#16 | Rodri - 2020/21 Performances

[Saddleworth2]

I’m going to do something really boring on Tuesday as I have to wait in the flat for a delivery all day... I’m going to watch the full 90mins back and note the times where he stands still or trots the other side of their player so he can’t be passed to.

I can’t believe people don’t see it with him, it’s driving me up the wall he does it so much!

In his recent games I’ve got up and shouted at him through the tele with my face a foot away from the screen knowing full well he can’t hear me.

Also, moving into space to be passed to isn’t just about being passed to. It’s about dragging an opposition player with you and opening up a passing lane.

Notice how Bernardo was so seldom involved yesterday? He was the furthest forward of the three midfielders and Rodri wasn’t doing enough to get him in the game neither through giving him quick enough ball or opening up gaps in midfield so the defenders/keeper could pass to him.

Rodri’s movement is atrocious when our defenders have the ball.

I had some telling me I didn’t understand football yesterday for speaking such herecy. just look at the number of times he touches the ball came the cry. Publish your analysis please.

 

[wolviedinho]

I’m going to do something really boring on Tuesday as I have to wait in the flat for a delivery all day... I’m going to watch the full 90mins back and note the times where he stands still or trots the other side of their player so he can’t be passed to.

I can’t believe people don’t see it with him, it’s driving me up the wall he does it so much!

In his recent games I’ve got up and shouted at him through the tele with my face a foot away from the screen knowing full well he can’t hear me.

Also, moving into space to be passed to isn’t just about being passed to. It’s about dragging an opposition player with you and opening up a passing lane.

Notice how Bernardo was so seldom involved yesterday? He was the furthest forward of the three midfielders and Rodri wasn’t doing enough to get him in the game neither through giving him quick enough ball or opening up gaps in midfield so the defenders/keeper could pass to him.

Rodri’s movement is atrocious when our defenders have the ball.

Good idea, it will be interesting to see the results. I can’t make my mind up about rodders. Last game he was so bad he should of been hooked at HT.

If you look at Pep he was going mental a few times as Rodri continued to pass it back to gundo or the defence. He was so slow turning everything went in slow motion.

I really hope he is not another dud as he looked the real deal when he arrived.

So many problems. It was posted here that due to empty stadiums the players are taking it easy. This needs addressed.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Ok, the frustration has subsided from the last two performances. I have been accused of not being specific in my criticism of Rodri, so fwiw here is my attempt at a balanced assessment of what I see.

some context; Rodri is entering his second season with us. That is enough time to assimilate Peps methods and be comfortable with them, plenty time also to integrate with the squad and understand how they play, how they prefer to have to the ball presented to them. Still quite inexperienced with our opponents in the PL but experienced enough to have transitioned to its pace and physicality. I think the lad is 23 so not a callow youth but still maybe 4 or 5 years from his peak albeit physically, unlikely he will get quicker in terms of simple running speed. Last season, increasingly teams have learmed how to play against us, stay tight and narrow at the back, when we lose it move the ball quickly to the flanks and have runners down the middle. That template has worked well for Wolves, Arsenal, Leicester in particular. I am also seeing Some teams putting more pressure on our pivot irrespective of who plays there. Vardy admited recently that part of there game plan against us was to man mark Rodri reducing our options for an out ball in defence and forcing errors. So irrespective of who plays in that position, increasingly they are going to be pressurised more. The days when we can simply play out of the back, put our Cb’s wide, have the pivot drop back and ping 6 yard passes between each other, and then the full backs, are maybe numbered. Look how often Eddie goes long or mid distance compared to a couple of seasons ago for evidence that what I say is accurate. All of this gives Rodri or Fern/Gundo less time on the ball to pick the perfect pass.

so in this changed circumstances we need a defensive midfielder that is comfortable with being pressed quickly, knows instinctively where his team mates are and is technically capable of laying off passes first touch where required. The player needs to have physicality to resist press but also have the ability to move into space to receive. Passing forward at pace in the transition is a prequisite of the position turning defence into attack.

It is still relatively early season but Rodri is not endowed with pace. His passing is normally accurate but too often the way he is facing (backwards) or sideways. He seems unable to turn quickly and his body position when he receives the ball makes it difficult for him to execute a pass forward. His passing is often mid paced rather than ‘pinged’ quickly. I think this is particularly evident with teams that press him Lyon, West Ham, Leicester, Arsenal, than teams that sit deeper. Indeed I think it is against those teams that he looks most effective as he simply has more time to adjust and play.

This season, I have noticed a habit where he consciously or unconsciously makes himself unavailable for an out ball from defence by moving directly behind his marker. He did it on numerous occasions against both Porto, Leicester and Westham. Maybe this is a lack of early season fitness I don’t know but is serves to further slow down our transition. I am far from the only one that has commented on this.

in defence, whilst there are times he uses his physical strength to really good effect as against Traore in the Wolves game, there are also times he is done by pace, loses 50/50 or is out of position to properly protect our back 4. It’s so much more obvious when this happens to him because of the position he plays.

on the positive side, I can see him scoring maybe 6 or so this season with those long range hits. He can certainly hit a ball sweetly.

Given all of this, maybe Anyone would struggle in that position where teams specifically target it. Maybe the answer is either to surround him with more energy as some have suggested or even change our formation to include for example a double pivot as has already worked this year. Perhaps Rodri will improve his fitness and find more dynamism, certainly his passing forward has to improve and maybe that will come with coaching and experience. Whilst criticism of the lad is warranted, it’s not personal, but he needs to be a great deal more dynamic than his early season performances have shown so far.

sorry for the length of this but just wanted to record my thoughts.

 

[stonie]

I will sit on the fence and say has had some ok moments but in general he's a bit shit, probably a good lad and that but simply not good enough, had quite high expectations on his arrival and have given him the benefit of the doubt after last season but have since reviewed my assessment to a bit shit, I stand and hope to be wrong...

 

[sir baconface]

I’m going to do something really boring on Tuesday as I have to wait in the flat for a delivery all day... I’m going to watch the full 90mins back and note the times where he stands still or trots the other side of their player so he can’t be passed to.

I can’t believe people don’t see it with him, it’s driving me up the wall he does it so much!

In his recent games I’ve got up and shouted at him through the tele with my face a foot away from the screen knowing full well he can’t hear me.

Also, moving into space to be passed to isn’t just about being passed to. It’s about dragging an opposition player with you and opening up a passing lane.

Notice how Bernardo was so seldom involved yesterday? He was the furthest forward of the three midfielders and Rodri wasn’t doing enough to get him in the game neither through giving him quick enough ball or opening up gaps in midfield so the defenders/keeper could pass to him.

Rodri’s movement is atrocious when our defenders have the ball.

Re-watching with the agenda to prove he’s shit? That should be an insightful exercise. Can’t wait for your considered verdict.

Oh hang on, he’s shit.

 

[wolviedinho]

Ok, the frustration has subsided from the last two performances. I have been accused of not being specific in my criticism of Rodri, so fwiw here is my attempt at a balanced assessment of what I see.

some context; Rodri is entering his second season with us. That is enough time to assimilate Peps methods and be comfortable with them, plenty time also to integrate with the squad and understand how they play, how they prefer to have to the ball presented to them. Still quite inexperienced with our opponents in the PL but experienced enough to have transitioned to its pace and physicality. I think the lad is 23 so not a callow youth but still maybe 4 or 5 years from his peak albeit physically, unlikely he will get quicker in terms of simple running speed. Last season, increasingly teams have learmed how to play against us, stay tight and narrow at the back, when we lose it move the ball quickly to the flanks and have runners down the middle. That template has worked well for Wolves, Arsenal, Leicester in particular. I am also seeing Some teams putting more pressure on our pivot irrespective of who plays there. Vardy admited recently that part of there game plan against us was to man mark Rodri reducing our options for an out ball in defence and forcing errors. So irrespective of who plays in that position, increasingly they are going to be pressurised more. The days when we can simply play out of the back, put our Cb’s wide, have the pivot drop back and ping 6 yard passes between each other, and then the full backs, are maybe numbered. Look how often Eddie goes long or mid distance compared to a couple of seasons ago for evidence that what I say is accurate. All of this gives Rodri or Fern/Gundo less time on the ball to pick the perfect pass.

so in this changed circumstances we need a defensive midfielder that is comfortable with being pressed quickly, knows instinctively where his team mates are and is technically capable of laying off passes first touch where required. The player needs to have physicality to resist press but also have the ability to move into space to receive. Passing forward at pace in the transition is a prequisite of the position turning defence into attack.

It is still relatively early season but Rodri is not endowed with pace. His passing is normally accurate but too often the way he is facing (backwards) or sideways. He seems unable to turn quickly and his body position when he receives the ball makes it difficult for him to execute a pass forward. His passing is often mid paced rather than ‘pinged’ quickly. I think this is particularly evident with teams that press him Lyon, West Ham, Leicester, Arsenal, than teams that sit deeper. Indeed I think it is against those teams that he looks most effective as he simply has more time to adjust and play.

This season, I have noticed a habit where he consciously or unconsciously makes himself unavailable for an out ball from defence by moving directly behind his marker. He did it on numerous occasions against both Porto, Leicester and Westham. Maybe this is a lack of early season fitness I don’t know but is serves to further slow down our transition. I am far from the only one that has commented on this.

in defence, whilst there are times he uses his physical strength to really good effect as against Traore in the Wolves game, there are also times he is done by pace, loses 50/50 or is out of position to properly protect our back 4. It’s so much more obvious when this happens to him because of the position he plays.

on the positive side, I can see him scoring maybe 6 or so this season with those long range hits. He can certainly hit a ball sweetly.

Given all of this, maybe Anyone would struggle in that position where teams specifically target it. Maybe the answer is either to surround him with more energy as some have suggested or even change our formation to include for example a double pivot as has already worked this year. Perhaps Rodri will improve his fitness and find more dynamism, certainly his passing forward has to improve and maybe that will come with coaching and experience. Whilst criticism of the lad is warranted, it’s not personal, but he needs to be a great deal more dynamic than his early season performances have shown so far.

sorry for the length of this but just wanted to record my thoughts.

Good read mate. Agree with a lot of the points. I personally don’t like the double pivot and would prefer foden/Bernie in the middle.

The double pivot adds nothing to our attack. The amount of sideways and back passing we do at times with no real conviction or penetration boring. It also does not stop the counter attack’s against us. It really is pointless.

I didn’t realise until the West Ham game how much Rodri hides and does not control the game. Instead he leave it to the cb to pass forward. Shocking.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Good read mate. Agree with a lot of the points. I personally don’t like the double pivot and would prefer foden/Bernie in the middle.

The double pivot adds nothing to our attack. The amount of sideways and back passing we do at times with no real conviction or penetration boring. It also does not stop the counter attack’s against us. It really is pointless.

I didn’t realise until the West Ham game how much Rodri hides and does not control the game. Instead he leave it to the cb to pass forward. Shocking.

I get what you say about pivot. I was thinking more about Kevin going deeper as he has in the past with City and Belgium. Not perfect as we would lose something in more advanced position but it would make it much more difficult for teams to close us down at the pivot position which is what they increasingly seem to be doing.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

I like Rodri a lot - but he's not a fast, super-aggressive presser. We need the right balance in midfield to accomodate him.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

Agreed - the conssitent shit performances of Mahrez yet he seem to becoming more and more regular are baffling - he does nothing.

Rodri has done ok but also looks very vulnerable - I questioned his purchase at the time saying he looked immobile and that he would struggle - he has. Dont get me wrong, he has some attributes but he needs other players around him....players who will put the yds in (He should never ever be paired with Gundogan)

Gundogan serves no purpose that is valuable to me - any other of out midfielders can do the role(s) that he does better

Defensively: Rodri KDB, Bernardo and ferna all better by a long long way

Creativity - - KDB, Bernardo and Foden all better by a long long way

Recycling the ball/keeping it moving - KDB, Bernardo, Foden all better and arguably rodri is at least as good

Gundogan is actually better when played in the position Rodri is currently occupying.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Gundogan is actually better when played in the position Rodri is currently occupying.

Rodri is the better "metronome" IMO - and is better on defense.

But neither Rodri nor Gundogan are destroyers - both are luxury players in midfield because they aren't able to immediately press on defense.