Top 8 defenders of the 2014/15 season
There is a saying that attack wins you games while defense wins you championships. This couldn’t be truer as the teams that have won trophies were built on rigid defenses. Although defending is an art that requires teamwork, individual brilliance at the back is also necessary to ensure that the team has a strong rearguard.While many claim that defending is a dying art and good defenders are a dying breed, there have been exceptions as some defenders have done so well that the claim could be deemed as ridiculous.Here are the 8 best defenders of this season –
#8 Jose Fonte
He is perhaps the most underrated defender in the world. Jose Fonte has been stellar for Southampton for quite some time now and a look at Southampton’s statistics tells you why.
Even if their position in the table was 7th, their defensive record was the best in the league after Chelsea. Allowing only 33 goals in the League, the Saints have shown that they are a tough team to beat and Jose Fonte is the main reason for that.
The Portuguese is an excellent tackler – a stat of 2.1 tackles-per-game proves that – and has even better intelligence on the pitch, with 3.2 interceptions-per-game bearing testament to that fact.
Their stingy defence is what allowed Southampton to be in contention for Champions League qualification for most of the season. If it weren’t for them going through a couple of barren patches in front of goal, Southampton would have been much closer to a Champions League spot.