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Date:Friday August 29 2008
Time: 8:08AM
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Terry As The Best Defender? UEFA's Having A Laugh
It was little surprise that Petr Cech won the award for the best goalkeeper of last season's Champions League campaign. After all, in the final, he single-handedly kept Chelsea alive in the first half where we should have buried them.
It could be expected that Lampard will get the midfielder award as Xavi wasn't consistent enough, Fabregas's team did not get past the last eight, Scholes scored only one goal and did not play really well in the final.
It was entirely predictable that Ronaldo will win the best forward award: as the competition's top scorer he was a shoe-in (though 10 goals in 2002 wasn't enough for Ruud van Nistelrooy, overlooked for Real Madrid's Raul. And they say UEFA have no bias against English clubs).
Ronaldo, of course won the best player award as well and as he scored important goals against Lyon, Roma and Chelsea, nobody could argue that he merits the prize.
However, John Terry as the best defender? Come on. It beggars belief. I was certain that Rio Ferdinand would get the award as obviously he was the most deserving candidate.
United conceded two goals during the knockout stages, Chelsea conceded six. Terry was all over the place at Anfield particularly, troubled by Fernando Torres throughout - Rio was always composed, had Eto'o in his pocket in the semi-final, for example.
Also, compare United's and Chelsea's route to the final: Terry had to withstand the devilish attacks of Olympiakos and Fenerbahce while United were drawn against lightweights such as Lyon and Roma. Yet we remained unbeaten, unlike Chelsea, and it owed very much to our defensive resilience, to the defence that was marshalled expertly by Rio.
I know that this award has little significance and I'm not very disappointed. I know why he got it of course: for his tears in the final, to compensate for the missed penalty. The reason why the real prize had been presented to Rio and co.
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Your Comments
Terry gets the award and u guyz start crying....who's the real crybaby here......
shren007
the real crybaby was terry, you fool.
UnitedRed
"I know why he got it of course: for his tears in the final, to compensate for the missed penalty. The reason why the real prize had been presented to Rio and co." Exactly.
I could not believe Terry won the award. It was absolutely ridiculous. Okay, Terry's a decent defender, but this season he really hasn't played all that well. Ferdinand definitely deserved the award more, and if not him, then Vidic, who also played especially well. Did Uefa not notice that apart from conceding the least goals, and playing really well, Rio also scored (against Dynamo Kiev). Terry tried to, but couldn't. How they can provide evidence for a defender who conceded significantly more goals than Rio, didn't do anything noticeable that you would say constitutes an award, and then apart from that Giggs block, didn't really show up against United in the final (with anything good anyway). I just cannot think of any reasons what so ever why Terry should have been named it. Does anyone else have any idea?
Man utd champions
On Lampard also, I was a bit surprised. He played ok, but this season in Europe hasn't been all that great for him (Liverpool game excluding) and personally, I would have gone for Fabregas. Still, I could see how Uefa could have done for him, so I've not too mnay complaints. Peter Cech... yeah, maybe, but there were some really good goalies in that section, and I'm not sure Cech was the best of the lot. On Terry again, it seems everyone is just trying to make him feel better (whilst forgetting about Rio's feelings in the meantime) with the England captaincy, and now this award.
Man utd champions
* gone
*many
Man utd champions
I feel so bad I could cry, seriously, the only thing that could cheer me up is the return of the Dongster. I hope all this is some ploy to fool the opposition...
Dong deserves more! At least his own seperate post on this site so we can compare his best and many, many worst moments...
Tosswink
well Terry for one played without a manager,so he had the main burden of getting the team through to the final.
keka
Really? Avram Grant wasn't that bad. He won a bigger percentage of games than even Jose, and he got you further in the Champions League. Harsh to say Terry played without a manager - maybe Avram wasn't great, but Chelsea getting to the final certainly wasn't anything like all down to John Terry.
Man utd champions
what a load ov rubbish, even my m8s who support liverpool think that ferdinand should have won, the only award terry should win is 'bottler of the year'
fenton_01
Exactly. Who decides these awards? Probably Peter Kenyon lol.
Man utd champions
This made me laugh. The interview was cringeworthy, the guy too embarrased to say, "Why is it John that you fecked up your penalty adnt hen spent the next month crying like a little child?". It may sound harsh, but the day John Terry leaves the game is a day many will rejoice...his actions over the last few years have left everyone hating him (everyone outside SW6 that is).
united4life
Oh and keka...coem back when you have a real argument you moron.
united4life
As a Chelsea supporter, I'm willing to meet you half way. It's noteworthy to see some appreciation of Cech's performances and I fully believe he was deserving of the win. Rio Ferdinand is an excellent defender and if we're talking about overall performance in the CL, I agree, Rio was more deserving. There you go: some objectivity. Why did JT win? Don't know, really. Maybe some misguided sympathy due to the penalty miss. If so, one obviously has nothing to do with the other. However, JT did play very well throughout the tournament, and if you refuse to admit that you're not seeing things clearly. Calling him "bottler of the year" is unnecessary, though. He slipped, we lost, you won. Had JT converted and you lost, Ronaldo would've been made into more of a fool than he already is, and don't forget that. It's a fact. Furthermore, if you think Rio Ferdinand isn't hated in a similar way to JT, you're kidding yourself as well. I'm sorry UEFA made the competition into a popularity contest, but your boy lost.
RadioactiveD
Radioactive D I understand Ferdiandn is not the most popular outside Manchester, but I challenge you to find many peopel who rate John Terry above him both as a person and more imporatanly as a player. In fact, I personally dont even rate John Terry as one of the two best central defenders in ENGLAND, let alone Europe. Sorry mate, just my opinion.
united4life
Opinion is fine but that doesn't make it a fact. It goes both ways, I get that too. So you've got yours and I've got mine. You support Rio and I support JT. As strong as your perspective is, mine will meet yours right in the middle. Rather than bicker it's better to respect each other--although it is less fun. Good luck this season, Mancs. You'll need it. We're stronger this season and you aren't.
RadioactiveD
scandalous that! how vds and rio didnt win their respective trophys i have no idea.
HuddersfieldYiddo
16 top coaches vote and the results don't lie or are you called those 16 coaches (which includes Fergie) idiots?
merlin
Besides if Rio were to win it could EUFA be sure he'd turn up - after all he forgot to p i s s in the bottle didn't he!
merlin
Danny of Zenit just made Rio look like a total fool for their second goal. You can try all day and night to convince me he's the best defender in England. JT has his weaknesses. So does Rio and there's fresh proof. Get over it.
RadioactiveD
I agree with this article.
Paulinho
Terry aint even close to Rios level.
rooneyisgod
Yes, you may be stronger this season, and we aren't (yet anyway) but that doesn't necessarily giev you an advantage. After all, at the beginning of the 2006/07 campaign, we'd hardly strenthened, (just Carrick) and you'd brought in a fair few players (Shevchenko, Ballack...). The season before, we'd ended up well behidn you, and in the game where you won the title, you thrashed us 3-0 with all of our players (barring Rooney before his injury) had played badly. And then what happened? United won the league, scoring loads, and conceding very few, and finishing ahead of Chelsea by 7 points. Strenthening does not necessarily give you an advantage (though this may not be the case this year). I'm not saying you won't win, because so far, you appear to have a fantastic chance, but the start of the season can be misleading. After all, last season in August/Septemeber time, both you and us were trailing well behind Arsenal. And then what happened?
Man utd champions
Yes, RadioactiveD, both have their faults, weaknesses and good points. Both are England's first choice, and their club captains. They are both good, and England have both in their team, so we don't need to compare them. On Danny embarassing Rio, it's not really a fair comparison, as Terry has never played against him, and it could easily have happened to anyone. And lest we forget, I could always mention whose penalty miss it was that prevented Terry facing Danny last night... but I think we all know.
Man utd champions
Arguably 2 of the best CBs in the world. Not surprised if either got it but you can't overlook the embarrassment of that penalty.
tomo27tigers
My point about Rio is that he can be embarrassed just like anyone. I was only using Danny as an exa.
RadioactiveD
Okay, RadioactiveD, all I was saying is that you need to compare them fairly, for example, see how they perform for England, when they are both up against the same players. But anyway, does it really matter? Both are really good defenders, Terry got the award (however controversial it may be); both are at arguably the two top clubs in England, and both play for England. They are different players, and we don't really need to make comparisons.
Man utd champions
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