JustJoe Football Show host and Leeds United supporter Joe Wainman does not think Rodrigo fits into Marcelo Bielsa’s system.
After some initial struggles in the Premier League last term following his move from Valencia, Rodrigo started to show his quality towards the end of the campaign, bagging four goals in Leeds’ final five fixtures.
However, it has been another lacklustre start to a season, with the £57,000-a-week striker yet to make much of an impact in either the Premier League or Carabao Cup.
He was hooked off just before the 70-minute mark in a 3-0 win against Crewe Alexandra in the latter competition, a display Wainman has been highly critical of.
“On reflection, when you see him play in the system, it doesn’t really work,” Wainman told FFC. “He was given a chance against Crewe; he was hooked off. [Patrick] Bamford came on, got two assists, was unbelievable.
“He’s got a lot to do. He was our transfer record, you know, it’s a lot of money for us.”
As he showed at the end of last season, the quality is certainly there with Rodrigo. It is just about trying to get the best out of him and getting him to fit into the system. Will Bielsa be able to do that as the campaign goes on? It will certainly be interesting to see.