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Nicolas Otamendi, David Luiz and the goalscoring defenders who are erratic at the back
For many sides, a goalscoring defender is the difference between mediocrity and greatness. While there are ways to neutralise an accomplished front line or a beautifully cultured midfield, it’s difficult to factor in goals from the most unexpected of places.
That was certainly the case for Jose Mourinho this weekend, with the Manchester United manager failing to account for Nicolas Otamendi even as his team just about managed to contain City’s virtuoso attack. The Argentine centre-back popped up with a second-half winner, latching onto a sliced clearance to lash home past David de Gea.
Considering that this followed on from a hapless attempt to stop Marcus Rashford’s equaliser at 1-1, the game epitomised Otamendi as a player. While he has been generally excellent this season at the centre of a defence which has conceded only 11 goals in the Premier League, he is still prone to shaky moments at the back.
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Notwithstanding the ungainly 50-50 challenge with Ander Herrera which – while rightly dismissed as a penalty – could have caused seriously problems for City, Otamendi is far from immune to the erratic moments which defined his early days in Manchester.
That makes him the rarest and most precious of things: a defender who is often better going forward than he is at the back. He’s not the only footballer who fits that description, either.
David Luiz
As the ultimate attack-minded defender, David Luiz is a human paradox. He has scored some great goals down the years, not least his famous decider against Chelsea for PSG in the Champions League.
Having returned to Chelsea and produced the most consistent defensive performances of his career as the Blues won the league last season, some might be wondering why Luiz is included here. Quick reminder: He once played a starring role as Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany in the World Cup semi-finals.
He may be a wonderfully mercurial talent, but there’s no denying his erratic streak.
Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is widely rated as one of the best footballers in the world, in part because of the 69 goals he’s scored for Real Madrid. He has won La Liga on four occasions, triumphed in the Champions League three times and won the World Cup and Euros (twice) while mustering the defence for Spain.
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He has also been sent off a whopping 24 times for Real, recently setting a La Liga record of 19 red cards after being booked twice in a stalemate with Athletic Bilbao. That suggests he’s got something of a wild side, not to mention the tackling technique of an absolute mentalist.
Thomas Vermaelen
Though he’s only made a handful of appearances over the last few seasons owing to a succession of injuries, Thomas Vermaelen had a reputation for goalscoring prowess during his time with Arsenal. From thumping long-range strikes against Wigan and Blackburn Rovers to his acrobatic half-volley against Manchester United in the 2009-10 campaign, he earned a huge amount of personal capital on account of his surprisingly reliable shooting boots.
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That was lucky for him, really, as it disguised the more unreliable elements of his game. Though he was held in high regard for much of his time in North London, his last couple of seasons at Arsenal exposed serious defensive shortcomings time and time again.
Martin Skrtel
Now at Besiktas having been deemed surplus to requirements by Jurgen Klopp, Martin Skrtel was often a hero in front of goal for Liverpool. He scored seven times during their heartbreaking 2013-14 season, including two goals in their thumping 5-1 win over Arsenal.
That said, there was a reason that Klopp decided to jettison the Slovakian centre-back. His ridiculous penchant for putting through his own net might have had something to do with it.
