Spot on.
Ward, Horton, Stevens etc would have had the benefit of high level coaching on perfect pitches from a young age, plus the full array of modern sports science as players.
But prices are going up exponentially with the huge PL broadcasting income. I'd say £20m is a bare minimum. But I can't see Dunk making a sideways move to West Ham, unless they double his wages. Are Gold/Sullivan big wage payers?
True, but in this era, Horton, Foster, Ward, Ryan, would have had football careers from the age of 10 with an army of supporting skills coaches, physiologists, speed training, nutritionalists, sports psychologists. They would probably have risen to the top now.
Quality CB's often lack searing pace. An endless list, which would include: Terry, Carragher, Poyol, Huth, Morgan, Hyppia, Vidic, Bould, Bruce.
Separately, are Tarkowski and Mawson speed merchants?
Not forgetting Stephens and Murray.
They always live on a knife-edge in being just one allegedly modest performance away (or failing to smile enough to the liking of some), from a full blown NSC pummelling.
Which was a clear failure to grasp the law of averages, rather than "The First Law of Being a CB". Necessarily, a good centre forward will win his fair share of headers, in other words the CB doesn't, plus it's an impossibility for CB's to always be in the right place to clear every...