Marcelo Bielsa is a very meticulous man, and he demands a certain level of effort from all his players at Leeds. The Club record £27 million signing of Rodrigo Moreno is the perfect upgrade to his team and should certainly adapt well with what is being called the Bielsa-Ball.
Rodrigo Moreno is very highly rated and having received his call up to the Spanish side is proof of that. Let us take a look at what probably makes Rodrigo one of the best low key signings in the league.
Last season he played for a total of 2458 minutes in which he scored 8 times and assisted 9. Yes, he may not have the most incredible stats of last season but his best season has been the 2017-18 season when he recorded 16 goals and 4 assists in 34 La Liga games.
I realize the fact that he is not someone who regularly scores 20-25 goals per season, but he is more than just the sum of his stats. He is quick, works hard of the ball and most importantly provides excellent linkup play which is an essential part of this Leeds set up. He covers a lot of ground and puts in the yards week in and week out. The only problem with such players at times is that they don’t always have the best stats to back them up, which is why the footballing world never really appreciates their talent.
To add to that, he is a very versatile player. He started his career as a left-winger and has played various roles across the forward line, which means that he can also be a great back up in case of unforeseen circumstances. This will also help him adapt tactically to whatever ‘El Loco’ (Marcelo Bielsa’s nickname in the footballing world) wants him to do.
Rodrigo Moreno seems tailor-built for the brand of football that Marcelo Bielsa likes to imprint on his players and even though Rodrigo may have had a few inconsistent seasons, I’m optimistic that with the right set up and manager he can do wonders.
At 29 years of age, it feels like he is getting started and the fact that Valencia had to let go such a great talent at such a low price due to their financial crisis is such a sad thing. He can also be clinical in front of goal and possesses good speed and dribbling.
With Marcelo Bielsa’s proven track record of developing players and helping them reach their potential, I am sure that Rodrigo will be quite a good acquisition to this side.
