Glenn Hoddle has said that Manchester City could be far less potent if Rodri is not operating at his brilliant best.
On talkSPORT Breakfast (16/11/2023), the well-known pundit gave his two cents on the £63 million (Daily Mail) man’s impact on Pep Guardiola’s side.
Recently hailed as “clutch” by Rio Ferdinand, Rodri was highlighted as a player who tends to step up in the biggest moments for City.
Glenn Hoddle says Manchester City may not be the same team if Rodri is not at his best
Even Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold claimed that the Sky Blues are “not the same without him”, while also labelling the Spaniard as “massively underrated.”
The proof is in the pudding as the treble-winners lost to the likes of Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup as well as Wolves and Arsenal in the Premier League during the 27-year-old’s absence due to suspension.
Now, Glenn Hoddle believes that keeping Rodri quiet is the key for any opposition team trying to get a result against Manchester City.
“Rodri is a magnificent player. He is the deepest midfield player but he is the one who makes them tick. And you think about would you try and man mark anyone? Maybe not further up the pitch but if you stopped him, I’m thinking…”
“What Pep [Guardiola] has done is he has challenged every coach in the country and at the moment, I mean Mauricio [Pochettino] has come up with something but they are challenging people to come up with ideas to cause them a problem. Maybe you do stop Rodri. If you stop Rodri, 50% [of City’s threat is broken down]. The problem is, they have players who can all play”, Glenn Hoddle said about Rodri on talkSPORT Breakfast.
“Even the ‘keeper [Ederson Moraes]! The problem is, you have to look at the percentage, are they going to hurt you as much as Rodri? But he is a very, very important cog”, he concluded.
The lack of a top understudy for Rodri affects the treble-winners massively
Firstly, Glenn Hoddle certainly makes a fair point as Rodri is the heartbeat of this Manchester City team.
But in the odd game where the former Atletico Madrid anchor is not firing on all cylinders or if he is unavailable, City lack a genuinely reliable backup option for him.
Kalvin Phillips has seemingly struggled to earn Pep Guardiola’s trust and when he does occasionally start, he does not look the part.
As for the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Rico Lewis, Bernardo Silva or Matheus Nunes, they can be classed as No.8’s and not holding midfielders.
One would assume that Manchester City already have their sights set on bringing in a top understudy to arguably their most crucial player during the January transfer window.
