With Vincent Kompany set to be sidelined for the majority of the second half of the season, City are faced with a difficult decision; play Mangala and hope he can string together consistent performances, or look to the transfer market. Pellegrini has stated that although the injury isn’t what he would have expected to hear, he
Pellegrini has stated that although the injury to Kompany isn’t what he would have expected to hear, he won’t be tempted into buying another player. However, most City supporters would probably like to see another player come in at the back since the defence is undoubtedly the weakest part of the team. There are two defenders City should hone in on in order to keep the title challenge strong.
It’s slim pickings in the winter transfer window for defenders. Either something is wrong with them or they’re simply not very good. However, if you do some serious digging, a gem can be found.
The first defender is one that their club is actually keen to sell, Martin Caceres. Caceres plays for Juventus and is actually quite good, the only reason Juve are somewhat eager to let him go is because of off the field issues. He had some issues with drinking and driving which was a violation of team rules, but in the little time he has managed to play, he has actually performed very well. His stats this season don’t properly reflect on how good Caceres is since he has played very little due to both his off the field issues, and the likes of Bonucci, Barzagli, Chiellini etc being preferred over him. Liverpool and other European clubs are keen on signing the out of favor Uruguayan, and City should take a serious interest as well. Juventus are obviously a top team in Europe, so between his time in Turin and Barcelona the defender has plenty of experience playing at a high level.
Though his off the field issues raise some red flags, there are plenty of reasons to make a serious inquiry for the defender. He can play both centre-back and full-back, he’s not too old at the age of 28 so there is somewhat of a future to look forward to, and most importantly for me; he’s from South America. Naturally, the Uruguayan speaks Spanish, which means that he could more easily communicate with both Pellegrini and, more importantly, Otamendi. Anyone who has played any level of sport higher than beer league football knows that communication at the back is essential to success. It hasn’t been hard to see that Otamendi and Mangala don’t communicate very well, or very often. Whether this comes down to a language barrier or something else, it must be fixed.
Otamendi is a native Spanish speaker and according to interviews he doesn’t speak English or French, which are the only two languages that Mangala speaks. Even Sergio Aguero’s English is horrendous and he’s been at the club for years. I can now see why Bayern force all their players to learn German. The advantage of a common language shows in the relationship of Otamendi and Demichelis. Though the two haven’t enjoyed the best record together, most of the time it’s simply because Demichelis was not able to make the play because of his waning athleticism, not because of a defensive lapse. Today was a perfect example of how well two defenders that communicate can play together. Caceres speaks Spanish, has played for a top club in Europe, has experience, shares some cultural similarities with his would-be partner, could play other positions once Kompany returns, and is available in January. He should be seriously considered for this transfer window.
The second defender is actually a former Manchester City player, and somewhat of a fan favorite as well. Micah Richards, the Aston Villa skipper, has been the shining light of a truly grim season for the midland club. It’s been incredibly refreshing and a true showing of character that Richards risks arm and limb during every game for a team that’s so devoid of quality and effort. I went ahead and plugged Richards into Squawka.com ‘s comparison matrix against some of the best defenders in the world, and he actually stacks up.
Richards has made an incredible 40 interceptions, 15 blocks, 109 clearances, completed 86% of his passes, and won 72% of his aerial duels. In the majority of the categories I mentioned, he ranks either first or second against the likes of Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos, Pique, and Javier Mascherano. Now I’m not suggesting that he should be nominated into the team of the year, but he’s been an absolute rock at the back and who knows if Villa would even have any points if he wasn’t playing. He’s strong, tall, athletic and can play pretty much anywhere across the back line. At 27, he’s definitely a player that City should consider bringing back. He’s evolved since it hasn’t worked out for him the first time and although it might be a bit tough to pry him away from Villa in January, he’s a buy for now and the future. All of City’s full-backs are over the age of 30 and Richards could easily transition there once Kompany returns.
City don’t have very many easy games with Palace, West Ham, Leicester, and Spurs all approaching quickly. These are must-win games if the Blues are going to start to put distance between themselves and the rest of the challenging group. Demichelis was actually quite solid at the back against Everton, one of the most dangerous teams in the league, but I wouldn’t wait around to see when he inevitably messes up.
