MOT View: Worse shot accuracy than Bamford – What will Rodrigo actually offer Leeds?
Leeds United are back in the big time, and by the looks of it, they have every intention of staying there for the foreseeable future.
The Whites have been relatively quiet in this summer’s transfer market up until this point, but speculation is mounting over a major swoop for Valencia hitman Rodrigo.
The 29-year-old has been identified as the man who will provide cover and competition for Patrick Bamford next season – but has he got what it takes to cut it in the Premier League?
Last season, the Spain international notched seven goals and 11 assists across all competitions for Valencia, and he has hit a total of 112 goals in 381 appearances in his career.
But if Leeds fans are expecting an out and out finisher to make up for some of the shortfall that we’ve seen from Bamford in recent campaigns, they may be a little disappointed.
Rodrigo’s goals per game ratio is 0.09 worse than the Elland Road hitman’s, while his xG is 0.16 lower and his shot accuracy is inferior by 1.6%, as per Wyscout.
What we do see if we take a look at his 75 most recent shots, however, is that the goals he does score tend to come from in and around the penalty area.
There is evidently some kind of poacher’s instinct there, but the infrequency of his goalscoring this term suggests that it could do with a little polishing.
Of course, if Bamford’s continued inclusion in Marcelo Bielsa’s plans has taught us anything, it’s that the manager likes to utilise strikers who are a lot more than just finishers.
In that sense, Rodrigo looks like he can offer a lot.
The forward averaged 0.23 assists more than Bamford last term, and made over 10 more passes per game.
If we take a look at his performance against Levante, for instance, we can see that he made five accurate passes into the penalty area, including two key passes.
Bamford’s highest total last season was two, and the last time he managed that was in September against Barnsley.
Moreover, if we look at the quality of passes compared to Rodrigo’s we can see a real gulf.
In no way is this an attack on Bamford, who was integral to Leeds’ promotion push last season, but the hope will be that Rodrigo can add another level of quality to the Whites’ frontline.
He may not be the most natural finisher in the world, but he can still be a major danger man.
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