Players Under The Microscope / Mike Norman / 06 November 2007 / 1

"Mystical" Mike Norman looks into his crystal ball to discover what the Premiership's most reliable defensive partnership can achieve this season

Behind every successful football team, you will usually find a defensive partnership to die for. Over the last 25 years or so, the likes of Hansen & Lawrenson, Adams & Keown, and Bruce & Pallister have been pivotal in bringing major trophies to their respective football clubs. Last season saw Manchester United win their 9th Premiership title, and with it came the emergence of another excellent defensive duo, one that has got many pundits and fans drooling over their brilliance.

I'm talking of course, about Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, United's defensive rocks from which club success can be built.

Much has been said about Rio's first few seasons at Old Trafford, with his injuries, lack of form, and his well documented suspension for failing to attend a drugs test getting more headlines than his football. Add to that the fact that he never really had a settled partner at the heart of the defence, then it must have been the best present imaginable when on Christmas Day 2005, it was announced that United would be signing Vidic.

At his best, Ferdinand is one of the finest and most watchable centre-backs in the game. He plays with so much elegance and grace, and at times makes the art of defending look easy. His ability to read the game is renowned, while his pace, composure and leaderships qualities stand him out as a truly world class defender. In fact, the only weakness I can think of, purely from a playing point of view, is that he has a brother called Anton - clearly, unlike London buses, two stars didn't come along at once in that family.

If you didn't know he was from Serbia, Nemanja Vidic could be described as a typical English centre-back. He is strong and athletic, while his height and heading ability make him very powerful in the air. Like Ferdinand, Vidic is a leader, having captained former club Red Star Belgrade from an early age. He also has a remarkable goalscoring record for a central defender, scoring nearly 30 times in just over 200 appearances during his career so far. Last season he was named in the PFA Team of the Year, a thoroughly deserved recognition of his outstanding contribution alongside his United team-mate.

This season has seen the partnership reach new heights, setting an amazing benchmark for the United squad players to follow. Barring the Carling Cup game against Coventry City, Ferdinand and Vidic were ever-present in the club's eight consecutive games without conceding a goal. They appear to have a terrific understanding of each other's game, and with that comes confidence and belief that they can keep the very best strike forces at bay. If I was asked to name who I thought was the better of the two, I'm afraid I would get splinters up my backside, as I would sit firmly on the fence. Both are extremely accomplished defenders, with differing qualities that compliment each other so well - who in their right mind would want to split them up?

As always on Betfair, there are a huge range of betting opportunities on all Champions League fixtures, and a Manchester United clean sheet tomorrow against Dinamo Kiev can be backed at (1.68). The clean sheet is very likely, but with United scoring 18 goals in their last 5 games, my strong selection here is in the 'Correct Score' market, with 'Any unquoted' score being my nap at (3.9). Just to remind you, that this will cover any scoreline if either team manages at least 4 goals. As always when I fancy a team to score a lot of goals, I would have a little fun bet on a 'Hat-trick Scored', with the odds on this occasion being (15).

After a slow start to the season, Manchester United are looking very strong and are surely the team everyone fears. They are trading at just (2.3) to retain their Premiership crown, but if anyone of you out there fancies them to win the Champions League or FA Cup, you can have (7.8) and (5.2) respectively. How will they cope if Ferdinand or Vidic get a lengthy suspension or injury? Will this have an impact on their season, or do they have adequate cover?

To read more about Manchester United, including their results, match reports and player profiles, then visit;

https://www.manutd.com/

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1. Terry Jenkins | 08 November 2007

   Great advice on the nap Mike thank you.

   How long has this site been going? Ive only come across it in the last few weeks but the info and the articles that you all provide are top stuff. Are you an official Betfair site?

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