Karen Carney has told Optus Sport that although she wouldn’t have liked to be in Leeds United striker Rodrigo’s shoes at the weekend, she understands why Marcelo Bielsa took him off.
Rodrigo entered the field as a substitute for Leeds against Chelsea, following an injury to Patrick Bamford in the first-half.
However, the Spaniard was hooked off in the second period, with Bielsa seemingly wanting to make another change up-front.
The decision could have been a controversial one, but Rodrigo didn’t appear to make too much of a fuss.
And Carney admits her response may not have been so calm, if the sae action had been taken against her.
“I wouldn’t have reacted well if it did happen to me to be honest,” she said.
“But things have to be done in games and sometimes players outlast managers and you have to do what you have to do to get a result, and if that’s what you have to do, you’ve got to do it.”
Andy Townsend also felt that it wasn’t a nice position for Rodrigo to be in, although he understood Bielsa’s need to make a switch.
“The coaches now aren’t worried about reputation or how they’re going to feel,” he added.
“That one today, with the game in the balance, he didn’t want to lose and he hasn’t got time to analyse everything – he just makes the change and he does it.
“It’s not nice to be in that position as a player.”
Bielsa said after the game that Rodrigo was taken off for fitness reasons, rather than due to a poor performance.
The Leeds striker is just making his way back to full fitness, after a lengthy spell out with injury.
He wasn’t able to affect the Chelsea defence too much during his time on the pitch, but Rodrigo did still play his part in helping the Whites pick up an impressive result.
Leeds managed to hold Chelsea to a 0-0 draw, as they stopped a run of two consecutive defeats.
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