Who actually was the greatest centre half the world has ever seen?


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John Charles, the best, with our own Charlie Hurley and Dave Watson up there with the best of the rest.
First game I ever saw was in 1957 at Roker against Leeds and it was one the last games John Charles played in England before his transfer to Italy. Can't remember much but we won 2-0
 
Look man, you've never seen him so you can't know can you? That and the fact that Bobby Moore wasn't a centre half mean that your views on Hurley are meaningless. Who's the greatest centre half the world has ever seen? Charlie Hurley is his name. The song refers to no one else, especially not to Bobby Moore. So there's your answer from one who saw him.
:lol::lol:

Coz it's a Sunlun song and not a Hammers one, perhaps?
 
The whole discussion suffers a bit from the fact that CB are hard to compare due to the change of systems over the years.

Hurley played in the very old 2-5-3 system and therefore was much more a CM, hence the space and time to go forward all the time

Beckenbauer started his career as a CF, than att CM and only later played CB, or "Libero" how we said. However...at any angle or interpretation of the word, he played about 3 levels above Charly Hurley and I am sure the Big Man himself would see that

Baresi, Ferdinand etc played in a CB pair as part of a back-4

Since I need my own opinion....I go for Juergen Kohler

I know, people will say "Who the f..k is Juergen Kohler

My answer: How many players do you know, who won the World Cup and Euro with their country and the Champions League and UEFA cup on Club level and the domestic title in 2 of the top leagues

No he didn't, Hurley played as the lone Centre half with two fullbacks either side of him and supported by one of the halfbacks (when one halfback pushed on the other stayed back)

To the OP, its very difficult to compare the lone centre half's of yester year through to sweepers and on to modern centre backs who play in a pair, each role is different from the other. Hurley was one of my favourites but as someone has already pointed out he didn't really do it at the highest level. My choice would be Jackie Charlton as a lone centre back, Franz Beckenbauer as a sweeper and as much as I hate him John Terry as a modern centre back.
 
Ok name some better ones
Bruce was a quality centre half
I can think of a French CH who is 35 still playing that is un capped and is a better player than Bruce was, Bruce was a canny player he should've been capped but he's not the best CH never to be capped
 
Ok name some better ones
Bruce was a quality centre half

not sure why Steve Bruce (not that good) or Bobby Moore (not even a centre half) are being mentioned on a thread about the world's greatest centre half? :confused:

If you want a much better centre half who never played any internationals: Ken McNaught at Aston Villa in the 70s and early 80s. couldn't get in the Scottish team at the time but could win the english league title, cups and the European cup!
and John McGovern who won 2 European cups at Forest but never played for Scotland

If you want genuine world class centre halves who did it on international and club level: Ruud Krol and Ronald Koeman piss all over Bobby Moore, and Frank Rijkaard probably does too ;)
 
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