Rodrigo comments on Patrick Bamford’s playing style as Leeds striker
Rodrigo has opened up on the debate between him and Patrick Bamford as Leeds United striker after recently starring in the position.
The versatile Spaniard, 30, has had to play majorly as an attacker since joining the Whites from Valencia in the summer of 2020, with his England international counterpart Marcelo Bielsa’s first-choice number 9.
Bamford has missed the last two Premier League games due to injury, with Rodrigo getting the opportunity to lead the line as a result.
While both appearances have yielded no goals or assists, the Spaniard has put in some eye-catching performances.
He believes he cannot be compared with Bamford due to their different playing styles, insisting it actually benefits Leeds.
“Patrick’s an amazing player, but it’s clear we have different styles,” Rodrigo said (via Leeds-Live).
“We are different players. When I play as a number nine, I drop a little bit more than him, he looks more for the spaces. He’s more like a number nine that stays in the area waiting for the chance and I try to help more in the construction of the team, try to go for the sides also, helping the wingers.
“In football, you have different styles of players, you have defensive full-backs, offensive full-backs, midfielders that can play box to box or more defensive ones, number nines that play more in the area and number nines that have more mobility.
“That’s very good for the group because you have players in the same position that have different styles of football.”
Missed chance?
Bielsa’s side have had to rely on centre-back Diego Llorente and Raphinha to provide the goals in Bamford’s absence, and Rodrigo could be left to rue missing a chance to impress.
He has never given the Whites striker a run for his money, and scoring some goals while he was out would have given the head coach some selection headache.
It is just two games, but Rodrigo did not do enough to show that he can be completely relied on the lead the line for the Elland Road side for long.
With no goal and assist in six league games so far this term, he has struggled to have an impact in the final third, and that is not doing his first-team chances any good.
Rodrigo is a top player, but he has not been able to hit top form despite being deployed in different attacking positions, and he needs to do much better if he wants to ever justify being the club’s most expensive signing ever.
In other Leeds United news, a talkSPORT host has mooted move to club with owners worth £320bn for Whites ace.