[QUOTE=“downyourthroats, post: 944232, member: 1497”]Vidic and Ferdinand brought a sense of invincibility into every game. Vidic had the tough, dogged streak in him while Rio was a brilliant athlete who read the game beautifully.
12 years at a top club shows that he was a truly great player.[/QUOTE]
Apart from when Torres was around.
12 years proves nothing. He was ordinary enough before Vidic arrived. He was lucky to be paired with someone who complimented him perfectly. And of course the most important bit was Van Der Saar in my view.
[QUOTE=“farmerinthecity, post: 944238, member: 24”]Apart from when Torres was around.
12 years proves nothing. He was ordinary enough before Vidic arrived. He was lucky to be paired with someone who complimented him perfectly. And of course the most important bit was Van Der Saar in my view.[/QUOTE]
No player would last 12 years at United unless they were top drawer. 6 EPL’s, 1 CL, 2 League Cups and a Club World cup ain’t a bad haul.
Torres was unplayable circa 2009. How many times did Rio make the PFA Team of the Year?
Rio was a great player at United. A shame he had to leave. Wouldn’t have minded him there another season. He was a bargain at 30 million for the 12 years he was at the club.
[QUOTE=“Captainshan, post: 944264, member: 41”]Rio was a great player at United. A shame he had to leave. Wouldn’t have minded him there another season. He was a bargain at 30 million for the 12 years he was at the club.
[QUOTE=“dodgy-keeper, post: 944274, member: 1552”]Only Carrick and Rooney left from the side that started in Moscow if Evra leaves. A huge amount of experience going out the door.
[QUOTE=“downyourthroats, post: 944251, member: 1497”]No player would last 12 years at United unless they were top drawer. 6 EPL’s, 1 CL, 2 League Cups and a Club World cup ain’t a bad haul.
Torres was unplayable circa 2009. How many times did Rio make the PFA Team of the Year?[/QUOTE]
John O’Shea 1999 - 2011 might beg to differ.
[QUOTE=“downyourthroats, post: 944251, member: 1497”]No player would last 12 years at United unless they were top drawer. 6 EPL’s, 1 CL, 2 League Cups and a Club World cup ain’t a bad haul.
How many times did Rio make the PFA Team of the Year?[/QUOTE]
Personal awards are the true barometer of greatness. I note David Moyes was Manager of the Month on 10 occasions in the EPL era. Only Sir Alex Ferguson 27 and Arsene Wenger 13 have earned that coveted accolade on more occasions. Really emphasises what a crazy decision it was to give one of the best managers in the English game a 6 year contract and fire him 10 months in.
[QUOTE=“downyourthroats, post: 944251, member: 1497”]No player would last 12 years at United unless they were top drawer. 6 EPL’s, 1 CL, 2 League Cups and a Club World cup ain’t a bad haul.
Torres was unplayable circa 2009. How many times did Rio make the PFA Team of the Year?[/QUOTE]
Rio was a very good defender. Was excellent for England at the 2002 & 2006 WC and has been an excellent player for United albeit he has been on the wane for the past few seasons. Excellent reader of the game and good on the ball. Not one for having to make last ditch tackles or throw himself at headers/shots like a Terry or Vidic for the highlight reel but that wasn’t his game.
He paid back his record transfer fee but the fact he seems like a bit of a prick and the missed drug test certainly take a bit of gloss off him. Wouldn’t have him up there with the likes of Nesta, Cannavaro and Thuram but a quality defender none the less
[QUOTE=“Captainshan, post: 944264, member: 41”]Rio was a great player at United. A shame he had to leave. Wouldn’t have minded him there another season. He was a bargain at 30 million for the 12 years he was at the club.
[/QUOTE]
There will always be a cloud over Ferdinand from his drugs suspension.
[QUOTE=“chewy louie, post: 944373, member: 1137”]Rio was a very good defender. Was excellent for England at the 2002 & 2006 WC and has been an excellent player for United albeit he has been on the wane for the past few seasons. Excellent reader of the game and good on the ball. Not one for having to make last ditch tackles or throw himself at headers/shots like a Terry or Vidic for the highlight reel but that wasn’t his game.
He paid back his record transfer fee but the fact he seems like a bit of a prick and the missed drug test certainly take a bit of gloss off him. Wouldn’t have him up there with the likes of Nesta, Cannavaro and Thuram but a quality defender none the less[/QUOTE]
Doping suspicions about at least two of those as well of course.
Vidic with an honest enough interview today… Said he would have stayed on if he knew moyes was off… Said the players fought all year. Moyes was a gent but tried to change too much too soon. He will miss Rio :oops:
To be fair he didn’t answer the question on whether or not he would have stayed, he diplomatically talked his way around the question.
It’s a very frank account of the difficulty faced by both the manager, who comes in and tries to put his own stamp on things, and the incumbent players who have enjoyed a sustained period of success using the previous methods.
He was captain when United beat Chelsea in moscow.