#16 | Rodri - 2020/21 Performances

[Ashleymcduff]

Absolute dog shit

 

[samarasra]

genuinely don’t recall a sterling header, the Aguero one wasn’t a great chance the only real good chance was the Gundogan header and he didn’t do much wrong there’s it was just a good save that’s the only standout chance we created all game against the worst defence in the league at home and he wasn’t playing in an advanced position.

You’re correct Rodri isn’t in the team to create a goal scoring chance, nobody is really saying that, but he is in the side to be a provider to the players that are in the side to create and he’s utterly woeful at it. We can’t really expect kdb,Foden etc to create something when they either have to come back practically in line with the defence to pick up the ball because players behind them can’t find them further up the pitch or they have to wait so long to get the ball in a position to create a chance that there’s now 10 men defending infront of them and 2 maybe 3 targets if they’re lucky.

That's where this side is struggling badly and that’s what rodri is supposed to be doing.

As somebody who clearly doesn’t see Rodri as a problem what do you attribute the creative problem to? Why have we gone from the greatest creative, attacking side the league has ever seen 2 years ago to a side that can’t create a decent chance until injury time against the worst defence in the league?

From that side we’ve lost silva who everyone claimed was on a fast downward spiral and Sane who was barely getting a look in at our peak, the only other significant difference is Rodri plays in place of Fernandinho...

"a provider to the players that are in the side to create" you said it, he did it, you couldn't see it, look again. Who is being overwhelmingly voted "man of the match" ? Gundogan, a fair choice. Who made the space for him ? Who made numerous interceptions, did the hard work and moved the ball to Gundogan, Kevin and the wide players ? Rodri, that's his job. Who couldn't use the ball well enough to score or create easier chances ? the players whose job it is to do that. The Sterling header was one of the better chances. Nobody is claiming he is a Pirlo or David Silva, nobody is claiming Ederson is the new Messi, he has his job to do, its not being a specialist in 11 different positions. "everyone" was not saying Merlin was on a fast downward spiral, that is as ott as some of the fantasy based criticism here, imo, people commented that he was no longer at his peak, age, injury were not his friend, Sociedad fans are happy with him. Here is the creative problem we have, how do we penetrate a full penalty area filled with 7 or 8 big tall defenders. We hit low crosses, too many opposition bodies, doesn't work, we hit high crosses to Sergio, Gabby or Raheem whose combined height is just about the the same as 2 defenders, rarely works, unless we get the deflections that gave West Brom their goal, we take long shots, too many bodies. Now most defences won't budge from their penalty area to accommodate our quick breaks. We tried running at them it didn't work, no space. So Rodri is the problem ?? take him off and all those issues are solved ?? is that the most creative solution you can come up with, really ? you and others cannot even see Rodri pass the ball forward regularly when even the most biased commentator's and pundits can see it clearly. Are there qualified coaches posting here that suggest taking Rodri out of the team is the solution to the problem, let's hear their theories instead of the" Rodri is the problem" and "Rodri is shite" cliches repeated as informative comment, this forum deserves better.

 

[samarasra]

So you wouldn't agree that replacing individuals of the character and ability of Kompany, Delph, Fernandinho, Silva, Sane and Aguero with the likes of Rodri, Ake, Mahrez, Cancelo and Jesus hasn't been the root of our decline? We've bought rubbish and are paying the price.

The difference between a 1-1 and a 2-1 with a late winner is the character and quality of those on the pitch trying to achieve it. Sure, we came close tonight but we didn't win it and over the course of a season those are the fine lines between winning something and not.

Maybe you want to rewrite City history. How long was Kompany here before people noticed his character & ability, I remember how many wanted him booted when he was struggling in midfield. Delph , have you read what people said about him, even as he held the PL trophy in his hands, it wasn't "look at our great left back". Fernandinho "why are we buying a no name 28 yo. Brazilian from Donetsk" was a common reaction. Silva "should have got Villa" "bought the wrong David", "too small, too light" you don't remember those informed opinions ??. Sane "why did we buy that waste of space", look at the Sane thread to see what our supporters felt about his "character and ability", from the day he arrived to the day he left. How many thought Sergio's fee was crazy for a guy who couldn't play because his boots wouldn't fit. It is easy to look back with glazed eyes at those guys, none of them were as well thought of in their early days as they are in retrospect. " We've bought rubbish" maybe , come back and say it when they are leaving.

 

[Bobby Heaton Moor]

Maybe you want to rewrite City history. How long was Kompany here before people noticed his character & ability, I remember how many wanted him booted when he was struggling in midfield. Delph , have you read what people said about him, even as he held the PL trophy in his hands, it wasn't "look at our great left back". Fernandinho "why are we buying a no name 28 yo. Brazilian from Donetsk" was a common reaction. Silva "should have got Villa" "bought the wrong David", "too small, too light" you don't remember those informed opinions ??. Sane "why did we buy that waste of space", look at the Sane thread to see what our supporters felt about his "character and ability", from the day he arrived to the day he left. How many thought Sergio's fee was crazy for a guy who couldn't play because his boots wouldn't fit. It is easy to look back with glazed eyes at those guys, none of them were as well thought of in their early days as they are in retrospect. " We've bought rubbish" maybe , come back and say it when they are leaving.

So would you be happy to sail off into the next few years with Rodri, Mahrez, Cancelo and Jesus regularly in the side? Rather than believing what your eyes are telling you which is they're not good enough? Sure it took time for Kompany to find his place as a leader but Fernandinho, Silva (after the first few months) and Aguero were outstanding from the off and just had "it". I don't see any sort of development of ability or character with any of these current players and some of them have been here years!! Nevermind the fact they would've seen real leaders in action and obviously never took anything on board.

 

[mccity]

Maybe you want to rewrite City history. How long was Kompany here before people noticed his character & ability, I remember how many wanted him booted when he was struggling in midfield. Delph , have you read what people said about him, even as he held the PL trophy in his hands, it wasn't "look at our great left back". Fernandinho "why are we buying a no name 28 yo. Brazilian from Donetsk" was a common reaction. Silva "should have got Villa" "bought the wrong David", "too small, too light" you don't remember those informed opinions ??. Sane "why did we buy that waste of space", look at the Sane thread to see what our supporters felt about his "character and ability", from the day he arrived to the day he left. How many thought Sergio's fee was crazy for a guy who couldn't play because his boots wouldn't fit. It is easy to look back with glazed eyes at those guys, none of them were as well thought of in their early days as they are in retrospect. " We've bought rubbish" maybe , come back and say it when they are leaving.

What's crazy is that in 6 years from now we'll be having people saying how bad the new crop are and why they can't be like this current batch.

 

[samarasra]

Most of the first group of players were signings similar to the second group in terms of their prior standing.

What we’ve not done is bought the calibre of player the first group became, we’ve tried to repeat the first trick again... but thus far without the same return.

You are correct imo in your first sentence. Question is, what in today's transfer market would that first group, at the level they became, be valued at. £ 70 + for Kompany ?, only if you consider Van Dijk better than him. Sergio at his peak ? Joao Felix : £ 113 million apparently for "potential" what price Mbappe, £ 131 million, Neymar: £ 199 million. It is not a trick, why do people think we can buy whoever we want at any price and not be aware of the PL & European financial restraints, they are not gone. Maybe one or at most two per year but to suggest we can spend six to seven hundred million on players of the calibre that first group became over a short period is off the wall.

 

[samarasra]

What's crazy is that in 6 years from now we'll be having people saying how bad the new crop are and why they can't be like this current batch.

You are assuming those people having the attention span to wait 6 years.

 

[mccity]

You are assuming those people having the attention span to wait 6 years.

They'll only be about 10 of us left on here by that point. I think we'll manage ;)

 

[samarasra]

So would you be happy to sail off into the next few years with Rodri, Mahrez, Cancelo and Jesus regularly in the side? Rather than believing what your eyes are telling you which is they're not good enough? Sure it took time for Kompany to find his place as a leader but Fernandinho, Silva (after the first few months) and Aguero were outstanding from the off and just had "it". I don't see any sort of development of ability or character with any of these current players and some of them have been here years!! Nevermind the fact they would've seen real leaders in action and obviously never took anything on board.

I'm never happy sailing. The water is far too choppy and unpredictable for me. Football is the same, often, but I prefer it to water (best used for drinking or washing). Mahrez will be 30 in February, so he may go within 2 years, the other 3 have a value in the squad, not appreciated by some members, I have no problem with them. I would like a tall, fast, skillful, young, hungry, rarely injured,experienced 30+ goals a year striker. I would like a creative midfielder with the physique and durability of Ronaldo and the skill and brains of a young Messi. I would like those players to come through the Academy. That would begin to make me happy in football terms. Realistically it won't happen in my lifetime, so I won't risk my health stressing out about it. There are I think 25 players in a squad and I hope we can mix and match them to find a 14 or 15 that gel together to improve our performances and I expect we will buy a creative midfielder and "striker" very soon. I expect a mixed welcome for those players whoever they are. To some Aguero had "it" after he scored twice on debut against Swansea, not so much before, and I do not have memory deficiency about the others, as the saying goes "it is written" here and elsewhere. Of course there are some who saw back to back PL winners on the day they signed, especially the 100,000 who squeezed into York, believe what makes you happy.

 

[samarasra]

I counted 5 but it’s possible one or two are still rising and I’ve double counted.

Maybe my maths isn’t the point here...

You should have watched the game instead of playing fantasy football.