Player Topic: Nicolas Otamendi (2015/16)

[jimharri]

Cracking header.

 

[teddykgb]

Not sure where all this praise is coming from, world class performance? Really? The entire back four had very little to do today. They barely had the ball in our half. What he did have to do, he did well and was tidy but a goal doesn't equate to a world class performance. Regardless of how majestic the goal was.

Both our chances in the 1st half were created by Otamendi. He steps forward into midfield and wins a ball forward to get us on the front foot for Bony to slice it wide. He also played a brilliant ball through a layer to create the 2nd miss. He also scored our header.

On defense, I'm surprised people even criticized his 1st half. He was posted up a few times by Jerome but completely unfazed by it, just defended him from that point forward. The double tackle takeaway was brilliant stuff.

No, we weren't under pressure the entire match but the defending Otamendi did do is the difference between us winning and a post match thread where we're rueing that in spite of only conceding a few chances the other side scored. He had several 1 v 1 situations and he won all of them. That's his job and he did his job extremely well today.

In fact, one thing I was thinking during the match is that while Yaya looked great in the deeper role he took up spreading the ball around, in many ways it forces us to attack with fewer men ahead of the ball. I think Otamendi and Kompany are plenty comfortable playing the ball from the back (whereas Mangala isn't) and we might be better served with the midfielders trying to play in between the lines of defense and relying on the CBs to play the ball a bit more. We often end up with our 2 CBs and Yaya and Fernandinho all interchanging in the same 15-20 yards of space.

 

[Pam]

What a goal that was.

 

[simon23]

absolute bargain

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Wasn't impressed at first with him but turning into a very good buy.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Both our chances in the 1st half were created by Otamendi. He steps forward into midfield and wins a ball forward to get us on the front foot for Bony to slice it wide. He also played a brilliant ball through a layer to create the 2nd miss. He also scored our header.

On defense, I'm surprised people even criticized his 1st half. He was posted up a few times by Jerome but completely unfazed by it, just defended him from that point forward. The double tackle takeaway was brilliant stuff.

No, we weren't under pressure the entire match but the defending Otamendi did do is the difference between us winning and a post match thread where we're rueing that in spite of only conceding a few chances the other side scored. He had several 1 v 1 situations and he won all of them. That's his job and he did his job extremely well today.

In fact, one thing I was thinking during the match is that while Yaya looked great in the deeper role he took up spreading the ball around, in many ways it forces us to attack with fewer men ahead of the ball. I think Otamendi and Kompany are plenty comfortable playing the ball from the back (whereas Mangala isn't) and we might be better served with the midfielders trying to play in between the lines of defense and relying on the CBs to play the ball a bit more. We often end up with our 2 CBs and Yaya and Fernandinho all interchanging in the same 15-20 yards of space.

As i said, cracking header and didn't put a foot wrong all day defensively but i just didn't see it as a world class performance, mainly due to a lack of attacking threat from Norwich. He did what was necessary at the back just like Kompany Sagna and Kolarov did.

You make a very valid point with midfielders picking the ball up unnecessarily in deep positions when our centre halfs are perfectly capable of doing the same thing but i think that's more a team design and something the manger likes. You only have to look out wide when we get the ball forward, there's often 4/5 players within a 10-15 yard space looking for intricate passing triangles and nobody anywhere near the box. That's not something that's ever going to change whilst Pellegrini is in charge.

 

[Phil1]

Was actually second to a lot of high balls in the first half but his recovery time when the balls on the ground and he's last man is immense. He must have got a last foot in on about 6-7 occasions today.
Second half he was much stronger in his arial duels and his goal was a beauty. Deservedly MoM but certainly not the flawless game that he's being credited with on here.
Really like the look of him and Vinny together though. I can see it being a superb double act this season and hopefully many more to come as well.

 

[TCIB]

Best header i have seen in a long long time.

 

[SWP's back]

Not sure where all this praise is coming from, world class performance? Really? The entire back four had very little to do today. They barely had the ball in our half. What he did have to do, he did well and was tidy but a goal doesn't equate to a world class performance. Regardless of how majestic the goal was.

Three or four last man tackles were phenomenal. I suggest you watch the game again.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Both our chances in the 1st half were created by Otamendi. He steps forward into midfield and wins a ball forward to get us on the front foot for Bony to slice it wide. He also played a brilliant ball through a layer to create the 2nd miss. He also scored our header.

On defense, I'm surprised people even criticized his 1st half. He was posted up a few times by Jerome but completely unfazed by it, just defended him from that point forward. The double tackle takeaway was brilliant stuff.

No, we weren't under pressure the entire match but the defending Otamendi did do is the difference between us winning and a post match thread where we're rueing that in spite of only conceding a few chances the other side scored. He had several 1 v 1 situations and he won all of them. That's his job and he did his job extremely well today.

In fact, one thing I was thinking during the match is that while Yaya looked great in the deeper role he took up spreading the ball around, in many ways it forces us to attack with fewer men ahead of the ball. I think Otamendi and Kompany are plenty comfortable playing the ball from the back (whereas Mangala isn't) and we might be better served with the midfielders trying to play in between the lines of defense and relying on the CBs to play the ball a bit more. We often end up with our 2 CBs and Yaya and Fernandinho all interchanging in the same 15-20 yards of space.

He was beaten to most headers by Jerome first half, easily, & left for absolute dead on the ground. Kompany had to come accross to rescue the complete shambles created by one third tier standard striker.

In the second half, he tightened up considerably & looked a class act. First half: dogshit.

We are talking Cameron fucking Jerome here ffs. He wouldn't have got a game for City under Joe Royle.