‘What can’t this guy do’… Premier League captain says Man City have a player who is basically flawless
Tom Lockyer was stunned by how complete of a player Rodri was when he faced him this season.
When Luton Town suffered a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at Kenilworth Road, the Spanish international was one of the visitors’ standout performers.
Rodri typically controlled proceedings during a largely frustrating afternoon of football for City, considering Luton had taken the lead at the stroke of half-time.
Tom Lockyer says Rodri is basically flawless
Pep Guardiola’s men were far from their vintage selves as the hosts’ compact defence, combative midfield and physically domineering forwards made it an uncomfortable contest for them for much of the clash.
But the 27-year-old somehow put in yet another world-class display, as he tends to away from home, which is one of the many facets that make him a leader in this Sky Blues side.
Luton skipper Tom Lockyer reflected on going toe-to-toe with Rodri and he questioned whether he had any weakness in his game after the contest.
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Luton Town v Manchester City – Premier League
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
“The way Rodri…honestly, that guy, man! It’s a joy to share the football pitch with him. You don’t say that about a lot of players but he was certainly one of them. You come off the pitch, you’re like, ‘Wow.’ I know he gets a lot of credit from the outside but when you’re actually on the pitch, you’re like, what can’t this guy do sort of thing?”, he said on BBC 5 Live Sport’s The Monday Night Club.
Mark Chapman quizzed Tom Lockyer about which attributes in particular make Rodri such a special player.
“Just a Rolls-Royce. He’s literally just a Rolls-Royce. He was controlling the midfield, he just dictated everything. Everything went through him and when you thought you had him pressed and you were going to nick the ball, you weren’t. He was teasing you in.”
“He was just teasing you in so his next pass had more time on the ball. It was literally like that. The other types of games that he plays, it’s very rare that he gets caught on the ball and he dictates everything Man City do.”
Rodri will be talked about in such glowing terms for years
Watching Manchester City and Luton in action in December, one can understand exactly why Tom Lockyer was as blown away by Rodri as he sounds.
As the treble-winner continues to establish himself as one of the best midfielders in the world, those who are especially facing him in his prime will reflect on how outstanding a player he was after he retires.
In August last year, Bruno Fernandes admitted that the Manchester City maestro is one of the toughest players he has ever come up against.
Such is the complete package that Rodri brings to the table that he is destined to go down as a legend of the game and simultaneously, fellow midfielders will have to tip their hats to him after being dominated by the three-time Premier League winner.
UEFA has revealed the top ten clubs for making money from shirts and merch
Despite posting record revenues, Manchester City have missed out on the top 10
Should Man United be forced to pay more than £60m for Dan Ashworth? They’re wrecking Newcastle’s business –
The latest UEFA financial report has revealed the top ten European clubs to be making money from jersey and merchandise sales – but the Premier League champions Manchester City are not among them.
Strong shirt sales can boost a club’s bottom line, which is vital for their financial security and future expenditure in the era of FFP, but some clubs benefit more than others.
Manchester City posted a Premier League record turnover of £712.8m in November 2023, the year when they also won the Treble, before adding the Club World Cup in December.
However, Pep Guardiola’s Citizens are absent from the top ten list of clubs who made the highest earnings from their merch sales, including those all-important shirts.
Spanish giants Barcelona topped the list, making €179m (£153m) from jersey and merchandise sales, €24m more than their LaLiga rivals Real Madrid.
Man City posted a record turnover – but were not among Europe’s top shirts and merch clubs
Man City posted a record turnover – but were not among Europe’s top shirts and merch clubs
Traditionally strong sellers, Barcelona were top of the list, ahead of LaLiga rivals Real Madrid
Traditionally strong sellers, Barcelona were top of the list, ahead of LaLiga rivals Real Madrid
Both the Spanish sides have been famously popular football shirts with fans, which has propelled them to the top of the list, whilst Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich were third on the list, making €147m.
Top 10 European clubs for revenue from jersey and merchandise sales
1. Barcelona – €179m
2. Real Madrid – €155m
3. Bayern Munich – €147m
4. Liverpool – €132m
5. Manchester United – €130m
6. PSG – €97m
7. Arsenal – €89m
8. Chelsea – €87m
9. Juventus – €74m
10. Tottenham – €74m
(Data from the UEFA Financial Report)
Five Premier League sides made the top ten, the highest being Liverpool, who made €132m from their merch, €2m more than their northern neighbours Manchester United.
PSG were sixth on the list, having sold €97m worth of shirts and other items during the period, ahead of London duo Arsenal on €89m and Chelsea on €87m.
Italian giants Juventus, and Premier League Tottenham, rounded out the top ten, making €74m each from their merchandise sales.
Manchester City just missed out on the top 10, making €73m from their merchandise and shirt sales, putting them ahead of teams like Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Ajax in UEFA’s ranking.
Traditionally well supported clubs Galatasaray, Leeds United, Celtic, Fenerbahce, Eintracht Frankfurt and Inter Milan round out the top 20.
Manchester City’s record income of £712.8m, announced in late 2023, was up from £613m the previous year.
It put them second globally for income, behind only Real Madrid.
The Citizens almost doubled their profit in the same period from £41.7m to £80.4m, despite a large increase in player wages signing stars like Erling Haaland to their ranks.
At the time, Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: ‘Success today simply means further investment for tomorrow. Our financial health and on field success mean everyone connected to Manchester City can look forward to the future with excitement.
‘Our collective achievements give me huge confidence that together we can accomplish even more in the years to come.’
Liverpool were the top Premier League side, ahead of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea
Liverpool were the top Premier League side, ahead of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea
Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was proud after posting record revenues last year
Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was proud after posting record revenues last year
Earlier this week, a UEFA report revealed Tottenham make the most money per match of any club in the Premier League.
Financial expert Kieran Maguire said Spurs make €5.6m (£4.8m) every matchday when taking into account gate
revenue and money spent by fans at games, while also deducting how much it costs clubs to host matches.
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