James Rodríguez

[Romey 1878]

2 hours ago, Shukes said:

I’m lost. Feels like a lot of fans want us to be boring old Everton again. 
We finally get a player that we can truly be excited about in the last third…….. and we don’t want him because he can’t defend!

It's the Everton Way.

Our fans complained that DCL worked the channels too much and was never in the box enough, but then when he mostly stayed in and around the penalty area and scored plenty of goals some questioned his effort levels and actually used the fact that most of his goals came in and around the 6 yard box against him to show that he's actually a poor striker...

[StevO]

9 hours ago, Palfy said:

Possibly none but we have seen teams concentrate more men and attacks on his side of the field and take advantage of the the fact he won’t track back to help his RB out, and goals have been conceded in those scenarios, it doesn’t take long for other managers to work out a team’s weakness and exploit it, he did do some decent stuff but he has had no consistency to his game bar not helping out with any form of defence he was very consistent in that approach, I honestly don’t think there’s a team in this league who would take him, I could be wrong and Villa or Wolves may give him a go. I remember many years ago when I was a regular at home games the supporters would turn on players that didn’t work for every ball available, now some seem to be advocating it, strange how times change.  

So don’t play him out wide. Play him in the middle. 
Completely disagree about no consistency. He consistently made chances, the only change was the other players started missing them. 

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, RuffRob said:

I would love James here for another season, just to see him proper in front of a rocking Goodison.

He is definitely a 'luxury' player and I can understand why he might not be a lot of managers cup of tea, especially in a league like the Premiership. Maybe Benitez just wants to start as he means to go on, and we have to respect him a bit if James isn't in his plans or he has to compromise his playing style to much, or if getting him off the wage bill allows the signing he wants to come in. I think bringing in an another creative player would be key. 

However, James IS at the club, so it is kind of a shame not to have a good go at getting the best out of him. We don't have players like James on the books very often so it would be a shame not to see him next season.

Like others have said we may not see Gyfi player for a while, if again in a blue shirt. So this area of the pitch would need serious attention if James is not around either.

There shouldn’t be a manager in any league who would condone picking someone who doesn’t work off the ball. So at points in his career he must have had a good work ethic in his game to rise to level he did, why that seems to have changed only he knows   Frustrating but only he can change it because Benitez won’t accept it, his International manager isn’t happy Ancelotti was visible embarrassed by some of the questions he had to address over his lack of work, I remember when wearing the badge Nil Satis Nisi Optimum actually meant something and if players didn’t live up to the badge they were wearing they were rounded on by tens of thousands in unison.  

[StevO]

2 hours ago, Bill said:

Good morning everybody,  see this thread is still the busiest,  never seen Steve so busy in such a short spell ......  5 posts one after the other quoting 5 different posts. 

I'm leaving this thread now because we all have our different views about James and I don't think anybody will change them.  I just hope that if he plays this season he has a good season and doesn't disappoint us.

Got to keep the forum alive Bill

[StevO]

4 minutes ago, Palfy said:

There shouldn’t be a manager in any league who would condone picking someone who doesn’t work off the ball. So at points in his career he must have had a good work ethic in his game to rise to level he did, why that seems to have changed only he knows   Frustrating but only he can change it because Benitez won’t accept it, his International manager isn’t happy Ancelotti was visible embarrassed by some of the questions he had to address over his lack of work, I remember when wearing the badge Nil Satis Nisi Optimum actually meant something and if players didn’t live up to the badge they were wearing they were rounded on by tens of thousands in unison.  

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum doesn’t translate to run your arse off and track back.

[Palfy]

20 minutes ago, StevO said:

So don’t play him out wide. Play him in the middle. 
Completely disagree about no consistency. He consistently made chances, the only change was the other players started missing them. 

I agree his best position is playing in the middle let’s call it a false 10, but he would still need to work off the ball. For some unknown reason working off the ball has been labelled as just defending, let’s turn the tables here why do you consider it acceptable for a player not to work when they haven’t got the ball, because that is what 100% of his critics aren’t happy about on this forum. I played semi professional for a few years and if I got in the dressing room at half time or full time and we were losing or lost, and one of the lads had not been giving it ago, I’d grab him buy throat and smash him into the wall whilst whispering in his ear that I wasn’t very impressed with him, it is usually accepted and gets the desired results, Roy Keane was doing that for years at United and they probably had the best team in the world and they all worked hard. 

[StevO]

2 hours ago, Palfy said:

I agree his best position is playing in the middle let’s call it a false 10, but he would still need to work off the ball. For some unknown reason working off the ball has been labelled as just defending, let’s turn the tables here why do you consider it acceptable for a player not to work when they haven’t got the ball, because that is what 100% of his critics aren’t happy about on this forum. I played semi professional for a few years and if I got in the dressing room at half time or full time and we were losing or lost, and one of the lads had not been giving it ago, I’d grab him buy throat and smash him into the wall whilst whispering in his ear that I wasn’t very impressed with him, it is usually accepted and gets the desired results, Roy Keane was doing that for years at United and they probably had the best team in the world and they all worked hard. 

Firstly, that just sounds like you were a bit of a dickhead with your team mates. If that gets the desired results why doesn’t that kind of thing happen as much as it used to? Roy Keane doing it to his team mates is probably why he quickly became irrelevant in the modern game and failed as a manager. 

Secondly, if you have one player who can do something to win you the game I believe that’s more valuable than 11 men running their arses of. Henry didn’t have to work his arse off defending at Arsenal, Le Tissier at Southampton, neither did Zola at Chelsea, special players can make the difference. Give them what they need to win you the game. 
 

We had all this with Lukaku, doesn’t work hard enough but puts the ball in the net. As Mark said, we’ve had it with DCL. 
Some might want a team full of work horses, I want to see us score goals. 

[Palfy]

9 minutes ago, StevO said:

Firstly, that just sounds like you were a bit of a dickhead with your team mates. If that gets the desired results why doesn’t that kind of thing happen as much as it used to? Roy Keane doing it to his team mates is probably why he quickly became irrelevant in the modern game and failed as a manager. 

Secondly, if you have one player who can do something to win you the game I believe that’s more valuable than 11 men running their arses of. Henry didn’t have to work his arse off defending at Arsenal, Le Tissier at Southampton, neither did Zola at Chelsea, special players can make the difference. Give them what they need to win you the game. 
 

We had all this with Lukaku, doesn’t work hard enough but puts the ball in the net. As Mark said, we’ve had it with DCL. 
Some might want a team full of work horses, I want to see us score goals. 

It’s not defending within or around our 18 yard box it’s closing down trying to but a genuine tackle in when the balls broke down in their half or tracking a man who’s moving into space or doubling up on one of his teammates, he waits around for the ball and when he gets it either one or two things happen he uses it or loses it, sometimes with great ability and awareness that you just have to look and say fuck me, but it doesn’t happen near enough to allow for the fact that when he loses it he adds nothing until someone finds him again. 
You may say that makes you a dickhead but in the early 80s mate that’s how the passion in the game came out we were even allowed to make tackles then as well, it still goes off in dressing rooms and training grounds now and so it should it sets boundaries of what’s acceptable and what’s expected, we’ve needed a Keane type for years to get rid of our soft centre, because we just let people walk through us in midfield and no one seems to give a fuck. 

[Bailey]

7 hours ago, Btay said:

I think it’s as much poor managerial tactics as much as it’s his perceived lack of effort. Remember McGeady when he said he couldn’t believe how every team’s fullbacks were rapid.. the game has evolved that your wide players have to be athletic unless you are going to dominate the ball. 

James does enough for me to play 10 and to contribute to a defensive shape. He doesn’t have to make a single tackle, intercept or anything all game but if he pushes the play to where we tactically want it or closes down the space, passing lane or man he’s been told to then that’s enough.

I don't think he does. Well actually that isnt true, he can contribute in the 10 role to the team shape but more often than not he doesnt. If he plays 10 he will leave us 3 v 2 in centre midfield. Ancellotti played him as more of a second striker, whereas I expect Benitez will want more energy and defensive responsibility from his 10, which is more of an advanced midfielder. 

We saw it the other day, albeit wide. He lost the ball in the centre of the pitch, they countered but it was slowed down by our other players and then they moved it to Kenny's side, created a 2 v 1 down the right and James was walking back. I don't think that is acceptable at this level of football. I don't think it is acceptable in 5 a side either FWIW.

[Bailey]

I'm not sure if this has been posted yet, but it doesn't sound like he feels as though he is wanted here and I don't get the impression he is too bothered about staying either. 

[Palfy]

38 minutes ago, Bailey said:

I'm not sure if this has been posted yet, but it doesn't sound like he feels as though he is wanted here and I don't get the impression he is too bothered about staying either. 

I did mention it and also said if he’s as good as some say there will be a few who come in for him we shouldn’t have to much of a problem getting 30-40 million for him.

[Bill]

We've put the asking at £20m.

[Palfy]

21 minutes ago, Bill said:

We've put the asking at £20m.

Is that all. 

[London Blue]

1 hour ago, Palfy said:

Is that all. 

£20 million plus his wages is huge for us in terms of FFP.

Plus most of the main clubs that would take him are skint.

[StevO]

11 hours ago, Palfy said:

It’s not defending within or around our 18 yard box it’s closing down trying to but a genuine tackle in when the balls broke down in their half or tracking a man who’s moving into space or doubling up on one of his teammates, he waits around for the ball and when he gets it either one or two things happen he uses it or loses it, sometimes with great ability and awareness that you just have to look and say fuck me, but it doesn’t happen near enough to allow for the fact that when he loses it he adds nothing until someone finds him again. 
You may say that makes you a dickhead but in the early 80s mate that’s how the passion in the game came out we were even allowed to make tackles then as well, it still goes off in dressing rooms and training grounds now and so it should it sets boundaries of what’s acceptable and what’s expected, we’ve needed a Keane type for years to get rid of our soft centre, because we just let people walk through us in midfield and no one seems to give a fuck. 

Great. Let’s try to be like the early 80’s, 30 years later. The game has moved on. You should too. 

[Palfy]

2 minutes ago, StevO said:

Great. Let’s try to be like the early 80’s, 30 years later. The game has moved on. You should too. 

40 sadly moved on. 

[Shukes]

10 hours ago, Bill said:

We've put the asking at £20m.

Good price for someone of his age and nothing left on his contract. 

[StevO]

8 hours ago, Palfy said:

40 sadly moved on. 

I can’t count very well in the early hours

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, StevO said:

I can’t count very well in the early hours

After 8 pints or was it 12

[Bailey]

Loads of reports coming out that Benitez want's James out of the club.

Whilst I am sure he wouldn't stand in the way if a reasonable offer came in, it feels more like the media want James out of the club than anything else!

[Palfy]

I hope Benitez has some guaranteed in comings because with him not wanting James or Delph and Gomes being allowed to leave if the offers right, and Gylfi’s problems, we could find ourselves struggling to put a decent midfield out, only takes a injury to Allan Doucoure or Davies and we could be struggling even to put shit out on the pitch.  But I’m sure we’ve got it covered one out one in already lined up. 

[London Blue]

15 minutes ago, Palfy said:

I hope Benitez has some guaranteed in comings because with him not wanting James or Delph and Gomes being allowed to leave if the offers right, and Gylfi’s problems, we could find ourselves struggling to put a decent midfield out, only takes a injury to Allan Doucoure or Davies and we could be struggling even to put shit out on the pitch.  But I’m sure we’ve got it covered one out one in already lined up. 

I believe we are waiting on James to leave before we pull the trigger on deals.

[Cornish Steve]

Do I remember correctly that Benitez and James didn't get along in the past? I wouldn't be surprised if that history costs us a great player.

[Bill]

Its time to let him go anyway,  his hearts not in it.

[Palfy]

He needs a slower pace and less physical league in a warmer climate. I don’t think he relishes the north of England on a freezing night near the end of November being kicked by Burnley.  

[Gwlad]

14 minutes ago, Palfy said:

He needs a slower pace and less physical league in a warmer climate. I don’t think he relishes the north of England on a freezing night near the end of November being kicked by Burnley.  

Bit like Her Grace Meghan Markle not wanting to glad hand in Newcastle in the winter.

[MikeO]

12 minutes ago, Gwlad all over said:

Bit like Her Grace Meghan Markle not wanting to glad hand in Newcastle in the winter.

That's conjuring up images it shouldn't

[Isaiah]

Everything James has said suggests he's working hard so I don't know why it's felt his heart isn't in it. What is he doing differently to anyone else in the squad, and why is it grounds for shipping him out? He's our best player in so many ways. He doesn't like the cold? That was the excuse for him not liking his time at Bayern. All I care about is how he performs when he's in the shirt, and to me he's head and shoulders above almost every other player we have. The only reason he comes in for extra scrutiny of his "effort" is precisely BECAUSE he's head and shoulders above everyone else. There's so much attention on him. Some of the dross in our team has an iffy game it barely gets a mention, he has one and it's a sign his "heart isn't with Everton" and we should off-load him. I'm sorry but to me this is insanity. James f*cking Rodriguez, one of the world's top talents (and oh by the way money-spinners from a PR perspective), is contracted to be an Everton player for the next year. Unless and until Rafa says he wants him out, then I say we keep him. Every time this guy scores or assists a goal, look at his reaction (see last season's United game for example). Does he look like someone who, when he pulls on the shirt, doesn't give a shit? Not to me he doesn't (looking at you Mr Kean).

 

I hope we keep him and I hope he gets to hear the Goodison crowd singing his name for a season. The places he's been in his career, Madrid and Bayern (i.e just another fish who got lost in a huge pond), he will never have heard anything like it. 

 

[Shukes]

But your not getting it mate, media says Rafa doesn’t want him, so it must be true!

[Bailey]

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/james-rodriguez-lionel-messi-everton-21243669

 

More comments from James that seem a bit like he isn't too bothered about being here and in the same way that the club don't seem to be doing all they can to keep him either.