Boro defenders

Surprised at the lack of mentions for Woodgate, some of the best individual performances at centre half I've seen in a boro shirt, pocketing some top drawer players and generally just making it look easy.

Keeping him and Huth fit and playing for a season would have had us up in the top half of the league.
 
Southgate was one of those players who I didnt realise just how good he was until we signed him. He was a leader, so consistent, ultimate professional and a top defender.
 
Maddren could sign autographs whilst keeping a clean sheet. So classy. Boam was an important part of that partnership too.
 
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Maddren could sign autographs whilst keeping a clean sheet. So classy. Boam was an important part of that partnership too.
Although I loved watching Maddren and Boam play, and with me also stating that Maddren is our best ever central defender, that partnership of Maddren and Boam wasn't a patch on Ugo and Southgate. I just seem to remember that Ugo was injured a lot and broke the pairing up.

We've been blessed with some great players at the Boro.
 
Although I loved watching Maddren and Boam play, and with me also stating that Maddren is our best ever central defender, that partnership of Maddren and Boam wasn't a patch on Ugo and Southgate. I just seem to remember that Ugo was injured a lot and broke the pairing up.

We've been blessed with some great players at the Boro.

Ugo had that nasty streak in him that Southgate was too professional and calm for.

I remember a game against Fulham when Saha had been on fire in the build up to the game and all the talk was can we shut him out, within the first few minutes Ugo smashed him that hard he was limping and hid in midfield for the rest of the game, we went on to win.

Also when Duncan Ferguson squared up to Juninho so Ugo moved him out of the way and fronted Ferguson up. Only time I’ve ever seen Ferguson back away.
 
Surprised at the lack of mentions for Woodgate, some of the best individual performances at centre half I've seen in a boro shirt, pocketing some top drawer players and generally just making it look easy.

Keeping him and Huth fit and playing for a season would have had us up in the top half of the league.
He only did it for one season for us though. Lost form and left only a few months into the next. The player that returned under Mogga was a totally different proposition.
 
Woodgate's performance against Arsenal away at our first visit to the Emirates is probably one of the greatest individual performances I've seen from a Boro defender live. It was a class away day that.

But in terms of longevity it's hard to look past Southgate.

Agree, Ehiogu was also immense at times but I do believe Southgate made him look better than he was. Ehiogu always looked much better alongside Southgate. I loved Ugo though. RIP x

Also going to throw Huth's name in the mix who was also excellent at times but lacked consistency and hampered by injuries. On his day he was brilliant at both ends of the pitch.
 
Woodgate, by an absolute mile.

If he didn't have the controversy of the off the field issue in his earlier career, or the injury problems later in his career, he would have had 100 England caps. The season we had him on loan from Real he was ridiculously good.

The mags and spurs fan ive spoken too would say the same regarding their best XI's
 
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Woodgate's performance against Arsenal away at our first visit to the Emirates is probably one of the greatest individual performances I've seen from a Boro defender live. It was a class away day that.

But in terms of longevity it's hard to look past Southgate.

Agree, Ehiogu was also immense at times but I do believe Southgate made him look better than he was. Ehiogu always looked much better alongside Southgate. I loved Ugo though. RIP x

Also going to throw Huth's name in the mix who was also excellent at times but lacked consistency and hampered by injuries. On his day he was brilliant at both ends of the pitch.
I was telling my son about Woodgate's performance at the Emirates the other day. I'd never seen anyone have Henry in their back pocket like that before. Previously I'd always wondered how he'd made it to Real Madrid etc but after watching that performance it all made sense. Nothing got past him and I couldn't believe how quick he was.

I agree with you on Ehiogu as well. Southgate did make him look a much better player. I didn't actually rate Ugo too much until we signed Gareth but knowing each other from their Villa days and rekindling that partnership probably helped both of them. As a pair they were quality, Southgate the more classy of the two but my god Ugo was a threat from corners. Probably more than any other player I've seen at Boro. He was a massive unit and defenders couldn't cope when he attacked the ball. A total warrior god bless him.
 
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Woody was very talented and he was awesome for us at the Emirates, but I’ve never bought into the idea that he was so much better than Ferdinand/Campbell/Terry/King/Southgate/Ehiogu etc that he’d have otherwise had 100 caps. It’s a very abstract argument in my view.
 
Woody was very talented and he was awesome for us at the Emirates, but I’ve never bought into the idea that he was so much better than Ferdinand/Campbell/Terry/King/Southgate/Ehiogu etc that he’d have otherwise had 100 caps. It’s a very abstract argument in my view.
Completely agree.
 
Southgate and Ehiogu were an immense partnership. Complemented each other so well.

Southgates reading of the game was sublime. No outstanding physical attributes but he didn't need them. He just knew where the ball was going to be. Always puts me in mind of Maldini's quote "if I have to make a tackle, I've already made a mistake". I don't think Southgate had to make many tackles. Could also play a bit having started out as a midfielder.

Ehiogu was like the granite to Southgates silk. His physical attributes were impressive. Looked a bit ungainly in possession but he was a man mountain with deceptive pace. Not sure anyone ever got the better of him one on one. He could shepherd a slowly moving ball out for a goal kick from the half way line and no-one would get near it. The best pure out and out "defender" I've seen for us.
 
5 Un 23 caps and was called up to the senior team but never made an appearance.
Don Revie called him up when he became England manager, apparently thought he could be the replacement for Bobby Moore, he rated Wille that highly. It was only when he saw first hand the state of his knee he realised he could not rely on him long term. He never got called up again. His knee injury robbed him of a glittering career, he was finished at 27yo.
 
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