16 | Rodri 2025/26

[city!!]

Paying for the stupidity of starting him in 3 straight games in a week as soon as he was fit. Hopefully they'll have learnt from that and be smarter with his minutes when he finally comes back this time

 

[Blue Hefner]

I still can’t believe we brought him on V Bournemouth at the end of *last season*. I said at the time it was madness

 

[Ste68]

Confirmed out for Leeds...this is getting quite worrying now with the lack of detail about what the issue is, when he'll be back, Pep talking about mental recovery etc.

Thought it was a hamstring issue - think post ACL your far more likely to have issues with hamstring for at least a couple of years. Suspect they are playing it carefully (player and club). When back should be 1 game a week and no more. Next season would expect him to be back at something like the best he will be (whatever that level is).

 

[Sam69]

It doesn't bother me. The team has to learn to play and perform without him. There's no guarantee we'll be back to our best when he returns. If we are, we'll be even stronger starting in February, the period when trophies are won.

Otherwise, the team will have already gotten used to playing without him, and the club will have a clear idea of its needs for the summer transfer window. In any case, I don't like relying on a single player. Great teams are built on a collective that can compensate for the absence of any player. That's what we were in the past with Kevin's absence, that's what PSG is today, able to do without Dembélé, or Arsenal with Odegaard. We have to become that team again.

 

[City Raider]

Hard to wish him anything but good luck whatever comes next for him, even if that’s away from us. More than earned it.

 

[Whether or not]

Hard to wish him anything but good luck whatever comes next for him, even if that’s away from us. More than earned it.

I think this echoes my thoughts exactly. With every passing week, my optimism about him getting back to anything like his best diminishes, I desperately hope that I am wrong in that feeling. But, if the worst comes to pass, what an incredible legacy. Scored the winner in our first Champs League win, first City player to win the Ballon Dor, player of the tournament in the Euros in a winning Spain team, multiple Premier Leagues. It is so sad that he has already lost 15 months, with problems still persisting.

 

[ninjamonkey]

I expressed my deep concern at what i thought was sheer lunacy starting him 3 games within a week. looked like we had gotten away with it for a moment, it's probably a good thing long term though that appears not to be the case as we wouldnt have learnt our lesson otherwise. It has been a costly mistake but if we don't repeat it, it's fine.

Im still treating this season as a write off for Rodri, any minutes he see's this season, imo, is with next season in mind. All those that thought he would just return and be the Balon D'or Rodri again were seriously blinkered, was never going to be the case, always an 18 month minimum full recovery, all being well and more likely to be longer with setbacks more likely than not. I expect he will be used sparingly when he returns before hopefully seeing a new midfielder in January which should allow him even more time to sort himself.

 

[Blue Hefner]

I expressed my deep concern at what i thought was sheer lunacy starting him 3 games within a week. looked like we had gotten away with it for a moment, it's probably a good thing long term though that appears not to be the case as we wouldnt have learnt our lesson otherwise. It has been a costly mistake but if we don't repeat it, it's fine.

Im still treating this season as a write off for Rodri, any minutes he see's this season, imo, is with next season in mind. All those that thought he would just return and be the Balon D'or Rodri again were seriously blinkered, was never going to be the case, always an 18 month minimum full recovery, all being well and more likely to be longer with setbacks more likely than not. I expect he will be used sparingly when he returns before hopefully seeing a new midfielder in January which should allow him even more time to sort himself.

I agree with almost all of that. The bit I disagree with is, us buying a centre midfielder in Jan. I can’t see it. Unless we have written Rijnders off already which I don’t think will be the case

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Whenever I see Rodri and injury in the same sentence I think of knee. 'Tis only a bit of muscle, though. It just takes a while.

 

[Gabriel]

I agree with almost all of that. The bit I disagree with is, us buying a centre midfielder in Jan. I can’t see it. Unless we have written Rijnders off already which I don’t think will be the case

We need muscle and leadership in midfield, irrespective of whether Rodri and Kovacic return. Even if both return in the spring, they’ve missed so much football now that their impact this season would be negligible. The alternative is to leave everything to Gonzalez instead, but that would only show that we haven’t learned anything from the way we mishandled Rodri.

 

[Blue Hefner]

We need muscle and leadership in midfield, irrespective of whether Rodri and Kovacic return. Even if both return in the spring, they’ve missed so much football now that their impact this season would be negligible. The alternative is to leave everything to Gonzalez instead, but that would only show that we haven’t learned anything from the way we mishandled Rodri.

I agree with what we need. I just can’t see it in Jan

 

[ninjamonkey]

I agree with almost all of that. The bit I disagree with is, us buying a centre midfielder in Jan. I can’t see it. Unless we have written Rijnders off already which I don’t think will be the case

I'm not entirely convinced we will but i think it's a neccesity.

Kovacic wont play for basically the entire season now, rodri will have a sporadic role and reijnders isn't and never will be a central midfielder so we've got 2 central midfielders right now and Bernardo will likely be off himself in the summer.

Its arguable we might need 2 or even 3 by the summer but we have to get at least 1 in in January, partly to help this season but also to get at least 1 settled before next season.

I dont think its a case of giving up on Reijnders, more a swift realisation he is not a central midfielder. Waste of time imo to persevere and try and get him to adapt to it simply on the basis of his age, he's only got a few years in him anyway so I think we will be far more willing than usual to accept what he is, a 10 and only a 10.

 

[Gabriel]

I agree with what we need. I just can’t see it in Jan

If it doesn’t come in January, then I think we’ll fall by the wayside. We showed last year that we were prepared to act in January when we thought a Champions League spot was in jeopardy, so it could prove a missed opportunity if we pinned our faith in players returning from injury and one person surviving unscathed.

 

[Blue Hefner]

I'm not entirely convinced we will but i think it's a neccesity.

Kovacic wont play for basically the entire season now, rodri will have a sporadic role and reijnders isn't and never will be a central midfielder so we've got 2 central midfielders right now and Bernardo will likely be off himself in the summer.

Its arguable we might need 2 or even 3 by the summer but we have to get at least 1 in in January, partly to help this season but also to get at least 1 settled before next season.

I dont think its a case of giving up on Reijnders, more a swift realisation he is not a central midfielder. Waste of time imo to persevere and try and get him to adapt to it simply on the basis of his age, he's only got a few years in him anyway so I think we will be far more willing than usual to accept what he is, a 10 and only a 10.

Maybe for a different thread but if we only see him as a 10, that’s almost like giving up on him as Foden, Cherki and Marmoush want to play as a 10/support striker

But either way, Rijenders certainly isn’t physical enough either physically or equally importantly seemingly willing to either try at the moment. A bit wet, like a few of the others we’ve signed recently

 

[simon23]

Said in the summer that we have to prepare for the worst.....We may never see top level Rodri again. once playes get these injuries even with todays medical advancements they are not the same...so many examples...VVD being the main one -he has never looked the same....KDB never looked the same after his spate of injuries....Kompany another.

We should have started looking in the summer.

The frustrating thing is again this was entirely predictable. ...wasting money on players we didnt need (Reijnders) and not selling others who just arent good enough (Rico Lewis, Savihnio) meaning we are lumbered with a deteriating quality of squad and due to squad size/places/length of contracts and wages we are unable to shift them and bring in the much needed quality....
The hierachy are going to have to work incredibly hard to get out of the mess they are starting to create of the squad.

 

[B\connellblue]

Said in the summer that we have to prepare for the worst.....We may never see top level Rodri again. once playes get these injuries even with todays medical advancements they are not the same...so many examples...VVD being the main one -he has never looked the same....KDB never looked the same after his spate of injuries....Kompany another.

We should have started looking in the summer.

The frustrating thing is again this was entirely predictable. ...wasting money on players we didnt need (Reijnders) and not selling others who just arent good enough (Rico Lewis, Savihnio) meaning we are lumbered with a deteriating quality of squad and due to squad size/places/length of contracts and wages we are unable to shift them and bring in the much needed quality....
The hierachy are going to have to work incredibly hard to get out of the mess they are starting to create of the squad.

So who needs to be held accountable?

 

[simon23]

So who needs to be held accountable?

the club hierachy.....these decisions are not taken in isolation.....Pep, Khaldoon, Txixi (though he's gone) and Vianna are all culpable in this...

SOme of these signing are just strange and numerous people have said they dont seem like Pep players.......Sav never did seem like a Pep player (maybe he was but he doesnt on appearance seem to be), Reijnders is another who just doesnt seem to fit the mould .....and the big one is Marmoush....

None of them are bad players BUT they just dont seem to be the kind of player that Pep uses....Sav for instance has no fight in him, no killer instinct, Marmoush isnt particularly tecnhnical when compared to the likes of any number 10 we have had and if he was a number 9 again nothing like..And as for Reijnders he doesnt seem to have much of anything that Pep values...he isnt incisive in passing, movement, he doesnt battle and give his all...he just seems to run between our penalty area and the opponents penalty area while affecting nothing.

Cherki is technically a Pep player for certain BUT is he in apptitude/attitude....said it since the moment we bought him....a maverick but can we afford him at present?

 

[K-Bo]

He’s more or less been injured for 18 months straight

 

[M Gaudino]

too much doom and gloom in here. Van Dijk did his acl at a similar age i think also in october, missed the rest of the season but after a ‘good’ first season back in 21/22 he was then back to his best after that.

similar physique to rodri and van dijk if anything more relies on pace.

 

[asahartford1]

the club hierachy.....these decisions are not taken in isolation.....Pep, Khaldoon, Txixi (though he's gone) and Vianna are all culpable in this...

SOme of these signing are just strange and numerous people have said they dont seem like Pep players.......Sav never did seem like a Pep player (maybe he was but he doesnt on appearance seem to be), Reijnders is another who just doesnt seem to fit the mould .....and the big one is Marmoush....

None of them are bad players BUT they just dont seem to be the kind of player that Pep uses....Sav for instance has no fight in him, no killer instinct, Marmoush isnt particularly tecnhnical when compared to the likes of any number 10 we have had and if he was a number 9 again nothing like..And as for Reijnders he doesnt seem to have much of anything that Pep values...he isnt incisive in passing, movement, he doesnt battle and give his all...he just seems to run between our penalty area and the opponents penalty area while affecting nothing.

Cherki is technically a Pep player for certain BUT is he in apptitude/attitude....said it since the moment we bought him....a maverick but can we afford him at present?

I hope the club hierarchy were accountable for winning 4 in a row