#16 | Rodri - 2020/21 Performances

[Withnail]

Had a decent game last night, but his mobility is a problem and for Porto's goal Diaz just waltzed past him as if he wasn't there.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Had a decent game last night, but his mobility is a problem and for Porto's goal Diaz just waltzed past him as if he wasn't there.

For a big guy, he has the physical presence of a gnat. People waltzing past him is a common theme. At the weekend he got booked when it happened, he also got Dias booked in the 2nd half because it happened again and he almost cost Walker a yellow when it happened yet again. Watching him on their goal last night was just painful. The guy is a major liability defensively and doesn't particularly standout in any other aspects of his game. In fact if someone asked me what I think his biggest strengths are, it would be decent in the air at set-pieces and has a good long-range shot on him. Two things that are absolutely vital strings to your bow as a CDM.

He is no better defensively at 6 than Gundogan and worse on the ball. The regression in that position from Fern > Gundogan > Rodri is frightening, especially in the timeframe it has happened and the cost incurred to do it.

 

[decmancity]

Wow, as folk often say on here, we must have been watching different games tonight Si, cos I’d draw the exact opposite conclusion; he’s too easily dispossessed, he gets flustered when pressed, and his passing is not accurate enough for our high standards.

I think we were watching different games, I don't think he gets caught under pressure very much at all. His passing is also often 95%+ successful so he is definitely accurate enough. You can argue if this is just back and sideways but thats what he is told to do.

I thought that Rodri was starting to look a lot better recently and then Pep throws him in with Gundogan who I just can't stand anymore and we end up with two players trying to do the same thing stood in the same area of the pitch.

He didn't do great for the goal but no one did. Garcia and Cancelo in particular were very poor.

It is also possible that a player can pull off a good run and shot to score against us, no team is perfect.

 

[DATOIA]

He is so important for the midfield - was looking at his game in the second half and all the passes,
all the movements and etc are always through him.. I counted number of good tackles and defensive
plays and that divine skill - when he distributes the ball from any difficult situation..

I know that we have reason to be negative and etc, but let's focus on the positive aspects of his game..

Of course he is 60m player and one of the best defensive midfielders in the world football right now. Casemiro, busquets, Jorjinho, Fabinho and all the big teams have this type of midfielder. They don't have fernandinho or alan or kante - Rodri is the "industry standard" right now and all of them are slower in terms of counter attacks, but those teams as well are built around such players and that has logical reasons. Today it's more important how you control the ball and retain it and distribute - than how you defend counter attacks. Because Pep is the guy who revolutionized football and all of the big clubs have copied his style. That's why I am 100% sure that Pep made the right decision to buy Rodri and I have never seen him - complaining about him. (I haven't seen him praising Rodri either, but still counts :D)

I have the feeling that he bosses the midfield when we have the ball. He knows how to distribute it, how to make small pauses, help team to relax and focus. He reads game very well and in overall is an elite player.

Comparing him to Javi Garcia is very very Funny. Please just re-watch game against Real Madrid in 2012 where Javi played as number 6 and then re-watch another game in 2020 - where Rodri played number 6.. You will definitely change your mind.

 

[01282]

I’ve got to say I was hugely underwhelmed when I first saw him in pre-season against Wolves last season. I’d heard Sid Lowe and Graham Hunter speak highly of him and with the price tag involved I assumed he was top drawer. He’s anything but and sadly never will be. We’d be lucky if we got £15m for him now.

I’d love to read his scouting report.

 

[shemnel]

this lad splits opinion like a David Silva through ball. He can definitely be a top class player, but in the right conditions. if i'm being totally honest i'm not sure the current fashions of the game are going in his direction....

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

I think he’s very good on the ball And he’s hard to dissposses. Good against a press. Has a good passing range.

The only reason I see he looks like he's hard to disposess is because he only ever takes the ball in acres of space or passes it backwards as soon as anyone comes near him. That isn't a good thing.

Why is he 'good on the ball'? He's not skilfull and his close control isn't very good. I don't see it.The odd long ball - ok, maybe give him that.

And what makes him good against the press? Fernandinho was brilliant at it - he'd take the ball calmly from defence under pressure in tough situations and feed it through to Kev and Dave, nullifying their press and putting us on the front foot. Rodri doesn't do that, he's scared to take the ball under pressure, so what makes him good against the press?

 

[FantasyIreland]

Had a decent game last night, but his mobility is a problem and for Porto's goal Diaz just waltzed past him as if he wasn't there.

Which was compounded by Cancelo's impression of a fairy.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

He is so important for the midfield - was looking at his game in the second half and all the passes,
all the movements and etc are always through him.. I counted number of good tackles and defensive
plays and that divine skill - when he distributes the ball from any difficult situation..

I know that we have reason to be negative and etc, but let's focus on the positive aspects of his game..

Of course he is 60m player and one of the best defensive midfielders in the world football right now. Casemiro, busquets, Jorjinho, Fabinho and all the big teams have this type of midfielder. They don't have fernandinho or alan or kante - Rodri is the "industry standard" right now and all of them are slower in terms of counter attacks, but those teams as well are built around such players and that has logical reasons. Today it's more important how you control the ball and retain it and distribute - than how you defend counter attacks. Because Pep is the guy who revolutionized football and all of the big clubs have copied his style. That's why I am 100% sure that Pep made the right decision to buy Rodri and I have never seen him - complaining about him. (I haven't seen him praising Rodri either, but still counts :D)

I have the feeling that he bosses the midfield when we have the ball. He knows how to distribute it, how to make small pauses, help team to relax and focus. He reads game very well and in overall is an elite player.

Comparing him to Javi Garcia is very very Funny. Please just re-watch game against Real Madrid in 2012 where Javi played as number 6 and then re-watch another game in 2020 - where Rodri played number 6.. You will definitely change your mind.

And that is exactly why this team is a shadow of its former self. We currently have centre backs who have nobody to pass to, because Rodri is inevitably hiding behind the opposition forward. Our centre backs spend half the game just passing to each other. When they finally are able to get the ball to Rodri, they inevitably get it back from him because he cannot pass forwards. People rightly point out that Rodri cannot run and his movements are slow but that is only half the story. We now play at a snails pace in possession and he is one of the major reasons for that.

 

[01cravend]

Thought he was solid.. Yes with a bit more pace he might of caught Diaz but he pushed him across goals where instead of Cancelo tackling him he turned his back on a non-existent shot.. Rodri didn't do anything wrong other than not be fast.