2020/21 James Rodriguez

[Richard Alex]

James is too good for the players here. We can’t carry him because we have poor players
No movement from anybody. We are like statues with no pace or aggression.

 

[MACCA75]

James is too good for the players here. We can’t carry him because we have poor players
No movement from anybody. We are like statues with no pace or aggression.

Whilst there is some truth in that - it’s no excuse to walk around being disinterested. If you put De Bruyne in our team he would still work his socks off. How many crap Liverpool sides did Gerrard drag to a higher level?

 

[dannyboy]

James is too good for the players here. We can’t carry him because we have poor players
No movement from anybody. We are like statues with no pace or aggression.

I'd get that out of your head. He isn't going anywhere better from here. He'll be a star in the MLS or China but no one interested in winning the Champions League is coming in for him this summer.

 

[Jamesblue90]

ONLY James needs to play, bin Gomes and Siggy off. James is like the T1000 compared to the other two, who are like rusted toasters.

 

[dannyboy]

Whilst there is some truth in that - it’s no excuse to walk around being disinterested. If you put De Bruyne in our team he would still work his socks off. How many crap Liverpool sides did Gerrard drag to a higher level?

The problem is that he can't work his socks off. Physically he's well off the pace of even Fulham's midfield tonight. His class will bring us moments of genius but he needs to be a support act to the rest of the team.

 

[Ryu79]

Very true. Unfortunately it's a delicate balance between him showing moments of brilliance and barely noticing him being on the pitch. In an ideal world James is accompanying your star man, not the person you look to for inspiration.

IMHO, don't agree. He is capable of those moments against top opposition irrespective of how things are going.

In terms of how to see more benefit from him, you play him further up and actually have the ball cross midfield. Ideally, you want him playing right off the box so you can take advantage of his crossing, shooting and ability to draw fouls. As long as the team is advancing the ball with moderate volume of play he will create damage and just off dead balls is a threat alone.

If you have Iwobi or anyone with pace with him in midfield, then he came come back and generate the play, but someone needs to run or it's going to stall out.

What you don't want is to dedicate Gylfi AND Gomes to playing as Modric style deep lying 10s in the first line of midfield AND STILL need James to drop deep to get the ball into the opposing half at all (as happened today in the first half), because then you are reliant on a sheer moment of genius or a defensive error...

 

[dannyboy]

IMHO, don't agree. He is capable of those moments against top opposition irrespective of how things are going.

In terms of how to see more benefit from him, you play him further up and actually have the ball cross midfield. Ideally, you want him playing right off the box so you can take advantage of his crossing, shooting and ability to draw fouls. As long as the team is advancing the ball with moderate volume of play he will create damage and just off dead balls is a threat alone.

If you have Iwobi or anyone with pace with him in midfield, then he came come back and generate the play, but someone needs to run or it's going to stall out.

What you don't want is to dedicate Gylfi AND Gomes to playing as Modric style deep lying 10s in the first line of midfield AND STILL need James to drop deep to get the ball into the opposing half at all (as happened today in the first half), because then you are reliant on a sheer moment of genius or a defensive error...

The problem for us is that it's just moments. I watched Arteta and Pienaar terrorise teams at Goodison for 90 minutes, James doesn't look capable of that. We still need to find those type of players who are going to pin a team back for an entire match so he can shine.

 

[gwladysnight]

Couldn't wait to get off the pitch today.

 

[Jim Hopper]

Thought these would be the games where he would be bossing it for us..... doesn’t help the way Fulham set up I suppose and we don’t have a plan B to deal with that set up.

 

[Bazlar]

Couldn't wait to get off the pitch today.

Wasn't interested at all. Feigned injury to get off

 

[MACCA75]

Not entirely convinced he will be here next season tbh

 

[riddick]

People crap on Leeds because they aren't running away with the league but the movement those players have off the ball is such a stark contrast to what ours do. It's basic football, pass the ball and move to get in to position to be able to receive it. We have the most static team in the league and I'm almost certain it's not even hyperbole.

Point being James kind of needs people to move to really affect the game more than he does now.

 

[Jim Hopper]

Not entirely convinced he will be here next season tbh

I don’t think he will.

 

[Ryu79]

The problem for us is that it's just moments. I watched Arteta and Pienaar terrorise teams at Goodison for 90 minutes, James doesn't look capable of that. We still need to find those type of players who are going to pin a team back for an entire match so he can shine.

If you are saying you also need a box to box midfielder worth his salt and a pacy winger to take advantage of him. I agree.

But he doesn't play either of those positions and I'd counter that no one playing those roles alone is going to get very far sustainably without the other important roles on a team either.

Everton has those piece when at full strength but the depth makes it a challenge - not just for James.

Then some other choices reduce his impact or just don't make sense. If you have one of the best dead ball takers in the world and you have two huge CBs that can score - you play them. Taking short corners with James on the field is a brutal waste.

And again playing him and Sigurdson at same time only makes sense if one is playing false nine... Otherwise, they are gonna both take each other's space and have one less runner to pass to. Which is what happened today.

 

[dannyboy]

If you are saying you also need a box to box midfielder worth his salt and a pacy winger to take advantage of him. I agree.

But he doesn't play either of those positions and I'd counter that no one playing those roles alone is going to get very far sustainably without the other important roles on a team either.

Everton has those piece when at full strength but the depth makes it a challenge - not just for James.

Then some other choices reduce his impact or just don't make sense. If you have one of the best dead ball takers in the world and you have two huge CBs that can score - you play them. Taking short corners with James on the field is a brutal waste.

And again playing him and Sigurdson at same time only makes sense if one is playing false nine... Otherwise, they are gonna both take each other's space and have one less runner to pass to. Which is what happened today.

What I'm saying is don't build a team around James. He's too old and not reliable enough. Completely agree on him and Sigurdsson though. They are pretty much identical players. Pointless trying to put them in the same team.