Yves Bissouma

[mccity]

What misgivings do you think Pep has about Rodri, given he has played more minutes than any other outfield player over the last two seasons?

His pace is pretty low on FIFA. That seems to be the measuring stick for DMs in a Pep team for some reason on here.

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

His pace is pretty low on FIFA. That seems to be the measuring stick for DMs in a Pep team for some reason on here.

People keep pointing to him being "dropped" for the Champions League Final, which isn't what happened. We played a different system without a holding midfielder so we could get an extra forward in the team. Now the narrative is that Pep didn't fancy Rodri (or Fernandinho), rather than Pep changed our shape entirely.

I do sense that a lot of people really want a player who covers every blade of grass putting tackles in, but that is just fundamentally at odds with how Pep sets his teams up. Defending is everyone's responsibility, not just the one nominal "defensive midfielder." Whenever we've looked defensively solid under Pep, it's because our press has been great, we've dominated possession, and we've executed properly in both penalty areas.

 

[southamptonblue]

Maybe on someone we have run the rule over and are tracking? But worried about Fern/Rodri. I think Pep is too. You don't play 36 year old without some doubts surely.

I know this is way out there and you might struggle to understand it........BUT if Pep had any doubts, he wouldn't have been given a contract for this season!!!!!
Some things posted on this forum are ludicrous! ;)

 

[mccity]

People keep pointing to him being "dropped" for the Champions League Final, which isn't what happened. We played a different system without a holding midfielder so we could get an extra forward in the team. Now the narrative is that Pep didn't fancy Rodri (or Fernandinho), rather than Pep changed our shape entirely.

The people that use this narrative never liked Rodri to begin with. That's why they never point out (until yesterday at least) that Fernandinho also didn't play in the CL final. It's just ammunition to them.

I do sense that a lot of people really want a player who covers every blade of grass putting tackles in, but that is just fundamentally at odds with how Pep sets his teams up. Defending is everyone's responsibility, not just the one nominal "defensive midfielder." Whenever we've looked defensively solid under Pep, it's because our press has been great, we've dominated possession, and we've executed properly in both penalty areas.

Rodri is one of those players that is really fucking boring to most fans. We have a few of those in this team. Bernardo, Jesus, Zinchenko (although the tide is turning bit by bit), Gundogan for a long time, Walker for a long time, even Sterling at times too. They aren't players that do too much direct stuff. They don't charge into tackles, they don't shoot and score too often, they don't create much that often. It's just all understated.

You have to be a bit of a football nerd to get it, and unfortunately it's very boring and lame to be a football nerd.

And people genuinely don't seem to understand what it is each of these players are supposed to be doing (after all this time, still). Good or bad, the players in question are doing as they're told and they're doing it well enough to keep getting picked.

That's all because it's a team game. Everyone does their little bit. That's why when it works, we press amazingly well. We pass amazingly well. We defend amazingly well. And as long as we don't have a terrible day in the boxes (as Pep would call it), we get amazing results too.

If we signed Bissouma, same rules apply. If he does his part for the team and they do it for him then great. But if not, it really doesn't matter who's playing in the position.

 

[Chi-town blues]

Pep did bring in a player to fit the his style, Rodri. Like how he brought Busquets into the team at Barcelona, or signed Xabi Alonso to do that job at Bayern, or attempted to buy Jorginho to play that role before we got Rodri.

Rodri is the type of DM Pep likes.

I like rodri but he is very effective against long ball teams and his wins those second balls which goes un noticed and doesn't get the credit but Busquest‘s intelligence is bit ahead of him.

 

[FantasyIreland]

His pace is pretty low on FIFA. That seems to be the measuring stick for DMs in a Pep team for some reason on here.

I don't think its unrealistic or unfair to desire a DM that can prevent attackers running past.or around,him mostly at will.....but then i guess we all have differing standards.

 

[supercity88]

People keep pointing to him being "dropped" for the Champions League Final, which isn't what happened. We played a different system without a holding midfielder so we could get an extra forward in the team. Now the narrative is that Pep didn't fancy Rodri (or Fernandinho), rather than Pep changed our shape entirely.

I do sense that a lot of people really want a player who covers every blade of grass putting tackles in, but that is just fundamentally at odds with how Pep sets his teams up. Defending is everyone's responsibility, not just the one nominal "defensive midfielder." Whenever we've looked defensively solid under Pep, it's because our press has been great, we've dominated possession, and we've executed properly in both penalty areas.

Spot on. We box the opposition in because of smart positioning and the whole team working hard to win the ball back.

The spurs game was just like how we started last season. Positioning was really poor from a lot of players and we looked to play the killer ball too often rather than be patient. In going for the difficult pass we left ourselves way too open.

There were times both Mendy and Cancelo had pushed high up on the overlap only for an attacking player to lose the ball and leave the whole pitch open for spurs to attack. They could carry it miles unopposed at times.

 

[Cellarite]

People keep pointing to him being "dropped" for the Champions League Final, which isn't what happened. We played a different system without a holding midfielder so we could get an extra forward in the team. Now the narrative is that Pep didn't fancy Rodri (or Fernandinho), rather than Pep changed our shape entirely.

I do sense that a lot of people really want a player who covers every blade of grass putting tackles in, but that is just fundamentally at odds with how Pep sets his teams up. Defending is everyone's responsibility, not just the one nominal "defensive midfielder." Whenever we've looked defensively solid under Pep, it's because our press has been great, we've dominated possession, and we've executed properly in both penalty areas.

However you dress it up, dropped or a change of shape, it doesn’t make a difference. Most City supporters’ hearts sank when the team was announced, the atmosphere in the stadium changed from what it was pre-match, the team never looked truly comfortable and we lost on a counter attack.

 

[CityBluez]

However you dress it up, dropped or a change of shape, it doesn’t make a difference. Most City supporters’ hearts sank when the team was announced, the atmosphere in the stadium changed from what it was pre-match, the team never looked truly comfortable and we lost on a counter attack.

Agreed even gundo said later in an interview..
As per Christian Falk of BILD, Gundogan explained, “A few days before the [Champions League] final, it became apparent that there is a special idea in the head of the manager [Pep Guardiola]. I tried to make the best of it. It should not be."
With due respect to pep, I think the player are caught unprepared when pep does these changes in important matches.

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

However you dress it up, dropped or a change of shape, it doesn’t make a difference. Most City supporters’ hearts sank when the team was announced, the atmosphere in the stadium changed from what it was pre-match, the team never looked truly comfortable and we lost on a counter attack.

I don’t disagree with that, but it’s not a stick to beat Rodri with as some have done since