[VOTE] Team of the 21st Century - CB 2 - Semi Finals

[RandoEFC+]

An all-Italian clash and the battle of two La Liga giants. Who will make the final?

[Cicero]

Easy this one 

[Carnivore Chris]

Ayala should have been against Puyol to be fair. Godin was brilliant but Ayala was definitely better in my opinion. Only Mascherano, Zanetti and Messi have made more appearances for Argentina than him and that tells you a lot, not just about how good he was, but how he had a long career. Both of them are 2 of the better defenders(often overlooked in these arguments at the same time) of the last few decades though without a doubt.

@Berserker will agree about Ayala also.

[CaaC (John)+]

Shite, I meant to hit Puyol not Godin  

[CaaC (John)+]

Edit and deleted double post.

[Stan]

Nesta and Puyol.

[Storts]

Genuinely think Godin was a better defender than Puyol

[Cicero]

Think you’re in the minority there mate. 

[Mpache]

51 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Think you’re in the minority there mate. 

It's not that ludicrous to be honest. Godin is the best defender of this generation and has achieved a lot with weaker teams than Puyol. 

[Mpache]

1 hour ago, Storts said:

Genuinely think Godin was a better defender than Puyol

Godin is the Lucio of this generation. Brilliant defender who will be forgotten by most. Puyol was a top center back but he's remembered as the better defender of the best Barcelona side ever. Godin really isn't too far off, though I still think Puyol is a better player. 

[Storts]

1 hour ago, Cicero said:

Think you’re in the minority there mate. 

Oh yeah - and I'm not even saying he's a better player,  but defending I actually think Godin might have been better. Puyol was obviously outstanding for Barca and Spain, and his track record speaks for itself, but Godin was truly brilliant in his own right.

[RandoEFC+]

Yeah think we'll be moving swiftly onto the final here. Will set that up tomorrow if I remember then we'll have 4 of our 11.

[DeadLinesman]

Godin being criminally overlooked by a defender that looked good due to his teammates having the ball for 90% of the matches he played at the height of his career. In my humble opinion of course.

[Cicero]

Same argument can be said that Godin was made to look good given how defensive and conservative Simeone sets his Atletico side up

[DeadLinesman]

That’s not the same argument at all though? Looking good through actual defence, or not actually having to do that much defending.....

[Mpache]

It’s really easy to say Puyol is better because he kept a high profile and had gone down as a “legend”. Some players who have kept a lower profile but were excellent have been forgotten. Lucio is the prime example as I’ve already said. Godin didn’t play for Barcelona or Real Madrid so he’s not going to be remembered. 

Hell, Sergio Ramos is already being considered a Real Madrid legend, but we all know how erratic he can be and how he’s average at defending.

[Cicero]

40 minutes ago, DeadLinesman said:

That’s not the same argument at all though? Looking good through actual defence, or not actually having to do that much defending.....

I’m not implying it’s the same argument. My point is that it’s two-sided. 

You claim Puyol benefited by having a team that kept the ball. I counter that Godin benefited by having a wall of players protecting him. 

You claim Godin looks good through actual defending. I counter stating Puyol probably had the greater duty given how attacking Barca are, and that he had to essentially hold the defence on his own and clean up the mess when the opposition catch Barca on the break. 

I’d label Godin an elite defender but Puyol a class above. 

 

[Spike]

Godin has been bad for Inter.

[DeadLinesman]

9 hours ago, Cicero said:

I’m not implying it’s the same argument. My point is that it’s two-sided. 

You claim Puyol benefited by having a team that kept the ball. I counter that Godin benefited by having a wall of players protecting him. 

You claim Godin looks good through actual defending. I counter stating Puyol probably had the greater duty given how attacking Barca are, and that he had to essentially hold the defence on his own and clean up the mess when the opposition catch Barca on the break. 

I’d label Godin an elite defender but Puyol a class above. 

 

You’re making that sound like Puyol played on his own in defence and Godin played with defenders in front of him to protect him. That just isn’t the case. That high press style from Barsa hardly left Puyol on his own did it? And again, they used to make 3 million passes a game, literally passing the opposition to death. The rare times they lost the ball it was gifted back to them as the opposition either hoof it or it goes out of play. At least that was happened in Champions League games where I saw them at their peak in that 2007 onwards period. Sometimes I think being in winning teams makes people judge players to have been somehow better than they actually were. Was Puyol a class defender? Absolutely. Was he head and shoulders above everyone else? Absolutely not.

Anyways, opinions are like arseholes.

[RandoEFC+]

I did think a lot of people would say it was close between Puyol and Godin but not enough that many people would vote in favour of Godin to make it close.

[Fusion]

Easy choice. Godin. No one will remember Puyol in 10 years if he had Godin's hair.

[RandoEFC+]

Nesta and Puyol into the final.