I was surprised he started but not now. I think Pep just thought he was right for the game. It was a battle, not a game for 30/40 passing movements and long periods of ball retention and Ferna is the man for a battle, he is also the club captain and that leadership was a factor (ask Zinchenko). We may well add a second DM if Ferna goes, but imo it will be to compete/team up with Rodri not to replace him.I love Dinho,probably my favourite City player,and he is still a fine midfielder,but should he be starting ahead of 24 year old Rodri?
What does that say about Peps confidence in the lad? Will we be looking for another first choice in the summer?
Or is it more simplistic?
Now you know.i’m fuming to be honest, Ferna has massively dropped off this year and Rodri looked nailed on first choice. why Pep?
Horses for courses.I think you give Dinho less respect than he deserves,he is still brilliant,just not as athletic or has the same engine as he once did.He will do a fine job tonight i have no doubt.
It just bothers me slightly,why?
i’m fuming to be honest, Ferna has massively dropped off this year and Rodri looked nailed on first choice. why Pep?
because Rodri bottled it vs PSG last time. Pep knows he can depend on Dinho. Rodri can’t give away easy balls and expect to be forgiven. At this stage that knocks you out.
trust in Pep.
This is a really poor attempt at analysing the decision.
We won really well with Rodri last week, and as the match thread can attest to, Fernandinho got exactly the same treatement as Rodri in the first half, getting caught a few times and misplacing passes.
It's inevitable when you play a side like PSG going hell for leather that your 6 will get caught on the ball a few times. People need to accept it will happen and stop trying to pretend it's a Rodri issue - Klopp used to specifically target Fernandinho and we conceded goals from him being dispossessed in the past.
They are both fantastic 6's, and Fernandinho likely got the nod because of what happened in the second half when things got nasty and cool heads were needed. Fern calmed everyone down, he whispered in the referee's ear and he wound PSG up until they got a man sent off.
That's stuff Rodri will pick up over the years.
Are you Rodri's mother?’m fuming to be honest, Ferna has massively dropped off this year and Rodri looked nailed on first choice. why Pep?
But that's equally doing a disservice to Rodri to suggest Fernandinho got the nod because he's the better player.Suggesting Fernandinho got the nod because he's a bit nastier and he's captain is a great disservice to him.
It's because even at 36 he's the better player. It's no disgrace not beigg as good as him as he is the best in the world. He did everything tonight that Rodri has lacked in the first half of all the big games this past month. Dinho made a couple of loose passes on a dodgy pitch against a very intense press but its virtually impossible for that not to happen, Rodri was more guilty of it last week, it's unavoidable when the opposition are that good.
The difference is dinho marshalled the space infront of our CB's amazingly well, it's not just the tackles and interceptions he makes it's the off the ball stuff he does in closing down space so that the pass can't be made that was so crucial.
Rodri isn't mobile enough to do that as effectively as Fernandinho. first half last week saw neymar constantly on the ball in areas he operates in because he couldn't close down the space to prevent the pass. Tonight neymar was having to go even deeper or out wide to get on the ball where he's far less Impactful and that was because of Fernandinho.
You do a massive disservice to both. He got the nod (assuming Rodri wasn't carrying a slight injury ) most likely because Pep believed it was the right choice for this game. There will be a quantum of factors behind his choice, most probably far beyond our comprehension. Different players suit different situations. A string of negative comments about cheese does not improve the value of chalk and vice versaSuggesting Fernandinho got the nod because he's a bit nastier and he's captain is a great disservice to him.
It's because even at 36 he's the better player. It's no disgrace not beigg as good as him as he is the best in the world. He did everything tonight that Rodri has lacked in the first half of all the big games this past month. Dinho made a couple of loose passes on a dodgy pitch against a very intense press but its virtually impossible for that not to happen, Rodri was more guilty of it last week, it's unavoidable when the opposition are that good.
The difference is dinho marshalled the space infront of our CB's amazingly well, it's not just the tackles and interceptions he makes it's the off the ball stuff he does in closing down space so that the pass can't be made that was so crucial.
Rodri isn't mobile enough to do that as effectively as Fernandinho. first half last week saw neymar constantly on the ball in areas he operates in because he couldn't close down the space to prevent the pass. Tonight neymar was having to go even deeper or out wide to get on the ball where he's far less Impactful and that was because of Fernandinho.
He didn't bottle it, he was targeted by 2 PSG players in the first half because Poch knew how important he was to our passing and ball retention game. That was sorted at halftime by forcing them to go 1 on 1 on him.because Rodri bottled it vs PSG last time. Pep knows he can depend on Dinho. Rodri can’t give away easy balls and expect to be forgiven. At this stage that knocks you out.
trust in Pep.
Is it? He is the better player. Peps not playing an inferior 36 year old in the semi final of the champions league as a birthday treat if he's got a better guy in his twenties on the bench. It's no disservice to say Rodri isn't better than the best around.But that's equally doing a disservice to Rodri to suggest Fernandinho got the nod because he's the better player.
If he's the better player, why has Rodri been getting picked ahead of him all season?
It's likely been a very complicated process for Pep to make his decision and choosing Fernandinho was the right one. But to be so dismissive of Rodri is poor form.
My post was predominantly full of praise for Fernandinho who was getting some odd comments rather than negativity towards Rodri the only negativity was saying he joins every other player in the world in not being as good as Fernndinho, the best around.You do a massive disservice to both. He got the nod (assuming Rodri wasn't carrying a slight injury ) most likely because Pep believed it was the right choice for this game. There will be a quantum of factors behind his choice, most probably far beyond our comprehension. Different players suit different situations. A string of negative comments about cheese does not improve the value of chalk and vice versa
love/hate, like/dislike, cloud judgement. 2 players who contributed handsomely to our success in a multitude of different ways. We are where we are because Pep has selected, by and large, what he deems the best team for each game, fortunately.I really don’t like Rodri and that’s my personal opinion I’m sure people will check my previous posts etc
I was however, surprised that pep didn’t start him today as he is his go to man in that position all season (to my annoyance but that’s why I’m not pep)
Dhino did show why he is, at the age of 36, one of the best in the game today.
That corresponds to what I saw too.This is a really poor attempt at analysing the decision.
We won really well with Rodri last week, and as the match thread can attest to, Fernandinho got exactly the same treatement as Rodri in the first half, getting caught a few times and misplacing passes.
Bottled it? Seriously? Get a grip.
It's inevitable when you play a side like PSG going hell for leather in the first half at a pace they can't even sustain through the match that your 6 will get caught on the ball a few times. People need to accept it will happen and stop trying to pretend it's a Rodri issue - Klopp used to specifically target Fernandinho and we conceded goals from him being dispossessed in the past. The only way to stop it is to play over the press instead of through it, but Pep chooses to back our midfield.
They are both fantastic 6's, and Fernandinho likely got the nod because of what happened in the second half when things got nasty and cool heads were needed. Fern calmed everyone down, he whispered in the referee's ear and he wound PSG up until they got a man sent off.
That's stuff Rodri will pick up over the years.
"he joins every other player in the world in not being as good as Fernndinho, the best around." That is a debatable opinion, but your reply to McCity, is imo, entirely incorrect and in no way supports your reply to me. They are both valuable assets in their own way.Is it? He is the better player. Peps not playing an inferior 36 year old in the semi final of the champions league as a birthday treat if he's got a better guy in his twenties on the bench. It's no disservice to say Rodri isn't better than the best around.
He's been getting the nod all season because he's been chosen as the future, he has to play, the new younger guy slowly eases out the veteran, that is how processions in football work, or at least how it should work, otherwise we run dinho into the ground until he retires and we screw ourselves with nobody to fill the literal gaping hole he leaves once he's finished.
My post was predominantly full of praise for Fernandinho who was getting some odd comments rather than negativity towards Rodri the only negativity was saying he joins every other player in the world in not being as good as Fernndinho, the best around.