Pep Guardiola has reiterated Rodri’s importance to Manchester City, but insisted that the midfielder can still improve his game.
Rodri has been an ever-present fixture in Guardiola’s team over the last few seasons, playing a key role in City’s two most recent Premier League title wins and their run to the Champions League final.
City signed the Spanish midfielder from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019, and it’s fair to say that it took a while for supporters to see his potential.
Rodri often looked overwhelmed and out of his depth during his first season at the Etihad Stadium, with few pundits and supporters believing he was capable of succeeding Fernandinho as City’s starting holding midfielder.
However, once the team’s structural issues – which caused several City players to struggle in 2019/20 – were addressed and Rodri had had time to adapt to his new team, he hasn’t looked back.
Now he is arguably the first name on Guardiola’s team sheet, such is the importance of the holding midfielder role.
It’s one that the City boss knows well, having played there himself throughout his trophy-laden playing career at Barcelona.
‘He’s so important’
When asked about Rodri’s importance ahead of City’s Premier League meeting with Leicester on Saturday, Guardiola pointed to how much the 26-year-old has improved since joining the club almost four years ago.
“[He has been an] incredible signing for us,” Pep said.
“Seeing his development as a football player, to read better some situations. He solved it with his incredible mentality. He’s so important.”
Rodri has played 3,503 minutes of football in all competitions this season, the most in the City squad and almost 500 more than the next-highest outfield player, Erling Haaalnd.
Asked if his fitness and mentality have allowed him to do that, Guardiola again pointed to Rodri’s unique qualities. However, he insisted the Spaniard’s game still has room for improvement.
“He’s so important, he gives us a lot of things. He’s many years with us, he understands perfectly what we need.
“He’s quick in the head, he’s reading [the game] much, much better. In transitions, always he wins the duels. With these kind of uncertain balls at this top level that happen, if you win the ball you have a chance, if you lose the ball it’s a chance for them, he has the ability and sense and smell to win it.
“I still have the feeling he can improve.”