#16 | Rodri - 2020/21 Performances

[GBrannan]

Are there better defensive midfielders than Rodri right now ?

Casemiro and Fabinho aren’t better for me because we have watched him against them and there was no difference at all..

Great player and addition, well done

It all depends on how each team is set up to play. In a defensive team, one with loads of legs around him or one where the expectation is to not move the ball quickly through the lines then I think he’d be great. Just like at Athletico. In the Liverpool midfield I think he’d be a functional component because he’d have two other athletic players around him and he’d just need to hoof it up the field for Salah and Mane to chase.

In our team I think the player in our DM role has to, as well as be almost a one man screen for the back 4 which requires lots of mobility, be able to move the ball really quickly and with accuracy. I don’t think Rodri does either of those two things all that well. For moving the ball, we’re probably only talking between half and one second faster but that’s all that’s needed to find our man open or create a 1v1.

He’s clearly not a crap player but I don’t think he’s the right fit. I don’t have access to a multitude of scouting reports from across Europe so can’t reliably say who is better, but I don’t think he’s the answer. In my opinion he wasn’t an improvement on any part of Fernandinho’s skill set so the team, in that part of the field, has digressed.

I do believe, if we knew what we know now we wouldn’t have signed him, definitely not for €60m+. I hope he proves me wrong but 18 months in I’m not convinced he will.

 

[decmancity]

I do believe, if we knew what we know now we wouldn’t have signed him, definitely not for €60m+. I hope he proves me wrong but 18 months in I’m not convinced he will.

The club knew full well what they were buying, watch 10mins of Rodri for Atletico and you could tell.

It is exactly the reason why I have been 'defending' him since the day he arrived because I am not expecting anything more.

Sadly it seems a lot of fans had the expectations of some sort of Fernandinho clone. Rodri is not the player and never will be, perhaps Pep fcked up and thought he would be able to do without an 'all action midfielder' in the prem and perhaps thats why we are now going to back into the market for Zakaria or Bennacer etc.

I am not sure what people want Rodri to do to convince them he is going to be better, he isn't going to get faster or more mobile. He is doing exactly what Pep asks or he wouldn't be in the team, he regularly tops the charts for passing, accuracy, duels won, headers won and so forth, there is an argument he doesn't do any of those things great or hes too slow or ponderous and anyone can pass the ball backwards but unfortunately thats just how it is.

 

[DATOIA]

It all depends on how each team is set up to play. In a defensive team, one with loads of legs around him or one where the expectation is to not move the ball quickly through the lines then I think he’d be great. Just like at Athletico. In the Liverpool midfield I think he’d be a functional component because he’d have two other athletic players around him and he’d just need to hoof it up the field for Salah and Mane to chase.

In our team I think the player in our DM role has to, as well as be almost a one man screen for the back 4 which requires lots of mobility, be able to move the ball really quickly and with accuracy. I don’t think Rodri does either of those two things all that well. For moving the ball, we’re probably only talking between half and one second faster but that’s all that’s needed to find our man open or create a 1v1.

He’s clearly not a crap player but I don’t think he’s the right fit. I don’t have access to a multitude of scouting reports from across Europe so can’t reliably say who is better, but I don’t think he’s the answer. In my opinion he wasn’t an improvement on any part of Fernandinho’s skill set so the team, in that part of the field, has digressed.

I do believe, if we knew what we know now we wouldn’t have signed him, definitely not for €60m+. I hope he proves me wrong but 18 months in I’m not convinced he will.

There isn't and never will be the second Fernandinho, so team has to move on. Of course there was Alan from Napoli and maybe some others - but no one worse to be playing here.

That's why considering the options club had and the players that are playing in the big clubs (like Casemiro or Hojberg or Fabinho and etc) Rodri is great purchase and he does what he has to do efficiently, Debruyne is untouchable as well.

The problem is the third midfielder..

Pep has tried Gundogan, Bernardo, Foden there during the last 2 years and Gundogan appeared the best solution. But the fact itself that Gundogan is the best solution somewhere is frightening, so it means that KEY to the improvement of our midfield trio is to find a decent player on that position and preferably the one - that will balance Rodri as well.

I think Pep can use Spain as the reference and Fabian Ruiz from Napoli is a great pair for Rodri, they are playing together, covering each other and if it works for Spain, why not for City.

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I mean - yes you can sell Rodri and search for the replacements but Gundogan still stays and the ones that aren't able to fill David Silva`s boots.

Problem is absence of David Silva and not Fernandinho... (I think)

 

[Brightwell’s left peg]

The current issue for me (not saying it won’t change), is that most times he has an option to move the play forward or backward/side wards, he takes the backward/side wards option and sucks the impetus out of any advantage we have. We’re currently faced with banks of defenders and need to transition the ball forward quickly when we get the chance. He isn’t doing that, and it’s currently frustrating to watch.

Having said all that, if Pep keeps picking him then he’s seeing something I’m not, and I’m more than happy to go with it, but I just wish it was better than it is.

In some of his early games he seemed more combative and dynamic than what we’re currently seeing, so I’m still hoping he’ll expand into the player I saw glimpses of early.

 

[oldius]

The current issue for me (not saying it won’t change), is that most times he has an option to move the play forward or backward/side wards, he takes the backward/side wards option and sucks the impetus out of any advantage we have. We’re currently faced with banks of defenders and need to transition the ball forward quickly when we get the chance. He isn’t doing that, and it’s currently frustrating to watch.

Having said all that, if Pep keeps picking him then he’s seeing something I’m not, and I’m more than happy to go with it, but I just wish it was better than it is.

In some of his early games he seemed more combative and dynamic than what we’re currently seeing, so I’m still hoping he’ll expand into the player I saw glimpses of early.

This is actually the part of his game that I observe the least. He wins it, keeps it and gives it, often while under extreme pressure. I genuinely believe that with the return of the fierce pressing from the front, Rodri is the best central midfielder in the PL.

 

[domalino]

The current issue for me (not saying it won’t change), is that most times he has an option to move the play forward or backward/side wards, he takes the backward/side wards option and sucks the impetus out of any advantage we have.

This isn't true. When the ball is there to be played forwards, he plays it forwards, and usually with just 1 or 2 touches. I think Pep actually specifically praised this the other day.

Passing the ball sideways and backwards is an integral part of the way we play defensive teams and it always will be under Pep. It's how he breaks down a parked bus. Shift the defence 10m by going from one touchline to the other, make them drop deep by getting it to the byline then pass all the way back to make them push out, wait for someone to get lazy or for the shape to start getting messy and then ideally someone sees that lazy player, and we have a little 3 or 4 pass sequence in a couple of seconds and someone's in.

When people criticise Gundogan or Rodri for doing this, I'm always a bit bemused because Fernandinho played more sideways and backwards passes than anyone in the league when he was the 6, and it's obviously something they're instructed to do by the manager.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

This is actually the part of his game that I observe the least. He wins it, keeps it and gives it, often while under extreme pressure. I genuinely believe that with the return of the fierce pressing from the front, Rodri is the best central midfielder in the PL.

I will probably get absolute pelters on here for suggesting it but he reminds me of early Yaya without the goals and assists (and much better in the air).

Once he gets the ball its almost impossible to get it off him and he usually distributes it excellently, he also doesnt need a Barry/De Jong/Fernandinho to do the 'dirty work' as ghe gets through plenty.

If he can add in 5+ goals a season from the edge of the box (which he clearly has the shooting abiity for) that would be excellent.

 

[Dax777]

This is actually the part of his game that I observe the least. He wins it, keeps it and gives it, often while under extreme pressure. I genuinely believe that with the return of the fierce pressing from the front, Rodri is the best central midfielder in the PL.

No one controls and completed passes better under pressure than he does. He simply walks away from pressure and finds a pass that doesn't put his teammates under pressure.

His cerebral little touch passes to break pressure are amazing too.

For those who keep saying they don't see what he does, I'm going to get my nephew to make a compilation of the little passes and decisions that makes a huge difference.

Just for starters (as this can be seen on highlights) check his positioning to intercept the ball on our first goal, and the "sideways" pass that opened up our play for the setup to Mahrez goal.

But I'll try to put a video together of us getting out of pressure because of something simple he does.

It happens so often it almost seems normal. But others don't seem to be able to do the same.

 

[Brightwell’s left peg]

This is actually the part of his game that I observe the least. He wins it, keeps it and gives it, often while under extreme pressure. I genuinely believe that with the return of the fierce pressing from the front, Rodri is the best central midfielder in the PL.

I’m not seeing it, but fair enough, we all see things through different lenses.

 

[lasereyes]

No one controls and completed passes better under pressure than he does. He simply walks away from pressure and finds a pass that doesn't put his teammates under pressure.

His cerebral little touch passes to break pressure are amazing too.

For those who keep saying they don't see what he does, I'm going to get my nephew to make a compilation of the little passes and decisions that makes a huge difference.

Just for starters (as this can be seen on highlights) check his positioning to intercept the ball on our first goal, and the "sideways" pass that opened up our play for the setup to Mahrez goal.

But I'll try to put a video together of us getting out of pressure because of something simple he does.

It happens so often it almost seems normal. But others don't seem to be able to do the same.

Sounds like slave labour