JACK RODWELL

November 18, 2012 IBWM Staff

Jack Rodwell 21 Midfielder Manchester City

If you stand back and look at it from a distance, Jack Rodwell’s 2012 looks like it has gone exactly to plan. Back away just far enough and it has the look of a blueprint for any young player. After years of discussions about his potential and his suitability to play for a “big team” in the Premier League, Rodwell’s summer couldn’t have gone much better.

Having debuted for the senior England team this time last year, he was called into Roy Hodgson’s first “proper” England squad for the first post Euro 2012 match with Italy and he swapped perennial top half club and slow-starters Everton for the Premier League champions, Manchester City. Except when news of Rodwell’s £12 million transfer filtered through, everyone couldn’t help but be struck by a little bit of disbelief.

Rodwell remains a player judged completely on potential. One day, sometime in the future, Rodwell could become one of the English national team’s premier performers. Sadly, the days that people are going to hang around waiting for that potential to be realised are already numbered. Regardless of just how much is said to be going for him, he isn’t doing the right things on the football pitch.

Through 2012, up until November 1st, Opta recorded that he played just 447 minutes of Premier League football. It’s simply not enough. Regardless of a very healthy 90% pass completion rate or the fact that he gains possession for his team every 21 minutes, Jack isn’t spending enough time where it matters and it’s hard to argue he did enough to warrant a move to a team that now puts him very much in the hunt for medals.

He played only 17 times in all competitions for Everton last season, got himself sent off in the Merseyside derby (even if it was late rescinded) and rarely looked convincing. At no point in the early part of this year was anyone forced to sit up and take notice of Rodwell nailing down a regular starting in Everton’s squad. It should have been so easy for him.

David Moyes had a paper-thin panel of players at his disposal for most of last season and yet Rodwell, with all of his obvious capabilities already, still struggled for a regular berth. His poor injury record has finally started to really affect his career. More telling perhaps is the fact that Moyes signed Darron Gibson from Manchester United in January rather than putting faith in the then 20 year-old.

At this time last year, the signs were finally there that Rodwell was getting it. Sadly, the shoots of hope were misleading. Rodwell just wasn’t good enough in an Everton shirt and now he is at Manchester City, his opportunities will diminish further. Nothing about his first few months at the Etihad Stadium makes anyone think anything about Rodwell’s future other than it containing three frustrated years followed by a cut-price move to a club that finished the previous Premier League between 11th and 16th. When Rodwell has returned to Goodison Park in 2015 to be a part of Steve Clarke’s new Everton side, don’t forget we told you so.

Naturally, there is a lot to like about Jack and he has time on his side; assuming he is allowed an adequate opportunity to develop. He has all the markings of becoming a fine player for many years to come if he properly applies himself. Comfortable on the ball, eager to drive his team forward and disciplined enough to be trusted to protect a backline as well as being big and strong. Inside the lad, there is a fine package of skills nuzzled deep.

It is the debate that still surrounds Rodwell’s so-called “best position” that sufficiently illustrates the problems with him. Former Everton manager Howard Kendall ran the rule over Jack when he departed Goodison in the summer and likened the 21 year-old to Paul Lake. “[Paul] was a very talented lad who sometimes suffered for his own ability to play in a few roles. In the end I moved him to centre back and he was outstanding. Pace, power and a lovely pass.” Others, like Liverpool Echo's Everton reporter Greg O'Keefe just “don't see him as a central defender.”

The sheer fact that everyone hasn’t had their mind made on him becoming either a towering centre-half or the perfect foil to a dream midfield of Tom Cleverley and Jack Wilshere for England by his performances is a worry. At 20, that is the one thing that should be cleared up, or else a prolonged period of being the versatile player in the squad awaits.

Jack Rodwell ultimately needs to show Manchester City, England and their fans as well as himself that he will be as good as the signs suggest. Until then, he’s going nowhere very fast.

“One of the names that always appears in the 'team for the next one' whenever England shuffle out of a major tournament, Rodwell is basically still all potential, some five years after first appearing in the Everton first-team. His move to Manchester City could go either way, but at present, with his troubling injury record and frankly better players ahead of him, his career seems to be stalling.” - Nick Miller (Football365)

D Those opportunities have dried up. Needs to force one

Player

Jack Rodwell

Team

Everton

Manchester City

Minutes On Pitch

191

256

Goal Attempts

Goals

Shots On Target

Shots Off Target

Shooting Accuracy

20%

Chance Conversion

Passing

Goal Assists

Total Passes

176

Pass Completion %

87%

92%

Crossing

Total Crosses

Cross Completion %

Dribbling

Dribbles & Runs

Dribble Completion %

50%

100%

Defending

Tackles Made

Tackles Won %

80%

100%

Blocks

Clearances

Interceptions

Discipline

Fouls

Offside

Yellow Cards

Red Cards