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2021/22 James Rodriguez

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ToffeeTim said:
All I learned from that article was there is a thing called expected threat (XT)???

Couldn't really disagree with much of it to be honest. I'm just not convinced the player wants to stay anyway
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I don't disagree with it as such mate, I just feel it suggests that the club is going down this one route but I think it could be so one dimensional.

We can't just rely on getting crosses in if we have nobody supplying the balls to get the players who can cross it into good positions. A lot of our issue, with or without James, is that we don't build play patiently enough to get players like Digne into better positions to cross, so it all has to be done from deep.

It's all well and good saying '17 crosses' etc, but there were only 4 of them that in my mind were decent. Maybe that's enough, but I just don't think it's a sustainable way to think we should be happy for James to leave.

But I also see the wages point and yes, that he'd be happy to go too. It's just a massive shame. Because if no offer came in he's just someone who I really don't think would kick up a fuss - he just wouldn't sign an extension. So we'd have him for the year. But we're desperate to get his wages off the books because of our previous mistakes, and it stinks that we're going to want to use those wages to fill positions that should have been filled years ago.
 
blulouie said:
Exactly Tim
Townsend was trying to do it on saturday , nowhere near as effective as James.
Play him where he does the damage not shunt him out the club.
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I have no issue with him playing there at all, that's what I've been asking for. But I disagree entirely with all the no.10 and build the team around him shouts. He was terrible in a central position and the team was wide open.
 
blulouie said:
Exactly Tim
Townsend was trying to do it on saturday , nowhere near as effective as James.
Play him where he does the damage not shunt him out the club.
Click to expand...

gets the best out of Richarlison, gets the best out of Allan - but it relies on our DoF doing the job he should have done for 3 years now and that's sign a right-back.

If we did get Anguissa, and managed to shift Delph/Gomes, you've got 5 central midfielders there that IMO can provide good depth for a 4-3-3 system, and the wingers to boot.
 
ToffeeTim said:
I have no issue with him playing there at all, that's what I've been asking for. But I disagree entirely with all the no.10 and build the team around him shouts. He was terrible in a central position and the team was wide open.
Click to expand...

I don't think we need to build the team around him. But, 'being in a central position' (which again, I don't think he should be played there) doesn't mean you build a team around someone. It's a bit of a common misconception.

Look at Villa. They were built around Grealish, but he played left
 

blulouie said:
He's pretty much shut it down the past few weeks when the press have pushed it.
Contracted for this season plus the club has another 12 months option.
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It's because we're so on the brink with FFP that we need his wages cleared.

That's what frustrates me, because that's on us (and our DoF who has just been handed a new deal)
 
BlueToff said:
I don't disagree with it as such mate, I just feel it suggests that the club is going down this one route but I think it could be so one dimensional.

We can't just rely on getting crosses in if we have nobody supplying the balls to get the players who can cross it into good positions. A lot of our issue, with or without James, is that we don't build play patiently enough to get players like Digne into better positions to cross, so it all has to be done from deep.

It's all well and good saying '17 crosses' etc, but there were only 4 of them that in my mind were decent. Maybe that's enough, but I just don't think it's a sustainable way to think we should be happy for James to leave.

But I also see the wages point and yes, that he'd be happy to go too. It's just a massive shame. Because if no offer came in he's just someone who I really don't think would kick up a fuss - he just wouldn't sign an extension. So we'd have him for the year. But we're desperate to get his wages off the books because of our previous mistakes, and it stinks that we're going to want to use those wages to fill positions that should have been filled years ago.
Click to expand...

If he is still here in 2 weeks then it would be crazy not to use him in games. Even Benitez would get him involved to some extent I reckon.

I just haven't expected him to stay since Ancelotti left.

I'm going to lie, I prefer us playing much more direct because DCL and Richarlison are difficult for teams to defend. We shouldn't be football snobs and should play to our strengths. If we want to mix it up then we can keep James no problem, but I think we then need to sort out right back to have someone with more legs down that flank behind him.
 
BlueToff said:
I don't think we need to build the team around him. But, 'being in a central position' (which again, I don't think he should be played there) doesn't mean you build a team around someone. It's a bit of a common misconception.

Look at Villa. They were built around Grealish, but he played left
Click to expand...

And it got the best out of the player because it took away some of his defensive responsibilities and got him away from the most congested area of the pitch.
 

ToffeeTim said:
If he is still here in 2 weeks then it would be crazy not to use him in games. Even Benitez would get him involved to some extent I reckon.

I just haven't expected him to stay since Ancelotti left.

I'm going to lie, I prefer us playing much more direct because DCL and Richarlison are difficult for teams to defend. We shouldn't be football snobs and should play to our strengths. If we want to mix it up then we can keep James no problem, but I think we then need to sort out right back to have someone with more legs down that flank behind him.
Click to expand...

I've got no issue with going direct. I want that too.

But we played direct at the start of last season, with James in. It's easily doable and you then have an actual world class (albeit unable to keep fit) talent up at the top end of the pitch, which not many teams in this league have.
 
ToffeeTim said:
And it got the best out of the player because it took away some of his defensive responsibilities and got him away from the most congested area of the pitch.
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100%

James is a right mid in English football. He isn't physical enough to be in the middle.

Doesn't mean he'd have to play every game either as with Townsend I think we have a good, albeit different, rotation option.
 
nsno-chris said:
People have already convinced themselves that he doesn’t track back, he’s lazy and won’t run through brick walls.

The School of Science no longer exists, good footballers are not welcome here.
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Are you saying that talented footballers should not have to track back and work hard ?

The best footballers and the best teams all work hard.
Their skill is the icing on the cake
 

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