Dani Rodríguez, Ollie Watkins, and the art of being benched gracefully

When Ollie Watkins was omitted from the starting lineup for both legs of Aston Villa’s Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-German last season, the striker did not disguise his feelings. 

“I was fuming,” said Watkins. “I let [Emery] know that. He’s the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision. But I’m not one of the players happy to sit on the bench.”

Neither is the Mallorca midfielder Dani Rodríguez, if events at Real Madrid last weekend are anything to go by. Having featured as a substitute in the club’s opening two league games, the 37-year-old Mallorca captain was dismayed when, with three minutes remaining, manager Jagoba Arrasate sent on attacking duo Takuma Asano and Jan Virgili while he remained on the bench. 

But while Watkins channelled his fury into the following weekend’s Premier League win over Newcastle, scoring after 33 seconds before setting up the third in a thumping 4-1 victory to earn glowing praise from his manager Unai Emery, Rodríguez vented his feelings in more direct fashion.

‘Meritocracy, culture and respect for work are conspicuous by their absence’

Taking to social media, the midfielder posted pictures and footage of his wife and children, who had made the trip to the Santiago Bernabéu in the hope of seeing him play, alongside a thinly veiled broadside about his treatment.

“Trip with my children’s excitement to see their father play at the Bernabéu,” read the accompanying caption. “Important lesson and advice for them: never expect anything from anyone, particularly nowadays, when meritocracy, culture and respect for work are conspicuous by their absence.”

Nor did Rodríguez stop there. Lest there should be any doubt about his feelings, he spelled them out in detail on his Instagram story, where he elaborated on his displeasure that 19-year-old debutant Virgile, a summer arrival from Barcelona, had been Arrastate’s preferred choice.

‘Hard work, dedication and loyalty don’t matter’

“I understand and deeply respect that decisions surrounding who plays are exclusively made by the coach,” said Rodríguez. “But what I can’t accept is the lack of respect shown towards commitment and dedication. 

“It hurts that a player who has just arrived, with only one training session, has the opportunity to play ahead of team-mates that have spent years defending this shirt with sweat and dedication, always putting the club above anything else. 

“Hopefully Jan can triumph here and between all of us we can help him. But that something like this can happen sends a horrible message to the dressing room: that hard work, dedication and loyalty don’t matter.”

‘It is not uncommon for players to sit on the bench with the hump’

Of course, there is nothing new in players throwing their toys out of the pram when benched.  Watkins’ defiantly constructive response was the exception rather than the norm, as former West Ham and Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp once made clear in his musings on the subject.

“Football is generally a selfish industry, even though it is a team sport, and it is not uncommon for players to sit on the bench with the hump, cursing the manager and the whole world,” said Redknapp. “And when I say it’s not unusual, I would go as far to say from my experience that most players are like that.”

That Rodríguez was disappointed about his non-appearance is understandable, particularly given that his family were present. Equally, he is the club captain, earns roughly €16,000 a week and, as a senior player with more than 250 appearances, has a responsibility to lead by example. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he has been suspended by the club and stripped of the captaincy.