Man City Square
Fansided

Manchester City: Why Rodri’s Signing Is So Crucial

By Dan Larsen

HUESCA, SPAIN - JANUARY 19: Rodri Hernandez of Atletico de Madrid runs with the ball during the La Liga match between SD Huesca and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio El Alcoraz on January 19, 2019 in Huesca, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
HUESCA, SPAIN - JANUARY 19: Rodri Hernandez of Atletico de Madrid runs with the ball during the La Liga match between SD Huesca and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio El Alcoraz on January 19, 2019 in Huesca, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next

Excellent Distribution

SEVILLE, SPAIN – JANUARY 06: Rodrigo Hernandez “Rodri” of Club Atletico de Madrid in action during the La Liga match between Sevilla FC and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on January 06, 2019 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
SEVILLE, SPAIN – JANUARY 06: Rodrigo Hernandez “Rodri” of Club Atletico de Madrid in action during the La Liga match between Sevilla FC and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on January 06, 2019 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) /

Another area of the game where Rodri excels is in his passing distribution. He’s extremely efficient and intelligent in his passing.

In his 32 league appearances last season for Atletico, he completed 91.1% of 56.7 passing attempts per game. He completed over 90% of his passing attempts in both of his prior league seasons at Villarreal as well.

Rodri was rarely asked to do much of the creative work in his time at Villarreal or Atletico Madrid, but he controlled games with his calm and collected passing. His efficiency allowed those teams to excel in the times they were in possession, something that was crucial in a defensive-minded team that wasn’t necessarily having the majority of the ball.

He also showed signs of having a bit more range to his passing game. He attempted a career high 3.4 long balls per game last season in the league, and also posted a career best in key passes per game (0.6). With a bit more freedom to attack in Guardiola’s system, Rodri could become a deep-lying creative force for the team.

Physicality

One final area where Rodri is impressive is in his physical traits.

Rodri immediately becomes, at six foot three, one of the tallest individuals in the squad. Having someone of his size and strength will be a major asset in helping City defend set-pieces, something they’ve struggled with over the past several seasons.

He will also help City match-up better with some of the bigger and stronger midfields, like Liverpool.  As he’s gained strength over time, he’s been able to cope with the physicality of the game well. His combination of size and strength should play well in a Premier League full of midfield giants.

He may not be the fastest player, but he’s got enough to speed to not be a liability in the open field. Whatever he lacks in speed he can more than make up for in his reading and feel for the game.