I very rarely slag players off — it’s not like me and it’s uncomfortable. It’s not like players try to suck or have a negative effort rate (except Pogba). But early in the season, the one word I’d use for Rodri is lugubrious. He was like the gum you step on in the sidewalk. That’s how I saw it. And I wasn’t shy about sharing that view.
My God — my GOD — what a fucking know-nothing twat I am. Now the word that springs to mind that ends in “ous” is “imperious”. He has been magnificent — a wall that actually runs, with a brain, and balls. He’s been a tower of strength and completely agree he was outstanding today, as he has been for weeks. I loved Nigel De Jong, and I love Ferny. In the tradition of glass-eating CDMs, he deserves every plaudit.