Actually for large chunks of the season that is what happened, teams played through us with ease and De Gea made a number of incredible stops, there's a reason he was MOTM most weeks for us.
Nicolas Otamendi | City Player
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Actually for large chunks of the season that is what happened, teams played through us with ease and De Gea made a number of incredible stops, there's a reason he was MOTM most weeks for us.
Thats it.
Never rated him so dodged a bullet here. Great to know City are again wasting money. Sour grapes....
Good post.
Let's just ignore the fact we had serious problems all over the back four with injuries.
Nor did we have a midfield to speak off.
He didnt make 'a number of incredible stops' every game. It was common but not in large chunks of the season.
We had Herrera, Carrick, Blind and Fellaini, so yes we had 4 CM's, and the injuries don't alter the huge flaws in the CB's when they played, but lets blame everyone else.
He made them in most games, he bailed us out time and again hence all the MTOM's and player of the season award. Your keeper doesn't get these things if the defense is good.
Who's blaming everyone else? It's fact that we suffered injuries all season, or do you purposely leave out facts
As for saying injuries not altering the huge flaws in the CBs clearly shows your naivety when it come to football.
Well said.
Excellent post.
While its annoying that we aren't in for De Bruyne, but with Pedro maybe coming we perhaps need a striker more especially with Rooney's form.
This deal is financially ludicrous on City's behalf.
You're putting it like in most games oponnent had 5 or 6 big chances with our defense just looking and DDG saving all of them. And it wasnt like that. In some games our defense was just good and in some oponnents had few chances.
Couldn't agree more.
I think he's the real deal myself
I disagree with this statement mate. How many times were we ripped open last season and had count on a last ditch save by DDG? DDG is currently not playing, and most prob is off, but he'll be a huge loss and our new signings won't out-way the void DDG will leave IMO.
They're loaning a 40m defender to buy another 40m defender. Absurd deal.
It seems to me DDG is probably saying and our signings will probably out-way the void, if he leaves, a bit compared to last season.
Could not agree more. For some reason a lot of United fans have been screaming for some defenders when our attack is in dire need of strengthening.
40M euros? What happened to not selling for less then 50M?
I'm saying that De Gea is the main reason our defensive record was good on paper last season, because he was.
Being thick as pig shit positionally like Jones and Rojo or a complete deer in the headlights like Evans can't be blamed on injuries, a kid in McNair came in and often looked more composed, and Smalling suffered injuries and set backs but actually being a decent defender he still managed the basics when returning, so eiother you are naive or wearing red specs if you don't see an issue with our CB options.
One injury to Smalling, which will inevitably happen, and we have no real defender in there. We look good for now, but that can change quickly.
Some miss the point. It is not particularly about Otamendi, but buying a new CB. We need one and we want one, going for the best available option makes sense. I cant see us buying any other CB, that is better and would improve us. Alone the fact that van Gaal wants to improve that area tells me we need to improve it too. What Pedro is to Bale, Otamendi is to Ramos. Just because we cant get our number 1, it doesnt mean we should buy no one when we have to improve there.
Some miss the point. It is not particularly about Otamendi, but buying a new CB. We need one and we want one, going for the best available option makes sense. I cant see us buying any other CB, that is better and would improve us. Alone the fact that van Gaal wants to improve that area tells me we need to improve it too. What Pedro is to Bale, Otamendi is to Ramos. Just because we cant get our number 1, it doesnt mean we should buy no one when we have to improve there.
Well the thing is Brwnd is bringing up old defensive records and using those as a reason we'll improve with our new signings, but DDG was a major factor in those records. The guy was a beast and he will leave a huge hole.
Everyone said last season that we needed to sign a CB, and for me this is still the case. Blind playing there says it all really and although he hasn't put a foot wrong as of yet, that isn't his position and shouldn't be a long term fix.
I read Valencia still owe City money from the Negredo deal last summer, so the surplus is probably that being written off.
He made less than 3 saves per game last season. A lot of them were spectacular and vital saves, no question about that, but the frequency with which we were cut apart by the opposition is being dramatically overblown here. Van Gaal made the same point just before Christmas last season too - there was a lot of talk about our inadequate centre backs but he thought they performed and developed quite well. I think the same. Smalling, Jones, Rojo and Blind are good enough. Otamendi's an improvement but not one that justifies €40m at his age. Ramos is a big enough improvement to justify it and gives us the ball-playing defender that we lack but Otamendi isn't a significant improvement and doesn't fit the system.
There's a reason why his highlight reel slowed down when we ditched 3 at the back
No, not at all, it's clear we need both ends of the pitch strengthening and you can see most get this given how active the Pedro thread is along with the "We desperately need a striker" thread and how people jump into the Bale or Muller threads at the merest crumb of phony hope, I don't see where the idea comes from that it can only be one or the other.
As I said having a better midfield which protects the defense will help that same defense. And I expect DDG to stay.
Nah, I don't think I am being that dramatic tbh. I feel we were opened up too much last season and DDG 3 saves a game saved us from having a much worse defensive record.
If LvG was happy about our CB's brwnd, why is Blind suddenly playing there now?
He'll be a better option for them than Mangala though. Sure, Mangala has been good in the first 2 games but Otamendi was a top 3 CB in La Liga last season with great performances against Real and Barca so he is clearly on another level compared to Mangala. Very sensible signing for them.
If we get injuries to some of the key players in our midfield our defense may be reason for concern again especially if DDG goes.
Of course and tbh I get what brawnd said regarding Darmain, because as soon as Valencia come of the other week we were opened up straight away. I just feel our new signings won't make up for the loss of DDG (if he goes that is).
Oh, I see. Makes sense then.
If they add De Bruyne to Sterling and Otamendi, they've got a seriously good squad.
Bit surprised their loaning out Mangala, thought it would have made sense to just get rid of MDM.
Wasn't necessarily talking about RedCafe. Just United fans in general, especially the morons on Twitter.
It would be lovely to have both sure, but for me the attack is a much bigger priority.
According to Ian Ladyman, they're not looking to loan him out, so who knows.
The thing is we can only get what we can get, the Pedro deal has been as arduous as I can recall, and we simply can't get the top options for forwards we'd all like. In Otamendi though there was a CB ready to go that was an upgrade over what we have.
Do you really think that we won't be opened up less this season, even if we don't sign another CB? It's taken a while to get there but it seems pretty clear we're now a very organised team under van Gaal and all of the players understand and execute their roles when out of possession very well, IMO.
Blind is playing there because he's aggressive, a good tackler, uses the ball very well and reads the game very well. He's played most of his career as a defender for club and country so I'm not sure I understand why that decision has received so much derision. In a compact team with an aggressive defensive approach he's a very effective defender and orchestrates our play from the build-up very well.
The other side of it is that Rojo's still regaining his fitness after coming back late to pre-season and Jones is ill. None of these things are indications that he's unhappy with our defenders as far as I can tell. In an ideal world we'd have someone who combines Blind's and Smalling's strengths but Otamendi can't replace what Blind offers us. Ramos can but he's one of the few and unfortunately he's not available.
No way of knowing but I feel Ramos would have partnered Smalling. He plays on the left and is very comfortable there.
Not too bothered. Ridiculous price for a 27.5 year old who was bought for 12m Euros last season and has only had one good season in a big league.
Prefer someone younger in Stones, Lapor or Varane, anyway.
Prefer someone younger in Stones, Lapor or Varane, anyway.
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