James Rodríguez

[Romey 1878]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

Not you man, pretty sure I’m on Mark’s list  

It’s all in good fun .

[markjazzbassist]

5 hours ago, Hafnia said:

In the last few games he's made 2 of the best passes I've ever seen from an Everton player.

1.  Wolves.   Iwobi did a give and go but the route of the successful return pass from James was a joke, 3 or 4 players all within a tight grouping on the run and he threaded it through.  I had to rewind it a few times ... Even if a player seen the pass only 3 or 4 in the world can make that. 

2. Sheff Wed.  Richarlison offside goal.  Similar to the wolves pass, I honestly don't know how his brain works calculate the pass and to send the message to his left leg in the time he does it 

Honestly, he is an unbelievable passer of the ball, probably the best passer of the ball I've seen of that type.

the richarlison pass not only was it threading the needle, it had a little swerve on it to swing right into his path and avoid that last defender.  a little bend.  on the replay i was mystified, what a pass.  

[Matt]

46 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

It’s all in good fun .

Oh I know mate, and I’ll give as good as I get  

[Hafnia]

44 minutes ago, markjazzbassist said:

the richarlison pass not only was it threading the needle, it had a little swerve on it to swing right into his path and avoid that last defender.  a little bend.  on the replay i was mystified, what a pass.  

Honestly.  It's insane the command he has over a football and the ability to translate the picture he sees into a pass that has the tiniest margin for error.

That's the thing with James.  He completes passes where the margin for error is tiny, he puts then in channels where an inch or two out of place = possession lost. 

It is like watching magic. 

[RuffRob]

Somebody also mentioned that sometimes you see James with his head up scanning where to put the ball - and sometimes has to frustratingly take a sideways or back pass with lack of movement in front of him.  However, lets not forget he is only 12 games in to his Everton career. Once the squad are really on the same wavelength the will be more movement and more killer balls. 

How many players 12 games in are you usually still waiting for them to get up to speed with the Prem as the game passes them by? 3 goals, 5 assists and god knows how many key passes already - 

It is so exciting, thinking of how this team could be playing once they have had a bit more time together and they truly play as a team.

 

[MC11]

13 hours ago, Hafnia said:

In the last few games he's made 2 of the best passes I've ever seen from an Everton player.

1.  Wolves.   Iwobi did a give and go but the route of the successful return pass from James was a joke, 3 or 4 players all within a tight grouping on the run and he threaded it through.  I had to rewind it a few times ... Even if a player seen the pass only 3 or 4 in the world can make that. 

2. Sheff Wed.  Richarlison offside goal.  Similar to the wolves pass, I honestly don't know how his brain works calculate the pass and to send the message to his left leg in the time he does it 

Honestly, he is an unbelievable passer of the ball, probably the best passer of the ball I've seen of that type.

The weight of his passes are sublime. Like literally perfect. To the point where if they were any less perfect they’d be shit passes if you get me??

[StevO]

29 minutes ago, MC11 said:

The weight of his passes are sublime. Like literally perfect. To the point where if they were any less perfect they’d be shit passes if you get me??

I was saying that to a lad in work today. He plays that are inches from being easy for the defender to deal with, but like they are so close they make the defender look like a mug, but he does it so often it’s clearly not a mistake. Just ridiculous talent and ability. 

[pete0]

Idea balls?

 

[msloan78]

I didn't really look at it too much before, but James actually plays the first pass in that clip from near the centre circle and then carries on his run to get on the end of Doucoure's 2nd pass.

Great goal all around.

[StevO]

That left foot. What I’d have given to see him and Leighton Baines on the same team. So close yet so far. 

[Palfy]

If only DCL could strike a ball like that we wouldn’t be far off of the league. 

[Wiggytop]

2 hours ago, Palfy said:

If only DCL could strike a ball like that we wouldn’t be far off of the league. 

True, but how good is James’s heading compared to DCL

[Btay]

Think he needs to have a bit of a look at himself. Undoubtedly the most talented player I’ve seen in our shirt but Fulham was disappointing beyond words.

[Bailey]

No surprise he is fit for the City game.

[RuffRob]

Rumours in spanish media doing the rounds that he wants away in the summer. Hating the british weather and not overly keen on the physicality of the Premiership.

I wouldn't be suprised if there is some truth in this. It doesn't look like he's fully motivated at the moment.

The main reason he didnt go to Germany permanent was that the climate didnt agree with him. 

This lockdown situation is going to help anybody settle in to a new environment. Stuck in the house all the time. I think we are all getting a bit stir crazy!. 

[Bill]

Didn't take him long, he's already beginning to look like a passenger. Likes everything to be easy but you have to have bottle to stand out in the prem and he doesn't have it.

[Bailey]

5 hours ago, RuffRob said:

Rumours in spanish media doing the rounds that he wants away in the summer. Hating the british weather and not overly keen on the physicality of the Premiership.

I wouldn't be suprised if there is some truth in this. It doesn't look like he's fully motivated at the moment.

The main reason he didnt go to Germany permanent was that the climate didnt agree with him. 

This lockdown situation is going to help anybody settle in to a new environment. Stuck in the house all the time. I think we are all getting a bit stir crazy!. 

This was something that was said about him before he came here too.

It probably also doesn't help that we are looking increasingly unlikely to finish in the top 4.

[RuffRob]

Although it only a rumour, so nothing quoted to him, but this wouldn't be something that surprises you. If he did go the saddest thing would have been that we didn't get the chance to go and see him and cheer at some of his great performances. It's such a difficult season this year, empty Stadiums - imagine the rapport he would have instantly built up with the Goodson faithful.

James is a funny one - no doubting he is brilliant at what he does, and in certain games he has been an absolute pleasure to watch, but in some games he has also had me tearing my hair out. I think you have to tweak much of your team set up to accommodate him in the line up, and in certain games you just don't want to play him (Leeds for example), and we may have suffered once or twice trying to accommodate him. 

I am not sure how he best fits in the very top level of the modern game. The quality, pace and athleticism of the game now is just so high, just being of superior technical quality just isn't enough - not if you want to be a nailed on starter in clubs challenging at the top of a competitive league. The fact he was not in the starting line up against 'middle of the table' Leeds tells its own story. 

Don't get me wrong I am a James fan and want him to be part of the squad, he definitely adds that bit of quality at times and we are currently far better with him in the squad than not, his presence and skill could only have acted as inspiration to others in the squad and got them lifting his game. 

Give what he has done (and not done) and given the cost of him coming here - you have to say up to now it has been a successful transfer at least on our part - but if push come to shove, out of the four major signing that came in last summer - I think James would (at this moment in time) be the one I would be the least saddest about seeing go - Allan, Doucoure and Godfrey are made for the challenge of the Premiership.

Let's hope he gives it at least another season so we can see him play in a packed out Goodison Park, and he can properly feel the warmth and affection the Everton fans can give. 

 

[Boston Toffee]

I am probably way off but I am getting the feeling he is a bit of a prima donna... Lately he seems disinterested at times and other times just pure frustrated.. If he doesnt want to be here he wont be giving his all it seems. Who knows. Loads of talent but need the right attitude too. Again I could be way off on this assumption.

[Gwlad]

Well summed up RR.

[Hafnia]

FFS we have a match winner here a player of genuine world class ability who is playing with players like Gomes and Gylfi and a misfiring Richarlison and inconsistent Iwobi.

The lad looks like he wants to win badly.  Far bigger passengers than him. 

 

[Palfy]

I think he possesses ability flare and great vision, but is that enough for this league, no every player needs to work hard you saw that with City, they had players of equal or better ability yet they worked hard for the team. 
I will say that his half hearted jogging is starting to whined me up, he’s not that special that he gets a free ride when it comes to putting the work in. 
In his last two games he’s been a complete passenger no input of any note that I can honestly remember. 

[MikeO]

4 minutes ago, Palfy said:

I will say that his half hearted jogging is starting to whined me up...

Your spelling is winding me up more

[Palfy]

6 minutes ago, MikeO said:

Your spelling is winding me up more

Okay fair cop  

[Bailey]

Good post @RuffRob.

I agree on the accommodating part. Over the last few seasons we have had to do this with a few players. Geri was a bit like that, Rooney was another and then we have done the same to a large extent with Gylfi, in respect of shoehorning him into roles that he doesn't really suit or playing a certain way to make sure he isn't sitting on the bench.

Of all of those players, the one I would be doing all I could to fit in is James and if I could, I would do more to try and get a better squad around him (touching on what @Hafnia) has said about the other players in the first team.

Even treating him that way causes problems within the squad as well. By all accounts he doesn't train a lot and I get the impression that he doesn't always fancy it either. Despite that all being well he would start. I don't think that sets the right example to the others in the group that doing much more back at Finch Farm.

I am in two minds about him and I can see both sides of the argument. If someone could design a comfier fence it would be appreciated.

[c1982]

I remember this nonsense after we’d lost a few games after the last derby - James was still producing but we weren’t finishing the chances. He’s class - he’ll look even better when Allan and Doucoure are back together and helping us to dominate games again.

[RuffRob]

like I said he is a funny one - I think we all know working hard, particular we don't have the ball is just not his game and it never will be. We knew that when we bought him - so it's no good any of us really complaining when he doesn't do it in a game, as frustrating as we find it. I think most of us want him on the team sheet - because when his on it, it's beautiful to watch and effective, and who doesn't want to watch beautiful football.

There are issues to some parts of his game, and in some games they do cause us problems. However, if he didn't have these issues them he would be playing for another team and would not have come here on a free transfer.  The key is definitely trying to maximising his attributes whilst minimising his shortcoming.

I think having Allan back in the team will make a difference - It been noticeable James has been dropping deeper to pick up the ball, I think Allan was getting it up to him a little more than other have been. 

We at least have him until the end of this season - and there is still a fair bit of football left to play. I hope his head doesn't drop to much and he become disillusioned at being in the UK and the Premier league. I hope he rises to the footballing challenge in front of him - he has the ability to be come a loved legend at Everton and in the Premier League in general.  In four or five years time he will fined he has lifetime to sit at the side of a pool side in sunnier climates. If he did quit the best and most challenging league in the world I am sure he would look back at it with regret. 

 

 

[Hafnia]

If the rest of the team are doing a 7/10 job.... James will win us games.

Sadly we have had too many players stinking the gaff out, Gomes and Gylfi are the two most inconsistent unreliable players I've seen us have.  For centre midfielders that is unacceptable. 

As a result - Doucoure is resembling a spinning top, he can't cover the cracks. 

Davies can't be looked at to replace Allan as good as he has been of late, he is a young lad who should be learning off players of Gylfi and Gomes experience and talent..... Not covering them.

We have reached an all time low if James is the focal point for why we aren't doing well.... 

You don't buy a Ferrari to tow a caravan. 

[RuffRob]

8 hours ago, Hafnia said:

If the rest of the team are doing a 7/10 job.... James will win us games.

Sadly we have had too many players stinking the gaff out, Gomes and Gylfi are the two most inconsistent unreliable players I've seen us have.  For centre midfielders that is unacceptable. 

As a result - Doucoure is resembling a spinning top, he can't cover the cracks. 

Davies can't be looked at to replace Allan as good as he has been of late, he is a young lad who should be learning off players of Gylfi and Gomes experience and talent..... Not covering them.

We have reached an all time low if James is the focal point for why we aren't doing well.... 

You don't buy a Ferrari to tow a caravan. 

but I don't think anybody is putting any sort of focal point specifically on James being a scape goat, people just commenting on both his strength's and his weakness's. Don't tell me you think there are no weakness to James's game? I have said James has been a good signing and brings lots of positives and want him as part of the team.

I actually generally think, on average, we are doing quite well this this season - yes we have lost some game we though we should have won - but pretty much every team will say the same.  Just to put it in perspectives - we where all so pissed off about the Fulham game because losing has dented out change of finishing top 4 and a CL place. In the whole of the Premiership era how many times at this point of a season are we realistically worrying about missing CL qualification - 2? 3?, 4 tops? We are also far from the finished article under Ancelotti - challenging for top 6-7 was our realistic goal for this season - and we are there or there about.

The current discussions are about a rumour (might be true or false) that he might be looking to quit the Premier league because of the bad British weather, physicality of the league, and the general culture of the UK.  Its not about him having any problem with the club, manager or other players - If true, it just sounds like the North West of England isn't floating his boat, compared to his normal home. To be honest, if the rumour is based on him just chatting to friends etc in Madrid - I don't imagine he would be signing the praises of the UK weather this past few months, or saying how much he loves the physicality of the Premiership or that he is not somehow missing living in Madrid, and all friends he has there. Don't forget with most of the world (or at least UK and Europe) in lockdown  since middle of December -  he will not have been able to have friends an family over to stay and visit or visa versa, all this type of thing is fooking with all of our heads at the moment and not in a good way. My 'mood' has definitely dropped considerably since December. 

I just hope it all doesn't get him down to much and he wants away, before at least giving it a crack in more normal times - when Stadiums are full and fans are chanting, restrictions on our lives are removed and our general moods are just lifted.  

 

[Bill]

I wouldn't play him against the shite even if he is a ferrari, they have Mane and Robertson on one wing, and Salah and Trent Arnold on the other wing.  We need proper wide men to help out our FBs.  James is not capable of chasing and tackling, and even if he was shifted inside it would be just as bad. Its in these games that you use your 4 wheel drive landrovers.  Sorry Haf.