Larry White (Laurent Blanc)

Name: northerner

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Product:	Laurent Blanc
Date:	12/08/02 (178 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The best defender of his generation

Disadvantages: Only two seasons in the heart of the Manchester United defence

The sale of Jaap Stam to Lazio for £15m was one of the more unexpected transfers in recent years. Although only a handful of people will ever know why Stam left, it was clear Manchester United would have to replace him with someone of similar stature. His replacement, Laurent Blanc, the foremost centre back of his generation, was signed from Inter Milan on a free transfer on a one year contract. For Inter Milan, it was an opportunity to remove one of the biggest wage earners from a club massively in debt and struggling financially. From the start, it was always clear that Blanc would face a difficult time from the media. Many were critical of the decision to sell Stam, and the best way to criticise this decision was to claim that his replacement was under performing. However, despite an excellent season, especially during the second half of the year after he had settled when he was impeccable, Blanc was criticised by some for costing Manchester United the league title, at the heart of a supposedly weak defence. However, to those who formed an opinion on him through watching him play for a season, rather than through comments in a newspaper or 15 seconds coverage on the television, it is clear that ever at 37, Blanc is still one of the best centre backs around.

On coming to Old Trafford, Blanc brought with him a record as one of the best centre backs in the history of the game. He achieved considerable club success, most notably at Marseille, Bareclona and Inter Milan, and won the World Cup and European Championship with France. Laurent is the most technically gifted centre back of his generation. He has a clam, elegant, relaxed style which betrays someone with an impeccable reading of the game who rarely gets caught out of position. Supreme in the air, and composed on the deck, his defensive excellence and composure gives him the authority and stature to build a defence around. His tackles and interceptions are a perfect example of how defendin
g can be made to look effortless by stopping an attack before it has the chance to develop. Having started his career as a midfielder, Blanc is also confident on the ball, and distributes the ball well from defence. He also brings the confidence and leadership of a born winner. His signing was seen as a way of adding experience to a young defence lacking leadership and organisation. Blanc was intended to develop the younger defenders within the side, and ensure a group of talented individuals developed as a defensive unit.

Those who criticise Blanc for his lack of pace, claiming it undermines his game and that he is ‘past it,’ show an ignorance both of the man and defending in general. Firstly, Laurent Blanc is one of the greatest defenders football has ever seen yet he has never had any real pace. To claim his pace is now a weakness shows an ignorance of his career. Secondly, pace isn’t an attribute fundamental to top class defensive play. Pace allows a defender to recover having made a mistake or lapse in concentration. Quality defenders rely on excellent positional play and a clear reading of the game. As a centre back you must be aware of your own position in relation to the striker, be aware of your position within the defensive unit and have quick and decisive decision making. It is how fast you make your decisions, not how fast you run that makes a top class defender. Bobby Moore is England’s greatest ever centre back, despite a significant lack of pace. Pace can often disguises defensive flaws which latter become apparent and exploited. Suggesting Blanc’s lack of speed undermines his defending may be a fine discussion down the pub but not many managers will take this as a credible argument when preparing a team to face Manchester United.

Blanc has been wrongly blamed by certain people for Manchester United’s failure to secure a fourth successive league title. Some saw the replacement
of Jaap Stam with Laurent Blanc as the reason for Unuted’s worst league position in a decade. Despite Stam’s obvious ability as a world class centre back his main failing was in his inability to form an effective partnership at the back, and to organise the defence as a unit. Blanc has proved himself as, if not more, effective than Stam as an individual defender. However, his ability as a leader and organiser was the main reason for brining him in. Blanc found it difficult to adjust to the style of English football, and the language difficulties, but in the second half of the season was immense. Blanc has also brought a goal threat from corners to the Manchester United team. Stam, Silvestre and Brown haven’t managed a single headed goal between them. Blanc was also brought in to help younger players like Silvestre, Brown and O’Shea develop, learning from the experience of one of the best defenders in the game. Blanc added strength to a defence of talented individuals. Unfortunately, frequent injuries in the defence forced Fergusson to use 15 different centre back pairings over the season, which made playing as a unit difficult and lead to individual mistakes. At Liverpool, Henchoz and Hypia missed only one game all season between them due to injury. Had they been forced to use 15 different combinations in defence, their record would have been awful. Since his arrival, Liverpool have only once kept a clean sheet at the back without Hypia in the team. The defence failed to settle because of constant changes, and having Stam around would have made no difference.

Blanc was also heavily blamed for the, in my opinion mistaken, view that the Manchester United defence was weak and conceded too many goals. Suggesting United have a weak defence is easy for a tabloid journalist who needs to finish his hundred word article for the week before going to the pub. However, looking at it properly, it is harder to substantiate this cl
aim. The main reason why United failed to win the league this season was losing 6 games at home. Of these 6 games, Manchester United failed to score in 5 of them. It was United’s failure to score in ¼ of their home fixtures, and difficulty to break down defensive sides, that resulted in the relatively poor home form. Arsenal won the league because they managed to score in every league game they played. You don’t win the league by having a tight defence. You win the league by consistently scoring more goals than you let in. Also, conceding goals doesn’t mean a defence is weak. In this instance it is a sign of a side who play attacking football, and where the midfielders have a limited defensive role. A side playing defensive tactics such as Liverpool where the midfield play deep and effectively as a second back four in front of the defence will inevitably concede less goals than a side looking to push forward. The Manchester United defence is neither weaker than any other in the league, or the reason why the club finished without any major trophies for the first time since 97/98. This result was due to the collective failings of the entire squad, not the defence or anyone player within it.

Having signed a one year extension to his contract at Old Trafford, Blanc will have one last go at winning the Champions League, the one major honour that he has failed to win. Despite reaching the age of 37 Blanc has proved that he can still star at the highest level and having made 45 full appearances last season proved he is as fit as anyone in the squad. Most Manchester United fans wish that Ferguson had been successful in bringing Blanc to Old Trafford on one of his previous attempts, but even after one season Laurent has proved he is one of the best centre backs ever to play for the club. Ultimately, there are too types of footballer that a large number of English football fans will always dislike; Frenchmen and Manchester United pl
ayers. Anyone who has the misfortune to fit into both categories will always be criticised no matter how well they play.

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