Otamendi

[abu13]

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).

I don't agree, i believe we have a good defence and if you look back over the last few seasons goals conceded and Joe's golden gloves it is hard to argue otherwise.

I believe the problem we have had is the formation we have played which has left us particularly exposed at times, if we reverted to a 4231 formation we would be much more solid.

Bobby won the title based on a solid defence, Pellegrinni won it on a record front line.

I do accept that lots of individual errors also cost us heavily last year but the problem is not as bad as people would have us believe.

Put it another way, if Mouriniho was our manager our same defence would have a much better record and we would be scoring a lot less.

 

[walker_is_faster]

I don't agree, i believe we have a good defence and if you look back over the last few seasons goals conceded and Joe's golden gloves it is hard to argue otherwise.

I believe the problem we have had is the formation we have played which has left us particularly exposed at times, if we reverted to a 4231 formation we would be much more solid.

Bobby won the title based on a solid defence, Pellegrinni won it on a record front line.

I do accept that lots of individual errors also cost us heavily last year but the problem is not as bad as people would have us believe.

Put it another way, if Mouriniho was our manager our same defence would have a much better record and we would be scoring a lot less.

I do not agree that we have good defence especially left side Clichy and Kolarov they poor and Mangala suffers.You could see yesterday Kolarov was bad in defence and when Ljajic shot free kick Kolarov turned backs and penalties miss not first time.Clichy is HG he need to stay for now.We need to buy Alex Sandro he is better of the Clichy and Kolarov and he play with Mangala in Porto and they look very good.

 

[Universidad de Chile]

A source in Spain said that is "Otamendis agent, whos urging Manchester City at all cost to make an offer for him"... since, the player is coming on friday (and has to be at training on monday with Valencia FC), and he want desperate to quit.... force a move...

But the spaniards stay strong on his sale clause.... Mmm

http://www.deportevalenciano.com/2015/07/22/otamendi-agente-insisten-manchester-city

 

[Neville Kneville]

I don't agree, i believe we have a good defence and if you look back over the last few seasons goals conceded and Joe's golden gloves it is hard to argue otherwise.

I believe the problem we have had is the formation we have played which has left us particularly exposed at times, if we reverted to a 4231 formation we would be much more solid.

Bobby won the title based on a solid defence, Pellegrinni won it on a record front line.

I do accept that lots of individual errors also cost us heavily last year but the problem is not as bad as people would have us believe.

Put it another way, if Mouriniho was our manager our same defence would have a much better record and we would be scoring a lot less.

Balance is the key imo.

If we played more like Mancini, we would have a good defence, but not always so good an attack, if we play like Pellegrini even with 451, we are too wide open v the best teams because our 11 don't work hard enough without the ball & it ends up with the cbs etc defending on their own.

Otamendi in last year's team, would find himself several times 1v1 vs Raheem Sterling. He would certainly, get skinned on more than one occasion, just the same as our players did then.

Whoever we sign at the back, if we are so open, the defence will struggle.

 

[City_Sean]

Balance is the key imo.

If we played more like Mancini, we would have a good defence, but not always so good an attack, if we play like Pellegrini even with 451, we are too wide open v the best teams because our 11 don't work hard enough without the ball & it ends up with the cbs etc defending on their own.

Otamendi in last year's team, would find himself several times 1v1 vs Raheem Sterling. He would certainly, get skinned on more than one occasion, just the same as our players did then.

Whoever we sign at the back, if we are so open, the defence will struggle.

I still think we need a top class left back though, someone who's adept going forward and defensively. Kolarov isn't good enough for me.

 

[greasedupdeafguy]

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).

I completely disagee with this, if our defence was that bad Joe Hart wouldnt have won the golden glove four tmes in the five years. Also Demichelis has proabably been more solid than Kompany in the past two seasons. The main problem has been our midfield which had been wide open with playing Toure playing in a midfield two which clearly doesnt work particuraly in Europe. Also you can have the best defenders in Europe but if the manager consistantly rotates then they will never find there best form, its no coincidence we had a great run of clean sheets towards the end of last season when pellegirini finally kept a consistant back four.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I still think we need a top class left back though, someone who's adept going forward and defensively. Kolarov isn't good enough for me.

For what we saw v Roma, if we are developing into that kind of style, we eventually need two really shit hot overlapping, up & down, Barca style fullbacks imo. None of the current 4 fit that as I see it. Either not fast enough or not good enough on the ball. None have the full requirements.

It's the beginning of a new road this, as I see it. This season's team may be a transitional one (albeit seriously good) rather than close to the finished article.

 

[City_Sean]

For what we saw v Roma, if we are developing into that kind of style, we eventually need two really shit hot overlapping, up & down, Barca style fullbacks imo. None of the current 4 fit that as I see it. Either not fast enough or not good enough on the ball. None have the full requirements.

It's the beginning of a new road this, as I see it. This season's team may be a transitional one (albeit seriously good) rather than close to the finished article.

I agree, I can easily see Sagna and Kolarov going soon, replaced by maybe Fabinho and a left back.

 

[sh249]

I still think we need a top class left back though, someone who's adept going forward and defensively. Kolarov isn't good enough for me.

It would be nice, but I don't think it need be a priority at this stage.
Clichy has generally been good for the past four seasons, and last season was, for me, arguably the most consistent perfomer of our seven frontline defenders (Zaba, Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, Mangala, Kolarov, Clichy). Going forward he obviously offers little threat, but the changes we're seeing/expecting to see in the team's shape might make that less relevant anyway. At the moment, we rely heavily on our full backs to provide width going forward, especially on the left because of the lack of a proper wide player; but if Sterling is going to play from that side as part of a front three/a three in behind the striker, then the left back's role will probably become something more akin to that which Azpiluceta plays for Chelsea - i.e. concentrate on defending, be tidy on the ball, back up the attacking play but don't overlap and block off the space that the winger wants in front of him. That's a job that I think Clichy can and will do fine.
I'm not a huge Kolarov fan, but think he's ok as a back-up, hopefully until Angelino is considered ready to step up.

 

[LittleEgg]

The problem last season was consistency(or lackthereof) of the holding midfield and attacking balance.

The defense was under pressure because we were not opening teams up with ease like the season before, but still also playing wide open. Aguero was red hot when not injured though, and if not for this i dread to think how the season would have ended. I do agree that defensively the players seemed to lack consistency based on last year though...but it was more lack of form from yaya, fernando being an absolute fail, and playing an antiquated 4-4-2 in some risky games that really didn't help matters.