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2020/21 James Rodriguez

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Thiago is a tidy player, but he's a Pep Guardiola automaton more than anything else. He's very good at his role, tick-tack, tick-tack, but he lacks the fantasy of true galacticos.

I'm not sure he doesn't change their style of play, either, and one would wonder if they really need that kind of reboot. The Van Dijk injury will be the convenient excuse if they fall off their perch, but they really shouldn't if they've got anything about them. We were plagued with injuries to key players in our last glory period in the 1980s, but we still won a league in 1987 despite two years of losing Southall, Bracewell, and Heath among others.
 
Drico said:
Thiago is a tidy player, but he's a Pep Guardiola automaton more than anything else. He's very good at his role, tick-tack, tick-tack, but he lacks the fantasy of true galacticos.

I'm not sure he doesn't change their style of play, either, and one would wonder if they really need that kind of reboot. The Van Dijk injury will be the convenient excuse if they fall off their perch, but they really shouldn't if they've got anything about them. We were plagued with injuries to key players in our last glory period in the 1980s, but we still won a league in 1987 despite two years of losing Southall, Bracewell, and Heath among others.
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I think we used something like 24 players in the league in 87, which at the time was unheard of
 
Stephenlloyd said:
I think we used something like 24 players in the league in 87, which at the time was unheard of
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Think it does show mentality plays a key part in success as well as ability.

Leicesters players were largely average but they gave 110% the year they won the title.

Thats where the likes of Pickford, Gomes and Iwobi need to step up these coming weeks without Richarlison, Coleman etc. Iwobi backing out of 50/50's last season told me a lot about the lads commitment/fight which is why I want Gordon playing Sunday - local lad who is direct and has a go.
 
ForeverBlue92 said:
Think it does show mentality plays a key part in success as well as ability.

Leicesters players were largely average but they gave 110% the year they won the title.

Thats where the likes of Pickford, Gomes and Iwobi need to step up these coming weeks without Richarlison, Coleman etc. Iwobi backing out of 50/50's last season told me a lot about the lads commitment/fight which is why I want Gordon playing Sunday - local lad who is direct and has a go.
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But you don't want JJK to play.
 
Stephenlloyd said:
I think we used something like 24 players in the league in 87, which at the time was unheard of
Click to expand...
Yeah, we weren't easy on the eye, but we were tenacious to a fault, a sort of Mark Selby style football team, grinding each game out to the bitter end. That team had to be taken out on a stretcher before they were beaten.
 

Gwladys St. Glory said:
He's kept very low-key so far, which I'm kinda' surprised by...is this how he is normally? If it's to not be a distraction to the team, then fair play.

And yes, I understand he doesn't speak English...but there's been very little about/from him, even just written articles on the OS.
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James is not a problematic guy, but he has had some issues before. Mainly after arriving to Madrid. Everything kind of collapsed there with him becoming a superstar, playing for a huge club, having marital problems, and trying to be like Cristiano. He has matured a lot since and I don't think we will be having any issues with him. He just wants to play and wants to win. I think after the drama in Madrid with so much scrutiny to even how his wife looked, he just wants to focus on Everton and his play.

He also responds very well to coaches who believe in him and support him which we have here.

This is literally the perfect situation for him bar the cold winter lol
 
UptheTofees said:
James is not a problematic guy, but he has had some issues before. Mainly after arriving to Madrid. Everything kind of collapsed there with him becoming a superstar, playing for a huge club, having marital problems, and trying to be like Cristiano. He has matured a lot since and I don't think we will be having any issues with him. He just wants to play and wants to win. I think after the drama in Madrid with so much scrutiny to even how his wife looked, he just wants to focus on Everton and his play.

He also responds very well to coaches who believe in him and support him which we have here.

This is literally the perfect situation for him bar the cold winter lol
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Well said.

What was his drama in Madrid?
 

longers said:
I’m not sure anyone is overlooking him, all I’ve seen is positivity from other fans on top of them saying he’s world class
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We are still in that place where people are still looking for excuses as to why he signed for Everton if you know what I mean, like they all think he has forgotten how to play football and has dropped down so far to us to regain form, utter crap obviously but I still feel that's where we are with the media at the minute. He keeps playing like he is and they'll be arse kissing soon enough.
 
Suits him here as he doesn't have to do any one else's running.

Also, it gets pretty cold in Germany and he did OK over there in winter. The gulf stream blowing over Crosby beach in January will sort him out
 
Terrarian said:
We are still in that place where people are still looking for excuses as to why he signed for Everton if you know what I mean, like they all think he has forgotten how to play football and has dropped down so far to us to regain form, utter crap obviously but I still feel that's where we are with the media at the minute. He keeps playing like he is and they'll be arse kissing soon enough.
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I think there's a few reasons why he somehow fell in our lap.

The first is RM were looking to trim their wage bill, so they were getting rid of players left and right, in the event they could get a Neymar or Mbappe but also because of CV cutting back revenue.

He was coming off an injury last season that limited his playing time so he was flying under the radar, especially with a year left in his contract anyway people probably thought he was going to wait for free agency.

Then you have many of these top clubs buying young and looking at players as investments rather than what they might produce currently. James was going to be 30 so his value was already dropping.

Of course he had a connection with Ancelotti so when Ancelotti came to Everton, he must have sounded out James coming to Everton and to wait till the end of the season once he was happy to recommend the club, which meant James was also able to keep quiet about it.

And I think James was done with big clubs in general and having to deal with all the other big egos in the dressing room. I don't think he is a big ego, I don't think he demands attention, he just seems like a cool dude that likes his teammates and jokes around with them. Haven't known him for very long, but thats what it seems. Ancelotti also seems like he's done with big clubs as well so it was a good fit.
 
Drico said:
Thiago is a tidy player, but he's a Pep Guardiola automaton more than anything else. He's very good at his role, tick-tack, tick-tack, but he lacks the fantasy of true galacticos.

I'm not sure he doesn't change their style of play, either, and one would wonder if they really need that kind of reboot. The Van Dijk injury will be the convenient excuse if they fall off their perch, but they really shouldn't if they've got anything about them. We were plagued with injuries to key players in our last glory period in the 1980s, but we still won a league in 1987 despite two years of losing Southall, Bracewell, and Heath among others.
Click to expand...

Nah, nobody they had before could have played the pass that put Mane through for that Henderson (non) goal.

Against packed defences who were congested they often relied on luck to get them through - a referee, or VAR!!! decision etc - a moment of magic from Salah.

Thiago does give them an ability to play in a much different way. The derby was a mad game but he was excellent.

There's no better centre-mid in world football than him at the moment bar De Bruyne.
 

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