Jesse March is confident that Rodrigo will have an important role to play for Leeds United this season. The Spain international has been a divisive figure at Elland Road for fans since his move from Valencia for a club record fee, drifting in and out of form and struggling at times to make the desired impact.
He came in for a lot of criticism for his performances at the back end of last season as Leeds struggled for traction in the battle against relegation and he looked visibly short of confidence at times,too. However, he has featured heavily in pre-season so far, making appearances in all three games Down Under and scoring in the 4-0 win over Blackpool earlier this month.
Rodrigo also scored Leeds’ only goal of the game against Crystal Palace in Perth on Friday afternoon, holding his nerve to fire home from the spot in the second half at the Optus Stadium. His goal was only enough to secure a draw against Patrick Vieira’s Eagles, but Marsch will be hoping it can do the 31-year-old a world of good.
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“The penalty was shaky in general but Rodrigo knows he's an important player, knows he's got a lot of quality,” Marsch said after the club’s final tour outing. “In those moments we all have trust he's going to step up and bury it, which he did.
“We need him to be at his best. He's going to be important here and we have to make sure, in every way, he's engaged and pushing. He's part of the leadership council and that can really help.”
Rodrigo looks likely to have one more run out before the Premier League gets underway on August 6 against Wolverhampton Wanderers, as Leeds take on Italian outfit Cagliari next Sunday. After two weeks in Australia, the Whites will travel back to England today and Marsch will be keen to get some more work done on the training field over the next week to ensure his side are prepared and ready for the rigours of the campaign ahead.
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