Leeds United have enjoyed a strong start to the current Championship campaign as they sit in third place and chasing an automatic promotion spot.
Daniel Farke’s side beat Huddersfield Town 4-1 on Saturday and have now racked up 25 points and 24 goals scored in their 14 league matches so far.
The form of the talented Georgino Rutter has played a significant role in the club’s success on the pitch as the former Hoffenheim man has taken the division by storm this term.
Georginio Rutter’s statistics this season
Farke hailed the talented gem as “unplayable” at times after the victory over the Terriers as the French attacker registered his fifth assist of the season.
The 21-year-old whiz has now created a staggering 14 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 12 starts and has showcased his ability to carve open the opposition’s defence on a regular basis.
However, one criticism that could be levelled at the terrific maestro is that he does not offer a significant goal threat on his own. Rutter has only scored two Championship goals and has had the opportunities to add to that tally with five ‘big chances’ missed so far.
Meanwhile, the player whose spot in the side he has taken up through the middle of the pitch – Rodrigo – has outscored him at league level this season.
Rodrigo’s goal record for Al-Rayyan
The Spain international, who was once dubbed “brilliant” by pundit Micah Richards, reportedly had a release clause of £3m that allowed Al-Rayyan to swoop in to secure his services ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Since moving on from Elland Road, Rodrigo has racked up three goals and three assists in six Stars League appearances for the Qatar-based outfit.
The 32-year-old marksman has also scored two goals in two Stars Cup clashes for Al-Rayyan and this means that the excellent attacker has five goals and three assists in eight games in total for the club.
Whereas, Rutter has only scored two goals in 27 appearances for Leeds in all competitions since the start of the year, which is a less-than-impressive return for a player who looks to make an impact in the final third.
Marcelo Bielsa splashed out a club-record fee of £26m to sign Rodrigo from Valencia in the summer of 2020 and he went on to score 28 goals in 97 clashes for the English side in total.
The Spanish ace scored 13 goals in 23 Premier League starts last season and only missed four ‘big chances’, which is a tally of misses that Rutter has already surpassed after 12 Championship starts.
Leeds’ current forward sensation is not able to offer the same level of threat in front of goal as Bielsa’s former brilliant dynamo in terms of his finishing ability, as shown by their respective statistics.
However, Rutter has been a consistent creative menace for his side and is contributing on a regular basis in ways outside of just scoring goals.
Hopefully, the French phenom will be able to find his goalscoring touch and add a Rodrigo-esque goal threat to his arsenal over the coming weeks and months to become a complete forward.
