Pep Guardiola believes that Rodri was as important to Manchester City winning the treble last season as Erling Haaland was.
Considering Haaland recorded a tremendous 52 goals in all competitions last season, some may wonder how a holding midfielder’s impact has been compared to his.
However, football cannot merely be contextualised through statistics and Rodri is perhaps the perfect embodiment of this phenomenon out of any current player in world football.
Pep Guardiola says Rodri was as important as Erling Haaland to Manchester City’s treble
While the midfield maestro’s decisive goals against Inter Milan and Bayern Munich may stand out, his influence went way beyond just coming up clutch for City and it continues to do so.
Considering Kalvin Phillips barely got a chance in the side in the previous campaign, the Spaniard’s availability coupled with his incredibly consistent displays and decisiveness made him as indispensable member of the Sky Blues machine; so much so that one could argue that they have relied on any other player as much in the Guardiola era.
While speaking to TNT Sports, Pep Guardiola initially highlighted his countryman’s impact on his Manchester City side.
“Wow. A plain guy who hopefully realises how important he is. Maybe, he doesn’t have the highlights, always I said the holding midfielder does not have to be the highlight, the strikers, the talented players, the number 10’s, players up front but at the same time, he is a decisive player in the moments”, he said.
Pep Guardiola went on to emphasise that Rodri was as crucial to Manchester City’s treble-winning season as Erling Haaland.
“So, all the success we had in the last years, especially the last one, last season, without Rodri, it’s the same level as Erling [Haaland]. Without the goals Erling scores, without the presence of Rodri, it would not be possible. They are players that their influence in the team is so, so massively important.”
“If you said to me, Rodri has to be one of the best or the best player this season, I would say yes like I said to Phil [Foden]. But he’s a holding midfielder.”
Guardiola went on to highlight the three-time Premier League winner’s role in the side and how he is comfortable not being the centre of attention.
“Let the team play, read what happened, solve the problems and the highlights for the other people, I’m sure he’s comfortable with that.”
Pep Guardiola has hit the nail on the head
In our view, Pep Guardiola is spot on about just how instrumental Rodri was to his side winning the treble and that too, just as much as Erling Haaland.
While Haaland still remains replaceable to an extent that Alvarez can do the job in his absence, albeit not to the same degree, there are goals in the side, with De Bruyne and Foden being able goalscorers.
However, at the base of midfield, Rodri is and was City’s only viable option and he continues to perform the role to such a standard that Micah Richards believes he is the best number six he has seen since Sergio Busquets.
The former Atletico Madrid midfielder is as complete as they come and runs games singlehandedly, a quality that is very rare and worth its weight in gold, especially during the pursuit of an achievement as difficult to complete as winning the treble.
