meeesh
Well-Known Member
Not the biggest brain on a football field,but heart of a lion this guy,when he's good he's good
They did okay. Bit Komps was at fault for the 2nd and out of position for the 1st. So I won't say his performance was a ringing endorsement. Nor was Ota' s he was better than his partner but not as outstanding as in games past. Got docked by the ex rag at some point and got lucky and some help from Yaya against Ozil on another.Bumped this as again, I thought he was excellent today. Him and Vinnie look very strong indeed
Again, this is a fallacy. Kompany is a good player in his own right. Perhaps the 2 are probably the best combo of all the possibilities. But to conclude with evidence that Kompany's presence helps him, it will have to be the case that he is having his better games when playing with Kompany.Kompany beside him is clearly a big help.
Again, this is a fallacy. Kompany is a good player in his own right. Perhaps the 2 are probably the best combo of all the possibilities. But to conclude with evidence that Kompany's presence helps him, it will have to be the case that he is having his better games when playing with Kompany.
No game he has played with Kompany this season was amongst Ota' S top 5 games this season.
So how one concludes he is better with Kompany, seems more hope and expectation than fact to me . At the moment it isn't (probably because they actually haven't played much together). So lets give it time and let the evidence bare it out.
All these presumptive predictions just coz fans want it to be true, is the kinda conclusory analysis that gets facts stood on its head.
Again, my point is not that this can't be true. Its simply that the facts don't bare it out yet.Although Otamendi is talented and experienced, he's still rash and isn't a leader. I haven't been a fan this season at all, but in the last two games with Kompany beside him, Otamendi has done well. Kompany attacks everything and is a real dominant centre back, the type I feel Otamendi benefits playing beside.
A leader and a real captain in the back four makes a huge difference. Kompany is a real calming influence and his return has been a real positive in the defence for sure.
Otamendi and Stones didn't work because neither is a leader or an organiser. Kompany/Stones or Kompany/Otamendi would both be good partnerships IMO.
Again, my point is not that this can't be true. Its simply that the facts don't bare it out yet.
1. Otamendi's best games haven't occurred playing next to Kompany. But like I've said, that's probably due to the fact they haven't played together much. But as of now most of Ota's epic games happened partnering someone else.
2. Ota still puts in rash slides in dangerous half field situations (he did yesterday). So again Kompany's presence is not improving his decision making in the rashness department.
3. The only way he has improved next to Kompany, is that he commits fewer fouls, and that's because Kompany often gets there first to commit the fouls. So I don't know if I'll consider that a positive.
Fans just assume the nebulous "calming influence" claim as talking heads on tv say it and everybody just assumes its true.
Neither the number of chances, defensive breakdowns or # of rash decisions change in any appreciable way.
Like I explained on the Kompany thread last week when everyone Attributed our clean sheet to Kompany. I pointed out that even without Kompany we've been keeping clean sheet against powers tier teams for 2 months.
Its the upper tier teams with actual talent to finish their chances that we couldn't stop. And low and behold, we play a team with talent and the put 2 past us again.
Perhaps Kompany will eventually have an effect, but presently that effect isn't detectable anywhere other than in the beliefs of the believer.
I don't know how to tell you this, but the highlighted is not supportive of the claim that a player has improved. And your quoting of the word "improve", suggests you don't think he has. Congrats, you've stumbled blindly into the right answer. He hasn't. He has always been this good.The way Otamendi 'improved' playing next to Kompany, is that he had protection when he came out & got it wrong, As Kompany. for the most part, deliberately stayed back watching developments, when Otamendi came out, & had the ability to stop people in their tracks when it went wrong wheras Stones, Kolarov or indeed Otamendi himself etc often don't or can't, as we saw when he was yet again beaten on the inside (classic schoolboy defensive error) rather than forcing the player wide, 1v1 & that should have been the game over.
I thought Otamendi was close to motm for about 60-70 mins then his legs went & he became a bit of a liability, but Kompany covering Otamendi & on occasion vice versa was working pretty well. Unfortunately Clichy didn't bother trying to stop a cross & Arsenal equalised.
I don't know how to tell you this, but the highlighted is not supportive of the claim that a player has improved. And your quoting of the word "improve", suggests you don't think he has. Congrats, you've stumbled blindly into the right answer. He hasn't. He has always been this good.
As for claiming Otamendi or Stones lack the ability to "sometimes" stay back, well that's just silly, they do and have on many occasions (Including in this last game by your own admission).
The defense looked Pretty much like it always does, we have up few chances, and they scored onv2 of them. To be fair we might have even given up a few more clear cut chances than usual.
Kompany simply assumed the errors of whoever would have played instead. Committing unnecessary fouls including the one that led to the 2nd goal. Not to mention the earlier one on Ozil. Both were unnecessary.
But I'm sure if I check the post game or Kompany thread, I-d find where you pointed out these school boy errors, right? Or could it just be that you are selective with your critisms. :-)