Tony Dorigo has claimed in a column for the Yorkshire Evening Post that Rodrigo will not offer Leeds United the same impact they miss while Patrick Bamford recovers from injury.
Marcelo Bielsa has been without Bamford for the Whites’ last five Premier League fixtures. The Argentine does not know when the striker will return from his ankle issue sustained at Newcastle United in September. Despite early suggestions hinting at a return last month.
Bamford assisted Raphinha’s opening goal as Leeds drew 1-1 with Newcastle for his third in all competitions this season. He had also scored once in six outings, with a late equaliser at Burnley during August’s stalemate at Turf Moor.
Bielsa has backed Rodrigo to start each of Leeds’ Premier League games that Bamford has missed so far. The £26m signing from Valencia in 2020 scored his first goal of the term from the spot against Wolves. He also struck the winner at Norwich on Sunday from open play.
Dorigo questions Rodrigo filling Bamford absence
But despite Rodrigo scoring in back-to-back games, Dorigo questions if the Spaniard can fill Bamford’s injury-enforced void in Leeds’ squad. Noting how the £58k-a-week ace does not offer the same movement, and how some may second-guess passes without Bamford.
“When we’ve got Rodrigo up top, he’s never going to run into the channels,” Dorigo wrote. “He wants to go deeper and get on the ball. We’re missing that aspect to our game. You looked on Saturday against Norwich City and it was Jack Harrison through the middle. The runs he’s making and where he wants the ball, they’re not the runs of a striker.
“They swapped and Daniel James went in there, something we saw for 45-minutes against Wolves, and that didn’t particularly work either. We’re missing that bit where Bamford holds it up, we can play off him and he makes bad balls good. Without Bamford, it has to be very, very precise and, when you have to be precise, it becomes that much more difficult.
“You maybe delay the pass because you know it has to be pinpoint and then that fluidity is just gone. We haven’t had it for a little while now. It’s easy to say our attacking game isn’t clicking because Bamford isn’t there, but he certainly gives us a lot of what we’re missing.”
Does Bielsa need to look further into Leeds squad for answers?
Bielsa will hope Leeds can rise around Rodrigo to make up for what they miss as Bamford continues his recovery. But scoring more goals will be a key concern for the Argentine, as he readies the Whites to face Leicester.
The Foxes visit Elland Road on Sunday hoping to bounce back from losing to Arsenal last week. Both sides have conceded 17 goals over their opening 10 Premier League fixtures, but Brendan Rodgers’ have scored 15. Leeds have only found the net 10 times so far.
Only against Norwich and Everton back in August have Leeds scored more than once in a top-flight fixture this term. So, if Leeds cannot build their play around Rodrigo and his different style to Bamford, Bielsa may have to look further into his squad for the answers.
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