SMITH
WHERE are the Franco Baresis and Paolo Maldinis of today?
It is a question I feel needs to be asked after a week of European action which strongly suggested that, at the top level, strikers now hold the upper hand over defenders.
From an entertainment point of view Manchester City’s 5-3 win over Monaco was a tremendous spectacle.
I enjoyed it hugely myself, and everyone I spoke to was of exactly the same mind.
Football professionals, though, would view it differently.
This was a tie between the best team in France and the secondbest in England, yet it produced some horrendous defensive errors.
Without doubt, they were punished by some very impressive finishing from both sides. But the blunders were important contributing factors.
It was a similar story elsewhere with six of the Champions League clashes delivering 31 goals at an average of more than five-a-game. And that’s in the latter stages of Europe’s most-prestigious club competition.
A glance at the team-lines of the biggest sides gives a fair indication why this may be the case.
Robert Lewandowski, Sergio Aguerro, Antoine Griezmann, Angel De Maria and Falcao – there are some fearsome attacking talents out there just now.
Scan the lists of defenders on the books of the powerhouse clubs and there are also plenty of good footballers. But not the same quality of player.
Certainly no one who would be able to break into Milan’s legendary back-four of Maldini, Baresi, Costacurta and Tassotti which snuffed out all comers in the decade between 1987 and 1997.
For me, the issue is summed up by one player – John Stones.
The 22-year-old is at the very top of the game, he is a regular for England, and Man City had to pay Everton £50 million to extricate him from Goodison Park – for a player who often is a clear weakness in their side, the Monaco match being a case in point.
I appreciate he commanded that kind of fee because of the desire for the very richest clubs to have central defenders who are very comfortable on the ball, and capable of building attacks from the back.
But the starting point for managers when considering buying central defenders surely has to be for the target to have a strong command of the basics of the position.
Defenders need to be able to defend. And to do so solidly and consistently.
I do feel sorry for Pep Guardiola. Vincent Kompany’s injury problems have denied him the services of a player who is something of a throwback in terms of his dominance of his own penalty area.
As far as Stones is concerned, though, I can’t help thinking if he is worth £50 million how much would a world-class talent such as Booby Moore be worth in today’s market?
I don’t see anyone with the potential to fill his boots and in our owngame,thepositionisa perennial problem.
Scotland, a country which produced the likes of Richard Gough, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish and Colin Hendry, now has a dearth of options at centre-back. Again, I can’t see things changing any time soon.
Dundee’s win against Rangers last Sunday was a game won and lost on defensive errors.
Likewise, analysis of Aberdeen’s impressive 7-2 victory over Motherwell, a few days previously, reveals a catalogue of blunders.
Thatwon’tputoffDonsfansIam sure, just as the Well supporters who were lucky enough to be at the 6-6 draw with Hibs in 2010 treasure the memory of that amazing night at Fir Park.
When it comes to goals, it seems “never mind the quality just enjoy the quantity” is a message that will continue to be heard loud and clear.