2020/21 James Rodriguez

[trueblue84]

There are lots of clubs in the world that could afford him to be in their treatment room for most of the season.

For context, Hamez made 23 league apps for us last season, KDB made 25 for City.

Would you say No ambitious club would want KDB in their treatment room?

On the list of players we should be binning off, Rodriguez is way, way down near the bottom. I don't get our fans sometimes.

 

[fandjango]

He is at a club where the sky is the limit. This Everton squad is world-class...choc-full of talent and steely determination. Why would he want to be anywhere else?

Ouch

 

[efcste97]

How did he get on with Benítez when at Madrid?

 

[Goat]

On the list of players we should be binning off, Rodriguez is way, way down near the bottom. I don't get our fans sometimes.

Sadly mate the problem is we really cant afford him in the treatment room.

I dont buy into the "He plays when he wants" mantra tho, as Big Oil said above, I just think hes really injured, a lot.

But yeah, my point stands, I would rather have Hamez for 3 games a season than watch anybody else for 38.

 

[Goat]

How did he get on with Benítez when at Madrid?

They hated each other.

 

[Harryflashman]

They hated each other.

James should get himself down the brick sounds like he’d fit in

 

[trueblue84]

Sadly mate the problem is we really cant afford him in the treatment room.

I dont buy into the "He plays when he wants" mantra tho, as Big Oil said above, I just think hes really injured, a lot.

But yeah, my point stands, I would rather have Hamez for 3 games a season than watch anybody else for 38.

Did anyone expect him to play more than 20 games a season, though? He never managed that in Germany or Spain, where most of those matches are like a training session.

We can afford for him to be in the treatment room if we have better players around him. I'd happily take coutinho and have them both play half a season each rather than have to rely on Bernard, iwobi or sigurdsson.

 

[Harryflashman]

I appreciate it might be an unpopular opinion but if I don’t see him live in a blue shirt at goodison , then I’ll feel like I’ve been cheated of the experience.

 

[efcste97]

They hated each other.

He'll be going then most likely, I'd like him to stay personally.

 

[APN_EFC]

Suppose the hope with him now is that with a World Cup next year and getting dropped from the National team for not proving his fitness, he steps up this year to make sure that he's on the plane to Qatar.

He took his year here as a bit of recreational footy to tide him over until the Copa America. The fact he didn't get to go hurt him.

Did anyone expect him to play more than 20 games a season, though? He never managed that in Germany or Spain, where most of those matches are like a training session.

We can afford for him to be in the treatment room if we have better players around him. I'd happily take coutinho and have them both play half a season each rather than have to rely on Bernard, iwobi or sigurdsson.

I think if Yerry Mina, Richarlison and others can make him feel part of the group, and in general we improve our team ethic - sadly missing in recent years - he would be happy to stay for a year. I think playing for Columbia is a big motivation, and he's worth a lot more than Iwobi, Bernard, Gomes and Siggy to our team. It's just last year everything was so dysfunctional at times that nobody really stood out, apart from Pickford, DCL & Godfrey on a consistent basis.

We desperately, for so many different reasons, need strong leadership and a much much better team bond.

 

[Carlito]

I can't imagine Benitez being willing to accommodate a player who clearly can't commit to a full training schedule.

 

[Goat]

I can't imagine Benitez being willing to accommodate a player who clearly can't commit to a full training schedule.

Do you reckon Fat wad takes snacks out when hes leading the training?

 

[f.t.r.s]

The club are making a lot of effort to spotlight someone whose on the verge of leaving apparently

 

[zukai12_]

They hated each other.

Ah so he was behind the bedsheets then

 

[Kever10]

They hated each other.

Theres not really much evidence to support this BTW. A few media reports at the time because he didn't start the 1st game. But he started the 2nd and was in the side more or less until he was injured on international duty and missed 2 months. He then started as sub a few times, which is a cautious move most managers would make bringing back a star, especially when you can just bring in another galctico to replace him.

He then started games again, taken off a few times in 2nd half, finished others. Pretty similar treatment to his father figure Ancelotti. But 1 of them was loved and the other was disliked from the start, so you can see how that goes from experience. 2 months later, in January, Benitez was gone despite being top of the CL group and touching distance of 1st place in the league.

The media will manipulate any situation to sell a story and help push a narrative. And the Chinese whispers start and get out of hand. I've seen people suggest he refused to play him, which is just untrue.

Time will tell if they do indeed work together, but it doesn't help to feed rumours based on very little evidence. Even if they have had professional differences, it doesn't preclude them from ever working together again.

As I've always said, I try not to burn bridges, as you never know who your next boss will be.