Why Rodrigo Moreno could be the man to save Fulham from relegation
Rodrigo Moreno has long been deemed as one of the most promising players that Spain has produced in recent times but the attacker, now 27, has not really matured into a superstar.
A product of Real Madrid’s youth system, Rodrigo field to make it to the first-team and his involvement was limited to the reserve teams. The 27-year-old joined Benfica in 2010 but was loaned out to Premier League club Bolton Wanderers for the 2010-11 season where he failed to make much of an impact.
He found himself in and out of the team and ended his career in the Portuguese top-flight with 27 goals from 68 games, returns which are decent considering the fact that he spent time on loan at Valencia in the 2014-15 season.
The Spaniard signed permanently for Valencia in 2015 and after three seasons of moderate returns at the Mestalla, Rodrigo racked up a career-best tally of 16 goals and 4 assists in the 2017-18 season. His heroics not only earned him a place in Spain’s 2018 World Cup squad but also propelled Valencia to the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
As an evidence of the fact that his last season’s stellar performances were not merely a flash in the pan, the 27-year-old has already accumulated 2 goals and 3 assists in the La Liga this term.
Standing at 6ft. with a lanky frame, Rodrigo is not capable of stamping his authority with his physicality but he makes up for it with his technical abilities and eye for goal. Known as a playmaking forward, Rodrigo is a tactically versatile attacker who can play as a centre-forward and also as a right-winger.
Although he is not lightning quick, Rodrigo is quite sharp, agile and has earned praises for his direct style of football. He has the ability to outsmart the defenders with his good turn of pace and clever changes of direction, cutting inside from the right on to his preferred left foot to have a crack on goal.
The Spaniard is not only a good crosser from the wide areas but he is a player blessed with good vision and can set up his teammates with inch-perfect through balls. Furthermore, he has very good awareness as a centre-forward and is known for his clinical nature in front of the goal.
To put things into perspective, Fulham should make a move for Valencia’s late-blooming star in January to help them in their bid to battle relegation.
The Cottagers are currently 19th in the standings and have the poorest defensive record in the division. While much of their woes have been down to their leaky backline, the attackers haven’t had much joy either.
Aleksandar Mitrovic has been one of the brightest sparks in Fulham’s otherwise lacklustre campaign so far. However, they have lacked an effective plan ‘B’ whenever the Serb has been overpowered by the defenders. Andre Schurrle and Jean Michael Seri haven’t had the desired impact, which in turn has hampered the cohesion in the midfield and final third.
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Rodrigo Moreno can bring that cutting-edge to Fulham’s attack and help the team create more chances in the final third with his crossing and link-up play. Fulham will definitely be a much more formidable attacking unit with Mitrovic and Rodrigo up front.
The Spaniard is a big star at Valencia and he won’t come cheap. But Fulham should not hesitate to break the bank to boost their chances of avoiding the drop.