Category: Football, Sports

Manchester City Without Rodri: Guardiola’s Bold Adaptation Strategy

Pep Guardiola's Frustration with Rodri Questions

It took Pep Guardiola just 20 seconds to show his impatience when asked about Manchester City’s missing midfielder, Rodri. Sitting down in the media room at St James’ Park shortly after his side’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle, the first question was predictable: “Does this game show how crucial Rodri is to your team?”

Guardiola took a deep breath before responding, “We played really well with Kovacic, Bernardo, and Rico.”

Throughout the press conference, four of the seven questions Guardiola faced were about Rodri’s absence, reflecting just how important he is to Manchester City’s setup. Even after the match, Guardiola told BBC Match of the Day that his midfield performed “magnificently.”

Guardiola Addresses Rodri’s Absence Directly

Eventually, Guardiola addressed the Rodri situation head-on: “I know you are going to ask me all the time. We are going to miss Rodri for his physicality and presence. But he is not there. I would love Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Kevin De Bruyne, and Nathan Ake to be here, but it is what it is. Sometimes it happens, and we have to adapt.”

So, with Rodri sidelined for the rest of the season following cruciate knee ligament surgery, how did Manchester City adapt in their first Premier League game without their talismanic midfielder?

Kovacic Steps In and City's Adaptation Tactics

Guardiola admits the solution will not be simple. Against Newcastle, he selected Mateo Kovacic as the holding player, with experienced Ilkay Gundogan and young Rico Lewis ahead of him. Tuesday’s Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava might see John Stones or Manuel Akanji take that role, or Bernardo Silva might drop deeper, just as he did after Lewis was substituted late in the Newcastle game.

Statistically, Kovacic completed 30 passes in the final third—more than any other player in the game. However, City’s overall passing accuracy dropped to 87.5%, their lowest in a league match since March.

The Unquantifiable Impact of Rodri

There’s more to Rodri’s influence than just statistics. He brings composure in tense situations, has an innate sense of space, and executes game plans effectively. These attributes are not easily replaced.

This means a lot of responsibility falls on Rico Lewis, just 19 years old with just over 50 senior appearances. Even though Lewis has already earned two England caps, replacing Rodri is a massive task. Against Newcastle, Lewis had a relatively quiet performance but perhaps that was a good sign—he wasn’t overwhelmed by the pressure.

Rico Lewis: Young Talent with Enormous Potential

“With intelligent players, you don’t have to talk too much,” said Guardiola. “Football is a movement game, and Rico understands perfectly what we have to do. He played exceptionally well. He is really good in tight spaces. He’s young, and he will improve.”

Rico Lewis’s sporting roots are unconventional, with his father being a kickboxer. Recently, Lewis mentioned that he utilized some kickboxing training to prepare for pre-season, highlighting the mental and physical toughness needed for football at the highest level. More importantly, Lewis said he sees himself as a central midfielder, rather than a full-back, where he initially broke into the team.

Guardiola’s Determination to Move Forward Without Rodri

Pep Guardiola is unlikely to take well to any suggestion that City’s struggles are down to Rodri’s absence. “We have suffered here even with Rodri,” Guardiola stated, highlighting Newcastle’s strength in set-pieces, especially with Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, and Joelinton.

Former City defender Joleon Lescott, providing analysis for TNT, argued it was “too early” to suggest Rodri’s absence was decisive in the result, and reminded everyone that Newcastle is an excellent team, currently unbeaten in their last 11 home league matches.

Manchester City's High Standards and the Need to Adapt

The standards Manchester City have set for themselves are exceptionally high. Even two games without a win is considered a poor run. Their last similar stretch came in November, which included four winless matches, all of which Rodri started.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe shared his view on City and their head coach: “Pep is an innovator. He is arguably the best ever, and he has taken the English game to another level. Rodri glues everything together, but we make too much of one player missing. It is very difficult to replace players because they are unique, but you have to adapt.”

City will have to adapt without Rodri, but Guardiola is determined to ensure that, even without their influential midfielder, they can maintain their performance levels.