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How Leeds United's dressing room welcomed Rodrigo before his first day in trainingSpain striker was scheduled to report to Thorp Arch for his first day under Marcelo Bielsa todayBy Beren CrossDigital Sports Writer 21:00, 7 SEP 2020SPORT
Rodrigo Moreno runs with the ball during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between Germany and Spain at Mercedes-Benz Arena on September 03, 2020
Rodrigo Moreno runs with the ball during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between Germany and Spain at Mercedes-Benz Arena on September 03, 2020 (Image: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
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Egos have long been absent from Leeds United’s dressing room under Marcelo Bielsa and record-signing Rodrigo is already picking that up from his new team-mates.
Character and personality have been a long way up the list of priorities when it comes to those who stay or leave under the Argentine at Thorp Arch.
Bad eggs are either shaken into line by senior names or cracked and scrambled for some other club to tolerate.
The current dressing room and first-team group is in a very good place, not just because of promotion, but because of the characters and friendships built within it.
Everyone is prepared to muck in, put in a shift and follow exactly what Bielsa says because, as we know, when you’re all in with Bielsa the results follow.
This fine balance is why the club were looking at taking the cream of the Championship into the Premier League with them.
It was felt the determined, gritty characters hardened by the second tier would slot seamlessly in with what was already in the building without rocking the status quo.
Rodrigo, all £27m of him, is a cut above the Championship, but he is already getting to grips with the current dressing room atmosphere.
“I spoke with the Spanish players, of course,” he said. “With Pablo Hernandez, who played for Valencia also, not with me, with Kiko Casilla, I played with him here in the national team, and with our captain Liam [Cooper].
“He text me and gave me a welcome. It’s important for me to have this welcome, to feel comfortable, to adapt myself as soon as possible.
“They said we have a great dressing room, very good atmosphere inside and outside of the field.
“This is an important point. To achieve collective goals we need to be a team inside and outside the field.
“They said training is very hard. Bielsa pushes you to the limit, but that’s the correct way to achieve important things.”
With Jean-Kevin Augustin’s permanent switch from RB Leipzig not materialising, Patrick Bamford was heading into the Premier League without genuine competition in attack.
Rodrigo, while versatile, is expected to be the main threat to Bamford’s role as the side’s striker in the Premier League.
As for Rodrigo himself, he remains in the dark on how Bielsa intends to use him next term.
“I don’t know yet,” he said last week when asked what position he would play. “I need to arrive.
“I didn’t meet the coach because I was in Leeds last week, but I was in quarantine.
“I need to talk with him. I need to adapt myself to the style of the team. I can play as a forward, as a second striker and as a winger.
“Depending on the tactic, I can adapt myself for different positions.”
He added: “I’m a speedy player. I have a very physical game also. I can adapt myself to different positions also.
“I know he adapts some players to different positions, so I can fit his style of football.”
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/rodrigo-moreno-leeds-united-training-18894860