Otamendi

[riley347]

4 centre backs ready for PL and CL campaign....Kompany Mangala MDM and Otamendi...,Denayer eased in playing domestic cup competition and injury cover...simple..

 

[pudge]

Of course he does! Has someone actually suggested otherwise? Last season Otamendi was STREETS ahead any of our centre-backs and played the way we were hoping Kompany would. In hindsight, we probably should have signed him instead of Mangala (and I like Mangala), because he was still quite young and very cheap. But that's the benefit of hindsight. 14/15 Otamendi was better than any Kompany season since 11/12. I'm not sure there is a better defender in the air in world football than Otamendi.

Yes

 

[BringBackSwales]

I think the point that is being made about Denayer is that sooner or later we at least need to give a young EDS player a chance to break through into the first team squad, otherwise there is a danger that they will always be too young and there is always a currently better more established player out there to buy, and then suddenly the EDS player is " too old and not going to make it", let's give Denayer a chance is my opinion - the gamble now might pay off for him and for others

 

[Tron Coltrane]

4 centre backs ready for PL and CL campaign....Kompany Mangala MDM and Otamendi...,Denayer eased in playing domestic cup competition and injury cover...simple..

Not simple. Denayer reportedly looking for some kind of sign that he's a part of the first team future before signing an extension with one year left on his contract. If he has Kompany, Mangala, and Otamendi to fight through -- and Champions League clubs offering him a spot in their starting 11 -- he and his representation might (justifiably) think his career is better served not committing to 5 more years at this particular club.

I don't think the sky is going to fall down either way. It's just a fork in the road. We sign Otamendi and get a world-class central defender (hooray!) but lose one of the youngest prospects at the position (boo!), or we pass on Otamendi (boo!) and convince Denayer to sign a new contract and commit to the club (hooray!). Can't speak for anyone else, but that's all I'm saying.

 

[riley347]

Not simple. Denayer reportedly looking for some kind of sign that he's a part of the first team future before signing an extension with one year left on his contract. If he has Kompany, Mangala, and Otamendi to fight through -- and Champions League clubs offering him a spot in their starting 11 -- he and his representation might (justifiably) think his career is better served not committing to 5 more years at this particular club.

I don't think the sky is going to fall down either way. It's just a fork in the road. We sign Otamendi and get a world-class central defender (hooray!) but lose one of the youngest prospects at the position (boo!), or we pass on Otamendi (boo!) and convince Denayer to sign a new contract and commit to the club (hooray!). Can't speak for anyone else, but that's all I'm saying.

If Denayer acknowledges our long term vision hell sign up irrespective of who we bring in and prove himself...simple

 

[Tron Coltrane]

If Denayer acknowledges our long term vision hell sign up irrespective of who we bring in and prove himself...simple

So if you're representing a client who's a senior Belgian international, the year before a tournament summer, and you can sign with just about any club you'd like, you would advise him to commit the next five years of his career to a club with Kompany, Mangala, and Otamendi on their books?

Begging your pardon, but I think that would be terrible representation, and reports in Belgium seem to agree. Would love it to be otherwise, but I'm just trying to be realistic (and the reports I've read out of Belgium unfortunately seem to fall into that category). The good news is that City will be in great hands either way, though.

 

[mosssideblue]

It comes across quite obviously, the hatred you have for a Manchester City player.

Pathetic, really.

Mangala will be a very good player for us, as the previous poster said to you, we only lost THREE games last season when he started, not that bad, I am sure you will hate to agree.

This 100%

 

[PragueBlue]

Not simple. Denayer reportedly looking for some kind of sign that he's a part of the first team future before signing an extension with one year left on his contract. If he has Kompany, Mangala, and Otamendi to fight through -- and Champions League clubs offering him a spot in their starting 11 -- he and his representation might (justifiably) think his career is better served not committing to 5 more years at this particular club.

I don't think the sky is going to fall down either way. It's just a fork in the road. We sign Otamendi and get a world-class central defender (hooray!) but lose one of the youngest prospects at the position (boo!), or we pass on Otamendi (boo!) and convince Denayer to sign a new contract and commit to the club (hooray!). Can't speak for anyone else, but that's all I'm saying.

We're going to need to sign a centre back next season anyway when MD leaves. Who knows who will be available then? So it makes sense to get a quality one this season if available.

At City, Denayer, or any other player for that matter, is always going to have to battle for his place against other quality players. If he's good enough, he'll get his opportunity.

 

[Sergi0 Na5r1]

We'll have an abundance of CBs. I'd go with Kompany Mangala Otamendi MDM for the league/CL with Denayer being eased in through cup competitions to eventually replace MDM.

 

[Tron Coltrane]

We're going to need to sign a centre back next season anyway when MD leaves. Who knows who will be available then? So it makes sense to get a quality one this season if available.

At City, Denayer, or any other player for that matter, is always going to have to battle for his place against other quality players. If he's good enough, he'll get his opportunity.

I understand the "fight your way to the top! If you're good enough you'll play!" ethos from a City perspective, I really do. Nothing about what I'm saying contradicts that. And I understand how that's best for the club.

All I'm saying is that Denayer and his representation are involved in what Belgian journalists are reporting as very complicated contract discussions. He's not a youth prospect anymore. He's a senior Belgian international, and for contract discussion purposes might have performed far too well on loan for our liking. Clubs are interested in him as a starter. "Lyon, a German club, and a Spanish club," and it's not on loan. He has one year left on his deal, and he's hoping to play for Belgium next summer -- especially as the national team manager has outspokenly claimed the guy is one of the better defenders in Europe.

All of this by way of saying that I understand how it's in City's best interests to have four world class central defenders. Shit, if I had my choice we'd have 100 world class players cryogenically frozen, who we'd thaw out on game day with the press of a button, and watch them kiss the badge and take the pitch like their lives depended on it. But under the current set of circumstances, we're having difficulty assuring Jason that he's a part of our first team plans as it stands, with our current crop of defenders, let alone after splashing out £35m on a new roadblock for him.

It's just the nature of the beast. We get one toy or another. Again, worth repeating... it's a fortunate problem to have, and I think the club is in good hands whichever way the dust settles.