Confirmed Signing James Rodriguez

[Berenger]

Bayern are one of the mega clubs. They can bin off James and go and buy the best emerging talent from around the world. We can’t compete for those players so we need to take risks to improve the team.

James has an excellent record but has had some injuries. If he’s fit he’s a massive upgrade on what we have.

There are more than enough quality young players to go around if you don't blow it all season after season on ageing and/or substandard players with no resale value.

 

[Death]

Probably havent been this keen on a signing since we were after Lukaku. Get 3 good seasons out of him could be a cult hero.

 

[orly]

Lads if James can do it at Real and Bayern I think we can say we can say he is going be the best player on the pitch for at least 20 games a season ffs

 

[mill]

Oh really apologies mate.

Even better then, a far more competitive league.

Yeah that was for Bayern. 46 games over two seasons. He scored 14 and had 15 assists.

 

[catcherintherye]

He'd be more than a marquee mate. He'd be Genghis Khan and the lads worth of marauding horde tents

Probably the biggest name we've signed since Kanchelskis, maybe even since Lineker. He's obviously a little older than both but this lad at his peak was truly world class.

 

[Eggs]

 

[Azza]

I'm not going to have a go at anyone who doesn't fancy him

We've had players with reps come in a flounder previously (Eto'o for instance) so it's perfectly reasonable to be wary

I'm going to be optimistic and think it's a potentially good signing, but fair play if you don't

Eto'o was 33 when he signed significantly older than James is and him along with everyone else thought Martinez was a joke.

 

[funkygibson]

I wonder if Carlo wants to sign James and Allan to lay down a marker for the dossers in the dressing room as to the standard he expects. They are undoubtedly two very good players, but, I think Carlo sees them as players who have bought into his methods.

If this comes off, I think it will get a little uncomfortable around the club, for players who are currently going through the motions.

It’s a good point. You can imagine wasters like Delph and Sigurdsson strutting round finch farm like they own the joint and the Allan and James wander in. Their days as billy big bollocks are coming to an end and hopefully young lads coming through will be able to look up to blokes who’ve been there and done it and are still doing things the right way in training etc

 

[Death]

View attachment 98556

Wouldn’t it be a thing of beauty if he said that before signing. If you want to get a free pass on poor form for your first season something like that would buy you some serious leverage.

 

[orly]

Probably the biggest name we've signed since Kanchelskis, maybe even since Lineker. He's obviously a little older than both but this lad at his peak was truly world class.

Oh for sure. If he gets to the form he reached at Bayern - a league far more similar to ours than Spain - he's going to be one of the best players in the division.

 

[Connor]

Bayern choose not to sign him -- despite liking him -- for the benefit of long-term development of their younger players. Those younger players then go on to help them with the CL a year later.

For us it's even riskier: we can't afford failed large signings like the top clubs in Europe (whether it's because of injuries or failing to adapt); we need resale value to bridge that gap; and it's easier for us to embed youth in our team.

I'm not against a couple of older signings at the right price and in the right positions, like Allan. But for James I think I'd only be happy with it on loan or at a heavily discounted fee.

He asked Bayern not to sign him tbf

 

[Berenger]

I understand what you are saying and agree to an extent, but at the moment we are no Bayern Munich, and definitely don’t have the talent they have coming through.

He could become the signing which encourages more players of the same standard to join us, and keep hold of the likes of Richarlison.

We don't have to be Bayern Munich to sign young players of high quality that suit the team's style. There are many teams with less financial resource than EFC doing a far better job at recruitment for the long-term.

Richarlison won't be with us much longer if we keep finishing 12th, regardless of signing James or other past-their-peak talent. He'll stay if we have a good team that can get into Europe. And even if we do that, he's not staying when one of the mega-clubs comes in. We're deluded if we think Richarlison is staying with us until he's 32. We should accept he's going to leave and keep the conveyor belt moving by investing in the next Richarlison before he goes.

 

[rylojr]

Eto'o was 33 when he signed significantly older than James is and him along with everyone else thought Martinez was a joke.

I was gutted Eto'o never stayed longer, I thought he was still quality.

 

[mill]

If we are honestly saying no to James (who would easily be our best player if he arrived) then we don’t deserve nice things.

 

[kenada_blue]

With the ladies in the background, cant tell if that's hand sanitiser or lube.

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