Brazil won the World Cup in 1970 with the most creative defence anyone had ever seen, and that was 37 years ago! And onto the 1980's Liverpool had major success with one of OUR old players, Alan Kennedy. A full-back who was arguably the best winger of his day.
So why should defenders just kill the game? They are footballers, like anyone else on the pitch, so what was wrong with Micha Richards providing Frank Lampard with the killer pass on Wednesday at Wembley.
Success is built on defenders who can create; a strong spine; and someone with the ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
However, Sam believes he has it sorted.
Allardyce Does Not Want Complicated Football!
Allardyce: "I'm still looking at getting the basics right on a week-in, week-out basis.
"If there's anything that I can say (about how to approach these games), it's that the more we get the basics right, the more matches we'll win, the more the confidence grows and the more derbies we'll win.
"Players can use their abilities outside those structures, they can express themselves and use the capabilities they have. But at all times you have to make sure that you get the basics right.
"Do that and you'll win more games than you lose - none more so than in derbies where people might get carried away with the hype. That can affect you and cause you to go out and do some silly things. That's something that I don't want to happen this weekend.
"The players all understand what the supporters want from them. The supporters want passion and commitment as much as they want skill and ability and what we have to do is combine all those things.
"The players all understand what is expected from them in local derbies, they've all been around the Premier League for long enough. There's only David Rozehnal, Cacapa and Jose Enrique (who haven't played English football before), but they've experienced their own derbies in various countries down the years. Almost everyone who's playing for us at Middlesbrough has great experience playing in the Premier League and they'll understand what they have to draw upon when it comes round to a derby day.
"Roles are reversed I suppose. This time we're the big guys. That means we have to make sure we win, don't we?"
"I didn't like what was written (about the Villa game). I thought it was over-critical but that has been the case for many years here - over-criticising the players and over-criticising the club over long periods is not conducive in trying to bring success. It has been the case for a long time, but that's life and we have to live with it. If that's the way it is, that's the way it is."