It’s funny to me that when Rodri was almost back, and back but not upto speed, there was a chorus of “undropable” and “Rodri needs to up his game if he’s going to unseat Nico G!”
What a fickle bunch we are!!
Game was not only tight, given the forwards inability to put one of the 27 shots that didn’t go in into the goal that by the time he came on to have some kind of impact, it was to cover the two CBs who were being given a torrid time as “squeaky bum time” approached.
I’m certainly not saying he lights up anybody’s nights, but he generally does a solid job and came second closest to scoring (after Cherki had his shot well saved) and would apparently have been crucified if he’d missed yo sitter that Nico OR missed from 6 yards out!! Not hearing much about THAT miss from our current favorite son!
If Rodri is out, Nico G is BY FAR the best man for man replacement as a DM, and putting Nico OR there only stifles his game. But, Pep apparently wanted to get minutes into RAN and try NOR alongside Bernie. When he realized it wasn’t working as well as he’d hoped and we were getting overrun through the middle at times, he sacrificed a non-too-happy RAN to shuffle NOR back to LB.
If nothing else, it’s going to be interesting to see the team we put out against a rampant Southampton team at Wembley, because I think whichever team wins our SF walks the Final!!
Here’s hoping Rodri is fit, so the knives don’t come out again on Nico G, who has had a good season of growing into the Pep pivot…a position that only the very best players can master!
