2020/21 James Rodriguez

[Drico]

Personally don't think he can be compared even with Lukaku yet in terms of the impact made. He's a great player but his impact is always going to be limited due to injuries and the midfield forcing him to drop deep and do their job.

This is correct. His impact has been minimal in the great scheme of things. Talent-wise, I think he's far above anything we've seen in an Everton shirt since Neville Southall. His overall career shows that, but his impact has been disappointing because he appears to be made of the same tissue paper that @maccavennie discreetly disposes of when he dreams of James in an Everton shirt.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Personally don't think he can be compared even with Lukaku yet in terms of the impact made. He's a great player but his impact is always going to be limited due to injuries and the midfield forcing him to drop deep and do their job.

Just re-read this and it sounds like I am trying to downplay Lukaku's impact. I'm definitely not - the lad was brilliant and I don't think anyone else we've had in my lifetime has been close to him in terms of attacking impact.

James is a brilliant footballer but for various reasons, most of which aren't his fault, his impact isn't really as much as we would have hoped. We need to sign someone different as an alternative, ideally someone with physical attributes in terms of pace and direct running so we have variety in the squad.

 

[BlueToff]

Something happened mid season with Richalrison and all of a sudden the 433 and 4231 formations with him on the left in both weren’t used again. Maybe DCL scoring put his nose out of joint but we seemed to have moved to either the diamond of the 532 just to get Richarlison and DCL upfront together and neither of them have repaid it.

The 4-3-3 stopped after the S'ton (A) game when James played crocked, Richarlison was suspended and as far as I can recall hasn't been used since, with injuries to different players at different times not helping that.

We've actually only played 4-2-3-1 about 2-3 times in that December run and Richarlison played okay, just without the goals to back it up.

Yeah, the 5-3-2 hasn't worked for the strikers because it just leaves the front two isolated as our midfielders don't get up in support or, if they have tried to, Carlo hasn't played a sitter so there's been huge gaps that teams have exploited.

 

[kev101]

We simply can't plan around James, and he's too big a player for Everton/Carlo to not plan around.

 

[Saint Domingo]

The 4-3-3 stopped after the S'ton (A) game when James played crocked, Richarlison was suspended and as far as I can recall hasn't been used since, with injuries to different players at different times not helping that.

We've actually only played 4-2-3-1 about 2-3 times in that December run and Richarlison played okay, just without the goals to back it up.

Yeah, the 5-3-2 hasn't worked for the strikers because it just leaves the front two isolated as our midfielders don't get up in support or, if they have tried to, Carlo hasn't played a sitter so there's been huge gaps that teams have exploited.

We’ve used the 4231 a few times even with Digne on the left wing and Iwobi ok the right. For me it looked the most balanced we’ve been since the start of the season but Carlo only used it when he had a back 4 of CBs. As soon as Mina got injured and a full back came in he didn’t seem to trust this defensive set up and went to 5 at the back.

To me I think it shows a few things:

He doesn’t trust any centreback pairing to play with progressive fullbacks.

He doesn’t trust any of the full backs to play if they’re not covered by a definite hard working wide man.

That’s why the 532 ha come along in my view. Keeps things tight at the back and covers defensive deficiencies. Unfortunately it’s also completely blunted us in the other direction and when defenders make individual errors the whole thing is undone.

 

[BlueToff]

We’ve used the 4231 a few times even with Digne on the left wing and Iwobi ok the right. For me it looked the most balanced we’ve been since the start of the season but Carlo only used it when he had a back 4 of CBs. As soon as Mina got injured and a full back came in he didn’t seem to trust this defensive set up and went to 5 at the back.

To me I think it shows a few things:

He doesn’t trust any centreback pairing to play with progressive fullbacks.

He doesn’t trust any of the full backs to play if they’re not covered by a definite hard working wide man.

That’s why the 532 ha come along in my view. Keeps things tight at the back and covers defensive deficiencies. Unfortunately it’s also completely blunted us in the other direction and when defenders make individual errors the whole thing is undone.

It wasn't really a 4-2-3-1 though is my point. It was often 4-4-1-1. I know it's semantics but our midfield sat really deep, meaning Richarlison was on top of Godfrey and Iwobi (usually) was on top of Holgate.

We're just a very poor team with a manager who's made some great gameplans in some games but looked pretty clueless as to how to get anything else out of them at times too, and a DoF who needs to prove his worth this summer.

 

[Carlito]

Just re-read this and it sounds like I am trying to downplay Lukaku's impact. I'm definitely not - the lad was brilliant and I don't think anyone else we've had in my lifetime has been close to him in terms of attacking impact.

James is a brilliant footballer but for various reasons, most of which aren't his fault, his impact isn't really as much as we would have hoped. We need to sign someone different as an alternative, ideally someone with physical attributes in terms of pace and direct running so we have variety in the squad.

Rodriguez scored a disallowed goal earlier in the season that no other Everton player I've seen could have pulled off on a video game.

Him and Rooney are so many levels above everyone else in terms of technical ability, it's difficult not to question our luck when one of them is basically working casual hours and the other was a child.

 

[Brizzletoffee]

James is a brilliant footballer but for various reasons, most of which aren't his fault, his impact isn't really as much as we would have hoped. We need to sign someone different as an alternative, ideally someone with physical attributes in terms of pace and direct running so we have variety in the squad.

Most of which are his fault, is exactly right, I think the lack of world class players along side him, is the main reason. We need players on his wave length.
Strangely, I believe him and Gylfi link up really well together, there’s no doubting Gylfi s footballing brain, which I think is a reason why they do. However Gylfi just hasn’t got mobility etc anymore. Maybe why the links to coutinho? An upgrade on Gylfi, whose a similar type of player, just better?

 

[LABlue2]

Rodriguez scored a disallowed goal earlier in the season that no other Everton player I've seen could have pulled off on a video game.

Him and Rooney are so many levels above everyone else in terms of technical ability, it's difficult not to question our luck when one of them is basically working casual hours and the other was a child.

Which goal?

 

[ToffeeTim]

Which goal?

Leeds I think, marginally offside on VAR. One of those calls everyone hates lol

 

[Carlito]

Which goal?

Leeds I think, marginally offside on VAR. One of those calls everyone hates lol

That would have been it. He was basically on the touchline.

 

[Shibbywiggles]

Leeds I think, marginally offside on VAR. One of those calls everyone hates lol

That was an outrageous finish, even better than the Palace finish where he squeezed it in a gap the size of a pea. Some player, really hope he’s here for another 25-30 game season next year because when he plays he’s a joy to watch and it’s horrible that he’s not felt Goodison Park react in awe of him.

 

[americanblue94]

James has done f all. He got 3 goals and 2 assists against West Brom and Brighton in the beginning of the season and that's it.

After those two games its been a return of 3 goals and 2 assists.

Not good enough. Great super sub but should never be considered our most important player.

 

[LEONARD]

James has done f all. He got 3 goals and 2 assists against West Brom and Brighton in the beginning of the season and that's it.

After those two games its been a return of 3 goals and 2 assists.

Not good enough. Great super sub but should never be considered YOUR most important player.

Fixed it, you Netherfield Road beaut.

 

[Goat]

James has done f all. He got 3 goals and 2 assists against West Brom and Brighton in the beginning of the season and that's it.

After those two games its been a return of 3 goals and 2 assists.

Not good enough. Great super sub but should never be considered our most important player.

So thats 6 goals and 4 assists.

Hardly nothing is it?