16 | Rodri - 2021/22 Performances

[Delphacito]

Miss you Rodri big fella. 3 counters, 3 goals by Leicester.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Good result today—and quite an entertaining spectacle despite us being so boring to watch—but it was a fairly good illustration of how much defensive solidity Rodri provides to the team now. And not just with his excellent positional sense, aerial dominance, and smart fouling, but with his ability to maintain possession and find an open man when he wins the ball.

It takes so much pressure off our defenders and Eddie and often stops counters before they start. It also helps our forwards stay higher up the pitch (rather than racing back to make up numbers or press the ball in midfield) so our attacks begin from much stronger positions (moving across half the pitch rather than nearly the whole length of it).

Some on here will say the goals were down to poor individual decision making (or bad luck) from our defenders, and there is some truth there. But watch back the Leicester goals and you’ll see each probably could have been stopped earlier in the sequence of play with better play in midfield (either directly stoping moves or indirectly restricting the options for passing, allowing us to regain our defensive shape instead of desperately running back toward our goal).

For me, he and Bernardo are our most important players right now, especially with our current system. Lose one of them and we are far more open than we would like. Lose both of them and games become far more difficult than we like.

 

[Withnail]

Notable absentee today, we look a lot more vulnerable without his presence. He has beern imperious this season and without a doubt one of our most important players

 

[Shaffer92]

Say a prayer he's actually just picked up a knock and it's not Pep with a bit of gamesmanship not wanting to disclose that he does indeed have COVID along with Stones.

 

[Agueroooo9320]

what we miss is not his defensive game but his metronome passing by which we control the midfield and we suffocate the opposition by passing and positional play. too many times today zinc or cancelo had to come inside to support ferna in his passing, so that left space on the wide areas

 

[MCFCFanTX]

He's foundational

 

[oldius]

what we miss is not his defensive game but his metronome passing by which we control the midfield and we suffocate the opposition by passing and positional play. too many times today zinc or cancelo had to come inside to support ferna in his passing, so that left space on the wide areas

Nice analysis - spot on, IMO.

 

[Agueroooo9320]

Nice analysis - spot on, IMO.

ya I have noticed the biggest difference between the two is their passing. Ferna always takes 3 touches to pass. what this does is allow the opposition to set their defense and then our players get frustrated and the move away from their intended position to receive the ball. this leaves the space for them to exploit when the turnover occurs. remember how pep said stay in the position and the ball comes to you. this is the entire basis of our play and what Rodri gives us

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Today highlighted how important he has become to the team , we totally lost control of the game for 15/20 minutes Dinho was overrun and both full backs were absent without leave , a lesson learned , if its a big/important game then Rodri has to start , irreplaceable

 

[SebastianBlue]

He's foundational

@ws01 Reckon this is just lazy analysis?