The Dunne/Onuoha solution

Danny Pugsley does the math to demonstrate just how good the Dunne/Onuoha partnership has been, particularly relative to the Dunne/Richards one.

Dunne and Onuoha (11 games) average 1 goal conceded per game, better than Ben Haim/Dunne (8 games, 1.13 goals/game), Dunne/Richards (14 games, 1.21 goals/game) and much better than the disastrous Ben Haim/Richards pairing - 7 games, 1.86 goals/game.

And his analysis is spot on:

What I think is the key component in the Dunne/Onouha axis though is that in Nedum Onouha, we have a 'footballing defender' (something I've always felt he is more so than Richards is) alongside the more 'basic' elements of Richard Dunne. Although slightly skewed by the start of last seasons performances, in the end was the Dunne/Richards pairing undone by the fact that they are just too similar?

Now, and arguably for the first time since Sylvan Distin left for Portsmouth, we have a settled pairing that do complement each other. How fantastic is it to also see Nedum Onouha finally put a sustained run of fitness and form together to begin to show just exactly the type of player that most of us have thought since he first emerged.

I had thought that Vincent Kompany was the long term replacement for Sylvain Distin. But with his continuing to play in midfield, Onuoha may just be that man.