“The Sport.ua blogger assesses the prospects of the “townsmen” without Rodri”, — write: sport.ua
Pep Guardiola is keeping his cool, at least publicly. The head coach of Manchester City believes that Rodri will return to the field sooner than many think. But maybe the specialist is only wishing for reality. Or says what the fans want to hear. Be that as it may, the “townsmen” will defend the title without the player who played a very important role in its conquest. Guardiola probably has a plan B. Injuries happen and the coach has to be ready for that. But at the same time, it is difficult to overestimate the role of the Spanish midfielder for the “townsmen”.
Rodri has been playing for Manchester City since 2019. Since then, he has played 195 matches for the “townsmen” in the Premier League, and missed only 21 games. During this time, he took part in 260 matches of his team in all competitions – this is the highest figure among all players from the Premier League. In addition, he started most often among field players – 238 times. It is also worth considering that the 28-year-old midfielder is an important player in the Spanish national team. During the same period, he played about 50 matches for the national team – also a solid indicator.
It so happened that it was in the national team that Rodri got his first injury, followed by a more serious one already in the new EPL season. The Spaniard injured his hamstring in the final match of the European Championship against the England national team, due to which he missed the start of the club season. Guardiola protected his ward. The Spaniard first appeared on the field only in the 3rd round of the Premier League, playing 45 minutes in a match against Brentford. After that, he played a full match against Inter in the Champions League, and then there was the match against Arsenal. City’s key defender lasted only 21 minutes against the Gunners before being sidelined for a long period.
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Giuseppe Guardiola and Rodri Guardiola has repeatedly stated how important Rodri is to his team. This is confirmed by the numbers. Last season, the Spaniard made 50 appearances in the starting lineup, the most of any Manchester City player. He also spent the most minutes on the field. After such a busy club season, the footballer went to the European Championship, where he started six out of seven matches. It is interesting that the “townsmen” lost all three matches of the Premier League last season, in which Rodri did not participate. This emphasizes how important the Spaniard is to the team.
Manchester City’s win rate with Rodri on the pitch is 74.1%. Without it – 61.9%. At the same time, the rate of defeats with the Spaniard is only 10.9%, and without him – 33.3%. Of course, the “townsmen” in principle play more often with Rhodri than without him, so the success rates are higher, but these are still important numbers. Last season, the Spaniard was the only Manchester City player who averaged more than a hundred accurate passes per match. And this is a very important point, because Rodri not only performs defensive functions, but also controls the game of the team in general.
“Towns” actually lose a lot after the Spaniard’s injury. First of all, a high-quality supporter. Rhodri understands the game very well. He sees the pass even before the opponent gives it. The midfielder works a lot on himself, watches matches, analyzes. This helps him become even better. Losing such a professional is already a problem, and in the case of Rhodri, it is a very big problem. He has time everywhere – both to protect defenders and to disperse attacks. Last season, the Spaniard scored 9 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions, his career best.
Rhodri is equally good at accelerating his own attacks and stopping others’. He correctly uses his size, pushing opponents away from the ball, and creating an additional threat or insurance (depending on the situation) on the second floor. So yes, Rhodri’s loss will be felt. But will she be the reason that overturns the entire season for Manchester City? Not a fact. “Towns” have already been in difficult situations. They lost Kevin De Bruyne twice – also an important player – and won. They have won trophies without a clean forward, something Arsenal have yet to do. Guardiola loves a challenge, and so far he has been quite successful with it.
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Ilkay Gundogan may be Rodri’s replacement in midfield Replacing Rodri will be difficult, but there are options. For example, Ilkay Gundogan, who returned to the Etihad in a very timely manner. The German has experience in the position of central midfielder, including in Manchester City. There are also Mateus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic. Both are inferior to the Spaniard in almost all indicators, although the Croatian is gaining more and more trust from Guardiola. There is also Rico Lewis, who can be used in midfield, and John Stones. The latter has experience of performances in the position of defender.
Guardiola has options. The closest to Rhodri in understanding the game will probably be Gundogan. But Ilkay is already 33 years old, which may affect his speed. Even Kovacich, who is 3 years younger, often lets his opponents go behind him. But, in principle, Guardiola has working options, albeit with one clarification. Whoever moves to the support zone instead of Rodri, he will need support, and the Spaniard himself was a support for both defense and attack. However, Manchester City is a team that can overcome difficulties.
Serhiy ZAVALKO