GRAEME SOUNESS: My final Premier League holding midfielder

Rodri made it a document 60 consecutive video games unbeaten for Manchester City this week and underlined why he’s the perfect holding midfield participant in Europe.

He is definitely the perfect since his predecessor Fernandinho, who was an actual class act — one I’d fee as the perfect we have now seen within the Premier League.

Given it was my place you’d anticipate me to say this, but it surely was at all times probably the most undervalued position. Now, with larger TV scrutiny, individuals have woken as much as its significance.

We at all times say you want an excellent backbone in your workforce. Well, Rodri is the backbone of the backbone.

It’s not a place you play on intuition like a striker, it is a considering place. Your first thought is, ‘Where is the hazard?’ If we lose possession, ‘Where are we susceptible?’ You break up the play, whether or not pretty or unfairly. Fernandinho was a grasp of that and Rodri has learnt effectively.

You strive by no means to reveal the defenders behind you and take as few touches as potential, so permitting the goalscorers in entrance of you to have extra time and house to win you the sport.

In my thoughts, despite the fact that I may cross the ball and be inventive, I at all times thought that my defensive duties have been the precedence. Rodri appears the identical. His position in City’s press is essential to how they play.

Pressing is not new. We used to name it ‘closing down’ and Ronnie Moran at Liverpool would say the workforce that ‘closes down’ the perfect, or extra merely ‘works the toughest’, wins the league. In City, Liverpool and Arsenal, we have now the groups that work the toughest proper now. But urgent is not nearly arduous work and eager to do it, it is about taking part in the sport in your head and Rodri does that half higher than anybody.

Pressing at its greatest is when your gamers transfer as one, as if they’ve a rope tied round their waists. One goes, all of them go. One switches off, it breaks down. When Erling Haaland or Julian Alvarez are closing down a centre again, Rodri is already assessing the choices that centre again has and is shutting that choice down. He is superb at studying the sport.

He’s a giant man but he will get concerning the pitch. He would not should make too many 50-yard restoration runs as a result of City do not give the ball away too usually.

But what I additionally like about him is that, when he’s on the ball, he’s ready to fizz it ahead, to take a threat. Too many midfielders at this time will level to their excessive cross completion stats and say they’re doing an amazing job. The downside is almost all of these passes are in their very own half and going sideways. Rodri is not proud of going sq., he makes significant passes into the hazard zone.

He protects his again 4 rather well, not often stepping out of place. I’d say most likely him and Declan Rice are the perfect within the nation at that.

The one criticism I’d have is that he ought to rating extra objectives. I averaged round one each seven video games and he is one each 9. On at this time’s pitches and on this workforce, he must be doing higher however he’ll know that.

If you need to examine him to different holding midfielders of the trendy period reminiscent of Claude Makelele or N’Golo Kante, I’d say Rodri is on a special stage as he’s a lot better on the ball. But the actual time to guage him will probably be on the finish of his profession and that is shaping up effectively.

Liverpool will put City below strain like few different groups on Sunday so he must be at his greatest. Even if it is 0-0, I guess it is going to be a wonderful watch.

Pep Guardiola says he would not know the place City could be with out Rodri however they do possess another nice gamers.

In Phil Foden, City have somebody destined to be a celebrity. The solely issues that may stop him are if he stops turning up for work day by day eager to study one thing new and develops a giant head, or if he picks up a foul damage.

He had incredible pure potential when he got here onto the scene and now, at 23, he has larger data so can be utilized wherever throughout midfield.

He positively has the qualities to turn out to be Kevin De Bruyne’s successor as City’s essential supplier of objectives and can turn out to be one of many first names on the England teamsheet. You can jot him down alongside Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice. What a midfield trio for the following decade that will probably be. And it is solely going to get higher.

Klopp and Pep are too lovey-dovey

It is the final Premier League encounter between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola and arguably crucial as the end result may decide the league title. Not that we are going to see them falling out as they respect one another an excessive amount of.

They are two fabulous managers with two fabulous groups however their period has all been a little bit of a lovefest. I would not say it has been a rivalry like Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, as I am unable to recall them ever falling out.

Liverpool and City have been two completely different jobs after they got here in as managers. When Pep arrived, City had gained the league not too long ago with an excellent squad put collectively at nice price, whereas Jurgen made Liverpool champions and constant challengers on a much smaller finances.

Blue playing cards would wipe out diving in two weeks

Ask anybody what frustrates them most about soccer and I assure it is diving.

That and backchat to referees are the stand-outs that irritate each supporters and soccer individuals alike. FIFA missed a trick final week after they knocked again the concept of blue playing cards. ‘It’s a crimson card for the blue card,’ their president Gianni Infantino mentioned. Well, for me, set up them within the Premier League and you’ll eradicate diving in two weekends.

I used to be at an occasion with former managers and gamers in Scotland final week and we have been all speaking about this concern. We know the way it performs out: a participant goes down making an attempt to get somebody in hassle and he screams and rolls round as if his leg has been damaged in three locations. Then all his mates encompass the referee and put him below strain to get somebody despatched off. It’s not an excellent look.

If FIFA allowed a blue card for diving or dissent the place you lose a participant, even for a brief time period, that man drawback every so often would price groups dearly. They’d quickly clamp down on the theatrics after which that filters right down to grassroots.

The Premier League is probably the most watched, most liked league on this planet, set the instance there and others will copy.

This present state of affairs is ugly and it is un-British. Our league was at all times revered for its honesty. Let’s make it sincere once more.

Thomas Tuchel broke his toe kicking the door whereas giving Bayern a pre-match discuss for his or her win over Lazio this week. It appeared to work but it surely’s distinctive to do it earlier than a sport. Afterwards is completely different. I put my foot by a TV within the dressing room at Dunfermline after I was upset at Rangers and I threw tea and sandwiches after a sport in opposition to Hibernian. The gamers weren’t glad because it was throughout their garments. I recall Jack Charlton was energetic after a sport or two at Boro. He’d throw cups, sandwiches, something and everybody was terrified of him. You have been simply glad he did not throw the contents of his Range Rover as that was often filled with smelly fish or rotting pheasants.