Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to slam Nicolas Otamendi for his performance in their side’s 3-1 win over Everton on Saturday evening.
The Argentine endured another shaky game alongside Fernandinho as one half of the champions’ makeshift centre-half partnership, and many fans felt that he was at least partially to blame for Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s first half equaliser after failing to properly clear a relatively nondescript ball from his own penalty area.
And City supporters were quick to direct their frustrations at the defender after an underwhelming display on Merseyside.
Here are some of the best tweets from fans.
https://twitter.com/MCFC_Shaun/status/1177993996817358848?s=20
https://twitter.com/ctymango19/status/1177994002794188800?s=20
Otamendi is pure chaos
— Rob (@Razza_7) September 28, 2019
https://twitter.com/Vincentfred8/status/1177989598502440960?s=20
This is not the first time that City fans have gone to town on Otamendi this season, as reported by This is Futbol during the 8-0 win over Watford last week, and you get the sneaking feeling that it won’t be the last either.
The most baffling thing about Otamendi is that, on paper at least, he looks like he’s a decent player.
This season, for instance, he has won 67.4% of the defensive duels he has faced as well as 69.4% of his aerial duels, as per Wyscout.
Those figures, surprisingly, outstrip those of Aymeric Laporte, who he has been called in to deputise for.
The French defender has averaged 64.7% defensive duel wins this term, plus 65% aerial duels won, as per Wyscout.
And yet only one of these players has been deemed such a liability by Gary Neville that he believes he could cost City the title, as per Sky Sports.
Big clue: it wasn’t Laporte.
Otamendi is awfulllll
— Joe (@Joecrossley_16) September 28, 2019
Otamendi is a mess
— Kieran (@Kieran_Hill19) September 28, 2019
And that’s the thing with Otamendi, he has this uncanny ability to deceive statisticians by randomly switching off at the most inopportune moments.
As an illustration, over the course of his 118 appearances in the Premier League, prior to Saturday, the Argentine had made five errors that led directly to goals conceded, as per the league themselves.
By contrast, Vincent Kompany, City legend, made just two during his 265 Premier League outings, as per the league.
Ultimately, that is the problem with Otamendi – he’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Otamendi whenever the opposition attackers enters the box pic.twitter.com/vyA25sfgrv
— False-Number10 (@h_m_n_t_X) September 28, 2019
Otamendi playing Coleman on there, absolutely quality once again. Release this argentine fraud
— James (@JamesUTG) September 28, 2019