Manchester City midfielder Rodri tends to be a calm presence on the pitch.
The £220,000-a-week man always manages to keep his emotions check and his seeming headspace reflects in his style of play — composed, classy and quietly confident.
Perhaps the sole example of the City maestro having a rare rash moment on the pitch emerged during his scuffle with Morgan Gibbs-White during his side’s 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest last season.
Rodri put his hands around the Englishman’s neck after pushing him a few times and was sent off.
But apart from that instance, the Spaniard never seems to even break a sweat on the pitch.
Only when Rodri either celebrates a goal or a victory where he expresses his passion.
But otherwise, like several legendary defensive midfielders such as Sergio Busquets and N’Golo Kante, the 28-year-old seems cool, calm and composed.
Rodri reveals why Man City teammate Ederson makes him “mad”
However, players like Rodri are often competing in high-stakes games where the pressure is sky-high.
As a result, it is natural for them to feel the weight of expectations during a game.
Particularly when Pep Guardiola’s men have faced a Premier League title rival such as Liverpool or Arsenal over the past few years.
Often, such games have title-deciding implications.
With bundles of quality on both sides, even the most minute of errors can be punished.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Rodri initially revealed that his partner is not a fan of him receiving passes just outside the box from Ederson Moraes — fearing that he could make a costly mistake.
“Well, first of all, I want to say that my missus wants to kill me when she’s in the stadium. ‘Don’t do that pass, please!’ But yeah, it’s how the modern football works and what Pep [Guardiola] needs. It’s a matter of a lot of trust in the ‘keeper.”
Rodri went on to reveal why Ederson can anger him on the pitch at times.
“You can see, for example, I can remember you remember, he gave the pass he gave on the line against Liverpool. He was so chill and sometimes, I’ll get mad with him because sometimes, you cannot be that chill being a ‘keeper, you know?”
“It’s about trust and he’s the guy who trusts more in himself.”
Ederson Moraes’ risks are why he fits into the Man City way
The £35 million man is not afraid to take risks in possession — a trait goalkeepers who play under Pep Guardiola must possess to execute his tactical principles.
In the past, the likes of Victor Valdes and Manuel Neuer have shared the same characteristic with Ederson as well.
The Brazilian often waits for the opposition players to close him down before bisecting their press with an incisive pass.
However, such passes can be intercepted by the opposition and lead to potential goals.
Ederson seems to have full faith in his extraordinary passing range, which is why he backs himself to take such risks and more often than not, he pulls them off as Manchester City get up the pitch seamlessly.
But at times, the 30-year-old’s risk-taking approach can instill panic amongst fans and judging by Rodri’s revelation, his teammates as well.
