Manchester City midfielder Rodri suffered a difficult night in Norway and a concerning theory is now starting to pick up traction
Rodri endured a difficult evening as Manchester City lost to Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday
Rodri endured a difficult evening as Manchester City lost to Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday(Image: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB / AFP via Getty Images)
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No Manchester City player will have left the Arctic Circle on Tuesday night believing they would be immune from criticism in the aftermath of a game like that. Losing 3-1 to Bodo/Glimt, regardless of the plastic pitch and freezing temperatures, was below par and the subsequent decision to refund match tickets highlighted that.
But perhaps one of the most worrying takeaways from the defeat was the performance of Rodri. The Spaniard has been one of the most reliable players for City during the Pep Guardiola era. And yet, against the Norwegian side, he looked a shadow of the player which won the Ballon d'Or.
His passing was wayward, he was dispossessed moments before the second goal and was passed as if he was not there as Bodo/Glimt scored their third. Rodri's disappointing sending off for two yellow cards in quick succession summed up what was an awful night for him and the Blues.
Unsurprisingly, the reaction to Rodri's performance was over the top and out of proportion. A lot have been quick to write the midfielder off now, believing he is no longer going to be the player he was before the ACL injury which saw him miss most of the 2024/25 season.
"Bad things happen in football, and Rodri is in decline," former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino wrote in The Times. And unfortunately for Rodri, this is a feeling which appears to be growing.
While Cascarino could be right, it is too soon to tell. Since coming back from injury properly at the Club World Cup, Rodri has made only 19 appearances in all competitions with this season having been interrupted by a hamstring injury. After returning on New Year's Day, the midfielder has been thrust into the most congested run of fixtures he has experienced since before the injury.
It is only natural therefore that Rodri is struggling as he rebuilds his minutes. Does this mean he is never going to reach the levels he was at before the injury? The simple answer is no.
Guardiola perhaps put it best after the defeat to Manchester United last weekend. On the midfielder, he said: "Rodri will play better and then everyone will play better, then the team will play better.
"Of course, he comes from 18 months out, it’s normal that you need the time. It’s a positive that he played 90 minutes and played good.
"Of course there are setbacks. But his personality to go there of course is necessary."
What will also aid Rodri will be the return from injury of Nico Gonzalez. The main issue for Rodri at the moment is the lack of options to replace him, which would also allow City to manage his minutes better.
Nico O'Reilly is an option to play as a defensive midfielder, but there appears to be a clear reluctance to do that. The 20-year-old came through the City academy as a midfielder so there should be scope for him to lend a hand in this role while Gonzalez is out but currently that does not seem to be an option for Guardiola.
But the suggestion Rodri is at the start of a downwards trajectory from here onwards is an overreaction. He will get better once there is depth around him to ease the burden on him.
Once Gonzalez is back and available to feature, we should see a more recognisable Rodri again.