Otamendi

[domalino]

I'm sorry, but if you're expecting the team to be working on set piece defending in preseason, you might want to give your head a wobble. Set piece defending is about everyone knowing their job and doing it, preseason involves throwing random collections of players together and hoping they sort it out. You can't practice set piece defending until you have everyone back in training and then you won't see it until the correct people are on the pitch. I'm not saying we'll have sorted it, but I'm saying it;s ridiculous to think we'd see any signs of it a week into preseason with a random collection of players on the pitch.

We played 3 centre backs today FFS! Some of them hadn't played before this season.

Some people expect the defence to be like the Berlin Wall the day the players return from holiday.

 

[Ajm1985]

The free header was when Vinnie and Mangala were the CBs.

 

[Ethan23]

With the Ramos to United rumours circulating again. It seems there might be something in this Otamendi rumour

 

[Worst Case Ontario]

Hopefully not

 

[nellyonthewing]

We played 3 centre backs today FFS! Some of them hadn't played before this season.

Some people expect the defence to be like the Berlin Wall the day the players return from holiday.

What better time to prepare or should we wait till we concede away at West Brom?

 

[BlueRockape]

http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/...y-man-city-close-in-on-second-huge-money-tran

A few of them carrying this today

 

[FantasyIreland]

http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/...y-man-city-close-in-on-second-huge-money-tran

A few of them carrying this today

C&P
With all due respect to Patrick Roberts and Fabian Delph, both of whom are better signings than many have suggested, Manchester City's only huge signing of the summer so far has been Raheem Sterling form Liverpool. That saga will have drained everyone involved to some degree and a few days rest was probably needed before jumping head first into the next.

Last week the Belgian press reckoned that, once Sterling was sorted out, the next man would be Wolfsburg's Kevin De Bruyne with Txiki Begiristain personally taking it upon himself to get a deal done. That being his job and all.

However, in Spain's there's disagreement. Valencia regional newspaper Super Deporte claim on Tuesday that Manchester City look set to beat their local rivals Manchester United to the signing of Nicolas Otamendi. Talks were held between Manchester City officials, Otamendi's agent Eugenio Lopez and general super-agent Jorge Mendes at the weekend in Porto. That meeting was followed up with more talks yesterday, which have left Manchester City firmly in pole for the player say the newspaper.

It was Super Deporte who brought Manchester City into the euqtion for Otamendi, saying the club were set to sell Eliaquim Mangala after just one season. That always seemed unlikely to us and it's still not crystal clear if Super Deporte are using Manchester City to pressure Manchester United on behalf of Valencia, although perhaps that's looking into things too deeply.

 

[Mikejl]

C&P
With all due respect to Patrick Roberts and Fabian Delph, both of whom are better signings than many have suggested, Manchester City's only huge signing of the summer so far has been Raheem Sterling form Liverpool. That saga will have drained everyone involved to some degree and a few days rest was probably needed before jumping head first into the next.

Last week the Belgian press reckoned that, once Sterling was sorted out, the next man would be Wolfsburg's Kevin De Bruyne with Txiki Begiristain personally taking it upon himself to get a deal done. That being his job and all.

However, in Spain's there's disagreement. Valencia regional newspaper Super Deporte claim on Tuesday that Manchester City look set to beat their local rivals Manchester United to the signing of Nicolas Otamendi. Talks were held between Manchester City officials, Otamendi's agent Eugenio Lopez and general super-agent Jorge Mendes at the weekend in Porto. That meeting was followed up with more talks yesterday, which have left Manchester City firmly in pole for the player say the newspaper.

It was Super Deporte who brought Manchester City into the euqtion for Otamendi, saying the club were set to sell Eliaquim Mangala after just one season. That always seemed unlikely to us and it's still not crystal clear if Super Deporte are using Manchester City to pressure Manchester United on behalf of Valencia, although perhaps that's looking into things too deeply.

Mendes has form on this, seemed to use us to get the Rags to over pay for Falcao, one of the reasons we walked away

 

[Ballertelli]

Not necessary, would rather wait 12 months and replace Demi with someone younger and promising (like Laporte who Tolmie said we were looking at ages ago)

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

I agree with what many have said on here....CB isn't a big need and the position looks solid heading into the season! With Denayer stepping up into the 1st team, I think we look stronger at this position than last year. If we do sign Otamendi, I think its just a case of a player we rate highly, becoming available and we feel its an opportunity to further improve the team, that we didn't want to miss....

 

[FantasyIreland]

I agree with what many have said on here....CB isn't a big need and the position looks solid heading into the season! With Denayer stepping up into the 1st team, I think we look stronger at this position than last year. If we do sign Otamendi, I think its just a case of a player we rate highly, becoming available and we feel its an opportunity to further improve the team, that we didn't want to miss....

I think he'd be an improvement on Martin,certainly medium to long term........i'm not sure Martin would be in agreement though.

The next wave of centre half replacements would then hopefully arrive from the academy.

 

[domalino]

I think he'd be an improvement on Martin,certainly medium to long term........i'm not sure Martin would be in agreement though.

The next wave of centre half replacements would then hopefully arrive from the academy.

They have already arrived! Denayer is already a full belgium international. He's our new CB signing.

 

[eversince 76]

As it is now I can't see why we would bid for Otamendi.
If the management think either one of Demichelis, Mangala or maybe even Kompany is to be sold, or Denayer is to be loaned again, I can see sense in getting Otamendi in.
Doubt it'll be Kompany. Demichelis has been our best defender over the last 18 months and I hope he will get a place in the managementteam at City, but there have been rumours he wants to do a few years in the MLS. There are also (a few) rumours about Mangala who the management see as a mistake.

Another scenario could be that Denayer goes out on loan again, probably for a year, so that Demichelis can finish his contract. Denayer would come back to take Demichelis his place. And by that time Otamendi has settled in for a year to leave us with 4 CB's in Kompany, Mangala, Denayer and Otamendi.

 

[DHMCFC]

I think LB is definitely more of a priority than another CB clichy and kolarov ageing and getting worse.

 

[the originalkippaxman]

There are also (a few) rumours about Mangala who the management see as a mistake.

Strange you say that I have actually heard the opposite and the data that they have received from games he was one of the best performing defenders last year. It seems that the management are more than happy with him and see him as forming a long term partnership with Denayer.

 

[walker_is_faster]

As it is now I can't see why we would bid for Otamendi.
If the management think either one of Demichelis, Mangala or maybe even Kompany is to be sold, or Denayer is to be loaned again, I can see sense in getting Otamendi in.
Doubt it'll be Kompany. Demichelis has been our best defender over the last 18 months and I hope he will get a place in the managementteam at City, but there have been rumours he wants to do a few years in the MLS. There are also (a few) rumours about Mangala who the management see as a mistake.

Another scenario could be that Denayer goes out on loan again, probably for a year, so that Demichelis can finish his contract. Denayer would come back to take Demichelis his place. And by that time Otamendi has settled in for a year to leave us with 4 CB's in Kompany, Mangala, Denayer and Otamendi.

Denayer cant go on loan because he is u21 and if we buy De Bruyne and Pogba no more places for foreign players.

 

[PragueBlue]

As it is now I can't see why we would bid for Otamendi.

Because he's probably better than any CB we currently have (unless VK regains form). We have Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure and Delph for CM but we're still looking at Pogba. We have Silva, Nasri, Navas and Silva as AM players but we're still looking at KDB. When better players come along that can offer longer term solutions than the players we currently have, then we'll likely have some interest.

In this case though the speculation seems more like a club trying to drive the price up.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

The way i see it is we dont need a centre back but like pellegrini has already stated he wants to make the team as STRONG as he possibly can.So if a world class player is up for grabs we will try and sign him.

 

[Calv_from_the_frog]

We have major problems in defence. End of.

Our midfield & attack (assuming the recruiting of De Bruyne & Pogba) can trouble any defence in world football, but our defence is so weak that - out of 8 players (1st choices & back-ups) we have 2 (Kompany & Zabaleta) - we have just two that are reliable.

We'll be involved in a lot of gun-fights next year (especially as I expect all PL teams to perform well in the CL).

 

[biglee25]

Think I read somewhere about Mangala being able to play at left back.