Topic: The Greatest player Debate Vote Open. 1964 - 2009. Round 3 - The Centre Backs

[BCCC]

This is tough, I'm gonna have to have a good think about this.

[Neil D]

Have to pick Hansen because he is probably our greatest ever defender and I've watched and read a lot about him and his performances.

After that I've got to go with the best defender I've seen in a Red shirt and as I'm 26-years-old that is Sami Hyypia.

[Sarge]

Hell of a lineup in this one and i think its the toughest compition in the whole exercise. People will go ape when Torres is not added but ahh well.

[bigbear]

Have to pick Hansen because he is probably our greatest ever defender and I've watched and read a lot about him and his performances.

After that I've got to go with the best defender I've seen in a Red shirt and as I'm 26-years-old that is Sami Hyypia.

Age does come in to these things because we all favour who we've seen and modern players like Carra/Sami will always get a bigger proportion of votes than Yeats say.

That said, Sami is right up there from what I've watched since 1974ish so not a bad choice at all.

I asked my dad and he said Yeats and Hansen whereas I picked from my formative years Lawrenson and Hansen.

Seems like Hansen is nailed in !

[bigbear]

The problem with these kind of things is that we're going to end up in a situation where Alan Kennedy for example is in our all time eleven and maybe Emlyn Hughes or Mark Lawrenson  who were both better left backs than him are not due selection options.

[Sarge]

The problem with these kind of things is that we're going to end up in a situation where Alan Kennedy for example is in our all time eleven and maybe Emlyn Hughes or Mark Lawrenson  who were both better left backs than him are not due selection options.

They might make the 22.

[Sarge]

Anyway as i said a long way until next wednesday.

[bryanod]

It looks like it's going to be Jockie & Sami, which highlights the problem with these polls. Sami has been brilliant for us in recent years but a better player than Emlyn or Lawro?


The rest of the polls are going to be fascinating.

If this poll was done before sami agreed to leave he wouldn't be #2 in my opinion, thats the problem as you say.

Lawro and Hansen were amazing.

[bigbear]

They might make the 22.

I know it's difficult to run  so nothing but praise for you Sarge.

[Neil D]

If this poll was done before sami agreed to leave he wouldn't be #2 in my opinion, thats the problem as you say.

Lawro and Hansen were amazing.

I'm not so sure, regardless of his departure Sami is the best defender Reds younger than 30  will have seen playing for us.

It's not easy to pick players you didn't see playing regularly.

[Sarge]

I know it's difficult to run  so nothing but praise for you Sarge.

 i know i am great me, . Bit unfair to Sami and he rightly deserves the votes cast. I personally went for Hansen and Lawerson.

[Sarge]

Me Dad just read the list and i told him to pick two and he said,

Fuckin' hell.

Says it all really and he is 61.

[redmark]

Tough one this. Emlyn and Jockie for me. Leaving out Lawrenson and Thompson was not easy but Jockie has to be there and Emlyn was an incredible player - the Gerrard of his day. Versatile, committed and with an energy that defied belief. He had a shot on him that was the epitome of the thunderbolt.

Whenever I've done a 'best XI' to amuse myself over the years, it's always been Hansen and Lawrenson, though I sometimes think I've underrated Thompson. But reading the writeups and watching the video of Hughes (and you're right, I thought 'Gerrard of his time'), who I only really caught the tail-end of at the time... Fuck me he scored some belters. I read his autobiography years ago and didn't warm to him (royalist, blah blah). But the unrestrained joy of those celebrations probably just swayed me.

Hansen and Hughes. Or is it? Lawrenson was class... have to leave the vote for a while yet.

[Callaghan.]

Ronnie Moran:
"I've been around marvellous players like Roger Hunt, Kevin Keegan, Ian Callaghan, Emlyn Hughes, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, John Barnes and Robbie Fowler and I think Gerrard is as good as any of them."

[bigbear]

Ronnie Moran:
"I've been around marvellous players like Roger Hunt, Kevin Keegan, Ian Callaghan, Emlyn Hughes, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, John Barnes and Robbie Fowler and I think Gerrard is as good as any of them."

Sensational story.

"Ronnie Moran doesn't rate Alan Hansen and thinks Ian St John is not to face lace Fowlers boots."

It's hardly compelling is it.

[otottottffn]

Extremely hard to choose between Hughes, Hansen and Lawrenson, with Thompson not far behind.  In the end went for Hughes and Lawrenson.  If we were voting for a partnership would be Hansen and Lawrenson, but looking at them as individuals I couldn't leave Hughes out - my first favourite Liverpool player as a child.

[Callaghan.]

Sensational story.

"Ronnie Moran doesn't rate Alan Hansen and thinks Ian St John is not to face lace Fowlers boots."

It's hardly compelling is it.

It's not about some obvious names that Ronnie Moran left off his list, it's the fact that Emlyn Hughes gets on such a short list. That in itself shows what a player he was.

[panjabijutt]

Tough one this...having seen 'pool play for the last 30 odd years...lawro and hansen were defo the best partnership.  but went for hansen and Carragher as my choice.  Yes Carragher does not get much mention from the regulars but I chose him because with all the other great names being mentioned they had someone almost as good or better playing alongside them....i.e. a partnership.

Jamie has never had that consistent player alongside him and thus stood strong without the a hansen or lawro or thompson alongside.

[The Bill Hicks Appreciation Society]

Jamie has never had that consistent player alongside him and thus stood strong without the a hansen or lawro or thompson alongside.

At the risk of scuppering my boy's chances, how are Hyypia (especially), Agger and Skrtel not consistent?

[bryanod]

Jamie has never had that consistent player alongside him and thus stood strong without the a hansen or lawro or thompson alongside.

The face that the person in second place by a mile has played CB for us for the last 10 years suggests that is an awful arguement.

[The Mullingar Stud]

Alan Hansen 
Mark Lawerson

[panjabijutt]

At the risk of scuppering my boy's chances, how are Hyypia (especially), Agger and Skrtel not consistent?

Sami's been a great servant of the team.  Skrtel has really come through this year and would be great for the future.  Agger, a good player but has not had enough of a time in....

You've mentioned just three names here and can probably mention a few more for the time Carra has been a constant.  Go back to Hughes, Thompson's Hansen and Lawro's time......they were the names which were ever present, week in week out for years. So formed a partnership.

[TALBERT]

So hard to chose between Sami and Carra

[Alan_X]

Sami's been a great servant of the team.  Skrtel has really come through this year and would be great for the future.  Agger, a good player but has not had enough of a time in....

You've mentioned just three names here and can probably mention a few more for the time Carra has been a constant.  Go back to Hughes, Thompson's Hansen and Lawro's time......they were the names which were ever present, week in week out for years. So formed a partnership.

That's nonsense, centre-back partnerships change all the time - Jockie signed in '77 and Lawrenson didn't sign until 81.

[Alan_X]

So hard to chose between Sami and Carra

Choose Emlyn...

[xavidub]

Hansen and Lawrenson. If there is a better CB pairing ever in the game I haven't seen it. 

[panjabijutt]

The face that the person in second place by a mile has played CB for us for the last 10 years suggests that is an awful arguement.

Nothing against Sami...been a great player and there's nothing awful about the argument. 

As has been previously stated how many of the people voting have actually ever seen any of the names in the list form the 70's or even the 80's playing?  Any such vote will always favour the more recent players especially so because the choice is rather limited between Carra and Sami only, whereas the vote from anyone who can remember the 70's and 80's is split between 6 players.

[panjabijutt]

That's nonsense, centre-back partnerships change all the time - Jockie signed in '77 and Lawrenson didn't sign until 81.

From '77 he had Thompson.  From '81 he had Lawro.

For me Hansen and Lawro were the best partnership.  But I voted for Hansen and Carraghar.

[gray19lfc]

In my lifetime, it's got to be Sami and Carra.

[Alan_X]

From '77 he had Thompson.  From '81 he had Lawro.

For me Hansen and Lawro were the best partnership.  But I voted for Hansen and Carraghar.

Jamie & Sami played together almost without a break in 2004/5 and 2005/6. Jamie 56 and 57 appearances, Sami 49 and 59... wasn't that enough time to develop a partnership?

[sirKennyDaggers]

Hansen and Lawrenson,without a doubt.
Loved Jocky,remember his early days when Paisley told him to cut out the dribbling in his own area,he was that good he got away with it.
A privilege to have seen such a class act.

[Parpello]

Extremely hard to choose between Hughes, Hansen and Lawrenson, with Thompson not far behind.  In the end went for Hughes and Lawrenson.  If we were voting for a partnership would be Hansen and Lawrenson, but looking at them as individuals I couldn't leave Hughes out - my first favourite Liverpool player as a child.

We've had some exceptional centre backs through the years, but like yourself i've gone for Hughes & Lawrenson.

Hughes because of his drive & enthusiasm, & Lawrenson for his combative skills & pace.

[The Bill Hicks Appreciation Society]

very surprised at Yeats not being up there

[shanklyboy]

From '77 he had Thompson.  From '81 he had Lawro.

For me Hansen and Lawro were the best partnership.  But I voted for Hansen and Carraghar.

Jockey has always maintained his best partner was Phil Thompson.

[tinman1]

Hansen & Sami for me

[Mad Men]

Gary Gillespie is still not on the list...!!!

[Callaghan.]

Gary Gillespie is still not on the list...!!!

Sarge had a tough job picking the list. Gary Gillespie and Larry Lloyd are probably the other two of the top dozen since 1964.

Gillespie was originally suggested by Sarge but he was persuaded to replace him with Tommy Smith. Smith was in the right-back list but Nicol made the right and left-back lists so it's not set in stone but that's why Smith wasn't originally in this poll.

Personally I'd have Gillespie in before Mark Wright and probably Henchoz but that's just me; it doesn't really matter either way because none of them would threaten the top of the list.

Here are all twelve, in order of appearances:

Appearances / Goals

Hughes   665 / 49
Smith   638 / 48
Hansen   620 / 14
Carragher   577 / 5
Thompson   477 / 13
Hyypia   464 / 35
Yeats   454 / 16
Lawrenson   356 / 18
Lloyd   218 / 5
Gillespie   214 / 16
Wright   210 / 9
Henchoz   205 / 0

My gripe is not with the list selection (we should only warmly thank Sarge and the people who have done the write-ups) but with the votes themselves; I absolutely love Sami but there's no way he should be so far ahead of Emlyn Hughes, Mark Lawrenson, Phil Thompson and Tommy Smith.

[Raul!]

Tough one this. Emlyn and Jockie for me. Leaving out Lawrenson and Thompson was not easy but Jockie has to be there and Emlyn was an incredible player - the Gerrard of his day. Versatile, committed and with an energy that defied belief. He had a shot on him that was the epitome of the thunderbolt.

Spot on, with the same twinges about leaving Lawrenson and Thommo out.  Fantastic defenders and fantastic ball players too.

[itsgunnabebarnes!]

Theres no way sami is our second best centre back ever. very good player, but ahead soem of the others? nah.

[Joe Rogans Chin]

Hansen and Hughes.

Hyppia over Hughes? sort it out lads.