Rio, you're Simply the Best

First of all, much as it pains me to say it, congratulations to Manchester United on winning the Premier League for the 10th time. Overall, they were the best team, playing some quite scintillating football at times along the way.

Most of the praise has been heaped on Cristiano Ronaldo for a quite remarkable season in which he has scored 31 League goals. Especially outstanding when you consider that he doesn’t play as a striker and when you add in the other goals he has contributed too. However, the real star of the team and the only truly indispensable player to United has been Rio Ferdinand.

A near ever-present this season, Rio has really been an immovable presence at the back for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, demonstrating the kind of consistent form and, in the absence of club captain Gary Neville, the leadership qualities necessary to prove that he is now the world’s best centre defender and potential England captain under Fabio Capello’s new stewardship.

In a campaign that has seen Fabio Cannavaro have a quite season at Real Madrid and Lucio deprived of the chance to prove himself against Europe’s finest in the Champions League, Ferdinand has been at the forefront of United’s march to the brink of a domestic and European double. In the process, he has shown himself to be the best defender around there is, most notably away in the Champions League quarter final against Roma, where he almost single-handedly kept United in the game with numerous crucial interceptions and blocks, allowing the Red Devils to take a vital 2-0 advantage home with them despite an otherwise unconvincing performance.

His partnership with Nemanja Vidic at the heart of the defence is the best pairing there is in the Premiership, and the main reason that the side has conceded a miserly 22 goals and kept 21 clean sheets. A big factor in United’s title win was that they were able to call upon the first choice defensive duo far more than the other title challengers. Whilst United have had Ferdinand and Vidic available for nearly all the season, starting 35 League games and 32 respectively, their nearest rivals Chelsea and Arsenal have had to make do without their first choice centre back pairings for large chunks of the season.

Chelsea’s club captain and talisman, John Terry has had an injury-disrupted season that has seen him start just 23 of the Blues’ Premiership fixtures, whilst his partner Ricardo Carvalho has only featured in 21 League games. Together the two form a solid rock that often leaves Petr Cech with little to do. The same cannot be said for their deputies, Alex and Tal Ben Haim.

Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal led the Premiership for much of the season but a terrible run in from February onwards saw them finish empty handed for the second season running as injuries all over their squad started to take their toll to leave them. But it was at the back where absences were most keenly felt. Summer signing Bacary Sagna has had a hugely impressive first season in English football, making himself one of the first names of the Gunners’ team sheet. However, when injury brought an early end to his season, Wenger decided to move Kolo Touré over to right back to cover for Sagna with Phillipe Senderos filling in alongside William Gallas. This left them horribly exposed at the back as Senderos breathes panic throughout the whole team, looking entirely unconvincing in everything he does. In total, he made 32 appearances for the North London side this season, with many saying that that’s 32 too many. A world-class centre back must be at the top of Wenger’s summer shopping list.

So whilst the two London sides have seen their key defensive players spend large amounts of time on the treatment table, United have been largely injury free- except for long-term absentee Gary Neville. In his place has been Wes Brown, who has had a something of a renaissance this year, which has seen him start both England games under the new manager. Having the calming presence of Rio guiding him through games has undoubtedly made life easier for Brown, allowing him to get forward and support the midfield in the knowledge that the man from Peckham will be there to effortlessly mop up any counter attacks. So assured have the performances of Brown and, in recent weeks, Owen Hargreaves been at right back that Neville’s absence has hardly been felt.

Under Ferguson’s gaze, United have always been filled with attacking verve and flair, possessing players capable of scoring goals from all over the pitch. Just a quick glance and the array of talents that the Scotsman has at his disposal prove that. In Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick, United possess two of the finest passers of the ball currently playing. Ryan Giggs has been terrorizing Premiership defences for 16 years yet this season he’s had to compete with Nani and Ji-Sung Park for game time. And up front, the link up play between Carlitos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo leaves viewers agog. So whichever combination of players start, chances are it won’t be a goalless draw.

Remarkable Ronaldo maybe, and his scoring record this year will take some matching, but such is the abundance of attackers in the squad, Ferguson can cope without him if he were to suffer an serious injury, which he is yet to do. But if the Scotsman were to be without Rio for some time, he would have a real problem. If words alone cannot convince you, then perhaps stats will.

Since joining Manchester United for a British record £30 million in July 2002, Rio has won three Premiership titles out of the five full seasons he has played for the Red Devils, making 184 appearances along the way. In the one season that the Old Trafford faithful were denied him after he was banned from football for 8 months in January 2004 for forgetting to turn up to a drugs test, United finished a lowly third. He missed 36 games for United as a result of his suspension, during which the team won 17 games, drew 10 and lost 9- hardly title-winning form. In his time away, teams such as Wolves, Portsmouth, Boro’ and Man City took all three points off United. Contrast that with the 18 games either side of his ban. In the 18 games that preceded his absence, United were on top form recording 16 victories and just two defeats. Once he had completed his suspension, United won 13 out of the next 18 games, drawing four and only losing on one occasion. Man. U. fans across the globe must be praying he isn’t so forgetful a second time.

With each year that passes, Ferdinand is improving. Gone are the lapses in concentrations, the 2008 version is assured on the ball, quick and commanding in defence, and a real threat at set pieces, all done with effortless ease that combine to make him the best in the business. Such a shame he doesn’t have the opportunity to prove this at Euro 2008.