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Nicolas Otamendi: Hype or substance?
Nicolas Otamendi’s move to Manchester City from Valencia has just been made official but various questions keep popping up surrounding the commanding centre back: Is Otamendi worth the £32m City are paying? Is he a one-season wonder? Will his poor performance versus Germany at the World Cup in South Africa - when he played right back - be held over his head forever? Were Manchester United wrong to drop their interest in him?
Let’s start by debunking the myth that he’s only ever had one good season. A lot of people are lazily calling him a ‘one season wonder’ because they’ve only actually watched him for one season. The idea he wasn’t much cop before then is naive at best and ignorant at worst. He’s been lauded throughout his career, with perhaps the exception of his final six months at Porto where his form dipped slightly, but still managed to attract interest from Chelsea and Barcelona before joining Valencia.
In 2009, when he was just 21, he made the South American Team of the Year which is voted for by journalists. He made his debut for Argentina with only 11 senior appearances to his name. Nicolas’ fine form for Vélez Sarsfield resulted in a call-up to the Argentinian World Cup squad in 2010. It was a mixed bag for Nico as he followed up a solid performance versus Greece with a horror show against a young, talented German side – albeit playing at right back, not in his favoured central role. He earned a move to Porto where he won three league titles in his three and a half year stay there. He featured heavily throughout both of Porto’s historic unbeaten league victories. Not shabby, eh? Otamendi left Porto in the January transfer window of the 13/14 season and without him they finished third in the league.
He’s certainly not worth £32m! Isn’t he? Have you seen the prices floating around in the last 3-4 years? For the best centre back in La Liga last year, who is also just entering his prime, £32m is more than a fair price. This debate wouldn’t even be taking place if he had worn a Real Madrid or Barcelona shirt last year and performed as he did, but because it’s Valencia questions are asked. I dare anyone to look back at Otamendi’s duel versus Messi, especially at the Camp Nou, and find me a defender who has marshalled the little magician as well as Nico did on that day.
And when it comes to expense, it’s all relative. What’s expensive for one team is pocket change for another. I don’t think £32m is going to damage the balance at Man City too much and if Otamendi helps the side maintain their strong start and they eventually go on to be crowned champions, no one will even remember what he cost.
But he’s too slow for the Premier League! Again, I don’t understand where this comes from. Most centre backs in the Premier League are hardly speed merchants themselves but check out his recovery tackle on Bale at the Mestalla. Otamendi isn’t slow by any stretch of the imagination. The greatest assest to his game is how well he reads the play. He stays close, but not shirt tight, and knows when to commit and when not to. He won 74 tackles last season, which is more than Terry and Cahill combined.
At 6’0, isn’t he too small to be a Premier League defender? If you base it on his height alone then no, he isn’t going to be one of the tallest centre backs in the league. However, he possesses a leap most salmon would be proud of which means he is rarely beaten in the air, even by tallest of strikers. He’s a natural fighter who doesn’t shirk a single 50/50 challenge. He isn’t afraid of coming off hurt if it means saving the team, hence the ‘General’ title he was given by Valencia supporters.
And thanks to this incredible leap he’s also a major threat from set pieces. His starting position tends to be around the penalty spot before making a darting run towards the corner of the 6-yard box at the near post. Despite teams knowing this it didn’t make stopping him any easier as the timing of his runs were almost synchronised with whoever was taking the corner, usually Piatti. Nico’s ability to re-adjust his run depending on the flight of the ball gave him another edge over the defender who was tasked with marking him. All six league goals he scored for Valencia were crucial in the side finishing fourth last year and if he can replicate that form in England, his goal return could prove to be a huge asset for Manchester City this season.
So he’s perfect then? No, he isn’t. There are chunks in Nico’s armour that he will need to improve if he wants to continue justifying the modest price tag around his neck. He’s not the best on the ball and was robbed of posession various times around the halfway line as he attempted to surge forward, meaning his team mates needed to bail him out or he had to take a yellow card to stop a possible counter-attack. Another thing he’ll need to work on in his temper. He can be wound up and that is something opponents started to exploit towards the end of the season. In the Premier League this will happen more often, especially if they know it’ll get a reaction.
But that’s about it as far as the negatives as concerned with Nicolas Otamendi and both are easily solved. In the Premier League your centre backs aren’t expected to kick-start most attacks like they are in La Liga, so he won’t need to buccaneer forward and risk losing possession.
I don’t think you can take away his temper as that would also mean nullifying his natural tackling instincts. His all or nothing style does come with its drawbacks and he found himself booked 9 times last season but plying his trade in the league that embraces physicality he should be able to avoid suspensions.
If he continues his upward trajectory, and he has the work ethic and desire to do so, then by the end of the season you’ll begin to realise why everyone here in Valencia is disappointed he decided to leave and why La Liga has lost one of its stars.
