Nicolas Otamendi | City Player

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I'm really not convinced he's the type off defender we need at all. I also can't see him complimenting any of our current centre backs.
 
I'm really not convinced he's the type off defender we need at all. I also can't see him complimenting any of our current centre backs.

He's quite similar in his style to Rojo and Jones but would work well with Smalling, i reckon.
 
He's quite similar in his style to Rojo and Jones but would work well with Smalling, i reckon.

I think we need a calming influence at the back. An experienced defender who can lead the defence, and bring a bit of calmness to the whole show. Rojo and Jones are both very rash, while Smalling panics when things start to go wrong. We need someone to counter that.

From what I've seen, Otemendi is not that player. Rather then stabilising the ship, it'd be like throwing another grenade into the mix. I honestly can't see where we're going with this one, unless we're bringing in two first choice defenders and selling 2 of Jones/Smalling/Evans
 
I think we need a calming influence at the back. An experienced defender who can lead the defence, and bring a bit of calmness to the whole show. Rojo and Jones are both very rash, while Smalling panics when things start to go wrong. We need someone to counter that.

From what I've seen, Otemendi is not that player. Rather then stabilising the ship, it'd be like throwing another grenade into the mix. I honestly can't see where we're going with this one, unless we're bringing in two first choice defenders and selling 2 of Jones/Smalling/Evans

Agree. I want Hummels. Not buying this "he's regressed" and all that. A new change of scenery would do him good.
 
That's just the Telegraph transfer gossip page. They haven't named the source - probably the Star - like these pages usually do, though.
 
Evans surely, Jones is still young enough to progress and Smalling should be our first defender on the teamsheet. Plus they make up half our English contingent.
 
Evans surely, Jones is still young enough to progress and Smalling should be our first defender on the teamsheet. Plus they make up half our English contingent.

LvG is unlikely to have 3 right footed CB's on purpose.
 
I'm pretty confident Evans will be sold.

If we sign more than one centre-back I'd imagine Jones would be the next to be sold, but I doubt we will.
 
LvG is unlikely to have 3 right footed CB's on purpose.

Maybe he'll just wake up, or go back to what he's done in the past as has been mentioned, where he had 1 left footed option

And we have 3 right footed CBs now, with Rojo and Blackett when needed with left feet. And Blind has played there too
 
Maybe he'll just wake up, or go back to what he's done in the past as has been mentioned, where he had 1 left footed option

And we have 3 right footed CBs now, with Rojo and Blackett when needed with left feet. And Blind has played there too

Evans is two footed and plays from the left comfortably. I don't see LvG selling Evans and then only having one LCB bar a kid like Blackett who isn't ready. It's possible he tries to fit Blind in as a CB so he can play him and Carrick, but buying another mad dog CB that takes our tally of RCB's to 3 with only 1 senior LCB makes no sense for a manager so particular about his views.
 
Smalling is definitely better than Jones, I'd say. Jones is still a kid though, as a centre-back.
 
Evans is two footed and plays from the left comfortably. I don't see LvG selling Evans and then only having one LCB bar a kid like Blackett who isn't ready. It's possible he tries to fit Blind in as a CB so he can play him and Carrick, but buying another mad dog CB that takes our tally of RCB's to 3 with only 1 senior LCB makes no sense for a manager so particular about his views.

In theory, but he hasnt looked comfortable this season. Smalling has looked more comfortable on the ball
 
In theory, but he hasnt looked comfortable this season. Smalling has looked more comfortable on the ball

Agreed but none of our CB's have shone when trying anything beyond basic when it comes to passing, however Smalling is a RCB and played there when LvG was forced to play him and Jones. I think Evans will be sold, but if Otamendi comes in I think one of Jones or Smalling will go as there will also be another LCB added.
 
Agreed but none of our CB's have shone when trying anything beyond basic when it comes to passing, however Smalling is a RCB and played there when LvG was forced to play him and Jones. I think Evans will be sold, but if Otamendi comes in I think one of Jones or Smalling will go as there will also be another LCB added.

Laporte.
 
The problem with selling Smalling/Jones and bringing in two foreign centre backs is our quota of home grown players has already taken a hit with the loss of Cleverley, Giggs, Rio and Welbeck all leaving in the Summer, and with the rules changing to 12 per squad in 2016 (iirc) I think we could have problems down the line. We're already looking a bit thin in that regard.

Personally I'd keep Smalling, Jones and Rojo, and just bring one in.
 
If there is any truth in this then one of Jones or Smalling must be off.
That would be stupid from us.

Smalling is a good defender and Jones is still very young as a center back and will improve. Selling Evans is the most logical scenario.
 
That would be stupid from us.

Smalling is a good defender and Jones is still very young as a center back and will improve. Selling Evans is the most logical scenario.

I would have thought that if we're signing Otamendi then he won't be the only CB we bring in this summer. I mean on his own he doesn't do much for us given that he pretty much brings a lot of the qualities we already have in defence.

Evans + Jones out, Otamendi + another CB in.
 
Agreed but none of our CB's have shone when trying anything beyond basic when it comes to passing, however Smalling is a RCB and played there when LvG was forced to play him and Jones. I think Evans will be sold, but if Otamendi comes in I think one of Jones or Smalling will go as there will also be another LCB added.

I doubt we'll get more than 1 CB as Smalling is completely fine and Rojo will have his second season where we can expect him to do better. One of the better CBs around to go with them and we're sorted. We don't need to go overboard
 
I doubt we'll get more than 1 CB as Smalling is completely fine and Rojo will have his second season where we can expect him to do better. One of the better CBs around to go with them and we're sorted. We don't need to go overboard

I know you're a fan of Smalling so I'm not going to broach that, but if we only bring in one and keep Jones and Smalling it logically has to be a LCB to compete with Rojo
 
I know you're a fan of Smalling so I'm not going to broach that, but if we only bring in one and keep Jones and Smalling it logically has to be a LCB to compete with Rojo

Why?

We signed Rojo when we were playing 3 at the back and its more reasonable to "need" a left footer in that role because in a 3 the CBs split wide and can end up as far as leftback. More importantly we went to great lengths to get him and now we have him, so we're in a completely different situation. We have our left footed CB option, that doesnt mean we need to use him every game

In a CB duo we've had success in the past with 2 right footers, we've had 2 right footers do fine when they've played together this season and LVG has had success at Bayern with 2 right footers.

It might be his preference to have a left footed CB in there, but we have one in Rojo
 
Why?

We signed Rojo when we were playing 3 at the back and its more reasonable to "need" a left footer in that role because in a 3 the CBs split wide and can end up as far as leftback. More importantly we went to great lengths to get him and now we have him, so we're in a completely different situation. We have our left footed CB option, that doesnt mean we need to use him every game

In a CB duo we've had success in the past with 2 right footers, we've had 2 right footers do fine when they've played together this season and LVG has had success at Bayern with 2 right footers.

It might be his preference to have a left footed CB in there, but we have one in Rojo

The simple answer to the why question is that LvG has said more than once that it is not something he wants to be flexible on, it is important to play one right footed CB and 1 left footed CB, the only occasions when he hasn't have been when his hand is forced, like right now he's had no choice as Rojo and Shaw are both injured.

However in the summer he has a choice, if he wants to keep Jones and Smalling then there's his two right footed CB's, leaving Rojo as the only senior left footed CB, so logically instead of wasting another £35M on a right footed CB, he'll buy himself a left footed CB so he has 2 of each that can compete/cover the two CB roles and give him his beloved balance.
 
Or maybe we cant get a top left CB so he'll take a top right footed CB and start the season with Rojo next to him. Smalling and Jones can compete and if Rojo isnt doing well, we'll obviously "make do" with right footed CBs like we have this season
 
I really don't see the room for two centre backs in the summer. One will be fine, I just hope its not Otamendi.
 
Or maybe we cant get a top left CB so he'll take a top right footed CB and start the season with Rojo next to him. Smalling and Jones can compete and if Rojo isnt doing well, we'll obviously "make do" with right footed CBs like we have this season

That's the kind of haphazard transfer style that leads us down the path of having too many #10's, surely spunking £35M on a player just because he's all we can get doesn't make good business sense, and especially not Otamendi, him and Rojo together would be like having two ravenous pit bulls with no master on the loose.
 
That's the kind of haphazard transfer style that leads us down the path of having too many #10's, surely spunking £35M on a player just because he's all we can get doesn't make good business sense, and especially not Otamendi, him and Rojo together would be like having two ravenous pit bulls with no master on the loose.

Yep. I said in another thread that a Otamendi/Rojo partnership is a partnership made in hell. A bit like Jones/Rojo is.

We need a calming influence, with experience, who can compliment any of Smalling, Jones and Rojo.
 
Yep. I said in another thread that a Otamendi/Rojo partnership is a partnership made in hell. A bit like Jones/Rojo is.

We need a calming influence, with experience, who can compliment any of Smalling, Jones and Rojo.

Exactly, it's an organizer and cool head we need back there, we already have two mad dog CB's that play on the edge, we don't need a 3rd.
 
This is all bullshit. I'm pretty sure most people have no idea what they're talking about and once he's signed and does well will change their tune within a game or two

Is rojo that crazy? Is otamendi? People love stereotypes tho
 
For the record I think rojo has been pretty good thus far and not this crazy sod who everyone paints him to be because, i dunno, tattoos?
 
LVG preferred to bring in Rojo and partner him with Jones for most of the season when they are available

Otamendi is more calm and calculated than Jones or Rojo is, but I do understand the point thats being made. There are times when he dives in. He doesn't have the calm of a Rio or Hummels

But here's the thing. Yes we know LVG prefers a left footed CB as well as a right footed one, but he's also shown that he prefers 2 athletes that arent our best out and out defenders, like Jones and Rojo. So either we believe LVG will follow through with his preference - a left footer and a right footer, CBs in the model of Rojo and Jones who are athletic but prone to lapses in concentration, overplaying, etc. Or we believe that he's going to change his mind, in which case he could go in any direction

It doesnt make sense to suggest that he'll definitely want another left footed CB, but it'll be one completely different to the CBs he's shown a preference for. Either we're following his lead or we aren't with speculation, theres no half measures
 
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