Liverpool legend Alan Hansen wrote the book on the the art of defending, and the revered ex-Red knows what's required to be a top class defender at the highest level, and in his column for the Telegraph this week, Hansen lavished praise on Manchester City's Vincent Kompany, and made one particularly bold claim about the Belgian international's importance.
Kompany - who led City to their first ever Premier League title this season - is undoubtedly one of the best central defenders in Europe, and he's proved that this season time and time again, but Hansen - who labelled Kompany the 'perfect' captain - believes that the Belgian is on an even higher level than that. He enthused:
"Make no mistake, at £6 million, Vincent Kompany is arguably the best transfer market buy of all time. By leading Manchester City to the title this season, he has shown why he is on course to become the best defender of the Premier League era".
The best transfer buy of all time? I'm sure even Man City fans would have trouble accepting that (!) As a defender himself, Hansen is bound to be biased towards defenders, but surely Kompany needs to prove himself over a number of years before he can be labelled the 'best transfer market buy of all time'?
I am also a massive fan of Kompany; he is a superb player, and a great leader; a real man, unlike the legion of ladyboys who populate top-flight football these days.
As for being the best defender of the Premier League era - Kompany could definitely go on to reach that level, but he needs to prove himself in the Champions League first, and he'll get the chance to do that next season.
To be honest, I've never heard Hansen rave about a Liverpool defender in this manner, and in the Premier League era, Liverpool have had one defender who deserved such praise, and is - IMO - superior Kompany, and that is Sami Hyypia.
Sami is the greatest defender I've seen in my lifetime, and he's criminally underrated for some reason. The Finn gave ten years of superb service to Liverpool, and was probably the club's most consistent player during that time.
He proved his class in every competition going, from the league to the Champions League, and at 2.5m, he cost much less than Kompany.
If Kompany can maintain his form at the highest level for ten years, then and only then will he be on the same level as Hyypia.
Jaimie Kanwar
Kompany - who led City to their first ever Premier League title this season - is undoubtedly one of the best central defenders in Europe, and he's proved that this season time and time again, but Hansen - who labelled Kompany the 'perfect' captain - believes that the Belgian is on an even higher level than that. He enthused:
"Make no mistake, at £6 million, Vincent Kompany is arguably the best transfer market buy of all time. By leading Manchester City to the title this season, he has shown why he is on course to become the best defender of the Premier League era".
The best transfer buy of all time? I'm sure even Man City fans would have trouble accepting that (!) As a defender himself, Hansen is bound to be biased towards defenders, but surely Kompany needs to prove himself over a number of years before he can be labelled the 'best transfer market buy of all time'?
I am also a massive fan of Kompany; he is a superb player, and a great leader; a real man, unlike the legion of ladyboys who populate top-flight football these days.
As for being the best defender of the Premier League era - Kompany could definitely go on to reach that level, but he needs to prove himself in the Champions League first, and he'll get the chance to do that next season.
To be honest, I've never heard Hansen rave about a Liverpool defender in this manner, and in the Premier League era, Liverpool have had one defender who deserved such praise, and is - IMO - superior Kompany, and that is Sami Hyypia.
Sami is the greatest defender I've seen in my lifetime, and he's criminally underrated for some reason. The Finn gave ten years of superb service to Liverpool, and was probably the club's most consistent player during that time.
He proved his class in every competition going, from the league to the Champions League, and at 2.5m, he cost much less than Kompany.
If Kompany can maintain his form at the highest level for ten years, then and only then will he be on the same level as Hyypia.
Jaimie Kanwar
inflation
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteKompany is a fantastic player and Captain and proves you dont have to be a huge buy to become a star man.
ReplyDeleteIn todays game 6m is a fantasic price for Kompany and arguably the league is better then when Sami played so I don't disagree with Hansen at all on that.
ReplyDeletethe best left back in the league cost 6m too, Baines
ReplyDeleteYep completely agree with you. I liked him at Wigan, another good signing from David Moyes.
ReplyDeleteThis Time last year Everyone was raving about hernandaz as the signing of the century he cost 6million as well, well my point is one amazing Season and next thing your the greatest signing of all time,
ReplyDeletea boyhood Liverpudlian to boot
ReplyDeleteHernandez suffered from Second Season Syndrome, defenders get used to his style of play and he ends up a shadow of the player he was in his first season.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of players about you could get for 6m or less to improve the squad and who are better than the crap KD bought.
ReplyDeleteJordan Rhodes and Steven Naismith are two. I would love them in my squad, Jelavic described Naismith as the best player he played with and he has a 2m get out clause on his contract. Fulham have offered 3.5m for Rhodes. With the current squad having no depth upfront these would offer better options than the likes Ngog used to.
some Defenders suffer from second half of the season syndrome , i can think of one who plays LB for Liverpool :), Any i think Vinny K is a amazing defender but i would wait till few more years before making statements like Mr.Hansen did
ReplyDeletewat this got to do with the article printed above
ReplyDeleteDont know if he is the best of all time but he was a great buy,was it mancina who brought him to city.
ReplyDeletein time, i'm sure it will prove to be a great signing at 6m. however, best buy of all time, for me, would be henrik larsson for celtic. i think it was for around 750k. i don't care that people said he could only do it in the spl...he proved he could do it anywhere, i wish we had taken him after he quit scotland.
ReplyDelete....and still is :-)
ReplyDeleteNo it was Hughes.
ReplyDeleteIt was Mark Hughes
ReplyDeleteTrue, and in the world of football inflation has been even more rapid but that doesn't change the fact that Sami Hyypiä is the greatest transfer of a defender in the Premier League. (At least in my opinion!)
ReplyDeleteMyth of 2nd season syndrome validated by the fact that Hernandez barely played
ReplyDeleteHe's a super little player. If we had someone like him, Kenny would be celebrating CL qualification
Considering how stupid the money being thrown around in football has become over the last ten years if this is the only strong season Kompany has for City £6m will still be a really good return.
ReplyDeleteA player of Kompany's ability for 6 million is ARGUABLY the best PL signing ever
ReplyDeleteJust a statement
Chelsea could arguably win tonight
Rafa could arguably return to LFC
joe hart, 2006 , 600.000 shrewsbury to city. best buy of modern era. 10 times less than kompany and 28 times less than de gea. englands no1 and IMO best keeper in the prem!
ReplyDeleteIts difficult to compare players from different era's in football. I do think kompany is the best in the league at the moment. Maybe i'm biased but I think Skrtel is in the top 5 with Vidic, Ivanovic and Vermaelen. I think 6m is an amazing price for Vincent when you consider he was by no means un-heard of when he came to Citeh, went to Germany with a big reputation so to get him in for 6m shows great business on Citeh's behalf.
ReplyDeleteToo early but definitely on the right road. Quality player.
ReplyDeleteI think Hart is a really good keeper but he is dodgy at times (he spills quite a few shots, which lead to rebound goals), though he is British so that makes him fly under the radar
Aye, he has only started 18 league games and 10 league sub appearances. Considering that, 1 in 3 ratio in the league isn't bad at all.
ReplyDeletemore second half of the season syndrome in the case of Enrique
ReplyDeletearteta 2m from Rangers, kevin keegan 100k
ReplyDeletebecause it is a football debate which digresses as you cannot talk about Vincent Kompany only for hours.
ReplyDeleteYes, Sami Hyypia was the best purchase made by LFC in the last 15 years or so. Inflation certainly came into picture in football leagues now. However, there are still a lot of cheap and decent footballers around the globe. We just have to look a little more outside of England though. The irony about EPL is that British footballers are always very expensive but not always value for money. But clubs cannot do without British footballers since EPL is their league. We probably have limited funds this summer so let's hope our next manager can make more shrewd purchase. LFC will improve next season, we certainly will!
ReplyDeleteJaimie Kanwar talk sense for the very first time
ReplyDeleteI stopped listening to ANYTHING Hansen says , when throughout the WHOLE OF LAST SEASON he REFUSED to criticise Kenny Dalglish.
ReplyDeleteHe's meant to be his friend and my freinds tell me the truth.
He NEVER once said the tactics were wrong or that Kenny got it a game plane wrong when it was all there for everyone to see.
Instead he laid into Mancinni.
Alan Hansen is a LIAR and a FRAUD and doesn't deserve to be listened to as an INDEPENDENT PUNDIT.
The sooner he's shufffled off the Sofa on MATCH OF THE DAY the better.
totally agree with this, Hyypia is pure class and a legend...
ReplyDeleteHansen was also calling for a four match ban for VK for frightening Nani in the Manchester derby, knowing full well he would miss games against Liverpool. Bit naughty, that, using his position on MOTD to influence his favourite team's games.
ReplyDeleteI don't normally agree with anything Hansen says. However, as a City fan I have to say he's the best City buy in my lifetime (only possibly exceeded by Colin Bell) and £6m in an age where half decent Premier League players cost £5m+ is astonishing. Hughes bought him as a midfielder mind and it needed Roberto turned him into the Best there is.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Hansen, Kompany is such an enormous b.....d in his box, great player and great Captain.
ReplyDeleteJaimie please don't quote somebody out of context and splash it in a headline as fact.. It's lazy and sensationalist journalism.. which I think your better than.
ReplyDeleteHe said ARGUABLY.. and indeed he is.. arguably that is.
Your comparison to Hypia is quite valid.. Sami is the best defender the club has seen since Hansen himself.. But comparing transfers isn't valid especially when its used to claim Hypia was cheaper and therefore better value for money..
There is almost a decade between the two signings.. and what 2.5 million bought you a decade ago is probably akin to what around 6 million would get you today.
For me its Hypia.. but Hansen is right Kompany is the perfect captain and and outstanding player.. when he has 10 years service under his belt at City, I susspect i may have to revise my decision..
As Hansen said, he's on course, and I agree.
Hansen is right to give plaudits to Kompany considering his price. He is an excellent defender and will be better than Hyypia if not already after having been the rock in Manchester Citys title push, and being more mobile. He's got it all, only sad that we didn't get him when we had the chance
ReplyDeleteHyypia was a good defender but he lacked pace - he needed a defensive set up in front of him to be effective. It was the LFC players themselves that demanded this of Houllier back in 2000 and he eventually agreed with them. The result was the 'park-the-bus' Treble Cup Winners of 2001, basically a back 8 and thumping the ball up to Owen. It gave LFC a hard-to-beat team, very good in the cup competitions (wouldn't fancy having to pay to watch it at the time though). Houllier then tried to bring some attacking flair into the team (Diouf, Cheyrou, etc.) to bring it to the next level but that didn't work out - the defence was too exposed.
ReplyDeleteSo, for me, Kompany is the better defender. Having said that Hyypia did bring a lot to LFC at a time (1999?) when things weren't going well for them. But the greatest transfer of a defender in the Premier League? How about Jaap Stam, bought for £10m, won title every season he was in the Premier League (throw in a Champions League and an FA Cup as well), sold for £16m, so you could say United got paid £6m to play him in the team - that's a pretty good bargain :)
Jaimie if your noy going to post my comments in their entirety don't bother posting them at all..
ReplyDeleteI'm sick of clicking onto headlines(not saying its always your headlines) supposedly quoting somebody only to find out thats not what they ACTUALLY said at all.. just in an attempt to sensationalise the headline..
Its a cheap trick you could well do without engaging in..
Agree, of course i love Hypia, but think Kompany is superior. And one in the eye for people who say that City bought the title.He is probably one of the best value for money signings there is. As is Zabaleta, Richards, Hart, Clichy. Most of their defence, except Lescott and Kolarov were bought for a decent price.
ReplyDelete