WHEN it comes to forging top-class centre-back pairings, Jonathan Woodgate knows a thing or two about them.

From playing alongside Lucas Radebe and Rio Ferdinand at Leeds to Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid and Ledley King at Tottenham, the Cherries boss featured with an array of top talents during his illustrious playing career.

But Woodgate prefers to look at the pairing rather than the individuals - and insists now more than ever, communication is key to an effective duo.

“I played with some incredible centre-halves like Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King, Sergio Ramos, Lucas Radebe,” he told the Daily Echo.

“Sometimes it is telepathic with the other centre-half you played with, but I think in this day and age now a lot of it is down to organisation. Talking.

“If you are a good talker. It makes your life so easy.

“Not a lot of defenders talk much because in this society, people don’t talk that much. They are always on their phones left, right and centre, but as centre-backs, it’s important you talk and organise people around you.

“It can save you so much running as well in games.

“Literally, if you’re talking in a game you can have big cigar on, seriously you can – because you are getting other people to do the jobs in and around you and just putting out fires left, right and centre.

“Sometimes you can ball watch, but if you’ve got a good talker back there it makes your job so much easier, just by putting people where you wanted them.

“That was one thing I always tried to do, if I was trying to help younger centre-halves, is talk.”

Cherries have their own great communicator in the back four, with talismanic skipper Steve Cook.

The Dorset club stalwart has struck up a fine central defensive partnership alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers, something Woodgate has seen blossom since he took the helm back in February.

“I like to look at a partnership of centre-backs. What goes with what,” insisted 41-year-old Woodgate.

“You can always look at individuals but you need to make that a partnership.

“They need to marry against each other if you know what I mean? I look at partnerships more than anything.

“Listen, I love my defenders. When I am taking the lads in the analysis room for defending, I adore it - and it’s an art.

“It’s an art to put the ball in the goal but it’s an art to be in the right position to stop the ball coming into the box. You’ve got to make a knee-jerk reaction to stay on your feet, you don’t always go to ground.

“That’s something I really pride myself on, to try to help the defenders as much as I can.”

In their past four league games, all resulting in victory, Cherries have seen just two goals conceded.

One of which came directly from a well-struck Matty James free-kick against Coventry last time out.

So how has Woodgate developed the pairing of Cook and Carter-Vickers?

“It’s games, training, analysis getting them in the video room watching different things that you want and advising in different scenarios,” he said.

“I know Cam is quite a quiet personality but he knows what he’s doing – he knows where to put people. You can improve on that constantly.

“They’ve got Meps (Chris Mepham) behind them as well. Meps is a very good player and he’s a bit unfortunate to be out the team, just because of their form really.

“Their form since I have been here has been very good. They have got Meps behind them and that’s probably pushing them as well.

“But the lads who have performed, Cookie and Cam, have done exceptionally well.”