Manchester United Scouting Reports: Nicolas Otamendi

Manchester United has had no shortage of great center backs throughout the years, from Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister to Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. This past season, however, it has been evident that a rethink is required in the heart of Manchester United's defense. Despite some certainly bright moments wherein there was definite solidity, the United back line has been broken more often than teacups in a china shop as an elephant rampages through. A strong, assertive presence player is needed, one that is a constant even as his fellow players fall victim to injury. Many have come to believe that Nicolas Otamendi is the man that is needed by United at this present moment. After all, he is coming off of a stellar season with Valencia, helping the club reach the Champions League playoff spots with the third best defensive record in La Liga. Given his status as the stalwart of the Valencia defense, it is no surprise that many have gone to label him as world class; as someone who is a necessity, not an option, for Ed Woodward to acquire for Manchester United.

Statistical Analysis:

Otamendi's immediate first impression is summed up in one word: consistency. Over the 35 appearances he made in La Liga for Valencia this past season, he totaled 3098 minutes, or rather, 88.51 minutes for every appearance he made. These are numbers which lay akin to Diego Godin, who averaged 90 minutes per appearance over his 34 appearances, and John Terry, who was noted to have played every minute in the league for Chelsea this past season. Compare this to Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, and Marcos Rojo, players who made 22, 25, and 22 league appearances respectively while averaging 85, 75, and 80 minutes per appearance. Thus, Otamendi provides a guaranteed option for Louis van Gaal; a cornerstone upon which he can build his squad. To promise defensive solidity, there has to be the opportunity for partnerships to form between the center backs and across the line as a whole, something which simply did not happen with Manchester United this past season due to constant injuries and suspensions to the various defensive players. Contrast this to Otamendi's six days missed due to injury. The team will be able to rest assured that Otamendi will be present, thereby instilling confidence and a sense of freedom to the team's play which is rooted in inherently knowing where each player is.

 

A player being consistently fit, while nice, is not a guarantor of a player's merit to be in the starting eleven. A starting spot mandates a certain level of quality which Otamendi more than fulfills. He averages 2.9 tackles per game and 3.1 interceptions per game while conceding only 1 foul per game. All these numbers are noticeably higher than Jones, Smalling, and Rojo, suggesting that Otamendi will be a substantial improvement to the squad should he sign with Manchester United. The sheer volume of his numbers suggests that he is an able presser of the ball; a player who is not unwilling to step forward and force the opposition into losing possession. This is an idea which is integral to Louis van Gaal's oft-cited "philosophy," with the team as a whole pressing high by playing a high line in order to quickly win back possession. The United manager's desires of his new center back is reflected in how statistically comparable Otamendi is to Mats Hummels, another reported target, as the latter player averages 2.5 tackles per game and 2.2 interceptions per game. Similarly, both players are dribbled past roughly once per game, a worrying sign as it suggests that Otamendi, like Hummels, can be prone to being caught unaware in regards to his defensive positioning. Otamendi's physical qualities help him compensate for this, but it still remains something to be worried about.

Aerially, Otamendi is strong, but perhaps not fully dominant. He wins 3.5 aerial duels per game, losing out on about another two, giving him an aerial success percentage of 65%. John Terry, by comparison, wins 74% of his aerial battles but he partakes in 3.5 aerial duels per game, significantly less than Otamendi's 5.5 total aerial duels per game. For a comparison within La Liga, Sergio Ramos wins 71% of his aerial duels per game, winning 3.2 while losing 1.4 each match. Given how highly Ramos is considered to be, Otamendi does himself no harm as he wins 0.3 more duels while losing out on 0.5 more, thereby putting him in a bracket close to that of the quality of Ramos. As a side note, Chris Smalling is Manchester United's most successful center back when it comes to taking to the air, with a success rate of 67% but with him winning 2.8 aerial duels, a number noticeably lower than Otamendi's. As such, Otamendi would provide United with another dimension during set pieces by simply being another aerial threat to go with Smalling, who was the only United center back to score a goal of any sort in the league last season. In fact, Otamendi scored a total of 6 league goals, including one against both Atletico and Real Madrid, with the latter goal ending Real's 22 match winning run. This number is again similar to Sergio Ramos, who scored 7 goals for Real Madrid, while also being better than John Terry, who scored 5 goals for Chelsea in the league last season.

 

Otamendi's abilities on the ball are perhaps the only worry regarding his performances with Valencia. His short passing success percentage is 89%, which appears high at first, but becomes less impressive when it is noted that Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Paddy McNair, John Terry, and Sergio Ramos all possess better success rates with their short passes. This might have been rectified if Otamendi were to be making a great volume of passes, but he only attempts 35 short passes per game, a number which is again lower than all of the United center backs. Louis van Gaal's possession-based system might improve these numbers, but it is still a question regarding Otamendi to note. By contrast, Otamendi's ability to play the ball long is again good, with him averaging 5.3 accurate long balls per game, while missing 3.7, giving him a success percentage of 59%. This is comparable to the Manchester United trio, who fall around the 60% success rate when attempting around 10 long balls per game, just like Otamendi. Sergio Ramos fully surpasses the other center backs on this metric, as his long ball completion rate is 68%. The most important takeaway from here is that Otamendi is capable of moving the ball about, if not pushing the play wide by sending a long ball out to the wings. While perhaps not his strongest suit, he can still work the ball reasonably well.

 

 

Match Analysis:

Statistics are very nice, but they do not speak everything. For instance, the best center back in the Premier League last season, John Terry, averaged only 1.1 tackles per game and 0.9 interceptions per game. Even though Phil Jones made more tackles and interceptions, he was definitely not the better player. There are many different facets to football, especially when it comes to the position of being a center back. Therefore, it is integral to look into particular matches and recognize the individual qualities that Otamendi has shown in each of them in order to attain a better understanding of the player.

 

BARCELONA 2 - 0 VALENCIA

In a somewhat expected loss to Barcelona as the Catalan outfit marched to their second treble in six years, Otamendi provided a decent account of himself. A key point to note in the heatmap is that since Valencia were playing away, their defensive half is on the right half of the diagram. Immediately noticeable with Otamendi is his tendency to move forward towards the center circle, suggesting a willingness to press high, integral to the system van Gaal is looking to adopt at Manchester United. Another point to note is the frequency with which Otamendi adopts a more central position, despite technically starting as the left-sided center back, which in turn perhaps suggests a little bit of indiscipline in the Argentinian. The below diagram also suggests an expansiveness to his passing, with him consistently cycling the ball out wide to either his full back or his winger. He is somewhat marauding in his play, as during quite a few instances he forays forwards to play the ball as he sees fit, thereby allowing for the team as a whole to press a touch higher, thus applying even more pressure on the opposition defense.

VALENCIA 3 - 1 ATLETICO MADRID

In somewhat of a contrast to his performance against Barcelona, Otamendi here showcases his ability to stay positionally disciplined, as he largely sticks to his role as the left-sided center back. Note that since Valencia were playing at home, the defensive half is on the left side of the diagram. Again noticeable is Otamendi's tendency to push forwards in order to aid the team as they attack. In the more detailed diagram below, it is critical to realize how often Otamendi is involved in clearing the ball or making a tackle, suggesting a robust and all-around active style with which he approaches the game. This dynamism will be critical in injecting energy and drive into the United team when tiredness may be setting in. It suggests an approach which is epitomized through the notion of leading by example, in that Otamendi willingly forces himself upon the match in order to create an impact and make the team win. That is the kind of mentality needed at Manchester United.

VALENCIA 2 - 1 REAL MADRID

Lastly comes what is Otamendi's best performance of the season: his Man of the Match-winning shift against a Real Madrid team which had won the previous 22 matches and looked unstoppable as they headed into the Mestalla. Here, notice Otamendi's main action areas as being far more concentrated than in the other matches. This highlights his ability in being positionally disciplined and willing to actively listen to what the manager instructs him to do. Furthermore, it shows a level of tactical flexibility in Otamendi as he was the central of the back three that Valencia played that day. Given van Gaal's tendency to tinker with his system on occasion, Otamendi fits a major requirement in his versatility to quickly adapt to what may be a foreign role. In addition, a running theme through all the heatmaps has been Otamendi having a solitary dot in the opponent's box, which in turn showcases his ability to be dominant aerially in providing a threat in attacking set pieces, a critical asset for any center back to have. In the more detailed diagram below, a point of worry lies in how often Otamendi gave the ball away, which in turn leads to questions regarding his composure and ability on the ball when pressured by quality opposition, but he more than makes up for it through the sheer number of defensive actions in which he prevails. Through his performances in these three matches, it is evident that Otamendi is more than capable of rising to the big occasion and acting out his role in the team as it is required.

 

Final Thoughts:

Finding the right center back is a difficult task, and no amount of statistics and analysis can tell a person how well a certain player may fit into a system. What they can tell you is what kind of player one should expect, and it is from there that one may be able to insert them into the system in mind. Defenders are particularly difficult to evaluate as their statistics may not be wholly representative of the full picture, which is why it is critical to attempt to form a fuller understanding through looking at a player through how they get through matches. Otamendi shows himself to be a sort of action-oriented center back who is unafraid to press forwards and assault the opposition. He is an aerial threat when attacking the ball on set pieces, and is more than capable of shutting even the world's best players down. He is somewhat worrying in that his passing abilities may not be fully up to the standard expected at United, but it certainly can be worked on. At the age of 27, he is beginning to enter his prime years and is showing the abilities that Porto envisioned when they bought him five years ago. He possesses the physical abilities to allow him to succeed in the Premier League while still having the energy to actively partake in and embody the system that Louis van Gaal is attempting to instill in Manchester United. While his reported price tag is certainly rather high, he is in one of the top tiers of defenders, and that is worth every penny.

IMPACT: 9/10
POTENTIAL: 9/10
VALUE FOR MONEY: 9/10

All statistics sourced from WhoScored and all diagrams are sourced from either FourFourTwo or Squawka

Manchester United Scouting Reports: Memphis Depay

One minute, the best player of the Eredivisie seemed set to join Paris Saint-Germain. The next, it was officially announced that he had become a Manchester United player. After a whirlwind of events which culminated in the confirmation of Memphis Depay's arrival at Old Trafford next season, quite a few people were bound to wonder as to the qualities of the player. Sure, best in the Eredivisie sounds nice, but Alfonso Alves was also one of the best players in that league before he crashed and burned at Middlesbrough. On the other side of the coin, Luis Suarez came to the Premier League, adapted, and simply ran rampant last season. So, the question then arises: will Memphis Depay be an Alfonso Alves or a Luis Suarez?

Statistical Analysis:

Memphis' immediate impressions are striking indeed, with him having scored 21 goals while assisting 4 more over the course of his 28 league appearances this season, as he totaled 2396 minutes played, or roughly 85 minutes per game, all at the age of 21. He has started almost all the games for which he has been available for PSV, with the only exception being a groin injury which kept him out of 7 matches at the start of the season, indicating his reliability in terms of fitness, something which is undoubtedly a relief to Manchester United fans given the consistent injury woes which have plagued the squad throughout much of the season. His goal-scoring (and assisting) prowess resulted in him contributing a goal to the team in some form roughly every 96 minutes that he has played this season, a consistency which places him above the likes of Eden Hazard (141 minutes per goal+assist) and Gareth Bale (114 minutes per goal+assist). One must keep in mind the gap between the Eredivisie and both La Liga as well as the Premier League, so these numbers should be expected to drop, but even then, he would likely find himself in very good company. Nevertheless, this keen eye for goal permits Memphis to play across any of the front three positions, something Louis van Gaal will undoubtedly be pleased with as it will give the manager a flexibility in his tactics, most notably in giving a very quick option to play as a striker in matches where the Manchester United boss chooses to set up a more counter-attacking formation.

He is a volume shooter, averaging 5.5 shots per game, starkly more than Eden Hazard (2 per game) and definitely more than United's current left winger Ashley Young (1.2 per game). Much like a certain Cristiano Ronaldo (who himself takes 6.3 shots per game), Memphis is more than willing to take a shot from anywhere on the pitch, provided he is given a slight chance to take a shot. While it would be nice to have someone taking long-distance shots at goal, something which Manchester United has largely lacked this season, it is pointless if the player is consistently failing to find the target. In this area, Memphis puts in good numbers, scoring a goal for every 14% of the shots he takes, a little off of Ronaldo and Hazard's 20% shot conversion rate. However, statistics can be misleading, as Ronaldo and Depay are both likelier to take riskier attempts shots at goal, something which is likely hampering their shot conversion rates while Hazard, who shoots significantly less, appears to make his attempts when it appears to be "safer" to shoot.

There are noticeable gaps between Memphis and the likes of Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale, and these begin to become apparent as one goes deeper into his performance statistics. Memphis makes 2.8 successful dribbles per game, much more than Ashley Young (1.5 per game) and about one more than Bale, but significantly less than Hazard (4.6 per game). And, despite his completing of less dribbles than Hazard, Memphis is dispossessed at about the same rate (2.4 dispossessions per game versus 2.8), while having about one more unsuccessful touch per game, indicating a tendency to give the ball back to the opposition. This is not helped by the fact that his from his 32 passes per game, he only has a completion rate of 74.6%, significantly less than all the other players involved on this comparison. This is somewhat rectified by his 2.1 key passes per game, which is fairly close to Hazard's 2.6 key passes and far more than Ashley Young's 1.3 key passes per game, highlighting Memphis' willingness to play a risky pass and attempt to create opportunities for his teammates.

This is furthered by his fantastic crossing ability, wherein Memphis completes 28% of all the crosses he attempts, which is higher than both Hazard and Young, with both of them having a 25% completion rate, though Young attempts far more crosses than Hazard does. Where Memphis tries about 4.6 crosses per game, Hazard only tries 1.5 while Young pumps in 8.4, which definitely places Young in a more positive light in keeping such a reasonably high success rate while sending the ball into the box so often. Nevertheless, Memphis' statistics all indicate that while he is definitely a talent, there are some glaring issues which stand out, something which reflects his youthful age and ability to grow. Through a purely statistical outlook, it appears as though Manchester United have signed a player with major potential who has the ability to slot into the team and start growing. However, one must keep in mind the difference between playing for PSV in the Eredivisie and playing for Manchester United in the Premier League. As such, only statistics cannot be relied upon.

Match Analysis:

Memphis, as successful as he has been throughout his entire season, has had to have performed in individual matches in order to produce the numbers he has produced. Much like any other player, he is bound to have had poor games from time-to-time, and so it is critical to see what he contributes even when he has not performed well, thereby allowing to best understand his qualities in the team:

PSV EINDHOVEN 1 - 3 AJAX

While definitely a poor loss for PSV on their march to the title this season, several aspects of Memphis' play become immediately apparent. While he is defined as being a left winger, he has a tendency to drift inside the pitch and at times even merging onto the right side of the field where he should theoretically not be. Furthermore, he does not appear to be the type of winger who sticks to the sideline and runs down, whipping in crosses; instead he seems to work the spaces in and around the box, looking to find an angle which he can come in from. A look into his passing decisions throughout this match further validates this notion:

The starting position of Memphis' passes immediately draws attention to and reinforces the idea that he is the type of winger who, while largely sticking to his position, is very capable of drifting inside. More often than not, he passes inside, suggesting that he may be looking to create quick one-twos between the left-sided central midfielder and himself to he can make forays into the box. Memphis' capabilities to drift inside will be critical as it will open up space for Luke Shaw to attack into with greater effect next season, as Depay provides an additional threat to simply being able to cross: his shooting

What is critical to note here is how often Memphis takes his shots from outside the box. Out of 7 total attempts, 5 were taken from positions he had taken after drifting infield while still outside the box. Furthermore, two of his shots were blocked by defenders, while another two forced saves from Jasper Cillessen, indicating his ability to threaten the goal from outside the box even on an off-day like this match.

FEYENOORD 2 - 1 PSV EINDHOVEN

While this is another loss on PSV's march to the title, Memphis was one of the Rotterdam outfit's best players on the day, in his being able to still score a goal. (Please note that PSV is attacking the left side, as such making the left wing in this instance the bottom half of the figure)

His heatmap in this instance is more conservative than in the Ajax match as though he showed an ability to influence the match by taking multiple positions across the entirety of the pitch in the previously discussed match, he adopts a deeper role in this instance. What this suggests is that though Memphis much prefers adopting an attacking role in which he is running at defenders and dragging them out of position, he is more than capable of being disciplined and holding his place for the sake of the team. However, this does not contain his tendency to drift in search of goals, as is evident by how his heatmap trails off towards the center of the pitch.

Again, despite being forced deeper than he usually is, Memphis produced quality in being able to slip into space before eventually scoring from a long-distance effort which again highlighted his ability to shoot from any spot on the football pitch. He continually demonstrates a consistency in being able to force the goalkeeper into dangerous situations which may benefit himself in terms of his goal tally or his team if the goalkeeper were to parry the ball back into the box or simply by pulling defenders around him because of the threat that he provides.

TWENTE 0 - 5 PSV EINDHOVEN

Where the previous two were losses, here is an absolutely sublime performance by Memphis in which he scored two goals in a match away from home.

In case it has not already been made clear yet, Memphis likes to drift inside off of the left wing quite often, being most influential when given the freedom to do so. An issue may arise as if Louis van Gaal persists with placing Juan Mata on the right wing while having Memphis on the left, as they both will look to cut inside, thus narrowing the team considerably. Such a situation may be solved by placing Angel di Maria in his best position as the left central midfielder, so he may drive from a deeper position to create an alternate threat by running either through the heart of the opposition defense or out wide to the left wing. A noticeable feature of Real Madrid in the Decima-winning campaign was di Maria surging through the midfield onto the left wing as Ronaldo drifted into becoming a quasi-striker. There have been multiple suggestions of Memphis perhaps becoming the "next Ronaldo," and, given his shooting ability combined with a potential partnership with di Maria, it is not necessarily an impossible title to acquire.

Here, make note on the range of Memphis' passing to create chances for his teammates. This reinforces the idea of his vision to be able to create opportunities for his teammates in addition to scoring chances himself. Memphis is an intelligent footballer who knows what to do and when to do it. Usually.

Just a small note on his shooting here. Again, the long shots are a feature, though his clinical ability inside the box is something to note as he goes across the goalkeeper for one of his two goals while coolly slotting it home for another. He knows how to find space, get in the right position, and put the ball into the back of the net, not just take long shot after long shot.

PSV EINDHOVEN 4 - 1 HEERENVEEN

This is a more interesting range of passing on behalf of Memphis in this match. Though PSV dominated and ended up winning quite handily, with Memphis scoring yet another goal, he was perhaps not as influential as he might have been. Sure, the performance was impressive, yet one can see that he drifts quite a bit, perhaps too much for his own good. There must be a level of control, as he may unintentionally leave Manchester United's left wing wide open to be exploited by floating out of position. Like Gareth Bale at Tottenham, Memphis is given great leeway at PSV to do what he wants to do because he is easily the best player on the team. Matches like this one show his youthfulness in the sheer number of misplaced passes he commits in searching for the one "Hollywood pass." His creativity is not to be denied, but let this be a reminder that Memphis is still only 21 years old and has quite a bit of room to develop in. He has to be given time and patience and he will surely grow.

Final Thoughts:

Was this somewhat long? Perhaps. Actually, almost definitely. But for good reason. Memphis Depay could very well be one of the best players of his generation. It is most definitely possible given his flair and scoring ability. He has a multifaceted, intelligent approach to the game which flows wonderfully with his sheer pace and raw strength, attributes which would surely aid him in succeeding in the Premier League. Memphis has an innate sense of finding the goal, either be it for himself or through creating chances for his teammates. But he is still young. While it is important to hope for him to fulfill his potential and believe in him becoming a Manchester United legend, it is equally critical to appreciate the fact that he is moving from a league that he dominated to a league which is foreign and strange and one in which he may not succeed from the get-go. But he will grow, and he has the talent to be the focus of the team, much like Cristiano Ronaldo was a little under a decade ago. This time, however, I do not think he will be trading Manchester for Madrid.

IMPACT: 9/10
POTENTIAL: 10/10
LIKELIHOOD OF TRANSFER: ALREADY DONE

All statistics sourced from WhoScored.com and all diagrams sourced from Squawka