar job though. Boruc in goal has made a massive difference, as well as Lovren of course.
This back 5 is amongst the best ever, since I've been watching them. Possibly the defence including Shilton were better overall, but as starters go, this present Saints defence is uncharacteristically tight. But it's really too early to throw this lot in against the previous ones. They've only played 6 league games together, after all. However, I am hugely impressed by all of them, and if I set aside Dejan Lovren [difficult], I'm most impressed by José Fonte, from the remaining four, who has really stepped up to be a CB partner. Invariably overlooked, and almost always considered to be the poorer partner of a Saints CB pairing, by various people, but I've seen him gradually improving since Lge One. To me he was the best CB we had there and in the Championship. Plus he held his own in the PL last season, within a very open playing side. This season the team is playing much tighter and He and Lovren are nothing like so exposed. Which bodes well, and by the end of the season, this back five may appear to be the best, not just being among them.
Have voted for the Niemi etc line up because the present set up is relatively new, though it is a close run thing. It can all be about partnerships...Lundekvam was vastly improved by playing with Svensson. Fonte has admitted that he is surprised how he has gelled so quickly with Lovren. Sometimes a pair are better than the two halves. Shaw and Clyne are all about potential...will either turn out to be another Bale? Niemi is a better keeper than Boruc, but I love the madness of the latter (as long as he keeps pulling off great saves).
We haven't played any of the 'big 4' or Spurs, Everton, Swansea yet. Having said that, it is looking very impressive, and Dejan Lovren is a phenomenal defender. For fantasy defence I'd go with; ------------- Niemi --------------- Kenna - Killer - Lovren - Bridge
I wouldn't get carried away yet. If Chamakh had remembered how to score a goal then we would probably have been battered on MotD yesterday, and made the 3 points a lot less likely. Fonte and Lovren have both survived very good penalty shouts as well, turn them all around and things could be different. It's promising though and I am particularly impressed with Fonte, who had made his position pretty solid. Clyne and Shaw, I am a big, big fan of both.
We have a couple of close off-side calls go against us, but, other than that, we have had the rub of the green with decisions. Is this what happens when you are a big club?
And as Bridge left in the summer of 2003, you really can't say that Baird Killer Claus Bridge was ever really our back four. Because of the fact that we've only played six games, and only one of them was against a top team, I cannot yet put this defence ahead of Niemi-Dodd-Killer-Claus-Bridge. But I would say that it's the second best we've had, after that side, since I started following us in 1998.
For me, the Shilton-Mills-Agboola-Wright-Dennis is the best. Not only I think the stats will back it up, but mostly because that defence contained Mick Mills. It was no coincidence that the chant from the Milton at the time was "Oh no, Mick Mills, Oh no, Mick Mills" Shilts was at the peak of his powers and would almost scare strikers with his presence. Mark Wright was graceful and great at bringing the ball out of defence. Psycho had every right winger in his pocket, via fair means or foul. Plus a great crosser of the ball. Then it was a master stroke by Lawrie Mac to have Agboola playing in an almost sweeper role, where he excelled. Current defence can only be compared over a full season.
Great defence although Bridge was somewhat over-rated, the ball was a hot potato to him always got rid asap. Mind you with Marsden in front of him he could look good at times. Shaw is many times better and considerably more confident in his own abilities. As a 5 though, agreed, probably the best to date. This current one is looking good though especially with Wanyama protecting them.
While I agree this is one of our best defences ever, I think it's overly simplistic to limit that to the back 5. The defensive efforts of Schneiderlin and Wanyama, and our attackers in the high-pressing game have gone a long way in tightening up our defence
Surprised nobody has voted for the benali/monkou combo- used to love Kenneth and Benali was great for comedy value. That own goal! Was bessant any good in goal? I was young when I watched him play. Seem to remember he wasn't a patch on Flowers.
I think that defensively, they're all solid. Shaw does make the odd error and Clyne isn't the tallest, but that's nit picking. In terms of the quality of the defenders, and not defending itself, I feel like Shaw and Clyne could still improve on their crossing and be a key threat to our attack like Richardson and fan-favourite Fox were in the Championship. Barring Boruc's first 5/6 games, he's done nothing wrong and his kicking has improved. If we get 15 clean sheets or more this season, I'll say it's our best ever.
