ANDREAS BREHME RATING

Brehme was a bizarrely gifted footballer. One of the most ambidextrous footballers of all time, he was scoring set pieces with alternate feet on the grandest of stages and was a phenomenal crosser from open play (again off either foot). His unique timeless brand of attacking threat and proven effectiveness on the big stage is what confirms Brehme's status as a contender for the greatest left back of all time.

Whilst he was undoubtedly gifted going forwards, upon further analysis it was clear that Brehme's defending wasn't as elite. He was relatively disciplined defensively (rarely caught out of position) but he was timid in the tackle and a passive defender in comparison to other great full backs. He had a good feel for the game and this allowed him to anticipate and cope with most defensive situations but against a strong wide threat, he would be potentially vulnerable if left isolated 1 v 1 constantly. Also whilst Brehme is often praised for his versatility, his best displays were predominantly at left-back and he didn't attain world-class level of performance in other positions i.e. Maldini at CB though he was solid at right-back.

For an attacking full-back, where Brehme is slightly found wanting is that his ball-carrying ability was solid but not spectacular. He wasn't the type of full-back who could go on slaloming runs consistently nor did he possess extreme pace in overlapping situations like Cafu or Carlos. What he did possess however was cliched German efficiency - making excellent decisions in the final third, and knowing when to pass/cross or go for goal at the right moments. When he cut in off the flank, he would create havoc as opposition defences were very wary of his threat from long-distance. The German national side of 1990 (playing in a 3-5-2) perfectly compensated for Brehme's flaws by having the astute Jurgen Kohler in the left centre back channel covering Brehme in the case of any poor defensive decisions. Furthermore they maximised Brehme's strengths by having the two-way winger cum attacking midfielder Pierre Littbarski, whose elite ball-carrying threat and ability to go round the outside as well as inside mirrored Brehme's ability to go either way and thus they both combined to provide an unorthdox and unpredictable threat down the left flank.

In summary, Brehme was truly a one-of-a-kind full back who was an outcomes-focused potent attacking force at left back and a genuine big match player. His defending was tidy but lacked the requisite bite for him to be cited as a great 'defender'. Nevertheless he possessed a myriad of attributes to be deemed a great 'footballer'. His club career was admittedly not as spectacular as his international career but it was sufficient enough to back up his status as a 'footballing' force to be reckoned with down the left flank.