Leeds United have seen a stark upturn in form since Javi Gracia's arrival, and although results are slowly improving it is already clear to see how their general play has altered.
The Spaniard has taken a vastly differing approach to his stewardship of the Whites, making the necessary changes from Jesse Marsch's unorganised chaos to a more pragmatic style that has already restored some faith in the fanbase.
What makes this mini-revival all the more impressive is that he has done so whilst plagued with some key injuries, most notably the recent absence of Rodrigo.
Before his appointment, the forward was in a rich vein of goalscoring form, and he was upholding the bulk of their prowess going forward. So to see him struck down just a few weeks before he was due to start his work in Yorkshire must have handed him some early apprehensions.
However, he has managed to steady the ship without him, and following this international break could reap the rewards of his solid outfit injecting his pace and proficiency into a role where they have seen little success in recent years.
How has Rodrigo played this season?
Having signed for a club record fee, the Spaniard initially struggled to acclimatise to life at Elland Road. In fact, just last year saw pundit Kevin Phillips suggest he had completely failed to live up to his billing:
"His performances haven’t justified the amount they spent on him. It was a lot of money.
“We have seen his glimpses of his quality but we have not seen it consistently. For nearly £30 million you want to see a player producing the goods every week, especially with the reputation he has got. I would say he’s been disappointing so far for Leeds, in all honesty."
But it seems that for all the mistakes Marsch made, his role in reigniting Rodrigo must be lauded.
Before this year, the £100k-per-week marksman had not surpassed seven goals throughout an entire season, yet as of March 2023, he already has 11 and will seek to add more as they enter the climax of the campaign.
Still far from safety, his exploits will likely prove key in their continued fight to retain Premier League football once again.
The 32-year-old is comfortably their top scorer, with his form spurring journalist James Marshment to claim that the "boy is on fire" earlier in the season.
His return from injury comes at a good time to alleviate the pressure Patrick Bamford has faced too, as apart from his wildly deflected goal against Brighton and Hove Albion, he has not scored in seven league games.
It has been yet another tumultuous campaign for the Englishman, who was somewhat admonished by journalist David Orme who claimed he was once again "struggling to get fit". Fitness and form has once again evaded him, with just two league goals to his name thus far.
This has been a theme of the ex-Chelsea forward's time in west Yorkshire, and perhaps with Rodrigo's blistering form and imminent return to action, it could afford added time for the 29-year-old to recapture his goalscoring touch.
