finnan - our best full back since phil neal?

[Guest Hack]

anyone agree?

 

after a bit of a dodgy first year, he really has come into his own these past few seasons....has shown himself to be solid at the back and extremely important in our attacking play....his assists stat must be huge.

 

He has beaten the challenge of josemi and krompkamp with ease and for me is our best full back since Neal.

 

Rob jones prolly the closest contender yet we didnt see enough of him due to injuries..

 

Cant think of any right back in the world id rather have than Steve Finnan...a fantastic buy and still totally underated.

[Guest Raddy]

nearly cost us two goals today (again) with his weak defending of crosses.

[Red Nick]

1 Steve Nicol

2 Marcus Babbel

3 Rob Jones

4 Jamie Carragher

5 Jim Beglin

6 Mark Lawrenson

[Strontium]

Cant think of any right back in the world id rather have than Steve Finnan...

Daniel Alves?

[Guest Hack]

1 Steve Nicol - loved nicol, think finnan is a better defender though..

2 Marcus Babbel - was fantastic for one season, unfortunate with the illness

3 Rob Jones - already mentioned him

4 Jamie Carragher- although very good as a full back, hes far better as a center back, carra offered next to nothing in support down the wings

5 Jim Beglin - decent player,shouldnt be mentioned in the same breath as these other players though

6 Mark Lawrenson - see carra

[Guest Hack]

Daniel Alves?

 

 

well from what ive seen of alves, hes an excellent attacking player....not too great defensively.

[Strontium]

4 Jamie Carragher- although very good as a full back, hes far better as a center back, carra offered next to nothing in support down the wings

 

well from what ive seen of alves, hes an excellent attacking player....not too great defensively.

 

So Carra (though a better defender than Finnan) isn't as good a full-back because he offers less from an attacking standpoint, and Alves (though a better attacker than Finnan) isn't as good a full-back because he isn't as good from a defensive standpoint.

 

Well, those two statements aren't remotely contradictory!

 

PS your judgement of Beglin is way off too

[truescouser4eve]

So Carra (though a better defender than Finnan) isn't as good a full-back because he offers less from an attacking standpoint, and Alves (though a better attacker than Finnan) isn't as good a full-back because he isn't as good from a defensive standpoint.

 

Well, those two statements aren't remotely contradictory!

 

PS your judgement of Beglin is way off too

 

Yeah exactly, you need someone in the middle, someone who's defending is steady and whos attacking is also good...ie finnan, the complete consistant full back! cant think of anyone else id rather have playing there!

[Guest Hack]

So Carra (though a better defender than Finnan) isn't as good a full-back because he offers less from an attacking standpoint, and Alves (though a better attacker than Finnan) isn't as good a full-back because he isn't as good from a defensive standpoint.

 

Well, those two statements aren't remotely contradictory!

 

PS your judgement of Beglin is way off too

 

errrrrrrr no, finnan is a great combination of the two...hes a great defender and a great contributor in attack.....so no, im not contradicting myself..

 

and beglin played in some great sides, yet from watching him at the time....he wasnt exactly a fan favourite and certainly is nowhere close to the quality of steve finnan.

[Guest Hack]

gary neville for example is a player i hate, yet you have to stand up and be honest by saying..hes been by far and away the best full back in the premiership for 10 years....he does a decent job in supporting the attack and is solid defensively......very similar player to finnan.

 

These two players are the perfect type of full back.

[7dalglish]

I always liked Beglin and was gutted when he had that horrible break, my favourite right back to date is probably Stevie Nicol, a very good player in some excellent sides.

 

Rob Jones was brilliant for a brief period but was a player unlucky with injuries, when fit he was the best in the league.

 

That said I really like Finnan and feel he really doesn't get enough credit for what he does. Although there have been numerous posts just lately saying exactly the same thing. Liverpool fans do recognise his contribution but maybe it's wider recognition that some people are looking for, I couldn't give a fuck if sky or the daily rags don't wank over him however.

 

Apart from him keeping it simple and rarely making any costly mistakes he is decent from an attacking point of view too. Add to that the fact that he never gobs off to the press, ref's or other players makes him a very good Liverpool player for me.

[Big Ig]

Garcia's comment in his first year here stands out, that he was the player Garcia was most surprised at his quality, after his first impressions of him.

[Paul]

Finnan is a class act defensively and is very under-rated going forward. His two-footedness means he can either go round the outside and cross it, or cut back inside and do the same. He has two weaknesses to his game, though: a lack of spring, which means he's vulnerable to crosses hit towards a tall forward at the back post; and a lack of pace. However, his positioning, composure, reading of the game and experience mean these are rarely exposed.

 

Having said that, I'd deffo put Nick's top three ahead of him, and in the same order. Steve Nicol is the best full back I've seen in a Red shirt. Babbel was not far away and Rob Jones, whilst not amazing going forward, was awesome defensively and linked really well with McMannaman on the right side.

[Guest Hack]

amazing how many good right backs we have had...

 

the same cannot be the said for left back which has been a problem position since the days of alan kennedy

[7dalglish]

Jim Beglin was a very good left back, as mentioned earlier his leg break and then another injury meant he was pretty much finished. Before he broke his leg he was top class and myself everyone I knew said he had the potential to be a great Liverpool player.

[philyhamann]

I think Finnan gets in ahead of Babbel because of Babbels unfortunate illness.

[The Clive Thomas Fan Club]

Jim Beglin was a very good left back, as mentioned earlier his leg break and then another injury meant he was pretty much finished. Before he broke his leg he was top class and myself everyone I knew said he had the potential to be a great Liverpool player.

 

Absolutely shocking challenge by that cunt Gary Stevens against the blueshite, if I remember correctly.

[drewy]

Finnan doesn't even make it into my top 5. He's a solid full back but never our best since Phil Neal.

[cochcaer]

Think it was a tragedy that shin splints and injuries robbed us of a great full back in Rob Jones. Think his debut was at home to the Mancs and he easily dealt with Giggs and looked like a seasoned top flight player.

[Guest Raddy]

finnan is not in the league of babbel, jones or neal.

[Guest MomotheMoFo]

Nicol for me. He would be solid defensively, get forward, score goals and lots of them. He was very versitile playing centre back one game, full back the next or even right mid from time to time. Think he won PFA player one year?, which showed how important he was.

 

Finnan is a top right back, consistant who defenders first attacks second. I have no problem with this and he does get forward and grab the odd assist. I most importantly like it how you never see him give the ball away... a very tidy player.

[robbief]

finnan is far better than babbel. we'v got a great defense right now, thats with sami and with agger.

[Dirk]

finnan is far better than babbel. we'v got a great defense right now, thats with sami and with agger.

 

No he isn't. No offence mate but you were about 10 when Babbel was here.

[robbief]

didn't you know football when you were ten? its old enough to go the match every week isn't it?

[Paul]

finnan is far better than babbel. we'v got a great defense right now, thats with sami and with agger.

 

How would a lad of your tender years know that, Robbie? You were 13 or so when Babbel was in his prime for us, weren't you? Not trying to take the piss or be patronising; just saying that most kids' judgement of football is very basic at that age. Mine certainly was. Finnan is great, but Babbel was much stronger in Finnan's two weak areas of pace and aerial ability. He was a real threat at corners and part of a defence that was great at defending high balls into the box.