De som er på stadion får jo med seg mer enn tv-publikum:
Rodrigo looked tired and off the pace in Leeds United's 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion after several weeks of building back up from his coronavirus diagnosis.
When Luke Ayling gave Rodrigo both barrels for not tracking his man late in the first half he was summing up what many of us were watching.
In short, Rodrigo looked tired and off the pace at Elland Road. As Brighton drove a coach and horses through the middle of the rutted pitch, he was swimming through lactic acid in its wake.
It was a surprise to those of us in the press box he was not brought off at the break, such was Brighton’s hold in the centre.
Pascal Struijk and Mateusz Klich did not enjoy their afternoons either, but Rodrigo’s struggles when United do not have the ball have stood out in recent matches.
Tracking back and following an opponent well into his own half cannot be a natural trait for Rodrigo to pick up. It will take time, especially when you have been knocked back by the respiratory illness gripping the globe.
However, it’s been tough going in recent weeks. The 29-year-old has completed a full 90 minutes twice since returning from his isolation spell and come off before the 70th minute in his last four consecutive starts.
Earlier this week, Rodrigo told BBC Leeds it was a tough and long road back from something as debilitating as coronavirus, but Bielsa said he had “recovered his physical level” after today’s loss.
The hope is he finds his feet in the long-term, but today’s match may represent his toughest moment in a Leeds shirt.
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/rodrigo-leeds-united-luke-ayling-19641472