Jamie Redknapp has slammed Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi following his performance in his side’s shock 3-2 defeat to Norwich City on Saturday.
The Argentine endured a torrid afternoon, and was involved in a horrendous mix-up with defensive partner John Stones for the Canaries’ third goal.
And Redknapp was quick to criticise the £120,000-a-week South American [Spotrac].
Speaking on Sky Sports, as quoted by the Daily Mail, he said: “For the third goal, it’s incredible talking about top level players making mistakes like this.
“Otamendi takes a touch, he’s got his arms up in the area. What is he complaining about? Any Sunday league footballer wouldn’t have done that.
“Guardiola’s got a difficult job. He’s got to find a way of getting these two [Otamendi and Stones] to play together.”
Is Redknapp right about Otamendi?
Saturday’s performance from the Argentine was nothing short of abysmal.
There will always be a tendency to criticise top level talents when their side lose to a team so far beneath them in the hierarchy of the Premier League, but in this instance Redknapp’s comments are justified based on Otamendi’s mistake alone.
In his defence, the pass he receives from John Stones, travelling across the face of his own goal and with little pace on it, is far from ideal, but from the moment Otamendi takes possession, the error is entirely of his own making.
He looks uncomfortable and panicky on the ball, and it was no real surprise to see Emiliano Buendia dispossess him and create the chance for Teemu Pukki to convert.
Perhaps most infuriating, however, is that the 31-year-old has form for this kind of nonsense.
Saturday’s calamity was the fifth error he has made leading directly to a goal during his 116 Premier League appearances, as per the league themselves.
By comparison, Vincent Kompany made just two over the course of 265 outings [Premier League].
As a spectator, Saturday reemphasised just how incongruous Otamendi’s style of play is compared to the vast majority of his teammates.
So far this season, City have made the most passes of any side in the top flight, completing 3,149 already, as per the Premier League.
Over the course of his four appearances so far this term, however, Otamendi has misplaced an average of 3.5 short passes and 3.3 long balls per match, as per Whoscored.
Obviously, no player can complete 100% of their passes every game, but when he is making mistakes like the one he made yesterday, you have to wonder whether Otamendi is really the man for Guardiola’s style of play.