64 min “As an entry in the annals of best-ever, what are your opinions on Makelele vs. Kante?” says Peter Turner. “Are they comparable players? Who was better? I never really got to see Makelele play. And who else should be considered?”
Makelele was much better at the deliberately clumsy foul. Kante’s tackles are much cleaner in both senses. My feeling is that Makelele was more consistent over a longer period, but at his peak Kante is superior. That said, there are folk who will have seen much more of them than I have.
The greatest defensive midfielder of all time is Obdulio Varela, but that’s another story.