Well it's this simple mate... In future read the articles more carefully & stop spreading 2+2 = 9 tabloid bullshit.
I've defended Kalvin to the hilt since he arrived here & I've cited Bernardo, Stones, Cancelo, Grealish, Aké, Dog & others who were written off before being given a fair chance to prove themselves. For me, Kalvin was just another in a long line of players who failed to get to grips with Pep-Ball in their first season or two.
But like I said, Rodri's a stand up guy who's solid with the club. He's no Cancelo & seems like a proper intelligent & polite gentleman who's future captain material imo. This is why I & several others were shocked to see the newspaper reports!
I logged on to BM to comment & saw that tens of other posters had viewed his interview much the way I had before I typed a word. The person brought in to challenge & rotate with him was Philips, & whilst he spent a season getting splinters in his arse, Rodri was near rinsed to death!
Many of us were shitting it in case Rodri was out for any length of time, he's so important to us. I willed it with EVERYTHING I had for Kalvin to be given an opportunity to step up & prove his worth. I even went along with the suggestion we should give him his own song to help with his confidence, so desperate was I for him to succeed at City.
Just last week I was saying we bought the Kalvin Philips from Euro 21 & that player's still in there somewhere, & just needs the chance of a fresh start this coming season.
Dya know how many people attacked me for defending Kalvin & begging for him to be given time? Well this continued right up to me reading that article, which I could only take one way.
I desperately want him to prove his detractors wrong, but then came Rodri's article last Friday, & it was a sobering moment for me.
If Rodders has already spoken to the club over his fears for his health & being overplayed, then why go to the media with it? This is VERY un-Rodri like, & that's what shocked & sobered me up!
There's no one else like Rodders in world football, & with him on the pitch, he transforms City, so the thought of being without him for a period of time terrifies most fans, including me!
Toward the end of last season, I remember seeing Rodri on his haunches around the 70 minute mark in a couple of games, which frightened the life out of me. He was out on his feet. Philips was on the bench, but even then Pep didn't seem to trust him to give Rodri a rest.
I warned we'd have to start managing KDB's game time this season, as during several matches last season, Kev was out of it & blowing on 60 minutes too.
With Kev's age & the amount of career football he's played, it's understandable, but with Rodri it's unnecessary for him to be played to the point of complete exhaustion. He should have adequate cover & be able to be rested & rotated, but he's not being! Surely even you can see this? ¯\_ಠ_ಠ_/¯
Rodri will see Kalvin in training every day, as will Pep. If Pep isn't playing him, & Rodri's publicly complaining about being rinsed out, why does it seem so far fetched that myself & others have connected the dots & arrived at Philips not being played as the obvious problem?
For some, they were more than happy to have a go at Kalvin, because they believe Rodri's interview gqve them validation for saying Philips is shit & should be sold.
Not ONCE have I ever called him shit, but last Friday I held my hands up & admitted for the first time, that perhaps my optimism & faith in Philips coming good was misplace, with the best of intensions. I'm not scared of admitting I may have got things wrong. Hands held high!
The saving grace? I still don't get the Kovacic signing, but perhaps he can provide the cover for Rodri, that Philips isn't doing, cos Kova certainly ain't no Dog, KDB or Bernardo.
Hopefully now you can see my exasperation that after 12 months of steadfastly defending Philips, a few posters are knocking me today like I'm using Philips as my latest whipping boy!
NO Manchester City player has EVER been my whipping boy, as I'll support any of them who pull on our shirt & give it their upmost.
I still retain a small level of hope it'll work out at City for Kalvin, but not at the expense of our most important player. THAT'S what changed for me last Friday! If you still can't accept my explanation & concern, then tough, put me on ignore & that's problem solved. \0/