2020/21 James Rodriguez

[Gerbs]

I’m absolutely floored how Everton fans are crawling on their knees to the guy who literally jumped on a plane at the one game they were allowed at whole Everton had a chance for Europe. Then sat in his pj and thumbed his nose at the supporters

 

[gaino92]

yet we're getting rid of our actual best crosser of a ball...

I'm gonna go our on a limb and look forward to vaults that Iwobi, Gray and Townsend won't get 15 goal contributions between them

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Dunno if that stands up. He got us level at OT and the reason we were crap in the first half was the formation which didn't suit. He set up our opener at Anfield and that was the best defensive performance of the season and he was in it. He scored that worldy v Leicester which would have got us a win if not for Pickford's howler. He scored that great goal v Palace and was off the pitch when Palace scored their equaliser?

That's just a few examples.

But say his departure helps bring in a RW & RB with Doucoure pushed forward - we may only replace say 10 of those goals but if it helps us be a more balanced side and we concede less we benefit.

Only player you need to worry about losing is Richarlison - he's our talisman and the stats prove it when he's not on the pitch.

James is no bigger a miss than a Pickford/Mina - very good player and a replacement needed but not something that will see us fall from 10th to erm... 11th?

 

[Ryu79]

He directly contributed to 15 goals last season.

Replace them.

Townsend contributed to six, in 12 more games.

It's also who those came against. Who on this team is going to create something against run of play against United or Liverpool, even Leicester?

I said it from the moment Benitez was hired - Everton should have sold immediately. Every day you have Benitez having the guy train on his own or coming off the bench you reduce further the probability of making anything off the sale. He was never going to play James and he told him so.

 

[BlueToff]

But say his departure helps bring in a RW & RB with Doucoure pushed forward - we may only replace say 10 of those goals but if it helps us be a more balanced side and we concede less we benefit.

Only player you need to worry about losing is Richarlison - he's our talisman and the stats prove it when he's not on the pitch.

James is no bigger a miss than a Pickford/Mina - very good player and a replacement needed but not something that will see us fall from 10th to erm... 11th?

But it shouldn't need to, this is the point. They should in no way be mutually exclusive. And in Iwobi, you have a player who a) could probably be sold for more, b) is crap and offers nowhere near as much and c) should not have a future here.

I've been with this all along on James. Keep him for this year and let's see what we can do with his sprinkling of stardust. It doesn't mean build a team around him, it means have him there to provide that world class quality that not many teams have.

If you take him and Gylfi out of this team - for all the latter's on-pitch faults - we're losing 31 goal contributions from last season if I've done the maths right.

 

[davek]

He's not said anything against the manager.

And it happens to be a manager who has shown nothing in the last 10 years that would suggest we should have hired him.

I'm not fully against Benitez, but as it stands it looks like he's deadset on helping us actually become Newcastle.

I'm gald he's laying down a marker.

The others need to know they wont be asked to do things that a pampered player wont...as under Ancelotti.

That can be corrosive in a football team.

Get him out, and get him out quickly.

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

wouldn’t mind if we’d replaced him with creative quality but as it stands, seems like cutting off nose to spite face. The rest of the options in the squad are non existent

KITAP1 this season, sadly.

Ominous for the type of player Rafael wants in the team if he can’t make use of James in a squad with this many donkeys…

 

[Parker]

That pudding Benitez better hope we score first on Saturday. Feels like it's a matter of time until this all boils over now.

 

[gaino92]

If we signed a competent RB to play behind him we would have seen the best of him. Alas we had Coleman who cant run, Holgate who is gash a RB and Godfrey who isn't a RB

 

[Death]

He clearly doesn't wanna be here. Ben ain't chasing him out.

 

[Dixie1sixty]

On the plus side this is a other nail in fattys coffin. He’ll be gone by October at this rate ??

He really won't.

 

[BlueToff]

I'm gald he's laying down a marker.

The others need to know they wont be asked to do things that a pampered player wont...as under Ancelotti.

That can be corrosive in a football team.

Get him out, and get him out quickly.

I just don't get why there can't be a balance.

Carlo was too much one way, Benitez too much the other.

Just realise he's a fantastic player - not even on his day, he's consistently fantastic when fit, which is his issue - and use him how we can to help us.

We're acting like we're big time charlies with loads of quality players.

Iwobi, Gray and Townsend combined scored half the amount of goals that James did last season.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

I'm gald he's laying down a marker.

The others need to know they wont be asked to do things that a pampered player wont...as under Ancelotti.

That can be corrosive in a football team.

Get him out, and get him out quickly.

I guarantee the same fans up in arms have done nothing but moan about the squads motivation, mentality and effort over the years yet soon as a talented yet flawed player flashes a bit of skirt but is indulged and pampered its sound the other plebs in the squad should just keep knuckling down and accept the double standards.

 

[BlueToff]

He clearly doesn't wanna be here. Ben ain't chasing him out.

it's a bit of both

he's happy to go, but knows it was gonna be late. he'd probably not be arsed if he stayed, it's a year left on his deal anyway.

So use him while he's here, not punt him to train on his own and not have him playing when you're alternatives are, and I cannot stress this enough, tosh

 

[BlueToff]

I guarantee the same fans up in arms have done nothing but moan about the squads motivation, mentality and effort over the years yet soon as a talented yet flawed player flashes a bit of skirt but is indulged and pampered its sound the other plebs in the squad should just keep knuckling down and accept the double standards.

But why can't there be a balance.

I accuse our fanbase of being black or white but actually the club are just as bad.

Why is it always one extreme to the other?