If you are fortunate enough to have time to watch, on the City site, the matches Rodri played in last seasons 22 game winning run you will surely see why he is considered by many, a "very good player". Forget issues of speed, mobility and the fact he is not Fernandino, turn down the sound and watch with an open mind, the way the games evolve and the seamless positive contributions he makes. Make your own fair judgement of what you see.I'm struggling to understand when people are saying that Rodri is a ''very good player'' even though they admit he lacks speed and mobility, and he clearly doesn't possess the positional awareness to negate the first two deficiencies.... just what are his qualities that make him a ''very good player'' especially as a DM?
That's an understatement and a half..Thought he played well today. Underrated player on here.
Fast counter-attacking teams are very dangerous against a high line. If you give away the ball cheaply, as we did against Spurs, you are extremely vulnerable, and the CDM in such a situation is often beyond the halfway line. Whoever we had, in such a situation, there would be nothing they could do. The key is to maintain possession and, as you say, have a robust tactical plan.Don't think the doubts people have over him are in these games - he's clearly great at keeping us ticking and picking a pass from deep. These games where we are able to dominate show how good he is at this role.
Where he can get caught out is his lack of pace against the faster counter attacking teams. I don't blame him for that though, should be Pep's job to tactically work around his deficiencies.
Of course he will. We will have 70% possession in a 5-0 win and he won't get pinged by the NHS track and trace app as no one will come within 15 yards of him, but he will have a 98% pass success rate though.
It will be a prime Rodri game.
Let’s see how he does against top 4 opposition. He will be found out as he always is.
Playing fucking Norwich and he’s a world class player.
lets see how he does against top 4 teams here. Hope he does well.He was brilliant against Dortmund
Don't underestimate how often he prevents the counter attack before it happens, it rarely gets noted by commentators.Don't think the doubts people have over him are in these games - he's clearly great at keeping us ticking and picking a pass from deep. These games where we are able to dominate show how good he is at this role.
Where he can get caught out is his lack of pace against the faster counter attacking teams. I don't blame him for that though, should be Pep's job to tactically work around his deficiencies.
Him with Bernardos mobility in supportDon't underestimate how often he prevents the counter attack before it happens, it rarely gets noted by commentators.
The people that use this narrative never liked Rodri to begin with. That's why they never point out (until yesterday at least) that Fernandinho also didn't play in the CL final. It's just ammunition to them.
Rodri is one of those players that is really fucking boring to most fans. We have a few of those in this team. Bernardo, Jesus, Zinchenko (although the tide is turning bit by bit), Gundogan for a long time, Walker for a long time, even Sterling at times too. They aren't players that do too much direct stuff. They don't charge into tackles, they don't shoot and score too often, they don't create much that often. It's just all understated.
You have to be a bit of a football nerd to get it, and unfortunately it's very boring and lame to be a football nerd.
And people genuinely don't seem to understand what it is each of these players are supposed to be doing (after all this time, still). Good or bad, the players in question are doing as they're told and they're doing it well enough to keep getting picked.
That's all because it's a team game. Everyone does their little bit. That's why when it works, we press amazingly well. We pass amazingly well. We defend amazingly well. And as long as we don't have a terrible day in the boxes (as Pep would call it), we get amazing results too.
If we signed Bissouma, same rules apply. If he does his part for the team and they do it for him then great. But if not, it really doesn't matter who's playing in the position.
Total irony.Biggest amount of pretentious waffle I've ever read, arrogant too.
There's an argument he has a cosy job, but then surely that means Ferna has had a cosy job for the last 5 years?People don't rate Rodri for good reason, and it's not because they're simpletons that don't understand what they're watching. For a side like us, Rodri's got the cosiest job. He plays for the most dominant possession side in the league, the vast majority of the time his job is just to keep the ball ticking over and maintain the tempo out the back.
This is just totally made up.He's not got the array of killer passes that Fernandinho has, can't spray a diagonal like Fernandinho can, but he can keep the ball ticking over and moves it decently enough.
Again, its just not that true. I'll concede he's not peak Ferna at shielding the back four but "not very good at it" is just complete bollocks.Out of possession though his job is to sit in front of the back four and press the man at the right moments, follow runners, intercept passes, win his one v ones, cover ground, get challenges in and come away with the ball.
And he's not very good at it.
"I don't like Rodri so I'm gonna play Rodri bingo"Positionally he's not the best, he'll often come out and press with little to no intensity, and get strolled around leaving his man running through at the exposed back four. In a foot race shoulder to shoulder he loses every time. He's not great in the challenge. Physically he gets outmuscled a lot, especially shoulder to shoulder. He's very leggy and doesn't cover ground well.
You don't see this all that frequently when we're spamming dross like Norwich though, but even then there are occasional glimpses.
Sometimes yes. He is not a perfect footballer. However you are sincerely exaggerating once again.But it's when we play an evenly matched side that these flaws are really exposed. Chelsea, United, Liverpool etc etc.
Dunno who Makele is but you are right. He's not one of the best to ever play his position. What a cutting insult...Rodri isn't Baresi. He's not Claude Makele, he's not Busquets.
Last season Fernandinho (when he was 35 btw) played 36 games, Rodri played 53. I don't know what you expect from him. Do you expect him to play every single game?He's struggling to be undisputed number one in his position at the club, and his only other rival for that role is a 36 year old Fernandinho.
No you just need to pay attention. Fernandinho is still quality, that's why. Rodri still played 20 more times.There's a reason for that, and you don't need to be a "football nerd" to understand why.
Yet we won the league at a canter and made our first ever Champions League final.We haven't adequately replaced Fernandinho, and it should be a priority position for us to fill, just as much as a striker for me, if not more so. I will be absolutely amazed if we don't make it such soon.
Of course it's unfair. He played more times than ANY OTHER PLAYER last season. 3 more than Dias in second.I don't think it's unfair to speculate Pep has lost trust in Rodri. I think it's clear he has over the past 6 months. This year is absolutely huge for Rodri, make or break IMO. We will be looking for another 6 soon, just a question of if he's a guaranteed started or not.
Total irony.
There's an argument he has a cosy job, but then surely that means Ferna has had a cosy job for the last 5 years?
Maybe there isn't an argument...
This is just totally made up.
Again, its just not that true. I'll concede he's not peak Ferna at shielding the back four but "not very good at it" is just complete bollocks.
"I don't like Rodri so I'm gonna play Rodri bingo"
Can't believe you didn't mention sideways passes.
Sometimes yes. He is not a perfect footballer. However you are sincerely exaggerating once again.
Dunno who Makele is but you are right. He's not one of the best to ever play his position. What a cutting insult...
Last season Fernandinho (when he was 35 btw) played 36 games, Rodri played 53. I don't know what you expect from him. Do you expect him to play every single game?
No you just need to pay attention. Fernandinho is still quality, that's why. Rodri still played 20 more times.
He plays regularly for the best club team in England and one of the best national teams (under 2 world class managers). Surely there is a reason for that too?
Yet we won the league at a canter and made our first ever Champions League final.
We do not need another DM until Ferna leaves. And even then Lavia may be good enough.
Of course it's unfair. He played more times than ANY OTHER PLAYER last season. 3 more than Dias in second.
"Pep has lost trust in Rodri" Has he fuck! Give me a break.
Irony isn't always intentional.There's no irony whatsoever in what I wrote, I'm not claiming to be an authority or "football nerd" with insights beyond mere plebs, which is what he implied.
Convenient that, considering the facts that disprove the second half of what you said.I gave my take. You individually quoting it piece by piece and replying to each quote with some kind variation of "that's bollocks" is not a counter argument. Stopped reading your post halfway through for that reason.
This from a man complaining about someone else's arrogance. Goodnight.Tell me why I'm wrong and present an argument, or don't bother. Goodnight.
Disagree with opinions expressed in this, which I presume are yours and you are not writing on behalf of "people". You claim Rodri/Ferna have the "cosiest job", quite a statement, have you acually played in their position at PL winning level or are you speculating again, like you do when interpreting Pep's actions. Speculate on this, their job looks cosy because they are each in their own way very good at it.Biggest amount of pretentious waffle I've ever read, arrogant too.
People don't rate Rodri for good reason, and it's not because they're simpletons that don't understand what they're watching. For a side like us, Rodri's got the cosiest job. He plays for the most dominant possession side in the league, the vast majority of the time his job is just to keep the ball ticking over and maintain the tempo out the back.
He's not got the array of killer passes that Fernandinho has, can't spray a diagonal like Fernandinho can, but he can keep the ball ticking over and moves it decently enough.
Out of possession though his job is to sit in front of the back four and press the man at the right moments, follow runners, intercept passes, win his one v ones, cover ground, get challenges in and come away with the ball.
And he's not very good at it.
Positionally he's not the best, he'll often come out and press with little to no intensity, and get strolled around leaving his man running through at the exposed back four. In a foot race shoulder to shoulder he loses every time. He's not great in the challenge. Physically he gets outmuscled a lot, especially shoulder to shoulder. He's very leggy and doesn't cover ground well.
You don't see this all that frequently when we're spamming dross like Norwich though, but even then there are occasional glimpses.
But it's when we play an evenly matched side that these flaws are really exposed. Chelsea, United, Liverpool etc etc.
Rodri isn't Baresi. He's not Claude Makele, he's not Busquets.
He's struggling to be undisputed number one in his position at the club, and his only other rival for that role is a 36 year old Fernandinho.
There's a reason for that, and you don't need to be a "football nerd" to understand why.
We haven't adequately replaced Fernandinho, and it should be a priority position for us to fill, just as much as a striker for me, if not more so. I will be absolutely amazed if we don't make it such soon.
I don't think it's unfair to speculate Pep has lost trust in Rodri. I think it's clear he has over the past 6 months. This year is absolutely huge for Rodri, make or break IMO. We will be looking for another 6 soon, just a question of if he's a guaranteed started or not.
Very well said. Some people notice him only when the tactics go wrong but he snuffs out countless opposition attacks - this is also indicated by the stats that place him as the number one PL midfielder across a range of categories: progressive passing is only one statistic that is ignored by the naysayers of Bluemoon. I am hopeful that, eventually, as has happened with other players, he is seen for the absolute quality that he has.Don't underestimate how often he prevents the counter attack before it happens, it rarely gets noted by commentators.