2021/22 James Rodriguez

[Jeff Jones]

You might need to reflect upon it, mate.

I thought it was a simple - easy - question.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

I thought it was a simple - easy - question.

And obvious response.

 

[Visbaluz]

I think James dropping deep is the thing I'd like to see eradicated from his game the most when playing for us

James tends to drop back when he doesnt get the ball . Theres is 1 key player atm who Ppl seem to ignore .... If allan drops his Game or gets injured there Will be NO ONE to link defense with attack .

Many Many Ppl point the "new doucure " but the truth is , doucure sucks at carriying the ball , the las can't pass evennof his life depends on it , so if Allan is gone , 80% of the offensive initiation is gone.

 

[TheBigIguana]

James tends to drop back when he doesnt get the ball . Theres is 1 key player atm who Ppl seem to ignore .... If allan drops his Game or gets injured there Will be NO ONE to link defense with attack .

Many Many Ppl point the "new doucure " but the truth is , doucure sucks at carriying the ball , the las can't pass evennof his life depends on it , so if Allan is gone , 80% of the offensive initiation is gone.

Allan didn't really do it that well last year when we were trying to play slower. Well honestly I don't know what we were trying to do but it didn't work.

I agree, Allan is important but I do think Gbamin is competent and Davies can link a little but will be an issue when we don't have the ball. Regardless I'm concerned that James dropping will slow us down. I don't want us to slow down. We don't have the players James aside to do it and still carry a threat. We need to be direct because frankly the more we pass the greater the chance something is going to mess up.

.This got me thinking about the goals we've scored so far this year so here we go:

Saints:
Richarlison scores off a poorly cleared corner. One pass. And barely a pass at that.
Doucoure's goal is a free kick from Allan to him, a pass to Coleman, a pass to Iwobi (and a poor one at that) and Iwobi knocking it down for Doucoure to score. So that's four passes and one bad one in the mix still.
DCL's goal starts with Pickford going long. Saints head forward, Allan heads forward (hardly a pass but we'll count it), Richarlison goes to Iwobi who returns it for a cross and goal. So again four passes but again one is dubious.

Leeds:
Obviously the penalty is zero but the move before that Richarlison smashes a pass off a defender and recovers the ball and plays one pass before Digne crosses and DCL is held.
Gray's goal is a decent passing move that completely falls apart because Doucoure plays the wrong ball but it comes back to him and he plays the right pass at the second time of asking. Even if you count Doucoure hitting one off a defender to himself still just four passes but really one.

Brighton:
Gray's goal is Coleman winning it to Townsend, he plays to Allan and Allan goes to Gray. So three passes.
Again a penalty, this time the build up is Coleman heading to Townsend, he goes to Allan and Allan plays in Coleman to get fouled. So again three passes.

The clear point here is we can see what is working and we need to incorporate James into that. I don't think that incorporation happens if he's dropping deeper than Allan and Doucoure to pick the ball up. We aren't technically good enough to move the ball and wait for gaps. We need to get it and go, it is working right now even when teams give us possession like Saints did, and until it isn't I'd like to see it persisted with because it suits everyone in the squad aside from possibly James.

 

[Visbaluz]

Allan didn't really do it that well last year when we were trying to play slower. Well honestly I don't know what we were trying to do but it didn't work.

I agree, Allan is important but I do think Gbamin is competent and Davies can link a little but will be an issue when we don't have the ball. Regardless I'm concerned that James dropping will slow us down. I don't want us to slow down. We don't have the players James aside to do it and still carry a threat. We need to be direct because frankly the more we pass the greater the chance something is going to mess up.

.This got me thinking about the goals we've scored so far this year so here we go:

Saints:
Richarlison scores off a poorly cleared corner. One pass. And barely a pass at that.
Doucoure's goal is a free kick from Allan to him, a pass to Coleman, a pass to Iwobi (and a poor one at that) and Iwobi knocking it down for Doucoure to score. So that's four passes and one bad one in the mix still.
DCL's goal starts with Pickford going long. Saints head forward, Allan heads forward (hardly a pass but we'll count it), Richarlison goes to Iwobi who returns it for a cross and goal. So again four passes but again one is dubious.

Leeds:
Obviously the penalty is zero but the move before that Richarlison smashes a pass off a defender and recovers the ball and plays one pass before Digne crosses and DCL is held.
Gray's goal is a decent passing move that completely falls apart because Doucoure plays the wrong ball but it comes back to him and he plays the right pass at the second time of asking. Even if you count Doucoure hitting one off a defender to himself still just four passes but really one.

Brighton:
Gray's goal is Coleman winning it to Townsend, he plays to Allan and Allan goes to Gray. So three passes.
Again a penalty, this time the build up is Coleman heading to Townsend, he goes to Allan and Allan plays in Coleman to get fouled. So again three passes.

The clear point here is we can see what is working and we need to incorporate James into that. I don't think that incorporation happens if he's dropping deeper than Allan and Doucoure to pick the ball up. We aren't technically good enough to move the ball and wait for gaps. We need to get it and go, it is working right now even when teams give us possession like Saints did, and until it isn't I'd like to see it persisted with because it suits everyone in the squad aside from possibly James.

The importance of Allan comes not from his passes previous to goals (i mean those are important but not core skills from a MF) . It comes from receiving the ball from the CB and distributing it forward.. Allan and this is a shocker ... Gómez (Omega shocker inc) and deph arenthe only 1 who can do it . Doucure is horrible at being that safe "first pass".

Still early but if i we're to play everton i would sit back and counter , everton seems Lost with the ball if theres no chance at a fastbreak (parking the bus prevents that) the plan a (and only plan ) comes from a Cross to dcl , the thing is very Few ir none of those crosses came from a lateral position : the passer never "won the end line" , that Made the crosses frontal an easier to clear. (Btw when was the last time digne or Coleman Beat their defender 1v1 and launched a Cross ?

In short , we need a plan b . Wey are 2 injuries away of total crapiness : Allan and gray

 

[TheBigIguana]

The importance of Allan comes not from his passes previous to goals (i mean those are important but not core skills from a MF) . It comes from receiving the ball from the CB and distributing it forward.. Allan and this is a shocker ... Gómez (Omega shocker inc) and deph arenthe only 1 who can do it . Doucure is horrible at being that safe "first pass".

Still early but if i we're to play everton i would sit back and counter , everton seems Lost with the ball if theres no chance at a fastbreak (parking the bus prevents that) the plan a (and only plan ) comes from a Cross to dcl , the thing is very Few ir none of those crosses came from a lateral position : the passer never "won the end line" , that Made the crosses frontal an easier to clear. (Btw when was the last time digne or Coleman Beat their defender 1v1 and launched a Cross ?

In short , we need a plan b . Wey are 2 injuries away of total crapiness : Allan and gray

I wouldn't be so certain on the Allan thing. Gbamin could be adequate and last year Allan missed a lot of time and I doubt there was a clear with and without split.

 

[Michael McGrath]

What behaviour, mate?

Exactly!
Andros Townsend and I-WOE-BE will not be so good against the Big Six, that's when Rodriguez will come into the picture.
He would also be the best to unpark a bus.

 

[Michael McGrath]

Once I saw that dope Iwobi getting ready to come on I thought wish that was James coming on.
The damage he could have done there as we started controlling the game.

Could have been 5 or 6.

You mean I-Woe-Be

 

[ToffeeM4n]

Okay, financial mistake. He’s absolutely crippling us.

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[Yank]

Just saw some crap on Twitter about him going to the crap Orlando MLS team....

Don't see it any where else... it isn't a parody account or some guy who does random jokes but it's also not a connected reporter... so we'll see I guess.

I hope it's to that team. Lol Orlando sucks... I mean that as a place to live, it's definitely not Miami, NY, LA, or even a chicago...

Actually I'd rather live in almost every MLS market bar Columbus, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Kansas City...

Shoot I'd rather go play in Austin. Great city there... anyways hope it's true at this point

 

[TheBigIguana]

Just saw some crap on Twitter about him going to the crap Orlando MLS team....

Don't see it any where else... it isn't a parody account or some guy who does random jokes but it's also not a connected reporter... so we'll see I guess.

I hope it's to that team. Lol Orlando sucks... I mean that as a place to live, it's definitely not Miami, NY, LA, or even a chicago...

Actually I'd rather live in almost every MLS market bar Columbus, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Kansas City...

Shoot I'd rather go play in Austin. Great city there... anyways hope it's true at this point

He and Nani would be a bit unfair though

 

[Yank]

He and Nani would be a bit unfair though

I really struggle to pay attention to the MLS but off name recognition sounds like it's a good start

Idk if Nani being there should shoot down that rumor given all the weird salary mechanisms that league has idk if they could legally afford or sign both

 

[TheBigIguana]

I really struggle to pay attention to the MLS but off name recognition sounds like it's a good start

Idk if Nani being there should shoot down that rumor given all the weird salary mechanisms that league has idk if they could legally afford or sign both

They have a designated player spot open so they can pay him whatever they can afford and it won't count toward the cap. Which means it is actually plausible. Plus there are plenty of Colombians in Orlando as we saw during Everton's visit.

 

[AussieToffee11]

They have a designated player spot open so they can pay him whatever they can afford and it won't count toward the cap. Which means it is actually plausible. Plus there are plenty of Colombians in Orlando as we saw during Everton's visit.

Are we able to allow that now that the UK window is closed though? I imagine we would have to terminate his contract, agree a pay-out and then he could move as a free agent?

 

[AussieToffee11]

So just mentioning this vid again.

Look at the amount of absolute sprays he sends out all season.

And we've now got Gray and Townsend as genuine runners as well as Richarlison and Digne.

There is 100% a place for him in this team/squad.

If we can't find a role for him over the next 4 months then something is wrong with us.

I think Rafael is incredibly pragmatic, so I am confident the differences will be buried and he will play a valuable role for us.

James should be naturally motivated from a WC perspective as well as a future Club perspective. Rafael has a thin squad, so should be motivated by that, let alone his obvious quality...