How would you assess Rodri's season?

[JoshH7611]

...and Silva most enjoyed playing alongside Garth Barry.

Exactly. I think fans sometimes can be too critical. If they don't like a player then he's suddenly shit and the scapegoat the entire time they're here with us.

It's not logical thinking. You've got to blame the manager, and not the player. We aren't seeing the best of Rodri because of Peps over complicated thinking. It's like he doesn't trust one defensive midfielder to sit there and do the job.

In the Centurions season we won every game that we played a midfield 3 of Fernandinho, Silva and De Bruyne. The games we lost, we had Gundogan alongside Fernandinho - like against United (3-2) and Liverpool (4-3). We had Bernardo and David Silva on the bench at Anfield because somehow Pep had this complex of protecting the midfield with more defensive midfielders- when in fact having a runner like Bernardo is the best way to defend. The best form of defending is attack and that's what we are used to. It's no surprise that when we put 2 midfielders in a system who want to do the same job we get the same results.

You simply cannot change the way we play to suit an opposition. It doesn't work like that. You can't play 2 defensive minded players because then you have no creativity and no runners centrally for an out ball.

 

[jay_mcfc]

Really good. For such a young player coming into the Premier League I reckon he’s had a really good season. I’m sure he’ll be a bit more switched on next season, a little bit quicker releasing the ball, a bit quicker to tackle or get into position. Nearly all of our best players took a bit of time to settle and he’s been no different.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Exactly. I think fans sometimes can be too critical. If they don't like a player then he's suddenly shit and the scapegoat the entire time they're here with us.

It's not logical thinking. You've got to blame the manager, and not the player. We aren't seeing the best of Rodri because of Peps over complicated thinking. It's like he doesn't trust one defensive midfielder to sit there and do the job.

In the Centurions season we won every game that we played a midfield 3 of Fernandinho, Silva and De Bruyne. The games we lost, we had Gundogan alongside Fernandinho - like against United (3-2) and Liverpool (4-3). We had Bernardo and David Silva on the bench at Anfield because somehow Pep had this complex of protecting the midfield with more defensive midfielders- when in fact having a runner like Bernardo is the best way to defend. The best form of defending is attack and that's what we are used to. It's no surprise that when we put 2 midfielders in a system who want to do the same job we get the same results.

You simply cannot change the way we play to suit an opposition. It doesn't work like that. You can't play 2 defensive minded players because then you have no creativity and no runners centrally for an out ball.

I do have a vague memory that for a year or two people pilloried Fernandinho here for not having the bite that De Jong had. But I think this is fair analysis, I honestly think this season we have just been one or two players short of a new, really good system. We just need Pep to shake that fear he got when he let Bayern get battered because the players convinced him they should go out and do their thing.

 

[JoshH7611]

I do have a vague memory that for a year or two people pilloried Fernandinho here for not having the bite that De Jong had. But I think this is fair analysis, I honestly think this season we have just been one or two players short of a new, really good system. We just need Pep to shake that fear he got when he let Bayern get battered because the players convinced him they should go out and do their thing.

Definitely. Fernandinho was lynched by city fans for his first 3-4 seasons. Rodri is by far a better footballer than De Jong. Although I loved De Jong he was more of a thuggery kind of midfielder than a footballer. Would never have suited this team.

Gareth Barry would be exposed in this team, and everyone would be calling for his head. If Mancini took over now and played the same stuff we did under him, Rodri would be brilliant. It takes time to get used to a Pep system. We have to remember that Rodri is still only young. He has 5-6 years to come into his own.

 

[Stoned Rose]

One game and suddenly our players are all shit.

The difference between Silva, Yaya and KDB is that they played together. Toure had Silva at his best alongside him.

If Rodri had 2 runners alongside him we wouldn't have a problem. You don't need the mobility if you have 2 players willing to run- in a fluid system. You cannot judge him off a game where 3 defensive midfielders have played and De Bruyne played as a number 6? That's completely down to Pep, and nobody else. Barcelona won titles year after year with Busquets in the middle. Busquets wasn't the most mobile but he had players around him willing to run. Your comparison is based on comparing him to Fernandinho which I think is completely unfair. There aren't many Fernandinhos about who could run, break play up and dictate a game at the same time.

The likes of Xabi Alonso and Busquets weren't Fernandinho either. You don't need to be mobile to break play up. Put Rodri in the Bayern team and I'm sure he'd be brilliant. Barry/Makelele didn't need to run they just mopped everything up and had runners around them.

The games Rodri has looked poor in is the games against teams where we've had Rodri, Gundogan and De Bruyne as a 3. That simply doesn't work. Playing Gundogan and Rodri alongside each other does not work. You've got to put players alongside him who are willing to run like Bernardo, foden and KDB.

Take a look at Liverpool for example. Without Henderson and Wijnaldum running for Fabinho he wouldn't look anywhere near as good as he does. Take those two players out of that system and he would look exposed. Put 2 pretty footballers in there who are static and have no defensive capabilities and he'd struggle. I wouldn't have Henderson or Wijnaldum at City but they are willing to run through midfields and chase the ball 30 yards forwards and back to support their defence.

Rodri is a quality player, but he's been used so wrongly by Pep. Against Liverpool at home he was fantastic because he had Foden and De Bruyne doing the running for him. He mopped everything up and separated defence to attack superbly. Either we play Gundogan there or Rodri there. You cannot have both.

I'm judging him off the whole season.

Although I did call it on here after about 4 games that he was bang average.

 

[JoshH7611]

I'm judging him off the whole season.

Although I did call it on here after about 4 games that he was bang average.

I mean everyone has their own opinions but how can you say that he's bang average after just 4 games? Sane was dreadful for us in his first 4 games.

Personally over the course I think you'll end up eating your own words.

I would say someone like Danny Drinkwater or Phil Beardsley are bang average not Rodri- who at 24 has had Champions League experience and has so much potential to be a top quality player.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Definitely. Fernandinho was lynched by city fans for his first 3-4 seasons. Rodri is by far a better footballer than De Jong. Although I loved De Jong he was more of a thuggery kind of midfielder than a footballer. Would never have suited this team.

Gareth Barry would be exposed in this team, and everyone would be calling for his head. If Mancini took over now and played the same stuff we did under him, Rodri would be brilliant. It takes time to get used to a Pep system. We have to remember that Rodri is still only young. He has 5-6 years to come into his own.

Fernandinho was never lynched for 3-4 seasons.

Fernandinho is several levels above Rodri as a midfielder.

 

[kaz7]

Never write players off in their first season,also be is not dinho nor is he expected to be so it is an unfair comparison,pair him with legs and he will be fine

 

[Stoned Rose]

I mean everyone has their own opinions but how can you say that he's bang average after just 4 games? Sane was dreadful for us in his first 4 games.

Personally over the course I think you'll end up eating your own words.

I would say someone like Danny Drinkwater or Phil Beardsley are bang average not Rodri- who at 24 has had Champions League experience and has so much potential to be a top quality player.

Sane was raw but I could see he had the pace, skill and directness to cut the mustard in our side. The signs were there in abundance. He then improved as he grew into the team.

He was like one of those birds you spot in the supermarket and think "potential" and you have a few more cheeky looks at her as you pass again in later aisles.

Rodri on the other hand is a stone cold 5/10 bird where you see her once in the aisle in a supermarket and would rather look at the crisps than her when she passes you again later.

 

[JoshH7611]

Fernandinho was never lynched for 3-4 seasons.

Fernandinho is several levels above Rodri as a midfielder.

But who is Fernandinho in world football? At his best there aren't many better.

Sergio Busquets was a better player than Fernandinho at his best, and he had legs around him at Barcelona. You don't need legs and energy for your system to work. You can't just compare Rodri who's very young to Fernandinho - who was completely different.