Jamie Carragher says one Man City star is not good enough for Pep Guardiola's side – Mirror Online, Mirror

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Jamie Carragher has slammed Nicolas Otamendi following Manchester City’s defeat against Norwich, claiming that the defender has never been good enough for the club.

The Argentina center-back struggled as Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a surprise 3-2 defeat at Carrow Road on Saturday night.

It was City’s first loss of the new campaign and saw the defending Premier League champions fall five points behind leadersLiverpool, who are yet to drop a point.

Otamendi, 31, has started all-but one of the club’s games this season following the summer departure of former captain Vincent Kompany, but Carragher has questions over his quality.

“He dives in, he has done it all his career,” Carragher about the defender onSky Sports’ Monday Night Football.

“He will never change and that’s why he’s not good enough to play forManchester City.

“I have never believed it from day one and nothing I have seen in the last four or five years has changed my mind. “

With first-choice center-back Aymeric Laporte sidelined following knee surgery, Otamendi was partnered in the City back four by England defender John Stones.

And Carragher believes Laporte’s absence – combined with the summer departure of Kompany – has left Guardiola’s without a leader in defense and vulnerable at the back.

“John Stones, in some ways, over the next three or four months, is almost fighting for his Manchester City career in that, if it doesn’t go well for him they are going to buy someone.

“I think what City have now in terms of center-backs is what I call big brother and little brother.

“Now at Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk is the big brother and Joel Matip is the little brother. Matip without Van Dijk does not look the same.

“With Van Dijk, he’s calm and he’s confident with the big fella next to him. It’s like when your ma lets you go to the shops with your big brother, you’re OK, you’re safe.

“Pep Guardiola has got two little brothers playing at center-back. They have got no help. Laporte is not there to help. Kompany is not there to help.

“At this moment, I don’t think Guardiola wants to put those two on the pitch together but he has got no option because he has not gone big in the summer. “

City’s will be hoping to return to winning ways when they travel to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday before a meeting withWatfordover the weekend.