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2021/22 James Rodriguez

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I’m assuming James, who’s being forced out despite being desperate to stay and play for the mighty blues, who isn’t really isolating, he’s being forced to stay away from Finch Farm by Rafael who doesn’t like him because he’s never played alongside JonJo Shelvey, poor James who just wants to be loved and give back to the fans he’s never met because he’s either flying home early, his balls hurt or he’s a bit tired… I’m assuming that same James watched the game yesterday and instantly tweeted congratulations to his club and teammates, made comments about how great it is to see fans back in grounds, posted his excited of being back soon or something…. Anything. Please someone tell me after all the division between fans largely fulled by his hard luck stories on twitch he at least got behind his team despite being stuck at home?
 
Well, he'll go his whole Everton career without seeing any fans.

Our next home game is Mid-September, by which time he'll probably be long gone.

Personally I'd have loved to see him play at Goodison even though the football around him was absolutely pedestrian at times.

The first 15/20 min yesterday and the entire second half are exactly why his wage is better spent elsewhere. Off the ball movement, midfielders running with intent into the box, aggression.

He's a wonderful player, but completely unsuited to how the current manager expects the team to play.

Give me yesterdays commitment over last seasons walking football any day of the week.

I've said it all summer and been laughed at, flogged by the usual supa fans - but Everton is a much better and balanced side without him and the same goes for the slug brothers of Gomes and Siggurdsson.
 
I've said it all summer and been laughed at, flogged by the usual supa fans - but Everton is a much better and balanced side without him and the same goes for the slug brothers of Gomes and Siggurdsson.
Don't get me wrong, if we were an overall more dominant team he'd be a wonderful addition.

Our problem is we have spent hundreds of millions on buying fairly good players from other teams and hoping they will gel into a new, fairly good team.

Last season (when he was available) if you stop James you stop Everton. We were utterly toothless. If you drop James into that 2nd half yesterday we're playing with 10.

The owner has tried short cuts. He's now been convinced that stability and incremental growth is the only way.

I'm going to really enjoy the fume here in 2 years when Benitez signs an extension lol
 
You don’t get better by subtracting quality
That’s one of those misconceptions that nerds behind computers like to make to sound like they are smart

Especially a team like us that has a few standout players. Whether from the bench or starting or not starting certain matches, quality should always be welcomed in clubs.

I just don’t care if he leaves or stays because it’s not worth the drama, not here nor at the club
 

I think it’s ludicrous that people think he can’t contribute to our attacking play. He must have direct and indirect involvement in about.30 goals this season. We could accommodate him in some games with legs behind him and proper width on the pitch. I’m not saying he will play every game but his skill set is unique and we certainly healthier for having him than not having him. Does every player have to run themselves into the floor? Dennis bergkamp was a rolls Royce of a player but he never broke a sweat on the pitch. Albeit a bit more pace than James but his quality was his vision and bringing other players into the game. We seem to focus on the negatives when there a lot of positives having him at our football club.
 
Would James have brought anything extra to yesterdays second half than the team out there provided?

If so who would he have replaced? I can't think of anyone.
Yesterdays fightback was a matter of physical strength, grit and determination, we looked stronger than we have for ages with very powerful looking players doing their bit.......even if some may not have the world class moments in their lockers as we know James has.

As a wild card to bring on for the last 20 minutes I get it, but relying on him to be a first 11 starter is a joke, he'd ruin any stability we built. Never would you have a run of 6 games with an unchanged side if he was part of it. I'd like him gone to get a few more bargain bucket lads in like the 2 who did very well yesterday. Far more inkeeping with our goal of beating Ancelottis 10th spot and not fooling ourselves again a top 4 spot is possible this season. Trinkets are for when we really do have a proven solid quad with results to match.
 
I’m assuming James, who’s being forced out despite being desperate to stay and play for the mighty blues, who isn’t really isolating, he’s being forced to stay away from Finch Farm by Rafael who doesn’t like him because he’s never played alongside JonJo Shelvey, poor James who just wants to be loved and give back to the fans he’s never met because he’s either flying home early, his balls hurt or he’s a bit tired… I’m assuming that same James watched the game yesterday and instantly tweeted congratulations to his club and teammates, made comments about how great it is to see fans back in grounds, posted his excited of being back soon or something…. Anything. Please someone tell me after all the division between fans largely fulled by his hard luck stories on twitch he at least got behind his team despite being stuck at home?
This really bothers me as well. I’d like us to sign players that give a s***.
 
Would James have brought anything extra to yesterdays second half than the team out there provided?

If so who would he have replaced? I can't think of anyone.
Yesterdays fightback was a matter of physical strength, grit and determination, we looked stronger than we have for ages with very powerful looking players doing their bit.......even if some may not have the world class moments in their lockers as we know James has.

As a wild card to bring on for the last 20 minutes I get it, but relying on him to be a first 11 starter is a joke, he'd ruin any stability we built. Never would you have a run of 6 games with an unchanged side if he was part of it. I'd like him gone to get a few more bargain bucket lads in like the 2 who did very well yesterday. Far more inkeeping with our goal of beating Ancelottis 10th spot and not fooling ourselves again a top 4 spot is possible this season. Trinkets are for when we really do have a proven solid quad with results to match.
You make some good points but fans are generally disregarding that he provided any spark last season as if he was a total waste of space when in reality he was our most influential player largely when he played. He might not be the right fight in a scrap of a game but he could be the dig fence in a tight game against Top opposition. Scored a worldy at Old Trafford set up the winner at Anfield and people forget how unbelievably good he was at the start of last season. Nobody has a crystal ball but if you posted this after the Brighton game last year you would have been laughed off the forum.
 
You make some good points but fans are generally disregarding that he provided any spark last season as if he was a total waste of space when in reality he was our most influential player largely when he played. He might not be the right fight in a scrap of a game but he could be the dig fence in a tight game against Top opposition. Scored a worldy at Old Trafford set up the winner at Anfield and people forget how unbelievably good he was at the start of last season. Nobody has a crystal ball but if you posted this after the Brighton game last year you would have been laughed off the forum.
Difference
 

Would James have brought anything extra to yesterdays second half than the team out there provided?

If so who would he have replaced? I can't think of anyone.
Yesterdays fightback was a matter of physical strength, grit and determination, we looked stronger than we have for ages with very powerful looking players doing their bit.......even if some may not have the world class moments in their lockers as we know James has.

As a wild card to bring on for the last 20 minutes I get it, but relying on him to be a first 11 starter is a joke, he'd ruin any stability we built. Never would you have a run of 6 games with an unchanged side if he was part of it. I'd like him gone to get a few more bargain bucket lads in like the 2 who did very well yesterday. Far more inkeeping with our goal of beating Ancelottis 10th spot and not fooling ourselves again a top 4 spot is possible this season. Trinkets are for when we really do have a proven solid quad with results to match.

He would have made a big difference in the first half when we were absolutely gash mate.
 
You don’t get better by subtracting quality
That’s one of those misconceptions that nerds behind computers like to make to sound like they are smart

Especially a team like us that has a few standout players. Whether from the bench or starting or not starting certain matches, quality should always be welcomed in clubs.

I just don’t care if he leaves or stays because it’s not worth the drama, not here nor at the club
This is the problem with James: he's not worth the drama. Personally, I love him. He's the only player in our squad who is actually worth watching. He's technically gifted and is always capable of moments of sublime brilliance. But we're just an accidental detour on his farewell celebrity tour of European football. He came because he trusted Carlo, not because Everton was a draw in any other way. I have no issue with that. His signing was a coup. Here was a gifted superstar on the way down who arrived to join a legendary manager on the way down. We couldn't turn our noses up at this. But once Carlo departed, the logic of James at Everton - whatever it was - completely evaporated.

He's never been committed to Everton in any way. Few players worldwide are committed to anything other than their own careers. That's professionalism. James knows there are more glamorous and sunny locations for his traveling roadshow. Rafael Benitez knows this too. Perhaps, in better circumstances, the manager could indulge himself by retaining James as another weapon in the squad. But he needs some kind of wriggle room to build a squad capable of finishing in the top half, and a new manager - especially one of his divisive nature - cannot afford passengers or, being charitable to James, celebrity distractions.

Benitez's problem will not be in letting James go. It will be letting him go and not replacing him with anything better for the collective - or worse again, letting him go and playing Iwobi or Gomes regularly in his stead. I suspect he is too canny to fall into that trap, but that will be a pitfall that he will have to avoid.

It was such a thrill to sign James, but the abrupt, clinical, and sudden departure of Ancelotti was the moment when Everton finally gave up on building castles of sand and allowed reality - grim as it is - back in. It's back to basics now, and Benitez won't be indulging divas, let alone whispering to them. At this stage of my Everton supporting life, I am past caring. What I do know is that any new manager needs to be allowed to do the job his own way if he is to have any hope of success. Benitez will be judged on his decisions by the majority of fans. I doubt giving James the boot will reflect too unkindly on him. It's the replacement/succession that will do for him if he's not careful.
 
I think people don’t know the meaning of the word balance

balance doesn’t mean all runners

it means having different kind of players with different skill sets and contributions. There is absolutely no one at the club that can do what James does. Actually very few players in the world can do what he does best. So having him actually offers balance. Some matches you are better off without him, some with him starting, some with him off the bench.

but you don’t get better by getting rid of him.
 

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