2021/22 James Rodriguez

[degsy]

Doesn't the European market stay open a bit longer than ours? He could receive an offer after our deadline if that’s the case.

One window...Spain?? shuts at 1700, others at 0000
Which is 0900 tomorrow morning for me so I'll wake up then and see.

My pick is he goes Nowhere, but who can tell

 

[BlueToff]

We'll deffo know after 11pm if he's going or staying
Bennie will have to decide to use him or not if he stays.
Rodriguez will have to decide if he's arsed playing nor not
Home Vs Burnley Tues. 14th Sept...all will be revealed - maybe

Monday 13th for us in the UK, Degs

 

[Joey66]

Every time someone posts James salary they add another 25 grand on it. Be on a million pound a week in no time. Reality is that none of us have a clue what he is on and it is more likely to be less than 100k than any of the other daft figures being quoted.

It's immaterial, we know we got him on a free with a huge salary, just like we signed Bernard .... He is or was a classy midfielder playmaker on his day top class... injuries unfortunately last season curtailed his appearances, & his form later in the season dipped -

If he was an asset, teams would be banging the door down to sign him as RB has offered him up for sale ....

I think he will move today imo...

 

[degsy]

Monday 13th for us in the UK, Degs

(Edited it back to Monday...just in time) Early start for me then...sets alarm on phone

 

[ToffeeTim]

I've done a quick count, just based on bare numbers (goals and assists), from the turn of the year mate

1 assist v Rotherham for Doucoure's winner, FA Cup 3rd round
2 assists v Sheff Wed, FA Cup 4th round
1 goal v Leicester, PL
1 goal v Man Utd, PL
1 assist v Liverpool, PL
1 goal v Palace, PL

If you count winning a pen as an assist (I don't, but they are now used in that 'expected threat' stat) then he got us the pen v Spurs too.

(I may have missed some but don't think I did)

Compare that to the output of our other midfielders and attackers in the same timeframe.

Come on Tim, he wasn't 'completely ineffective'. I agree in those games you say, he was poor, but again, why did we have no other way of playing? Those teams just focused on kicking him out of the game (Newcastle especially) because Ancelotti didn't have any other idea of what to do and our other players hid away.

On a technical, quality level, he is the best footballer at the club. By miles.

But in terms of importance, he's pretty much down the pecking order right now. That being said, we need more than one way of playing. So if he stays should be used accordingly.

That's 4 goal involvements in the league after Christmas. He wasn't anywhere near as effective.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Doesn't the European market stay open a bit longer than ours? He could receive an offer after our deadline if that’s the case.

Spain's La Liga transfer window closes on 31 August at 23:00 BST.


Italy's Serie A transfer window closes on 31 August. No time has been set yet.


The German Bundesliga's transfer window closes on 31 August at 17:00 BST.

Ligue 1's transfer window closes on 31 August at 23:59 BST.

 

[Eggs]

It's a myth that he doesn't work hard off the ball though, you've got to realise he isn't a defender and doesn't have the pace/fitness of Richy to run up and down the wing all game.

Players of his quality shouldn't be expected to be chasing strikers back into his own box to get the ball back.

It's an easy kop out to say he's lazy and doesnt work hard, would he suit the system we have played so far this season? Maybe not but he'd still be a massive asset to our team IF FIT

…I never said he doesn’t work hard, I said he’s easy to run past. If you run past him he has no physical power of recovery so the players behind him become exposed.

Rodriguez isn’t lazy, he’s a very decent attitude on the pitch.

 

[BlueToff]

That's 4 goal involvements in the league after Christmas. He wasn't anywhere near as effective.

He only had 6 direct prior to xmas?

1 goal, 1 assist v WBA
2 goals, 1 assist v Brighton
1 assist Liverpool

I agree he didn't play as well in that second half of the season, in terms of his all-round performances, but there's no real drop off in terms of the numbers mate.

Plus, we'd changed from playing pretty attacking, direct football at the start of the season to months of turgid, pedestrian crap that made all of our attackers look useless, bar in that Spurs FA Cup, Spurs home and Utd games (and even that was more about taking chances when they came)

 

[BlueToff]

…I never said he doesn’t work hard, I said he’s easy to run past. If you run past him he has no physical power of recovery so the players behind him become exposed.

Rodriguez isn’t lazy, he’s a very decent attitude on the pitch.

this is spot on Eggs.

But it's easier for people to call him lazy.

I absolutely agree we can't build the system around him. But he doesn't need that IF he stays.

If he stays, treat him as the cherry on top of a hard-working cake. Sometimes the cherry doesn't even need to be on the cake, it can be put on one day, and left off the next.

Even if he then moved on in January, he could contribute to 10 goals in that time quite easily.

 

[Eggs]

this is spot on Eggs.

But it's easier for people to call him lazy.

I absolutely agree we can't build the system around him. But he doesn't need that IF he stays.

If he stays, treat him as the cherry on top of a hard-working cake. Sometimes the cherry doesn't even need to be on the cake, it can be put on one day, and left off the next.

Even if he then moved on in January, he could contribute to 10 goals in that time quite easily.

…I don’t disagree with that. Indeed, I think the club could be missing a trick not exploiting his massive popularity on the American continent.

Saying that, Benitez has a massive ego & I doubt he’d be wanting to use him.

 

[BlueToff]

…I don’t disagree with that. Indeed, I think the club could be missing a trick not exploiting his massive popularity on the American continent.

Saying that, Benitez has a massive ego & I doubt he’d be wanting to use him.

I actually think Benitez would be a fool to fully ignore such a talented player and if we lose a few games he'll have the fans turning on him even moreso if James isn't getting a shot.

It's all rosy atm and the signs are definitely promising, but it's a long old season.

 

[Carloblues]

…I never said he doesn’t work hard, I said he’s easy to run past. If you run past him he has no physical power of recovery so the players behind him become exposed.

Rodriguez isn’t lazy, he’s a very decent attitude on the pitch.

I get what your saying eggs, but I don't think it's his job to win the ball back anyway, people get to caught up on all this.

As long as he's not losing it in a silly position just outside our box, or vulnerable to a counter he should just be left to do his thing. We know he's not got the strength and mobility to stop people running past him, so don't alter his game so he has to do any of those things

 

[Joey66]

I get what your saying eggs, but I don't think it's his job to win the ball back anyway, people get to caught up on all this.

As long as he's not losing it in a silly position just outside our box, or vulnerable to a counter he should just be left to do his thing. We know he's not got the strength and mobility to stop people running past him, so don't alter his game so he has to do any of those things

At his age, he is a very expensive passenger, on his day he is fantastic I agree with all that, but sadly age has caught up with him via injuries plus the prem is a very hard league ....

 

[Barnfred 55]

….the post-match interview with Gray at the weekend was interesting, he said the squad train with ‘structure’. For me, that’s lots to do with shape with and without the ball. It demands really hard work & sadly Rodriguez is easy to run past when we lose possession.

We can only play X1, somebody in this functioning ’structure’ has to miss out for Rodriguez to play. He might be our most gifted footballer, he might do things other players can’t do but he’s not our most effective footballer.

I always thought Everton was a short-stop on his journey. I always thought when we are ready to truly progress it will be without Rodriguez.

I'm not sure anybody is saying he should be a regular starter or we should build a team around him. I don't think I've seen any posts saying we should keep him at all costs. I don't think I've even seen anybody saying that he isn't expensive as a squad player.

All I've seen are people saying that IF he doesn't leave today, then there should be a place for him in the squad and that he could make an impact when our usual tactics aren't working. That's what squad football is all about isn't it?

 

[wainy]

I hope he stays coz I want to see him being dead sexy and boss at goodison this year, can’t see him leaving now to be honest.