Centre-Back Partnerships by numbers.

[BigOscar]

Surely even Pellegrini wont make this mistake again. two 4-1 scorelines when he has started.

I don't know, Demi is one of his favourites. He keeps bringing him on in midfield, despite how pointless he is there, so who knows. I'd be surprised if he doesn't make more appearances at CB this season and I'd also be surprised if some of them aren't disasters.

 

[Sergio Picasso Aguero]

I'm pretty confident with any combination involving the main three CB's, but as soon as you throw Demichelis in there it's potentially a huge problem.

I'm sure he will go with Otamendi and Mangala but with the own goal you just never know with Pellegrini especially when you consider the close relationship he has with MDM.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Looks like Mangala is doubtful for tomorrow so, with Kompany out, it could be Otamendi & Demichelis. Gulp!

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Really highlights why Demichelis needs moving on.

However, I will say th poor bugger usually gets the games we play a mid 2 and rotate in front of him.

And is Vinny picking his games so that he can outplay sets of duff strikers?

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

The OP needs to get laid

On a marble slab?

 

[Phil1]

Looks like Mangala is doubtful for tomorrow so, with Kompany out, it could be Otamendi & Demichelis. Gulp!

As long as we keep it solid through the middle of the pitch, using 3 across the Middle, I'd be ok with that pairing.
It's far from ideal, but manageable. I certainly don't envisage Juve playing a hard pressing game so hopefully we'll have the tools to cope.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

It might just be an idea that if we are doing CBs by numbers, Pellers, Ruben or Kiddo could pick a number at random and whichever two shirt numbers come nearest to the picked number, they're the CBs for the day. Example: Say they pick 32 as the random number, then KdB 17 and Jesus 15 would be the CBs. Could those two have done any worse on Saturday?

 

[The blue phantom]

Not surprising, Kompany makes any CB partner a better player. Shame we can't get him on the pitch enough.

According to some they are not worried if he doesnt start, even a few would rather sell him.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Demichelis can't retire in Argentina soon enough.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

According to some they are not worried if he doesnt start, even a few would rather sell him.

You'd have to be blind not to see how important Kompany is for us. He had a seriously bad season last season but generally he is right up there with Aguero and Silva as being absolutely one of our most important players IMO.

 

[stablemcfc]

Small sample size so obviously not very reliable, but still shows a small trend. As most have been saying for a while Demichelis to move on next summer & be replaced by Denayer (should have been this summer but suppose we didn't have Otamendi at that point & keeping Denayer would have meant not obtaining him).

Done his job for us but clearly getting on & isn't what's required at the level we're striving for.

 

[Ell-ano]

I think the problem lies in Demichelis, in the 13/14 season when we won the league he seemed to thrive when Kompany was missing, its like the added responsibility really made him up his game and that was the most valuable thing he offered the squad, I seem to remember him playing particularly well away at Hull when Vinnie got sent off.

However last season and this season that seems to have gone out of his game which is a real shame, I think Mangala (as good as he is) needs experience next to him, someone to boss him around and tell what to do, then he looks as good as anyone (he is only 24) but Demichelis seems to either be to lax with him or too lazy and either way we can't afford that, especially in a squad like City's when you're looking for trophies every season.