5 Dec 2011

John Arne RIISE: A better left back for Liverpool than Jose ENRIQUE...?

Liverpool left-backs from past and present come face to face at Craven Cottage tonight, and whilst John Arne Riise and Jose Enrique are both excellent players in their own right, who would you choose at left back for Liverpool if you had to make a choice?

Enrique has been a success story at Anfield so far this season; unlike others, he settled in five minutes after starting his first game for the club, and he's produced high quality performances ever since.

In Riise's first season, Liverpool finished 2nd in the league (ahead of Man United), and also had the best defensive record. Riise also helped Liverpool win the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the Champions League.

Who would you have in your team?



I would go for Riise every day of the week. Enrique is a very good player but he's lacking in one important area: goals. To date, the Spaniard has scored just one senior goal in his two hundred game career, which (IMO) needs to improve before he can be considered a genuine top quality left-back.

Riise, on the other hand, has to date scored 61 goals during his career, with 31 goals coming at Liverpool (as well as 23 assists). Admittedly, Riise has played more games than Enrique, but at the same age (25), Riise had already scored over 40 senior goals.

A goal-scoring left-back is always the better option.

Jaimie Kanwar


37 comments:

  1. Unfortunately Riise could not defend and his first touch was poor. A full-back's first job is to defend.

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  2. You forget one thing. Riise was a one-footed usually out of position liability. Remember the CL semi-final?

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  3. When he left, nobody was able to fill up his position. You name it, Aurelio, Dossena, that Argentine youth or even Enrique. Besides being ovelapping left back, he could score especially in freekicks.

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  4. Think this is a bit of a non starter of a question. Riise was at the club for ages. He was also at the club at a time when most of the opposition was a lot poorer than they are now. Look at the table at the moment, there's about 6/7 clubs vying for a top 4 spot, back then there was always at least a definite 3. Would Riise be able to cope with the pace of the Prem back then hmm, maybe...Score as many goals...doubt it.

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  5. So you use one game to define an entire LFC career? It's such a cliche now to keep referring to that own goal as some kind of reason that Riise was allegedly crap. Liverpool regularly had the one of the best defensive records in the league during Riise's tenure, and he also scored goals, and helped the club win trophies. No left back since has been anywhere near as effective, and although Enrique has started well, he will never be a regular goalscorer, and that means he will never be as good as Riise (IMO.

    I'm sure most managers would rather have a left-back who is defensively sold AND scores/creates goals than a LB who is just defensively good and that's it.

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  6. i went for enrique by a close call. riise out does the man going forward and for his set piece play but i want a left backto be solid first and formost and thatis where enrique does it for me. he is solid at the back and provides it going forward also.

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  7. A no brainer, Enrique every day of the week! I think that Riise was good for us but Enrique is in a different league - he is stronger, faster, miles better technically, better tackler, better crosser of a ball, etc! The goals scored argument does not wash as Riise played a lot of games at left midfield and was also a free kick taker.

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  8. Enrique: 200 games, 1 goal. Not good enough for a left0back in the modern game, where goals have to come from all over the pitch. We've seen that this season already - the team is struggling for goals because there are only a few players who actually score.

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  9. You're never wrong are you Jamie? who are you to determine who is and who is not good enough? Concentrate on writing articles that support current players instead of undermining them and living in the past. Rise and Alonso are long gone! Support the players who are currently in the squad. If your website is really about "critical realism" why do you always edit posts that criticize your opinions? 

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  10. Riise was painfully slow, couldn't beat opponents and rarely provided an option on the overlap. I think he was more unsuited to the modern game than Enrique to be honest. Goals need to be added to his game for sure but I would much rather he supplied a constant threat to the opposition as it means the opposing wingers need to defend further back. Riise never really provided this.

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  11. Look at Ashley Cole, then Jamie... You cannot deny that he is a great left back and he has scored 12 goals since his debut in 2001. It is not the left backs job to score goals. Enrique is a great player, and as much as i love John Arne, he is technically much better, stronger and faster.
    Evra has scored 5 goals since 2002, you ask for stats Jamie to back up arguments, well there you go.

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  12. This guy looks the best left back we have had for years. iIn his latter years, Riise was unfortunately half the player he was in the earlier part of his LFC career. He became very inconsistent. Early days, but Enrique looks the real deal - at both ends of the pitch

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  13. Without wanting to offend Fulham, if Riise were that good, why is he at a perenially mid table also ran like Fulham?

    Riise may well have scored that many goals, but how many was he culpable for?  

    The idea of goals being the be all and end all of a player is ridiculous.  Let's call Carra out as being rubbish because he's scored fewer goals for LFC than John Terry tends to score each season.  Or Hangeland.  Or almost every centreback in the Premier League, purely based on goals.

    As for rather having Alonso than Lucas - get real.  I HATE this pro-Alonso attitude.

    Alonso was woeful for us for the whole season when Rafa tried to sell him.  He was so bad noone wanted him for 10 or 11 mil.  The fact that we tried to sell him, and noone wanted him, bucked his ideas up and THEN he played exceptionally well, but by then his sulking had made him want to leave.  I would rather have Lucas who wants the Liverbird on his short EVERY day over Alonso, or anyone else, who doesn't.

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  14. I want my left back to be strong defender first, if he can chip in with a few goals ok. Riise was great going forward, excellent shot ..As a defender? Hmm not so sure he would hold a candle to Enrique IMO

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  15. Exceptional work Lee.

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  16. He doesn't have thunderballs like riise had, but i see him with lots of assists. I agree with Jaimie, goal scoring left back is always better . I think Johnson and Enrique complement each in this department. 

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  17. Let's face it, a defenders job is to defend and I reckon Enrique is one of the best tackling LB's in the league. He also has loads of pace.

    Risse was brilliant, scored some screamers but as a defender it is Enrique for me all the way.

    Rob Jones anyone? One of the best RB's England could have ever had. Not a goalscorer either. Man what a player we had right there but injuries unfortunately got the better of him.

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  18. Couldn't agree more. Riise started as a dynamic attacking full back but towards the end of his anfield career looked decidedly one paced and eternally out of position. 

    Early days but Enrique looks the business for me. Despite his lack of goals he has been pivotal in a lot of liverpool's attacking play this season (whether or not he claims the assist stat).As Lee pointed out, the 2 best left backs in the league over the past decade both have poor goal returns.

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  19. I think Enrique is better than Riise now. On their day, I think that both have their advantages. I don't have the stats for that but on perception, Riise's left foot is as good as anyone in the PL. We saw how Riise detiorated into the player he is now (with golf, payslips, losing CL medal, complacent) but Enrique is still new to us and it's still too early to compare what he can do for us. So far Enrique is one of our best buys simply because he has been putting in the extra mile and committed, his heart is correct.

    Nevertheless, nobody should forget Riise's first season with us where he dribbled past 4 (from his own half) and whacked in a goal past Everton's keeper. Also his memorable 'rattle the shit off the bar into the net' goal against Man Utd. However his own goal in CL semi is really a heartache and I can't understand why he didn't kick it out of the field. That was the Riise most of us remember him for.

    I will reserve my opinion until I see the real Enrique but so far it is rather promising. He may not have the goals of Riise but so far he has been solid for us like what Carra is for us now.

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  20. Enrique. Not even close. Technically a far better player, faster and his control in tight areas is excellent too. Riise did a great job for Liverpool but as others have pointed out the #1 job of a defender is to defend. I think Enrique's number of assists will improve over time. Think his delivery into the box has often been excellent but there's been a lack of strikers in there to finish off his crosses.

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  21. Riise was used as a left midfielder aswell at Liverpool. Advanced position would earn him more goals.

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  22. What about Ashley Cole, scores every other week dosent he????

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  23. Cole has actually not scored once this season and in 228 matches for Chelsea he has only netted 6 times.

    I take it that you were trying to be sarcastic?

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  24.  I would have Enrique all day.John arne riise could  not tackle his dinner had a great left foot but not much brain. Aurellio was far better footballer just very injury prone.Its no coincedence that we only lost two games in the season after he left. Enrique is looking like the best left back in the league and does more attacking then downing  and not really arsed about goals as you dont see evra scoring many but the other shite still piss the league

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  25. Tough one i think but Enrique is built like a body-builder with attacking talent and pace, he edges it for me but Riise was quality!!!

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  26. Enrique all day for me.  Aurelio at his best and fit is better than Riise.

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  27. I think you lot are going off the boil a little bit, its not a full backs job to score but I would rather have one that did score than didnt, thats a no brainer of a question really.

    Riise was more of a standout player, Enrique quietly goes about his business, both are too 1 footed to be classed as excellent but if you could mould them into 1 player you wouldnt be far off.

    I would actually have Ekotto down as the best left back in the league with Enrique a close second, Cole and Evra are not the players they once were.

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  28. OFCOURSE John Arne Riise (European Roberto Carlos)

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  29. Was going to mention Ca$hley cole but you beat me to it.  I'm suprised your comment hasn't been deleted by Jamie who tends to dislike people who don't agree with his bullshit.

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  30. This argument about goals is like saying Alan Smith and Emile Heskey are better than Fernando Torres and Michael Owen (at their best) were for Liverpool because they "track back" and tackle, etc.  A defenders first job is to defend.  Everything else is bonus.  They were both good left-backs and I'm not knocking Riise, but I don't think there's five better left-backs in the game than Enrique (actually I think the same about Agger in his position, Leiva in his position and Suarez in his position--our XI really isn't that bad if we can just get that elusive wide attacking player......).

    Enrique is a monster of a defender, nothing gets through him.  I think he is *clearly* the better left-back.   For me I rate defenders first on their defensive qualities, attacking midfielders on their creativity, strikers on their goals (and goal threat). The other stuff is bonus. 

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  31. I think you are exaggerating a little. Nothing gets through him? That's just not true. If he was that good he'd be in the Spain national team. Enrique is good but he's not amazing; he is fallible; he makes mistakes, and it's dangerous to put him on such a pedestal, esepcially after a whopping 13 games since he arrived.

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  32. I didn't insult you or anyone else just offered my critical opinion. Why did you delete my post? U can dish it out but you cant take it.

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  33. Give Enrique time and he will be called up to the spain national side, now he will be getting noticed at a bigger club, much better than Valencia's Jordi Alba.
    As for John Arne, remember how often Benitez played him left side of midfield so would naturally score more goals, also he was a free kick taker, awesome one at that.
    Argument I have is that I don't rate Leighton Baines as Highly as he is regarded but because he scores 5-8 goals a season via Free Kicks and Penalties, people often forget his suspect defending and lack of pace.

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  34. Alonso was no Mascherano when it came to sweeping in front of the back four.
    Admittedly he was able to break up play but he always had a midfield enforcer alongside him as he was the creativity

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  35. No - read the comment policy: your post was just sniping; it had nothing to do with football. I'm not interested in your bitching about me and the site. If you have a problem, email me. if you want to discuss football then go ahead; If all you want to do is bitch and moan about me, then your comments will be deleted. Like it or lump it.

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  36. it is unfair to use that 1 game to define his LFC career but ultimately what Rafa did as he sold him that season, 2 seasons 2 early for me, i do agree we haven't replaced him to date, but after 13 games I am certain Enrique will prove to be a quality LFC player, both defensively and attacking wise,

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  37. This turned into a JAR bashing session and that's just not fair. In the formations we played Riise was a massive asset, and was dangerous from set pieces anywhere (Fergy said 10M for Adam, how much for John when he whipped or smashed anything from his side of the pitch).

    That said I do think Enrique is more complete, he looks a gifted footballer who happens to be able to tackle, his skills would have seen him as a midfield playmaker 4/5 years back but his athleticism and heart makes him the perfect full back (not wing back) for the modern game.

    Biased? maybe as a Liverpool fan for life but these two really do stand-out for their contributions to the club, look at the dosena's and Joseni's that passed through the club. These two are V. Good players, JAR's honours speak for themselves and Enrique will hopefully go on to be a great, I salute them both for their strengths and commitment to LFC.

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