Getting to Know New Tottenham Hotspur Defender Joe Rodon
By Aaron Coe
With Toby Alderweireld out, Tottenham Hotspur are going to need players to step up and one of them is September signing and Welsh International Joe Rodon.
Unless you follow Swansea or Wales, Joe Rodon is probably a relative unknown to most Tottenham Hotspur fans. HotspurHQ did a little scouting to get a sense of what Joe Rodon might bring to the table. Rodon is light on experience with only 68 senior level club appearance but strong in his reading of the game. Additionally, Rodon brings the kind of no-nonsense approach to defending Tottenham needs with Toby Alderweireld out.
Joe Rodon on the Pitch
On the football pitch, Joe Rodon is a smart, aggressive player that understand how to take advantage of his natural strength, size, and quickness as a player. Rodon is a lengthy 1.93 meters (6’3”) but has quick feet and an ability to use his body that helps make a naturally gifted defender. That quickness allows Rodon to operate in tight spaces, while he can also use his length and stride to make up ground or sneak in a tackle.
Rodon the Game Reader
In watching highlight tape, it is obvious Rodon is actively reading the game from the back as a defender. He does a particularly good job anticipating the pass and working to attack the ball. If a striker is not stepping to the ball or working to shield him off, Rodon will step in front and intercept the ball, averaging almost an interception and a half per game in his professional career according to whoscored.com.
Rodon’s reading and anticipation are particularly useful in his aerial work, where he uses his big frame to attack the ball strongly in the air. Averaging 3.5 aerial wins per game in his career, Rodon is not waiting for the ball, he is going after it. This skill set can also translate on the offensive end. While Rodon is not Harry Maguire in the air offensively, his size and instincts do make him a threat on corners and free kicks.
Defending with Discipline
Joe Rodon is a strong defender who works extremely hard to keep himself between the ball and the goal defensively. By working to stay in front of players Rodon is in position to make tackles and block any shots that may come. Rodon has averaged .9 blocks and .9 tackles for his career but has seen his numbers increase in each of his seasons as a professional.
The same is true for Rodon and clearing the ball, at 5.2 clearances per match, Rodon actively works to get the ball out of harms way. While there are times, he does use his body to shield the ball, and bring it under control and dribble out, most of the time, he comes with a safety-first approach. In many respects his overall approach defensively will remind fans of Alderweireld in his approach to the game, which is good for Spurs.
Just a Regular Joe
With Alderweireld going down, maybe the best news for Tottenham Hotspur is that Joe Rodon seems to be settling kind of quickly. He has already made the squad a couple times in league and has seen 10 minutes of action. More importantly he is fitting in within the locker room, mostly thanks to his Wales teammates Ben Davies and Gareth Bale. Joe Rodon spoke about his transition to Tottenham to FA Wales and elaborated some on the assistance from his friends.
Joe said that having Ben and Gareth at Tottenham has made it “way easier for me and made me fell more comfortable knowing them two are there”. He noted that the two have “been unbelievable to me ever since I’ve been there” and “not just them, all the players”. This easing in the locker room will only help Rodon settle quicker and be more at ease on the pitch to just play. Ultimately that is what Spurs need, Rodon to settle and play. While it would be nice to ease him in, with Alderweireld out, we will see a lot of cover from Joe in the Premier League, settled or not.