Rodrigo will get even better, says Leeds boss Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa warned there is more to come from Rodrigo after the Spain striker came off the bench to score a late brace in Leeds United’s 4-0 win at Burnley.
The 30-year-old effectively killed off the Clarets with his first goal, skipping between Ben Mee and James Tarkowski before beating Bailey Peacock-Farrell with a delightful finish, and then two minutes later he rounded the goalkeeper to cap a fine team move.
Rodrigo is still easing his way back in after missing almost all of April with a muscle strain, but showed no signs of rust as he added to goals from Mateusz Klich and Jack Harrison to help Leeds move a step closer to securing a top-half finish.
“Rodrigo is a player at a very high level,” said Bielsa. “He’s one of the strikers for the Spanish national team and they are a powerhouse. He’s a player that takes a while to get to his full form.
“When he finally finds his full form he’s a player that is very unbalancing. I think in the game against Tottenham and the game today, we saw a version of Rodrigo close to what he’s capable of.”
While Rodrigo stole the headlines, Harrison was a huge part of a stylish second-half display from Leeds, scoring the first of three second-half goals and then claiming the assists for both of the others.
Harrison, 24, is in his third consecutive season on loan from Manchester City, and Bielsa will now be keen to secure his services for longer.
“For Leeds, it’s very important to be able to count on a player like Harrison,” added the manager. “He has had a big growth throughout the duration of the campaign.”
For Burnley, defeat was something of a comedown after Monday’s 2-0 win at Fulham ensured their Premier League survival.
They were left to rue a fine chance for Matej Vydra at 1-0 down early in the second half, but it was clear by the end of the 90 minutes this was not their day as several chances went begging.
“It was a big occasion on Monday and I was surprised in a positive way how well we started,” said boss Sean Dyche.
“They’re human and it was a big occasion, so I thought maybe it was going to affect our physical performance, but it didn’t really.”
Former Leeds keeper Peacock-Farrell started due to a knee injury for Nick Pope, but endured another difficult afternoon and has now conceded 14 goals in his four Premier League appearances this season.
“These are the challenges for keepers, these are the challenges of being in the Premier League,” added Dyche of the Northern Ireland international.