2020/21 James Rodriguez

[americanblue94]

See, Maguire is going to miss Man Utd's only final of the season.

Would OGS be in the right to say he therefore shouldn't go and play in the Euros and risk the ankle ligament injury?

Yes because Maguires injury isnt recurring.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

But Carlo isn't going to rule James out of the Copa America is he.

He's not the Colombia coach.

He is not but he is Everton's manager and if a player can't play the last games of the season at their club because of injury then he shouldn't be playing for their country either and Ancelotti should voice such disapproval.

 

[BlueToff]

Yes because Maguires injury isnt recurring.

He's done his ankle ligaments.

That could easily be recurring, especially since he'd be expected to play most games at the Euros you'd imagine and they start 2 weeks after the EL final.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

See, Maguire is going to miss Man Utd's only final of the season.

Would OGS be in the right to say he therefore shouldn't go and play in the Euros and risk the ankle ligament injury?

Yes, he should!

 

[BlueToff]

He is not but he is Everton's manager and if a player can't play the last games of the season at their club because of injury then he shouldn't be playing for their country either and Ancelotti should voice such disapproval.

Maybe he has in private? I genuinely get the frustration, but what Carlo has said is right. All there is to do right now for James is to focus on being as fit as he can for his country. If he can't do that, then he shouldn't play. Maybe we'll hear Carlo expand on that. And then, regardless of what happens with the Copa, his focus after that will be to be fit for next season.

 

[americanblue94]

What do you mean suit James' style?

He's a magnificent playmaker who can pick an eye of the needle pass, whether over 10 yards or 60. He can play anywhere behind the strikers as we've seen this year. He can run games and find space without having to sprint.

Good players, of that level, fit into any 'style' of play more often than not, other than in certain games (Leeds away being a good example where it's about man-marking).

You don't think James wouldn't benefit from having a winger with actual pace and tenacity to pick out, and for us to stretch teams? You don't think we'd be better with James being able to ping balls to either full-back and those full-backs know they can get up and down? You don't think he'd benefit from being able to play upfield, like he did at the start of the season, and have a ball-carrying midfielder to get the ball forward to him so he doesn't have to drop back to the centre circle.

Issue is, we have a load of other players who can't run, can't carry the ball, won't pass anywhere other than backwards, rely entirely on James to create if he's there and if not it's give it to Digne or try win a set-play - and that falls on the manager too.

We got him on a free, and he's not relatively on massive wages for a PL club. We have Bernard earning about as much and he contributes f all, Iwobi on 70/80k a week to fall over, Gomes on 100k a week to pass back every time he gets it.

We've got a sprinkling of star dust which hardly any other teams outside the established scum six have. There's pretty much Grealish and that's it, and he's at Villa because they produced him - their once-in-a-generation academy talent. We now need the other quality around the lad so that when he is fit, he can be even more productive, and when he isn't, we aren't totally inept.

Thank you for taking the time on that post. Yes i understand that James is a great player even world class when hes fit and in form, but we are not a club that is in a position to accept that our best player will only play 25 games a season. Like i previously wrote what happens if we get Europe? Thats 6 more games, and again like i said what if our best player is missing for crucial games like it has happened this season?

 

[yeatston]

Its clear imo that he's swerved the last few games to avoid any potential injury before the copa america starts... not good enough when we have had Europe to play for... surely he could have bn on the bench against Wolves & City on Sunday so that if we were needing a goal he could give us 20mins

 

[BlueToff]

Thank you for taking the time on that post. Yes i understand that James is a great player even world class when hes fit and in form, but we are not a club that is in a position to accept that our best player will only play 25 games a season. Like i previously wrote what happens if we get Europe? Thats 6 more games, and again like i said what if our best player is missing for crucial games like it has happened this season?

Okay mate, no worries.

If we get Europe, we don't have to play our best team against FC Dynamo Latvian Farmers, or we shouldn't be, should we?

We're a club that wants to try and break into the big time and to do that we need good players. James is a very good player. But that shouldn't mean we are so reliant on him. That's where our issue is and that's what needs to change.

It's not like we have to play one way with James. He can fit into nearly any way of playing, as long as there is a balance to the rest of the side. We've seen it this season that we clearly don't have that balance so it makes it even more of an issue when James isn't fit, because we're missing the fulcrum. But the point is we have to bring is younger, fitter and quicker players to turn us into a team that has a few fulcrums, a few styles of play, and then you have that sprinkling of world class quality - which James has - to add on top of that.

There shouldn't be one player that makes any good team tick.

Look at City - KDB was out for two months and the others stepped up. That's what we need. I know we won't have it to City's level, but the basic principle is there, and that's how you build a squad.

 

[BlueToff]

Its clear imo that he's swerved the last few games to avoid any potential injury before the copa america starts... not good enough when we have had Europe to play for... surely he could have bn on the bench against Wolves & City on Sunday so that if we were needing a goal he could give us 20mins

Ultimately that decision is with the management too though.

 

[Thomasc]

Ultimately that decision is with the management too though.

So you understand that management are bending over backwards to accommodate him.
What kind of message does that send out to the squad?
It’s Everton FC, not James Rodriguez FC.
If he’s fit, he should be in the squad this weekend, not resting up so he’s fit for the summer.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

His calf is in Columbia.

To be fair to his calf it is warmer in Columbia.

 

[DaChunk]

I don't think it was a coincidence that Carlo immediately follows up by saying Coleman is injured but he'll be there to support the team as a captain.

Hamez isn't arsed enough even to turn up and watch his teammates by the sounds of it.

 

[nikom court]

Have we had a player who’s put country before the club before ?

Genuine question btw, not fishing.

moyes used to rest rooney for england

 

[Deleted member 48881]

Think he played more games than I thought he would have, so a good season for him. Hopefully he stays healthy.

 

[tommytowne]

To be fair to his calf it is warmer in Columbia.

Careful with statements like that.
I got dog's abuse for even hinting St James was a fair weather player. I would have loved to have seen him just turn out with our Sunday League team when our pitch was yards from the Mersey in New Ferry in a November gale.