Rode Duivel Player Profiles: Centre Backs

Belgians are normally modest people who undervalue themselves and all other things Belgian. So, seeing as I am a Belgian, I tend to keep my expectations in check. But even us waffle-lovers can't deny we have been producing excellent centre backs lately. We have so many great centre backs at the moment, guys like Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld can only get to play in positions they tend not to play at their clubs. Obviously there is some overlap with positions, so some players who also play centre back may be listed in another entry. Without further ado, on to the profiles:

The Contenders

Thomas Vermaelen: Thomas Vermaelen, the former Ajax captain, transferred to Arsenal last season with clouds of doubt hanging over him. Former players questioned his ability to defend in the air given his average stature (5'11). But he silenced the critics with an impressive season, scoring a lot of goals at Arsenal, but also making a name for himself with his aggressiveness in defence. He likes to push very high up the field when defending, which can frustrate strikers, but also leaves him vulnerable. This article at the excellent football tactics website, Zonal Marking, shows why Vermaelen sometimes gets into trouble with this style of defending. Since the reign of Advocaat, Vermalen has been made captain of the national team (a mistake I believe, but that's to do with his personality than play). Whatever the case, Vermaelen is good enough to be a firm starter in the Belgian lineup at centre back. But because we have a problem at left back and Vermaelen plays that position quite well (his last year with Ajax, he played at left back and caught the eye of Wenger), he may slot in there for the Duivels. At only 24 year, Vermaelen, will likely be a stalwart for years to come for the Rode Duivels.

Vincent Kompany: Before I go any further, I should reveal my bias: Vincent Kompany is my favourite player in all of football. At such a young age, he dominated the Belgian first division, running away with the title of best footballer in Belgium (Gouden Schoen). He was elegant on the ball and he made the staid position of centre back look oh so cool. I was convinced that he would make it big, even with the injury set backs and his unfortunate spell at Hamburg. Last year my friend and I were debating Manchester City's lineup, which looked certain to feature Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure as the regulars. But because I was so convinced of Kompany's sheer ability, I told my friend (who scoffed) by the end of the season, Kompany would be the undisputed top dog at the back for City. I was right. Those who don't pay all that much close attention (i.e. the British media), think Kompany was simply a stand-in for an injured Lescott or Toure. But one simply needs to read the Citizen''s fans' opinions, and realize, almost everyone of them sees Kompany as the first choice centre back and most believe he should be made captain. His time with Belgium has been more rocky, with inconsistent games and spats with a certain Dutch coach. He is still shaky with regards to marking his man on set pieces, (remember the Bosnia away game?) and many label him nonchalant. Nevertheless, he is still probably Belgium's best defender (yes, I said it, better than Vermaelen) and with a coach he seems to get along with well in Leekens, I would say he should feature in Belgium's lineup whenever he's available. Oh, he also can play defensive midfielder and he's pretty damn good at that position as well.

Daniel Van Buyten: Big Dan to some, Van Blunder to others, no one seems to get more flak from Belgium supporters than Van Buyten. Never mind the fact he is one of Belgium's most experienced defenders, or that he almost won the treble last year with Bayern Munich (as a starter). In truth, he does make the occasional blunder, more often with Belgium than with his club. Why? My theory is that he puts too much pressure on himself with Belgium, believing it's up to him to solve all our problems, in attack as well. He probably doesn't get enough credit for some of the great moments he's had (that goal against Scotland in 2002 World Cup qualifying) but I can understand fans frustration with him. Strong in the air, a bit slow and dangerous when used as an emergency striker, Van Buyten is still a good player. But at this point in his career (32 years of age), he may be better served as a veteran bench player for Belgium, especially with the crop of guys available now. I'm not sure Leekens would agree though, as the sheen of Van Buyten appearance in the Champions League final may give him some points in the eyes of Georges.

Nicholas Lombaerts: While the three guys listed above him play in traditionally big leagues with a lot of prestige, the 25 year old Lombaerts is toiling away in the outer reaches of Europe in the frigid cold of St. Petersburg. Dominating the Russian league, Zenit, the recent Uefa Cup winners are anchored by the subtle, but effective Lombaerts. Putting it mildly, Lombaerts is underrated by practically everyone in Belgium. I dare say he's almost equal to Kompany as a defender and he's better in the air as well, both offensively and defensively. He deserves a spot in the Belgium XI and hopefully Leekens realizes that as well. Left-footed, Lombaerts can play left back as well, but he isn't the most fleet of foot, so centre back suits him better in my opinion.

The Outsiders

Toby Alderweireld: Yep, I'm putting him as an outsider, for the simple reason that as of now, he'll struggle to beat out the guys I've listed in the section above. Now if Vermaelen shifts to left-back and Kompany plays in the midfield he may be in with a chance. Together with compatriot Jan Vertonghen, last year Alderweireld shut the door in the face of practically every Eredivisie attack, giving up an impressively low 19 goals (Ajax also had an excellent figure of over 100 goals scored). With an accurate right footed long ball, good aerial strength and youth, Alderweireld could be valuable in the future for Belgium at centre back, especially if he's paired with Vertonghen at the back. But right now, I think if he does make an impact, it will be at the position of right back, where he had a solid, if somewhat offensively naive game against Bulgaria last May.

Carl Hoefkens: The right back turned centre back, Hoefkens was the revelation for Club Brugge last season. He kept a shaky backline together (with the help of Stijnen) in the face of an imposing Valencia attack consisting of David Villa. He played exceptionally well all season long, exemplified by when overwhelmed Romelu Lukaku when Brugge played Anderlecht. But at this point, he's slightly too slow and old to get back into the Belgium picture as a regular. May get called up if there are injuries to the men listed above.

Dedryck Boyata: A left footed defender who likes to play as right centre back, Boyata was named young player of the year at Manchester City. He had some impressive performances in the season, alongside the man he likens to a big brother, Vincent Kompany. Still a little too green behind the ears to make a difference, but Boyata is definitely one for the future.

Jan Wuytens: Another lefty (foot-wise), Wuytens had an impressive season last year with FC Utrecht. Though not as talented as the other names mentioned here, his steady improvement over the years, diligent mentality and secure defending may catch the eye of a bigger club and Leekens in the future.

Timmy Simons: Alright, he probably won't ever get called up again, but the former PSV captain can always be relied upon to put in a great amount of effort at the back. It's unfortunate he and Van Buyten never seemed comfortable playing with each other in the back, leading to frequent mix ups. Nevertheless, he always plays with his full heart and soul and if by any chance Leekens is looking for a typical, dependable Belgian-type of player, Timmy is always available to add to his impressive cap total of 74.

My pick:Nicolas Lombaerts (left) and Vincent Kompany (right)

Leekens' likely pick: Vincent Kompany (left) and Daniel Van Buyten (right)