Greatest Left Back of all times

I was having an arguement with some mates on who has been the best one... Nilton Santos was legendary in his attacking skills, Facchetti was the first modern fullback who combines attack with defense perfectly, and Maldini is Maldini. Carlos has probably been the most successful LB... There are so many choices, who do you think has been the best ever??

To save us all time, I am including a shortlist of our discussions - who is the best one among these??

Denis Irwin.

I was half expecting you to say Silvestre

Parks lives wrote:Denis Irwin.

I was expecting to see Bixente Lizarazu in this list

I thought about it (I really rate Lizarazu!), and he would probably be around the Brehme-Breitner level IMO but its basically between the first 5 names if you ask me.... Brehme & Breitner were added as after thoughts...

Napoléon wrote:I was expecting to see Bixente Lizarazu in this list

The greatest is ..

Ruud Krol .. even though he can play anywhere across the defence , even in midfield .. a true Total Footballer ..

amazing at left-back , from what I've seen and heard.

Well the list is mostly made up of player before my time. It would be futile to comment on them.

Brehme was overrated IMO, the best elft back I've seen in my lifetime is Carlos

Well Maldini always gets the left back spot in my world XIs, but then i've grown up watching him. He's certainly better than Carlos though IMO.

Offensively Carlos was better than Maldini, but overall Maldini was better IMO. I've been told my entire life that Nilton Santos aka Football Encyclopedia was head and shoulders above anyone.

that's it. I also think Maldini's better than Carlos. but, like sheva, I've always heard Nilton Santos was one of the best players (all positions included) we Brazilians ever had.

I have heard similar stuff about facchetti... I guess Santos-Facchetti were like the Maldini-Carlos of yesteryears... it was the discussion topic... from what I have heard (and the little I have seen) N Santos was great going forward, while Facchetti was good going froward and decent in defending... most people call him the most complete fullback ever, Facchetti had it all!! I am surprised to see so many people rate Maldini over Facchetti... he was maldini's role model... from what I understand, its very close in Italy, the opinion is very devided...

Personally, I think its between Nilton, Facchetti and Maldini.... with honourable mentions to Krol and Carlos...

todo wrote:that's it. I also think Maldini's better than Carlos. but, like sheva, I've always heard Nilton Santos was one of the best players (all positions included) we Brazilians ever had.

agree about Nilton, Facchetti, and Maldini. anyway, I think it's nice to do it for fun, but it's impossible to actually compare players from different football eras.

I'd also like to mention Júnior, Flamengo and Brazil player from the 80s, early 90s. He's regarded by many Brazilian pundits as our best left-back alongside Nilton Santos. I saw him playing and, IMO, he was better than Carlos.

bluenine wrote:Personally, I think its between Nilton, Facchetti and Maldini.... with honourable mentions to Krol and Carlos...

Yeah, I remember Junior very well.... good player. To me, he was always more of a winger than a full back... but then, most brazilian fullback are

And I agree about comparing players from different eras... the more recent player will always win a vote coz more people remember him better... its a bit like the Pele-Maradona debate...

todo wrote:agree about Nilton, Facchetti, and Maldini. anyway, I think it's nice to do it for fun, but it's impossible to actually compare players from different football eras.

I'd also like to mention Júnior, Flamengo and Brazil player from the 80s, early 90s. He's regarded by many Brazilian pundits as our best left-back alongside Nilton Santos. I saw him playing and, IMO, he was better than Carlos.

bluenine wrote:Personally, I think its between Nilton, Facchetti and Maldini.... with honourable mentions to Krol and Carlos...

bluenine wrote:I am surprised to see so many people rate Maldini over Facchetti...

Look at the average of people on this forum, Bluey.

I've grown up watching Maldini.

People have rated Maldini over Facchetti because most of us weren't around 50 years ago.

These polls should always only be about best 'you've seen' else its just guesswork.

in the early 90s he began to play as an attacking midfielder for Flamengo, a number 10. then, after he stopped playing as a professional, he became a legend of beach football in Brazil.

bluenine wrote:Yeah, I remember Junior very well.... good player. To me, he was always more of a winger than a full back... but then, most brazilian fullback are

Napoléon wrote:I was expecting to see Bixente Lizarazu in this list

if you're making a case for Lizarazu you have to make a case for Irwin, Dicks and Burrows.

From the list I'd pick Roberto Carlos. We're all aware of his weaknesses but in his prime he was spectacular.

Blunine
also itsnt Cabrini rated above Facchetti in general. i will of course say carlos since i havent seen any of them. it would be maybe better if it was a poll of the last 10-15 years since most of us have never seen Facchetti for example.

supermadrid(zizou legend) wrote:Blunine
also itsnt Cabrini rated above Facchetti in general. i will of course say carlos since i havent seen any of them. it would be maybe better if it was a poll of the last 10-15 years since most of us have never seen Facchetti for example.

Haven't seen Maldini?

he started playing football(1985) before i was born in 1985. so i have missed much of him but of the stuff i have seen he has been great. so i gues him too since i have seen around 7 years of him which should be enough to judge.

A discussion of left backs that doesn't include Harry Cripps. The worlds greatest left back ever, as only the ignorant could doubt.

Branco (brazilian player). Best free kick taker i've ever saw, even better than Roberto Carlos for me.

Pure class player.

alan wright

he's possibly the shortest and baldest, too

I think Roberto Carlos is a bad free kick taker. all power, no direction.

I rate Branco, Leonardo, Júnior and Nilton Santos above Carlos.

Protheus wrote:Branco (brazilian player). Best free kick taker i've ever saw, even better than Roberto Carlos for me.

Pure class player.

Of course, for me, the great, the legendary Paolo Maldini.

Maldini is possibly the greatest of modern times , it wont be fair to say his the greatest of all time if you have never seen the majority of the other contenders ..

That is why I choose Maldini, somebody I have watched for years!

I did say "for me".

Kaká wrote:That is why I choose Maldini, somebody I have watched for years!

I did say "for me".

Not even Roberto Carlos ..

Rai Krol wrote:

Kaká wrote:That is why I choose Maldini, somebody I have watched for years!

I did say "for me".

Not even Roberto Carlos ..

No, maybe 2nd.

The Greatest