Ever since Gary Neville decided to retire from international football the right side of defence has proved to be a weakness in the otherwise solid (on paper) England defence. Micah Richards has recently been moaning about not getting a regular place in the England side, so in response here is an assessment of English right-backs and what their rank order should be in the England team.
5) Tony Hibbert - Yes. I'm not joking. Despite all the stick he gets about his performances, Tony Hibbert is in fact a quality defender. Ok, so he may not be particularly fast or strong and his attacking credentials may be non-existent but his timing of the tackle and particularly the slide tackle is possibly the best on this list. People immediately disregard Hibbert simply because he is a
very defensive full back but when he plays it often gives the player in front of him a lot more attacking freedom as they know they will not have to track back to cover for their right back. Unfortunately, I think he will probably never shake the reputation he has but I hope for his sake that one day he does manage to score and inevitably cause the Everton fans to riot.
4) Kyle Walker - The young Spurs full back has gone from strength to strength recently and has in fact been named in the England squad twice already without making an appearance. This young man certainly has potential and seems to have a good grasp of the required balance between attack and defence. His performances in the recent Euro 2011 under 21 tournament in Denmark were outstanding and despite England's poor overall showing Walker was still named in the Team of the Tournament. Right now, Walker is still too inexperienced at the top level to be considered for England's first choice right back having only played 18 games in the Premier League. Give it a few years of first team action and Kyle Walker could be much higher up this list than he is now.
3) Micah Richards - Despite Richards' "bemusement" at his position within the England set up, I would have to place him as low as number 3 on the list. People who have watched Richards down the years will know that he is hardly a great defender and the main problem with English right backs at the moment is that they can't defend. Glen Johnson holds the current England right back slot and Micah Richards' defending is not drastically better (if at all) than Johnson's whereas Johnson is a better attacker. Richards is by no means a poor player, he is a very physical presence with both speed and strength and has a great deal of determination and willingness to run but his defensive attributes are simply not up to scratch when it comes to the international stage.
2) Glen Johnson - Johnson is the current England right back having amassed a total of 34 caps for his country but time and time again his defensive capabilities are called into question. The widespread belief is that he is a poor defender but a good attacker and that is absolutely spot on. He is fast, strong, a good dribbler, a good crosser and can shoot with both feet making him an excellent right midfielder and a good football player. However, his ability in the tackling department is poor and has even led to him being replaced in the right back slot at Liverpool where next season it is likely that he will be forced into playing left back.
1) Martin Kelly - And it was Martin Kelly who replaced him at right back in the Liverpool side. Seemingly that would indicate that he is a better player than Johnson in that position and it's true that he is. He is (like Johnson) fast and strong but unlike Johnson he is good in the air using his 6 foot 3 inch frame to his advantage. He can also attack and defend equally as well as the other and in his debut season at Liverpool could often be seen gallivanting down the wing in his eagerness to be involved. What's more, he is an extremely difficult figure for opposition wingers to create space against and is still just 21 years of age. He has his best years ahead of him and already looks a quality player. Capello, if you're reading this then heed my words, give this boy a cap.
5) Tony Hibbert - Yes. I'm not joking. Despite all the stick he gets about his performances, Tony Hibbert is in fact a quality defender. Ok, so he may not be particularly fast or strong and his attacking credentials may be non-existent but his timing of the tackle and particularly the slide tackle is possibly the best on this list. People immediately disregard Hibbert simply because he is a very defensive full back but when he plays it often gives the player in front of him a lot more attacking freedom as they know they will not have to track back to cover for their right back. Unfortunately, I think he will probably never shake the reputation he has but I hope for his sake that one day he does manage to score and inevitably cause the Everton fans to riot.
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