Rodri’s “concerning” Man City comments justified after Pep Guardiola’s “painful” Premier League setback

Rodri’s scathing comments about his own Manchester City team following last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League are “concerning”, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.

After kick-starting the new campaign with an eye-catching 4-0 win at Wolves, Man City have since suffered back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton, most recently losing away against the latter despite holding a one-goal advantage with 25 minutes remaining.

Rodri, who was handed his first Premier League start in 11 months since recovering from injury and played the full 90 minutes at the Amex Stadium, slammed his Man City teammates after the match for making schoolboy errors, and he believes that the Citizens are "not at the level" required to compete.

"Disappointed because we are Manchester City and we come here to win, but this is the reality. We are not at the level for a long, long time," Rodri told Sky Sports. "The only way to come back is to look to ourselves. We started well, but the second half we dropped a little bit. Then at home they have pressure and we make two mistakes and it's 2-1.

"We are missing the level. It is a matter of the team and the changes. New players have to adapt, and of course, when you change the team that much, it is difficult. This is our reality, it is not for excuses and we have to see that this is not the way to achieve things.

"I do think that we had control of the game and we were not our best. We did not create our best match, but today we should win because we made two big mistakes and counter-attacks. Some of the mistakes we are making are kids' mistakes; you are not concentrating and paying attention. The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete."

Rodri praised for demanding more from Man City after shaky start

McInerney has admitted that Rodri’s comments are “concerning”, telling Sports Mole: “The team has shifted so much for Rodri that it must have been quite worrying for him I guess to look around and see a team that he doesn't recognise - that's not to say there isn't quality and that he doesn't believe that there's talent there.

“Rodri's a serial winner. He's the best in the world and this City side were arguably the best in the world [before his injury]. We're not even close to that right now and it must feel so weird being away for a year and coming back to a side that you just don't recognise.

“You look at the churn of players over the past 12 months alone. People like Ederson, [Manuel] Akanji, Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, [Ilkay] Gundogan, Jack Grealish all moving on, [Julian] Alvarez a year ago. There's so many players that were involved in that (successful) City squad that just aren't there anymore. It's a very different City side."

However, McInerney is pleased to see a player of Rodri’s stature demanding more from his teammate, adding: “I like Rodri saying that publicly, because I think Rodri is the stature of player that you want to have demanding more of people.

“Rodri is a winner, [new signing Gianluigi] Donnarumma is a winner, [Erling] Haaland is a winner. You want those people in the dressing room to bang heads together and get people to the standards that you desire.

“It was concerning to hear it because I'm worried about his future, but at the same time that's a long way away, and the immediate effects of that can only be positive. With Rodri, he wants more from people and he'll get it because he's so good.”

Optimism remains at Man City despite “painful” Brighton defeat

While McInerney is leaning towards the "optimist side" when assessing Man City’s start to the campaign, he has admitted that Guardiola’s team look ‘a little confused’ and he has some "slight concerns" about his new-look side.

“The game was a painful one to watch, but I don't think we learned an awful lot,” said McInerney. “I think it sort of shows where City are, if that makes sense. Man City seem incapable right now - and have been for a while - of putting together a full 90-minute performance.

“In previous years, if City go behind or teams equalise, you expect the great City sides just to turn around and go into killer mode. A team equalise and 10 minutes later it'd be 3-1 City. That's the kind of City side we had. There'd be a reaction immediately. Right now, that reaction isn’t there and there was more or less zero chances after Brighton went in front for City to equalise.

“The result was painful. How much you take from it -your mileage may vary on that. The pessimists will say this is a problem that we can't get our heads around. The optimists will say it's very early on and we had a good spell.

“I've settled more towards the optimist side, but I do have some slight concerns. I do worry about the immediate quality of some of this side. I don't mean necessarily their individual ability, but I mean where they are in their careers at Manchester City.

“You look for that team and even though [Abdukodir] Khusanov was good, he's still a new name at this Manchester City side, even though [James] Trafford was good, a new name, [Rayan] Ait-Nouri, a new player, Oscar Bobb, new to this side as a regular. [Matheus] Nunes is still learning as a right-back you could argue, [Tijjani] Reijnders is new, [Omar] Marmoush is still pretty new as a player.

Man City look “a little bit confused” during transitional period

“You look around that team and there's a lot of variables and a lot of changing parts and it does look a little bit confused at times.

“I do trust in the quality of a lot of these lads to make it eventually, but I do feel this inability to put it together for 90 minutes - it's fitness to an extent and also conviction and nerves. They are losing their composure and not reacting well to a changing game state and that to me is concerning.

“I do think it'll get better with time and rhythm because Guardiola sides are sides that get better with time. That's the thing about Pep's side. Some will reach their peak after a few match days and they'll get to their eight-out-of-10 level. Guardiola sides are finely tuned until they reach their best around the winter months and they go on these incredible runs.

“That's for a reason because Pep asks more of the intricacies of these players than most managers do. There's so many factors there. You can turn around and say, the new players? was it time? Was it fitness?

“Brighton was frustrating, but there are mitigating factors and there are some positives to take from that. It's just also difficult right now and it could take an awful bit of time for City to find their best form.”

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