#16 | Rodri - 2020/21 Performances

[mccity]

I'm pretty sure Rodri is the league leader for forward passes.

 

[samarasra]

Rodri wins possession and he keeps possession. For a lot of sides this is enough, for ours it is not. We have 70% possession every game and the opposition aim to have 11 men behind the ball every time they lose the ball. It is imperative that the CDM in our side is able to get us moving and get us moving quickly. He can’t do it. Walking off with great pass completion stats isn’t enough.

70% you say, tonight mostly 10 to 15 yards outside the West Brom area, 3/4 City attackers in a wall of 8/9 West Brom defenders + a goalkeeper. You are the manager, how would you suggest the CDM, and he is the only one you mention, "get us moving and get us moving quickly" from 15 yards outside that box ?. Bear in mind that expert free takers Kevin and Gundo failed to put the ball between the posts or under the crossbar with a dead ball free kick against a static defense and no opponent closer than 10 yards in front of them and nobody challenging them, some might consider a free pass into the goal. So what do you expect from Rodri or your CDM to do in that scenario and what do you expect the other midfielders and forwards to do with their creative skills. Being constructively critical and not taking the "I'd take Rodri off" route what is your solution.

 

[samarasra]

Don't recall the Sterling header? Fucking hell mate, clearer than the Gundogan one.

I can expect Foden, KDB, Sterling or someone to create a fucking chance when they are stood outside the box or on the wing. What's their excuse then? It's Rodris fault because he's back on the halfway line?
Its Rodris fault when Mahrez has the ball on the byline and runs it off the pitch? Maybe he should have passed it quicker.

How about Sterling missing that one on one against West Ham a while back, maybe Rodri slowed him down with his telepathic powers.

Rodri is being blamed because once again the players in front of him couldn't finish their dinners or even chop the veg up to start it. Just makes no sense to me.

The issue isn't even creating chances, the issue is we can't finish. We are creating less chances than normal but that doesn't excuse the woeful finishing. Your right, we shouldn't have been struggling against a championship team at home but it happens, KDB still then delivered two perfect chances and...we missed.

Sterling is all over the place, Mahrez turns it on when he fancies, Torres is new, Agueros knee is fucked, Jesus is all over the pitch doing anything other than being in the box and that's just for starters.

Fernandinho is not some demi god that causes our players to finish chances.
Fernandinho was world class, I get it. I don't sit here and compare Rodri to Fernandinho. They are different people and players.

Theres not a single player in world football that plays like Fernandinho in my opinion so the sooner people move on and accept that the better.

If this is your application for Carragher's job, I would happily give you a glowing reference. Great to see some people actually watch our games.

 

[Tokyo32]

Rodri is just always a 6/10 does nothing bad and does nothing special. Takes a few useless touches before passing the ball. I just don’t think rodri can ever have a 9/10 match, which makes me believe he is not what we need because he is just a body on the pitch. Anyone knows what rodris special ability is ? Cause we can’t be having passengers that bring nothing to the team.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

It’s looking like someone that gets old. Wounded by the defeats stops you taking risks.

He needs to step out of it. He’s delivered the best football I’ve ever seen by multiple clubs, including this one.

Guardiola of one year ago would’ve made 3 subs, and his first would at least be on 60 minutes, not 75.

Stop being afraid to lose and start trying to win again. Otherwise we’re in for a very difficult season.

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 sorry but if Rodri is the answer I've no idea what the question is. We have been in decline for 18 months and he's been the fulcrum if the team. Obviously it's not him alone and I understand he needs others to be playing well but he doesn't stop the counter and his passing is so slow it really doesn't help. There's no energy or dynamism to his play and zero, Imran zero pace and we have dropped a massive bollock here......but Pep keeps playing him.
One massive problem with the one paced slow approach is it means the creative players don't receive the ball early enough.
That first 60 mins last night and Saturday were a disgracdisgrace

 

[Stoned Rose]

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.

Excellent insight into water.

One to watch this one blues.

 

[peter.evans]

I'm sorry but if Rodri is the answer I've no idea what the question is. We have been in decline for 18 months and he's been the fulcrum if the team. Obviously it's not him alone and I understand he needs others to be playing well but he doesn't stop the counter and his passing is so slow it really doesn't help. There's no energy or dynamism to his play and zero, Imran zero pace and we have dropped a massive bollock here......but Pep keeps playing him.
One massive problem with the one paced slow approach is it means the creative players don't receive the ball early enough.
That first 60 mins last night and Saturday were a disgracdisgrace

I agree.Rodri has proven to be just OK at the moment when we've been spoilt by the like of Toure but as others have said our major problem is that we are not clinical enough.It cost us last year and will be more obvious this year as we are creating loads of chances per game. We should have signed a striker two years ago as we've had those years with Aguero hardly playing. Guardiola made the mistake of two holding midfield players last night and then compounded it by taking too long to change it.Completely unnecessary as many have said. Gundogan on his own would have been enough and he's always been a better player in that role, quicker and sharper recycling the ball to the forwards and you always think he can create or score a goal even as a holding player, whereas Rodri does less in an attacking sense.

 

[Hungarian blue]

He started a bit shit but then had a solid second half. Retaining and keeping the ball well and playing it to the wings just fine. Was expecting this thread to blow off but honestly don't get why. Just ask yourself a question: was this a game where a prime Fernandinho would have been the answer to our creativity issues? Well of course not. Also, Gundogan clearly played the 'Silva role' yesterday so it's not like a pivot was not needed in such a game (maybe it was a bit too much by the end with also 2 centrebacks but that's for Pep to answer).

 

[Bobby Heaton Moor]

He started a bit shit but then had a solid second half. Retaining and keeping the ball well and playing it to the wings just fine. Was expecting this thread to blow off but honestly don't get why. Just ask yourself a question: was this a game where a prime Fernandinho would have been the answer to our creativity issues? Well of course not. Also, Gundogan clearly played the 'Silva role' yesterday so it's not like a pivot was not needed in such a game (maybe it was a bit too much by the end with also 2 centrebacks but that's for Pep to answer).

Fernandinho in his prime would've given us about 10x more urgency both in possession and in our pressing and that's where both the pace of the game and our creativity begin. We play at snail's pace now which conveniently is Rodri's pace.

 

[Hungarian blue]

Fernandinho in his prime would've given us about 10x more urgency both in possession and in our pressing and that's where both the pace of the game and our creativity begin. We play at snail's pace now which conveniently is Rodri's pace.

Pressing? They retracted to long balls after our pressing with which we've dealt well most of the time (also in part thanks to Rodri, by the way). And in possession? Well, maybe one or two sharper passes to our fullbacks, and that's about it. How could such urgency be achieved when the opponent has no interest other than have all men behind the ball? It wasn't expected from Fernandinho and nor was it delivered most of the time, it's not his job.