ninjamonkey
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 5 Jun 2009
- Messages
- 17,089
I wouldn't agree he was our best centre back. But despite that, that's really not saying much as it wasn't exactly a vintage year for our CB's was it? Stones, first season, still very young, was always going to take a while to settle, Kompany was injured for the majority of it and Kolarov, in his 30's played in a position that was entirely alien to him until that point.
Fully aware of that, i merely suggested it as a potential option that Pep might be willing to take as it would tie in with two rumours of Otamendi going and us struggling to afford all of our targets this summer thanks to Alves. Again, assuming they were true. what i said was, if it meant Selling Otamendi and raising the funds we need, perhaps Pep might prefer/want to adapt for the league, and would be content with having just one ball playing centre back in certain games, primarily against teams with either big strong forwards or pacy forwards playing in a team that was direct. We looked very fragile against them last season and Mangala or a player in that build thrives on that kind of battle. I never once concluded Mangala was more suited than Otamendi, it was just a potential answer to a rumoured issue which essentially boiled down to, would Pep be willing to sell Otamendi, replace him with Mangala for a season if it means securing Sanchez this summer, or would he rather stick with Otamendi and have to wait a season for Sanchez. I'd pay for Otamendi's flights if i had that choice.