#16 | Rodri - 2020/21 Performances

[Dr Jacoby]

Rodri reminds me a lot of Jack Rodwell

...without the injury woes.

I’d say he’s more like Javi Garcia but with greater technical ability.

 

[Mattyc55]

We didn’t learn much from the failed Garcia and Fernando experiments did we?

Every time he gets turned we look exposed and he’s absolutely shite in the transition.

Genuinely can’t see anything in his game that warrants the price tag. We’d be better off with Harry Winks.

 

[decmancity]

What's this with "right players around him" - Fernandinho has ran a one man army show at CM for years. It's a matter of being a player capable of playing in a world-class team. We can't be dependent on Rodri having the right players next to him? Good players make their team-mates better and vice versa.

Puzzling that we weren't in for Thiago, and the fact that Pep said that we were covered in that position is very strange, considering what a glaring weakness it is.

Since the takeover, apart from a brief spell with Fernando and Javi Garcia (although he was really good the second part of the 13/14 season), I feel that our strength in DM/CM was one of the biggest factors to us dominating the 10's. Now, with Rodri/Gundo and an aging Dinho, the nearest future is extremely worrying.

So because Fernandinho has done it that means Rodri must also be able to do it?
Fernandinho has been a one off, not many midfielders come into the prem at 29yrs old and then dominate for over 5 years. He is a completely different player both technically and physically to Rodri. It is not fair to compare.

 

[Bobby Heaton Moor]

So because Fernandinho has done it that means Rodri must also be able to do it?
Fernandinho has been a one off, not many midfielders come into the prem at 29yrs old and then dominate for over 5 years. He is a completely different player both technically and physically to Rodri. It is not fair to compare.

So having identified the profile of midfielder that suits our system best, why did we see to it that we replaced him with someone that has literally none of the same qualities?

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Fabinho would have made a lot more sense if we were looking for a like-for-like replacement for Fernandinho.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

How can we hand pick a player in a position we desperately need, severely overpay for him, and yet get it so badly wrong? Doesn't look like he'll ever fit the pace of the modern premiership game in a million years and even if it was slower and more suitable to him, I still think he'd be crap

 

[Sir Joe Aguero]

Fabinho would have made a lot more sense if we were looking for a like-for-like replacement for Fernandinho.

Cheaper and good at set pieces too. And played RB a lot for Monaco, which means we wouldn't of needed to spend 60mil on Cancelo.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

So because Fernandinho has done it that means Rodri must also be able to do it?
Fernandinho has been a one off, not many midfielders come into the prem at 29yrs old and then dominate for over 5 years. He is a completely different player both technically and physically to Rodri. It is not fair to compare.

It’s difficult to replace the very best. We are struggling to replace Vinny. We will likely struggle to replace Silva. And I have no expectations that we will be able to replace Aguero with someone of his level, when he goes. What I do expect is that the management team give us at least a fighting chance when replacing these players. I mean we had the template for what a top class CDM looks like in the Prem, we had been watching one of the best in the world for the last few years, so how the fuck do we end up replacing him with Rodri? A guy who has a skill set that is nothing alike. It’s like replacing Aguero with Joelinton and then being shocked when he doesn’t score 25 goals a season.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

should keep his mouth shut and put in the level of performances needed for once.

 

[ScottSinclair]

Fabinho would have made a lot more sense if we were looking for a like-for-like replacement for Fernandinho.

Always said Fabinho was the one we never should have let them sign. Not van Djik etc.

I really like Rodri, but if we are going to make him effective we either need to get our energy and press back (which means among other things sending Mahrez and Gundogan to the moon) or pair him with someone covering ground and winning balls back around him (in the Kante mould, Allan would have been perfect for this, as would a slightly younger Ferna)