Best CB Pair In The World?

[barcetia]

Subotic and Hummels could make that list as well.
It's really no competition. We have La Liga's, CL and World Cup winning centre back partnership.

Agreed. Especially Hummels is awesome. Wish we could buy him or Thiago Silva.

 

[Trequartista]

Agreed. Especially Hummels is awesome. Wish we could buy him or Thiago Silva.

Same here,Hummy(not Hammy) is awesome,I watch Dortmund's matches for him,a decent header of the ball,awesomecoverer and nice tackler,superb ball reader,and a decent passer,he still needs to work on his positioning though,his pace is decent compared to other defenders so he can play in various types of back lines,i wish we can buy him at the end of the season but cant see it happening

 

[Jordzibob]

Puyol and Pique-there isnt a better combination of skill, power, big game ability, speed and understanding anywhere else. They compliment each other amazingly with the way they play.

You can only have Lucio and Samuel if you chuck Mourinho in there aswell, and as it's a pair, aint gonna happen. They look crap without a manager incredibly defensively orientated telling them how to do, and got away with numerous, and ridiculous fouls, even when they had him. Samuels in the box style WWE defending doesnt cut it with me.

 

[Pajo]

Lucio - Samuel , and not by bias, but i have alqays had high oppinions of both of them. For me, Rio - Vidic are second, Puyol - Pique third.

Nesta-Silva is a big LOL if someone sees them as one of the best. Silva is above average, so is nesta. Nesta was once the best CB, and one of the best in hisory, but atm he is not even half of what it has been.

 

[ranjix]

Puyol-Pique

 

[Raed]

Puyol and Pique-there isnt a better combination of skill, power, big game ability, speed and understanding anywhere else. They compliment each other amazingly with the way they play.

You can only have Lucio and Samuel if you chuck Mourinho in there aswell, and as it's a pair, aint gonna happen. They look crap without a manager incredibly defensively orientated telling them how to do, and got away with numerous, and ridiculous fouls, even when they had him. Samuels in the box style WWE defending doesnt cut it with me.

Every partnership in defense is the product of the system they are in. Pique and Puyol are actually laughable when slightly exposed or when Barcelona don't take control of the match. So were Vidic and Rio as well as Samuel and Lucio. In fact the partnership that is most likely to be demolished easily when playing outside their system is Pique and Puyol because no way in hell will they be able to get away with their runs and early commitments on the few occasions they get attacked hastily.

The work made by Lucio and Samuel was tremendous, especially with less than energetic youth in midfield. They have been more physical than anyone else in that group but that is not something I'd hold against them because football outside Spain and in Europe is a lot more physical than what we are used to in La Liga.

 

[Pajo]

Every partnership in defense is the product of the system they are in. Pique and Puyol are actually laughable when slightly exposed or when Barcelona don't take control of the match. So were Vidic and Rio as well as Samuel and Lucio. In fact the partnership that is most likely to be demolished easily when playing outside their system is Pique and Puyol because no way in hell will they be able to get away with their runs and early commitments on the few occasions they get attacked hastily.

The work made by Lucio and Samuel was tremendous, especially with less than energetic youth in midfield. They have been more physical than anyone else in that group but that is not something I'd hold against them because football outside Spain and in Europe is a lot more physical than what we are used to in La Liga.

 

[beef-supreme]

Every partnership in defense is the product of the system they are in. Pique and Puyol are actually laughable when slightly exposed or when Barcelona don't take control of the match. So were Vidic and Rio as well as Samuel and Lucio. In fact the partnership that is most likely to be demolished easily when playing outside their system is Pique and Puyol because no way in hell will they be able to get away with their runs and early commitments on the few occasions they get attacked hastily.

The work made by Lucio and Samuel was tremendous, especially with less than energetic youth in midfield. They have been more physical than anyone else in that group but that is not something I'd hold against them because football outside Spain and in Europe is a lot more physical than what we are used to in La Liga.

That's fine, but you have to think about Puyol-Pique in the NT context too. So i think that it's a bit too easy to say "outside their system" - because Spain don't play the same system or face the same opponents as Barca.

 

[Canto]

Rio and Vida...easily by far the best center pairing ...miles ahead of the rest

 

[Pajo]

More or less, it IS the same... Or at least similar. Well, Barca is actually Spain + Messi

 

[beef-supreme]

More or less, it IS the same... Or at least similar. Well, Barca is actually Spain + Messi

It's not though. Completely different formation, quite a few different players, different style of competition played in against different opponents...
The style of play is similar and there are many players shared by the two teams, but it would be an overstatement to say it's more or less the same. It's like saying Barcelona and Arsenal are the same.

 

[Pajo]

Well, barca plays with one DM and two CMs, with 3 strikers. Spain plays with 2 DMs, one CM and 3 strikers. So the formation is similar, and tactics is same, attacking. I still believe its more or less the same

doesnt matter really, its about the CBs, they get even more help when they play in Spanish NT (due to the two DMs). I still think if pushed around the box neihter Pique nor Puyol can stand the pressure like rio/vidic and samuel/lucio can. So they would come third on my list, after those two pairs.

 

[Raed]

That's fine, but you have to think about Puyol-Pique in the NT context too. So i think that it's a bit too easy to say "outside their system" - because Spain don't play the same system or face the same opponents as Barca.

Two DMs aren't exactly making their work harder, is it now? Spain essentially play similar to Barcelona with a lot of ball possession so they don't get pounded as much. But two games with four goals conceded in each doesn't help their case either.

Remember though, these 3 partnerships are the best in the world and when we rate them above each other it is perhaps by a minor fraction, it is not like I think there is a huge difference between any.

 

[La Furia]

Every partnership in defense is the product of the system they are in. Pique and Puyol are actually laughable when slightly exposed or when Barcelona don't take control of the match. So were Vidic and Rio as well as Samuel and Lucio. In fact the partnership that is most likely to be demolished easily when playing outside their system is Pique and Puyol because no way in hell will they be able to get away with their runs and early commitments on the few occasions they get attacked hastily.

The work made by Lucio and Samuel was tremendous, especially with less than energetic youth in midfield. They have been more physical than anyone else in that group but that is not something I'd hold against them because football outside Spain and in Europe is a lot more physical than what we are used to in La Liga.

I agree with this.

 

[ricknattery]

Every partnership in defense is the product of the system they are in. Pique and Puyol are actually laughable when slightly exposed or when Barcelona don't take control of the match. So were Vidic and Rio as well as Samuel and Lucio. In fact the partnership that is most likely to be demolished easily when playing outside their system is Pique and Puyol because no way in hell will they be able to get away with their runs and early commitments on the few occasions they get attacked hastily.

The work made by Lucio and Samuel was tremendous, especially with less than energetic youth in midfield. They have been more physical than anyone else in that group but that is not something I'd hold against them because football outside Spain and in Europe is a lot more physical than what we are used to in La Liga.

you still have to consider that Pique and Puyol have to solve situations in defense pretty much by themselves, while samuel and lucio get more coverage from their teammates. They don't get as exposed as Pique and Puyol does