16 | Rodri 2025/26

[handsofstone]

Wasn't the issue today, really unfortunate for him that Nico wasnt even in the squad due to injury or im sure he would've come in and that would've helped massively

Seeing him grab his knee was a massive worry...glad it was nothing

 

[chris85mcfc]

Sad state of affairs when he comes back from a long lay off, and has to play 96 minutes and get kicked about like that

Crying out for another central midfielder

 

[WallyA]

He deserved to win that game, was so good.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Best player on the pitch in the 1st half. Then clearly tired. It would have been nice to have had someone to bring on for him after 60 mins.

 

[Akira]

Played great. Looked a little out of gas towards the end.

 

[01cravend]

Superb, he ran out of juice after about an hour and shouldve be replaced...Getting him to full fitness is more important long term than risking him, especially as he took multiple hits too ... Pep manages him awfully.

 

[pbueno16]

Please sign an extension. I don't care about the wages or whatever terms he wants, just get him locked down.

If I'm Rodri though, I'm not signing shit unless there's a clear plan to appropriately relieve him and that we're actually solving the current issues with the squad.

 

[Blue Hefner]

Excellent today but we can’t be doing this again. Play, play, play. Get injured then play, play, play again

He’s likely to have to play V Brighton and here we go again - at least it’s Exeter at the weekend so he can sit that out

 

[skillman]

Phenomenal footballer. Makes us tick and always positionally perfect. He tired in the second half and it’s no coincidence that the team was affected as a whole due to it.

Hopefully his body was OK with 90 minutes because I doubt that was the plan.

Side note, if the club were waiting to see how he returned before offering a new deal, get it done asap please.

Kills me that we missed out on 16 months worth of his ability just because of a fall at the near post. Not so much from a team perspective, just because he’s a joy to watch and it’s brilliant to watch players who are so good.

 

[ninjamonkey]

He was very good in any scenario. Add in the caveat of him playing a handful of games in the last 18 months and he was sensational.

I am not happy he was forced to play 90 minutes though, Pep just seems intent on saying the right things about being careful with him and easing him back in and then completely disregarding that the second we need a result.

Not a chance he should have played 90 minutes today, just like he shouldn't have played those 3 games in a week just before his latest injury.

What's he going to do for Brighton? I'd have said an hour in both games tonight and Brighton was possible at a stretch, but it now seems impossible to me that he would play against Brighton too after that, however I fully expect pep to put him in the starting lineup on Wednesday.

 

[madloaf]

If he stays fit for the next 10 games we might have the best mid in the world back by April.

 

[Craig]

He was very good in any scenario. Add in the caveat of him playing a handful of games in the last 18 months and he was sensational.

I am not happy he was forced to play 90 minutes though, Pep just seems intent on saying the right things about being careful with him and easing him back in and then completely disregarding that the second we need a result.

Not a chance he should have played 90 minutes today, just like he shouldn't have played those 3 games in a week just before his latest injury.

What's he going to do for Brighton? I'd have said an hour in both games tonight and Brighton was possible at a stretch, but it now seems impossible to me that he would play against Brighton too after that, however I fully expect pep to put him in the starting lineup on Wednesday.

Which makes it all the more baffling we don’t seem to be in for a central midfielder this month

 

[Claytop]

Who’s coming on for him at 1-0 looking at that bench? Also who’s starting on Wednesday assuming Nico isn’t fit?

Only options are Nunes or O’Reilly and the latter seems to be going through a dip whereas Nunes is arguably our most consistent player.

We need another DM/CM.

 

[TFC]

I'm not religious, but I hope and fucking pray we don't overplay him now with the other injuries and poor depth in midfield. He's too good to be out again, would love to see his minutes managed properly.

 

[decmancity]

Which makes it all the more baffling we don’t seem to be in for a central midfielder this month

until Bernardo and Kovacic are gone we don’t even have the squad space

 

[Danny Tiatto]

Still think if we keep him fit we win the league

 

[alexmcity]

This is not directly related to football, but kind of explains what makes Rodri extraordinary and what may stop more skillful players (in our team) from having a great career. It aligns with many of Pep's views.

 

[Gibblue]

Sad state of affairs when he comes back from a long lay off, and has to play 96 minutes and get kicked about like that

Crying out for another central midfielder

I don't mean this as a disrespect to Semenyo but I would much rather we spend any available money this Jan on a proven PL CM. With Kovacic out all season so far, Gonzalez out for the foreseeable, we are an injury to Rodri away from short term disaster.

 

[domalino]

This is not directly related to football, but kind of explains what makes Rodri extraordinary and what may stop more skillful players (in our team) from having a great career. It aligns with many of Pep's views.

Just look at Haaland's youtube videos. He's the only one in the gym, in the sauna, doing extra recovery work above and beyond all the other players in the squad, who are already in the top 1% of most dedicated professionals in the world because they wouldn't be at City if they weren't.

 

[Blu1]

We play him for another 90 mins in next game & it’s just utter stupidity. Pep just said Nico is fine to play