Here’s why Rodrygo hasn’t been able to nail down his spot in the Real Madrid XI

Rodrygo has claimed two match-winning assists in his last two outings against Barcelona and Athletic Club Bilbao respectively, which took his tally to 2 goals and 6 assists in all competitions this season. He also put in an extraordinary performance in the Supercopa De Espana which impressed the manager, and watching him play in those games might easily make any fan wonder “How has such a talented player not been a sure-shot starter for Real Madrid?”

Rodrygo was able to leave an instant impression on the fans in both his unofficial debut against Bayern Munich and the official debut against Osasuna in 2019, scoring goals in both games. He was able to convince everyone that Florentino Perez got a future superstar for 45 million euros. But two and a half years later, he is still trying to become a permanent starter in a team where his competition is from an inconsistent Marco Asensio, a half-fit Eden Hazard, and a half-interested Gareth Bale. And after six months he might find it even difficult to become a starter with Kylian Mbappe’s signing looking inevitable.

It is not like Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t trust the Brazilian because the Italian manager has a lot of faith in Rodrygo, due to which he has always looked to give the Brazilian consistent opportunities. He has started 11 out of the 24 games he has played this season, but somehow he has failed to get an extended run as a starter.

His compatriot Vinicius Jr has been a fixed starter on the left, and there wouldn’t be any doubt regarding his role in the team because of his extraordinary rise this season. Until last season he wasn’t guaranteed a starting position and got to start frequently only because of Eden Hazard’s injury woes. But at least we knew the reason why Vinicius wasn’t able to become a starter, unlike Rodrygo, whose case has always been a curious one. Let us look at the reasons why Rodrygo hasn’t been able to nail down his spot in the Real Madrid XI.

Rodrygo’s consistency issues have presented a chance to his competitor, Asensio

It is not difficult to predict Real Madrid’s starting XI for any game, as 10 players are definite starters, and the only unpredictable spot is that of the right-wing. Carlo Ancelotti relied on Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard to fill in that spot in the early stages of the season and saw Asensio as an attacking midfielder. But once he set up a winning system, only Asensio and Rodrygo looked like the real contenders for the only open spot.

Rodrygo was limited to only substitutional appearances at the beginning of the season, and he scored a goal against Inter Milan in one such cameo. Carlo rewarded him by giving him an opportunity to start against RCD Mallorca. He was involved in the buildup to Asensio’s first goal of a hat-trick but had an average game overall. He started the next game against Villarreal as well, but he didn’t look good and had to be subbed off at half-time.

He then started against Shakhtar Donetsk after the international break and scored a goal which prompted Ancelotti to say that it will be very tough for him to bench Rodrygo for the next game, a Clasico. He started the Clasico and assisted Alaba’s first goal. He then started the game against Elche, but an untimely hamstring injury kept him out of action, and Asensio gained the edge over him.

After his return, a period of oscillating fortunes followed, as Rordygo and Asensio would almost start in alternate games. They would impress as a substitute and then get a start in the next game, where they would be a hit or a miss and the other player would get to start the next game. No one was really able to nail down their spot in the starting XI. Asensio made a stronger case with occasional goals, and Rodrygo would chip in with occasional assists and promised a better defensive work rate.

One observation that is worrying is that Rodrygo has never played the whole 90 minutes of a game this season. This might not look like a big issue because there are players on the bench that are waiting for minutes, but there have been a handful of close games that needed last-minute goals, and Rodrygo never finished them as a starter. He needs to convince Ancelotti that he can be relied upon, and focus on his fitness as well. He had to be subbed off five times before the 70th minute, and twice at half-time.

That inability to make the best use of his opportunities comes down to Rodrygo’s inconsistency, lack of killer instinct and many more factors we will discuss below. But now, he is aiming to show consistency, putting in an impressive show in Saudi Arabia. And he can get an extended run now, with Asensio rumoured to be out for three weeks with a hamstring injury. A Gareth Bale returning from injury might compete for his spot, but it will again come down to Rodrygo’s consistency and goal output. We can only hope that he does well and finally claims the ownership rights of the right-wing spot.

Extraordinary numbers in the UCL, but disappointing numbers in LaLiga

There’s no doubt in saying that Rodrygo’s favourite competition is the UEFA Champions League, something that can be understood from his stats in the competition:

Champions League: 7 goals and 7 assists in 938 minutes at 1.34 G/A per 90 mins

LaLiga: 3 goals and 7 assists in 2579 minutes at 0.35 at G/A per 90 mins

His numbers in the Champions League are staggering, and it just talks about the class of the player. The performances in the biggest stage of European club football will always be appreciated by the fans, as they talk a lot about the ability of a player to perform when it matters the most.

But his numbers in LaLiga, tell you another story. Of course, numbers don’t show everything, but from what I’ve seen, he has never hit the level that he had shown in the Champions League, in LaLiga.

The reason behind this contrast in performances can be explained by comparing the type of oppositions he is used to facing in both the competitions. In the Champions League, you’ve got top clubs of European leagues, who are willing to fight for their progression to the next stage and can afford to open up the game to some extent.

But in LaLiga, 50% of the games(or even more) are against clubs who are willing to park the bus and give their 100% to win a solitary point against the mighty Real Madrid. Such oppositions can’t allow a player to play their natural game and it becomes difficult for a winger to enter the box and try and find some breathing space.

It explains the difference in performances, but it shouldn’t be used as an excuse. It is a game of football at the end of the day, and the objective of any player would remain the same, that is to give their best and try to win the game for their club. Unfortunately, Rodrygo hasn’t been able to do that for Real Madrid with just 3 goals in almost 2 years.

He does have a reasonable number of assists, but the overall number isn’t satisfactory. As an attacker in Spain’s biggest club, you are expected to score a handful of goals. Of course not 20+ goals every season, but at least a handful of goals. His assist numbers are pretty decent, but they are still not that good enough to classify him as a ‘creative winger’.

A player is expected to show better consistency in a competition that lasts for 38 games where you get to play week in week out when compared to a competition in which you would get to play a maximum of 13 games. The perception of the competition’s importance is different at Real Madrid, as Champions League is given an obvious preference by the fans. But that preference is only in the case of measuring the success of a season in terms of the silverware. A player is asked to perform well in every game, irrespective of the competition.

The inconsistency in the league can also be considered as a reason why Rodrygo’s struggle in becoming a definite starter for Real Madrid.

Some things that aren’t working out for Rodrygo in the right-wing

Rodrygo is a natural left-winger, a position in which he would have the opportunity to cut in using his stronger right foot. Right-footed players will find it easy to dribble from the left-wing and take shots with their stronger foot. With players like Vinicius and Hazard fighting for the left wing, Rodrygo had to move to the right to get regular opportunities. And it becomes tough when a natural left-winger is asked to play on the right-wing.

As a right-footed player on the right-wing, you need two attributes to beat a defender in a 1v1 situation. They are pace and strength. You need pace to beat the defender and strength to hold off any physical challenge from the opponent. Rodrygo isn’t the quickest at Real Madrid, but he’s quick enough to beat a player, recording a top speed of 32.94 kmph in 2020. But the issue is with his physical strength.

People who watch Rodrygo closely will easily know that Rodrygo is a bit weak for a winger. He can be easily be bullied by a defender legally, and he’ll end up losing possession, which becomes a frustrating sight for any fan. According to FBRef, Rodrygo has completed 358 carries in his 3 seasons at Real Madrid, out of which only 61 carries have been completed into the 18-yard box while being dispossessed 68 times and failed to gain control of the ball around 92 times. These numbers suggest that he hasn’t really been a great dribbler from the right.

This kinda limits him to wide areas, from where he attempts a cross or tries cut inside with his right and attempt a cutback. Even his last two assists in the Supercopa have been cutbacks from the right, both of them coming on counter-attacks during which he found more space and time to make a decision.

And coming to goal-scoring from the right, the most important skill needed is off-the-ball movement. Rodrygo does have the finishing technique, but his movement hasn’t been that great. The Off-the-ball movement is an art, and people who admire Cristiano Ronaldo can easily understand how important it is. Rodrygo isn’t that tall and strong to be an aerial threat, but looking at his performances one can conclude that he is not the kind of a winger who gets into half-spaces and attempts to run beyond the defence, chasing a ball that has been passed by the midfield behind him. Instead, he is the kind of a player who prepares himself for cutbacks and low crosses, who doesn’t get past the defensive line but instead stays in between the lines.

But in LaLiga, where opponents park the bus with tightly spaced defensive lines, it becomes very difficult for Rodrygo to be on the receiving end of low crosses or cutbacks.

This is Rodrygo’s territory map from a game against Shakhtar Donetsk, in which he had scored a goal. As you can observe, Rodrygo is mostly limited to wide areas, and he rarely drifts inside. But when the ball is out wide on the left, he does drift inside and tries to get onto the end of a cutback. With the goal coming from a similar situation in which Vinicius was able to find him with a cutback.

And he is not really a player with a killer instinct who has the tendency to shoot on sight, whenever presented with an opportunity. He doesn’t attempt a lot of shots and is happy to pass on the responsibility of others to score. Being selfless is never a bad trait, but sometimes the lack of confidence and focus is visible in his game. He needs to be more confident, keep the fear of failure aside and just capitalize on the moment. He needs to believe more in himself, and take risks.

These are the issues faced by Rodrygo on the right-wing, that prohibit him from unleashing the Brazilian inside him. I mean no disrespect with this statement, but a player who was supposed to be the next Neymar is being limited to a Lucas Vazquez role, due to his weaknesses and the troubles faced by him.

I can write that the solution to this problem faced by Rodrygo is simple, and he needs to stick to his strengths and work on his weaknesses. But it is not as simple as it appears, and it is a long process, especially the working on his physical strength part. Rodrygo will face more challenges in the coming days, with matches becoming tougher and increasing workload. But he needs to face any challenge with confidence, and look to clear them with self-belief.

This article is not any form of Rodrygo criticism and is only an analysis of the reasons why Rodrygo hasn’t been able to nail down his spot in the starting XI. I have focused more on what’s stopping Rodrygo from becoming a star, but I believe in Rodrygo. There have been times this season when I was frustrated with Rodrygo’s performances, but I have always believed that Rodrygo will surely become better. He has been superb in the recently concluded Supercopa De Espana, and I hope that he continues in the same way.