2021/22 James Rodriguez

[TheBigIguana]

We seemed to be doing it fine last year until the midfield and full back got injured...
Another question would be why bring in a manger who wants to rip up they way we play, and the squad if focused for, and do it another way?

The midfield was still largely healthy when the downturn started. The United game the only player who would normally start that didn't was Richarlison and they whipped us.

Carlo was the one who ripped it up so I'm not sure I get the second line.

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

And points out that Carragher and Gerrard, amongst others had issue with him. Pennant points out a pattern of behaviour from Benitez that has reoccured with Rodriguez.

Gerrard rings him for advice as Rangers manager, you are aware of that aren't you? He recognised benitez man management was very clever as he got the best from him.

I'm sure you know this. I'm sure when pennant is managing the dog and duck he will consider giving Rafael a call as to how best manage one of his players who has a tag round his ankle.

 

[BlueToff]

We managed it fine for about four or five games until teams realized that they didn't actually need to fear half the team in possession. This team bar James cannot use the ball effectively.

Well yes, so having James would help us in certain situations, while he's here?

 

[Barnfred 55]

Do I believe that a person who isnt commited to the club and likes to be indulged is bad for the sum part? 100%

So I'm not bothered either way. If he stays he better buck up

So somebody who didn't know who we were playing at the weekend after having been excluded from the training ground for the best part of 2 weeks beforehand, and has posted a picture of himself on holiday, is considered to be uncommitted enough to disrupt the rest of the squad.?

If you have any more evidence to support your belief that he is a bad apple and a bad influence on the rest of the squad, please feel free to post them.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Well yes, so having James would help us in certain situations, while he's here?

I think having James play in the position Richarlison plays would be helpful, yes, but I think that it is only true if James plays up the field as Richarlison does. Dropping deep and trying to play that way puts us in spots we can't handle.

I also think that the only position Richarlison should play in this scenario is on the right. I don't want to lose the ball carrying in the team and Gray and Iwobi are better options there who are more comfortable and better suited to the left. Richarlison's game doesn't change on the right as much so he needs to be the one to accommodate. Plus dropping Townsend in preferable.

The question for me is are we willing to do all these things? Especially the stuff with Richarlison when he's supposed to be one of our better players.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Steven wasn't lazy. The only one we indulged was sheedy.

Given the mix of quality and workrate through the team we could tolerate that. We had defenders so quick we parked on the half way line ..... But what am I telling you this for..... You know more than our current manager.

I agree with you mate, successful teams have different types of players with different skill sets ?

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

So somebody who didn't know who we were playing at the weekend after having been excluded from the training ground for the best part of 2 weeks beforehand, and has posted a picture of himself on holiday, is considered to be uncommitted enough to disrupt the rest of the squad.?

If you have any more evidence to support your belief that he is a bad apple and a bad influence on the rest of the squad, please feel free to post them.

Why was he excluded from training for 2 weeks? Does Rafael just jib people off?

 

[BlueToff]

I think having James play in the position Richarlison plays would be helpful, yes, but I think that it is only true if James plays up the field as Richarlison does. Dropping deep and trying to play that way puts us in spots we can't handle.

I also think that the only position Richarlison should play in this scenario is on the right. I don't want to lose the ball carrying in the team and Gray and Iwobi are better options there who are more comfortable and better suited to the left. Richarlison's game doesn't change on the right as much so he needs to be the one to accommodate. Plus dropping Townsend in preferable.

The question for me is are we willing to do all these things? Especially the stuff with Richarlison when he's supposed to be one of our better players.

There just needs to be a mix. Having James around the edge of the box is where you want him but if he does drop deep then as long as there's willing runners (and I think we have that now) then it's an option to have. Also, he's good enough to play different roles in different times of a match. It's part of having intelligent players in a coached system.

Richarlison up top in some games is fine if Dom needs a rest, or we want Rondon and Dom to come on or vice-versa.

We need to get away from this obsession with a starting XI and start - as a club - using the squad in the right way. Not running players into the ground.

 

[BlueToff]

Why was he excluded from training for 2 weeks? Does Rafael just jib people off?

He was isolating for 10 days

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

I agree with you mate, successful teams have different types of players with different skill sets ?

The ability to demand rest for "tiredness" after playing a fraction of the games that your lesser paid teammates play, giving it Hugh Hefner photos on a private jet whilst the team prepare for pivotal last game of season and managing not to alienate yourself from starry eyed fans who just wanna see you it at goodison is a different skill set indeed.

 

[Egil Olsen]

so far everton has shown 1 way to play on offense and 2 on defense.. on offense is the good ol long ball to the wide players and counter on a fast break. most of those ended up in crosses. everton is yet to sucessfully break n stationary defense AKA a "parked bus" on the box. when we tried crosses were to frontal , never won the corner line to force a lateral cross so all of em were deflected, one of those forced doucures goal (wich is was a total fluke if you see the play) .

on defense theres 1 "innovation", everton now presses higher, towsend , gray/rich are pressing higher. but the most comom defense comes from all everton getting behind the line ball and defend just outside the box (nothing new here).

ive seen all of everton matches , imo once teams start to GIVE the ball to everton and not grant em the fields of free run behind their defense things will get nasty. everton looks LOST with the ball and is unable to create holes in enemy defenses thus 99% of the time relies on a FRONTAL CROSS to the box, wich are super hyper easy to clear.

We get the first goal after a high collective pressure that leads to a corner. I think that is generally something new. We are good at pressure, cover and balance, and we can constantly adjust our pressure and keep about the same intensity and aggressiveness.

At the second goal, Southampton are in good balance, but we still manage to break them down. There is also something I think is new under RB. We have several (and opposite) movements in front of the player with the ball, and there is far more intensity in the movements.

But few matches have been played, and as I said, I have seen the matches as a supporter, but not analyzed them.

 

[TheBigIguana]

There just needs to be a mix. Having James around the edge of the box is where you want him but if he does drop deep then as long as there's willing runners (and I think we have that now) then it's an option to have. Also, he's good enough to play different roles in different times of a match. It's part of having intelligent players in a coached system.

Richarlison up top in some games is fine if Dom needs a rest, or we want Rondon and Dom to come on or vice-versa.

We need to get away from this obsession with a starting XI and start - as a club - using the squad in the right way. Not running players into the ground.

I'm fine with that but the squad isn't cohesive right now. James is a different player in that spot behind the striker than Richarlison or Gray or Iwobi would be. And those players are different in key ways too. Richarlison is a far different winger than Townsend or Gray. Iwobi on the right changes from Townsend. Dom and Rondon is the only one that is sort of a like for like. So while I do agree in theory for us right now it's not very easy to rotate the squad and keep a continuity in what we're doing.

And yes teams do need to play slightly differently from time to time but there is a line where it goes from different to disjointed.

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

The goodison love-in will be enough to turn James Rodriguez into "Jimmy Rodgers"...... South American destroyer, not a blade of grass uncovered. We just got to hope that agent benitez doesn't succeed in giving him away first

Our future hinges on this, the lad is priming himself right this minute ready to hit the ground running..... He's been taking a special inhaler getting thousands of iu's of vitamin D, swimming for hours in the med.

Funny enough..... Was listening to Andros Townsend talking earlier on his way into Finch Farm, Rafael has had them in working on tactical shapes etc not a stone unturned. I imagine Jimmy Rodriguez is on blue jeans taking part in virtual sessions.

 

[Lapeno77]

Gerrard rings him for advice as Rangers manager, you are aware of that aren't you? He recognised benitez man management was very clever as he got the best from him.

Yes, but at the time, Gerrard was not aware. He found him cold, as did Carragher. It is only with hindsight he has changed his mind. Clearly, Benitez is not good at clarifying his position.

 

[Barnfred 55]

Why was he excluded from training for 2 weeks? Does Rafael just jib people off?

Self isolating reportedly. I don't know.

The lad turned up for pre season training on time surprising all those on here who expected him to go awol. Was a big part of the build up to the Florida trip and then played in the last friendly against United. Next minute he wasn't around. It was well documented that we were looking to sell him and and I suspected that Benitez just didn't want him around the place given everybody expected him to leave. The official line was that he was self isolating, but I didn't believe this and blamed Benitez for punting him out. But then he's back training again in the lead up to the Brighton game and, given the number of other covid related absentees we had at the time, maybe the official line was true and I was doing Benitez a disservice.

But there is absolutely no evidence or indication that James was staying away from the squad by his own volition. Absolutely none. If there was he would have been disciplined and fined.