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2020/21 James Rodriguez

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Those don't really count as transfers to me since the players were out of contract and it was just signing them.

Toni Kroos to Madrid for like $20 million was a steal. But like James, he wanted to leave and had 1 year left in his contract.

Toni Kroos was out of this world in that world cup. Huge steal.
 
Strangely as fantastic as the deal might be for James I don’t really think it matters. We’d have paid good money for somebody of his quality to come in and elevate the level of those around him. The fact we potentially just paid his final year salary is a bonus to me.

Even if we had offered Madrid 40 million for him, without Carlo this move doesn’t happen. In that respect you can’t really put a price on the deal if it carries on going the way he’s started (unless you wanna be pedantic and say it cost whatever we pay Carlo)
 

James?

Its a bit all over the place, some say its free and some 12m? The initial rumor was that the fee was 20m?
The snippets are suggesting that there was no transfer fee in the traditional sense, but we've paid up certain clauses etc. in his contract which cost a fair bit.

If it's £20m, it looks a very good deal. If it's 12m, it's even better and if it's free then we're in cloud nine territory.
 
I’m not going to question Ancelotti’s handling of him at all as he’s on fire but I’d love to see him completely devoid of any sort of defensive responsibility and starting off from the number 10 position. Who knows though maybe he’d get crowded out and there’d be less space and he’d actually see less of the ball. Maybe Gomes is actually tying up opposition players on that left hand side with Digne and Richarlison so that when the hall is switched Rodriguez is coming onto it in lots of space.

I was really impressed how he came into this game in the 2nd half. Feel like he was a little quiet in the 1st half, maybe they marked him out of the game? But he tried other things, going left side, then popping deep to get the ball, then getting into the middle for the goal and the dink ball.

Funny - even though i think that ball to the left forward flank is his favourite pass, and opponents should know, they couldn't stop it, especially that ball that went through two WBA players.
 
Zidane didn't like James and James didn't help himself by talking to the press, especially the Colombian press. James would play and score or assist and not see the field for many games while other players were allowed to play themselves into form. Players Zidane likes can struggle for long periods of time no problem, James had to perform and even if he did, he would get benched anyways. He was behind

Kroos
Modric
Isco
Valverde
Lucas vazquez
Asesio
Vinicius
Rodrygo

He would only play if everyone was injured pretty much

To quote a said publication...

"The problem was that it was between him and Isco for one position,” notes a Real source. “Madrid has to play 4-3-3. Then you had Gareth Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo as automatic (picks). Then Modric, Kroos, automatic. It was between Isco/James to be the No 10. Then, if Bale was injured, for example, you could play James in a front three but Benzema and Ronaldo were also coming deep for the ball and Lucas Vazquez appealed as an option running in behind.

“James’ left foot is amazing, extraordinary quality, but maybe he struggled to cope with both phases of the game. He struggled to run back and do the defensive phase. Isco could do that, which was amazing — honestly, Isco’s physical data was incredible. But with James, his image meant it always felt like he had this big pressure, massive pressure to play.”

Sources close to the dressing room say that Isco felt the situation was unfair as James “had” to play, leaving at least one of the coaching staff under the impression that Isco would force a transfer if he did not receive opportunities."


I don't think Isco is playing much now either.
 



I do like it when they settle in well. Don’t like to see situations like Sandro and Moise where they struggle to settle in a new country. It’s why the diverse direction that Silva took us in has been a big positive for the club. Lots of characters And good lads


That's why I hope we don't sell Mina. James doesn't speak English and he probably won't settle that well. It is good for him to have a buddy from back home. He will probably gel well with the Brazilians too.
 

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