It had been feared that Pellegrini’s stubborness would mean Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala starting together in the Manchester derby. Fortunately, the club captain is back.
The City boss denied in his Friday press conference that he was “punishing” Kompany for playing 58 minutes for Belgium during the international break, having not played for the previous month with a calf injury.
But Kompany quickly discovered his club’s annoyance when he returned to the Etihad Campus after that run out against Israel, not least as Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov had already picked up injuries in the previous days.
The centre-back assumed he would not start the next match, against Bournemouth, and he was correct. Pellegrini said his captain needed to work to the club’s schedule in order to get back up to full fitness – even if his compatriot Kevin De Bruyne, like many City fans, had assumed an hour’s competitve football would be quite literally what the doctor ordered.
Most City observers believed Kompany would be back for the huge Champions League clash with Sevilla on Wednesday, but again he was on the bench. Pellegrini claimed Otamendi and Mangala had been playing well together, specifically in games against Newcastle and Bournemouth. It wasn’t strictly true; in the first half against the Magpies, the defence was a shambles. Otamendi could have conceded a penalty in the opening minutes the following weekend.
On Friday, Pellegrini refused to confirm whether Kompany would return for the derby, and in fact was noticeably sick of being asked about the skipper – not least over the mix-up with the arm-band against Sevilla.
So City fans headed into the United game worrying whether their manager would stick to his assertion that Otamendi and Mangala are the best pairing to suit the club right now. After that opening period against Newcastle things did settle down somewhat, but nobody could tell you with a straight face that City looked better at the back than when Kompany was fit. After all, with him on the pitch they have conceded just once this season.
Thankfully, he is back. The surprise is that he does not reprise his partnership with Mangala, which was so successful in August and September. Kompany lines up against summer signing Otamendi and if the Argentine is to fully find his feet at City, having the Belgian by his side is his best bet.
Whatever happens from here – United seem to have adopted the 4-3-3 which served them so well at Everton last week, and in the 4-2 victory in this fixture last season – it was the right decision to bring Kompany back in.
Posted by Janice Johnson (Source: Goal)
