2020/21 James Rodriguez

[maccavennie]

It's less about tackles, and more about the fact that he doesn't track back so the right back often ends up covering 2 players. It's not necessarily a problem, but we haven't found a way to avoid getting exposed down the right hand side.

But this is what I've just mentioned in my previous post. We weren't exposed down that side yesterday at all. Everything was on Iwobi and Richarlisons side.

We are exposed when people aren't doing their job properly, that's what it looks to me. Individual)

Yes.

Carlo and the staff need to talk to him. He had built a beautiful dynamic with Digne so he always looked for that. But Digne is not there. He needs to.start shooting. He used to be more aggressive with his shooting before. Don't know what's happened.

I think he's just trying to show he's a team player. I thought he might be more of a one man maverick and I've been pleasantly surprised by his team ethic and looking to set goals up on a plate.

 

[MikeH72]

That disguised through ball that Richarlison shanked into the Goodison Supper Bar was lovely.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

The only gripe I have with him is that he's too unselfish and that's not a bad trait as it shows he's trying to be a team player. He's miles better than everyone else so I'd rather he take the shot when the chance arises.

I have had the same gripe with him for years, there were so many occasions at Madrid where he should had just taken the shot instead of passing the ball but he is too generous at times. I wonder why no manager has had this talk with him about this.

 

[riddick]

That disguised through ball that Richarlison shanked into the Goodison Supper Bar was lovely.

I know you spelled it out but, basically, "which one?". Richarlison was really poor yesterday I thought in terms of finishing. He had like 5 clear opportunities due to James alone.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Yes.

Carlo and the staff need to talk to him. He had built a beautiful dynamic with Digne so he always looked for that. But Digne is not there. He needs to.start shooting. He used to be more aggressive with his shooting before. Don't know what's happened.

I personally feel that James has that aggressiveness with Colombia's national team but not as much with his clubs.

 

[alphabet]

I just hope Richarlison would start scoring at least 20% of the chances James creates for him.

 

[riddick]

I personally feel that James has that aggressiveness with Colombian's national team but not as much with his clubs.

Simples then, start wearing the yellow(soz, i mean AMBER) kit all the time. He'll think he's in the Colombia team and that's that. Blammos for days!

 

[UptheTofees]

There were at least 2 time yesterday that he should have shot and instead made the pass. I hope he and the staff notice this and starts taking them.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Showed how crap we yesterday when you've got James having to drop deep to get on the ball.

 

[BlueToff]

Fitness is going to be an issue for all sides. Leeds under Bielsa have always come out of the traps early season so no surprises for me with that kind of tempo.

Even the rs who are the fittest of the lot have looked like Barrow FC for loads of games and would have a fair few more defeats in their L column if people put away their chances.

Its on Ancelotti for sure who got it badly wrong with Iwobi and he needs to sort out the 3 cb's. Apart from that, we got into some great positions, had some great opportunities ourselves and lost becaise of a cracking finish/lazy closing down by Godfrey.

I agree mate, but we look unfitter than every other side, that's the issue.

Nobody is at full tilt, but we were gone yesterday after 40 minutes. Completely gone.

 

[maccavennie]

I have had the same gripe with him for years, there were so many occasions at Madrid where he should had just taken the shot instead of passing the ball but he is too generous at times. I wonder why no manager has had this talk with him about this.

Some players are greedy monsters, James is not one of those. I think he gets just as much satisfaction assisting as he does scoring.

Hopefully it won't be long before he realises that the majority of the other players he plays with are absolutely crap so just takes it into his own hands instead.

tbf that goal he scored I was fully expecting him to pass so it was good to see him be single minded on that occasion.

I just wish he had done the same in the 2nd half instead of laying it off to Richarlison

 

[roy vernon]

James is a truly gifted footballer, even in yesterday’s rubbish, he managed to put a smile on my face with some flashes of pure brilliance. I know he was borderline offside for the one he netted, but, even so, what a piece of skill. At another time the ball dropped out of the sky, he had three players around him and he killed it dead and got his pass away.

However this season finishes I will always remember it for being the season James joined. The little magician makes sitting through the sideways and backward passing that normally ends with Pickford booting the ball out of play, bearable, when you get a moment of pure brilliance from him.

 

[maccavennie]

I agree mate, but we look unfitter than every other side, that's the issue.

Nobody is at full tilt, but we were gone yesterday after 40 minutes. Completely gone.

I didn't see that tbh mate, we were still pushing in the 90th minute and like I said I haven't seen many teams so far this season look fully fit. In fact I'd say Leeds looked the fittest side we faced yesterday.

For me there was a mental fatigue perhaps for whatever reason I don't know. You can't legislate for Doucoure thinking a corner flag is an Everton player or Richarlison deciding to pass back to their keeper every opportunity he had or slice it like a 4 year old or Iwobi for one moment in the first half deciding he's playing RWB then 2 minutes later remembering he's actually supposed to be on the other side.

A few misplaced passed and a laziness creeps into this squad.

Time will tell if fitness is the issue but I don't see anything similar to what I witnessed under Martinez which was a shocking lack of fitness.

 

[BlueToff]

I didn't see that tbh mate, we were still pushing in the 90th minute and like I said I haven't seen many teams so far this season look fully fit. In fact I'd say Leeds looked the fittest side we faced yesterday.

For me there was a mental fatigue perhaps for whatever reason I don't know. You can't legislate for Doucoure thinking a corner flag is an Everton player or Richarlison deciding to pass back every opportunity he had or slice it like a 4 year old or Iwobi for one moment in the first half deciding he's playing RWB then 2 minutes later remembering he's actually supposed to be on the other side.

A few misplaced passed and a laziness creeps into this l squad.

Time will tell if fitness is the issue but I don't see anything similar to what I witnessed under Martinez which was a shocking lack of fitness.

Can you honestly say we threatened at all in the second half? We had the hopeful Dom shot and a few set-pieces, that half-chance for Rich.

Honestly, we are completely gone after 40 minutes in games. We rally a bit late on if we're chasing it.

Fitness has been an issue with every Ancelotti side. It's an issue again with us.

I agree with the rest of what you say, but we look very leggy

 

[maccavennie]

Can you honestly say we threatened at all in the second half? We had the hopeful Dom shot and a few set-pieces, that half-chance for Rich.

Honestly, we are completely gone after 40 minutes in games. We rally a bit late on if we're chasing it.

Fitness has been an issue with every Ancelotti side. It's an issue again with us.

I agree with the rest of what you say, but we look very leggy

2nd half I think DCL about 3/4 times was in behind them but a mixture of poor finishing and bad decision making

Rodriguez when he tried to chip the keeper

Richarlison chance was more than a half chance lets be honest. Only cos he lashed at it like a 4 year old doesn't make it a very presentabke chance

Allan got into good positions a couple of times

Richarlison got into great positions a couple of times but was more focused on either running the ball out of play or into their player.

Apart from their goal disallowed for offside, I can't remember much else they did apart from the goal? Costas shot at the end which Pickford saved was more to do with us pushing forward.