Watch this lad closely: HE HIDES!
He hides in spaces or seems to purposely trot next to their players so he can’t be passed the ball.
After watching Yaya and Fernandinho for so long - two players who never once in a game stopped running into spaces to be passed the ball in - and now watching this lad... he’s fucking boring to watch, involved in the game so little that you wouldn’t miss him if we took him off for no sub.
I know it’s Hallowe’en next week, but this lad does a ghost impression every week.
His position is so important in our team to start passing moves off in midfield after receiving the ball from the back five, but he does fuck all.
Get Gundo in his position and play Foden where Gundo has been.
The post I replied to said "he even admitted their plan was to stop Rodri getting on the ball" so clearly they thought he was a strong link rather than a weak one.they targeted him as they knew he was / is a weak link??
If Rodri is shit why would Leicester specifically target him?
Surely if he's as bad as you say they would want him to have as much as the ball as possible.
Perhaps professional football managers know what he offers to the team?
They didn’t target him personally because of his ability or lack of ability, they identified his role in our buildup play and targeted cutting it off to stop our play. Teams have tried it in the past but was unsuccessful because Fernandinho is too good at the role to stop him. he’d Drift into holes for 90 minutes and dictate the entire game, teams have stuck 2 men on him to try and stop him but he’d still do it. you don’t even need to man mark Rodri because he’ll go place himself behind an opponent for you and mark himself out of the game.
You’re also very wrong in saying he doesn’t hide. go back and see how many of those passes he made were from a position ahead of any opponent, almost all of his passes were 1-2’s with the centre back or out to the fullback, he doesn’t break lines to receive the ball and he doesn’t break lines passing the ball
I noticed it from his first half performance at Norwich away last season. Constantly not finding space to be passed the ball. It’s not a new thing this season.Been saying it for weeks mate. You are spot on. Constantly stands behind the opponent who is pressing the ball carrier. Impossible to get a pass off to him. He does it constantly. I'm no fan of Gundo but he would make a better fist than Rodri. For me, he is the main reason why we have gotten this slow and predictable passes backwards and sideways at snail pace when he does have the ball. Maybe he has a fitness problem because the deterioration is stark this season.
A fair summary of the game imo which you obviously watched with an open mind. When you see posts like this,In a team were Front Three is doing literally nothing to help the team..
Bernardo and Gundogan look lazy and etc.
People want Rodri to win the games and do something.. He had no mistakes today, covered team number of times, won number of key battles, was delivering good long balls but our front three isn't playing at top10 level right now and that's the problem. What can Rodri do - become a superman ?
I can count 6-7 players that were worse than him today.
Since Wolves game - team can't score more than 1 goal in a PL match.
Arsenal -> 1
Leeds -> 1
West Ham -> 1
Leicester -> 2
And you say Rodri is the problem ?
Ignore the stats and watch the game, watch him closely. When our back five has the ball he is constantly stands in areas he can’t be passed the ball in. He might have a lot of touches but he gets the ball passed back to him a lot from players up front who boringly play it backwards and sideways, but when we need to start an attack, he’s not running into the space we need him to. It’s frustrating the hell out of me so I can’t be making it up because it happens in most games, and it’s easy to spot.This is just a lie.
Rodri made 108 passes, the second most in the team behind Gundogan's 110.
If you want to criticise the way he uses the ball then fine but inventing that he hides from the ball is not needed, it takes away any actual points your post may have when it starts with a complete fabrication.
Ahead of the first line of opposition attackers not wandering upfront, and that’s exactly his role in possession, it’s not to sit in as the third centre back making a back 5 to pass side to side with 11 men infront of them. Fernandinho drifts into the pocket and receives the ball in advance of the opposition strikers where he can force their midfielders to confront him which starts everything off and makes the space.Why on earth would he be ahead of the opponent making passes!! That isn't his job, that is the two more attacking midfielders jobs.
I can guarantee if he went further forward you would be slagging him off when we get caught on the counter and he isn't there to screen the back 4.
He made a few lovely long diagonal balls out to the wingers but not sure what he can do when their is zero movement upfront. Did Sterling run in behind once all game?