2020/21 James Rodriguez

[kenada_blue]

This exactly.

When he plays he always performs, he’s contributed with goals and assists and he improves our general play.

And even when he doesn’t play we’re generally winning games anyway, so it’s not like him being injury prone is hampering us as a team.

I’m honestly very happy with how the move has gone so far, he’s a class act and when he’s on the pitch he’s shown it consistently.

He's already out scored and assisted Iwobi, Bernard, Walcott in 18 games than they have in 2+ seasons.

It's what he does. When he plays. He delivers.

 

[Lanolin]

As is often the case there seem to be more people complaining about what they think people are saying than there are people actually saying it.

I think James is wonderful, and that his signing has proven to be worthwhile even if he only plays another 5/6 games. I also think that it's a fair point that him missing out with lots of niggles and perhaps not being particularly willing to play through the knocks is a bit frustrating, and worth commenting on. You don't have to hate him and want him publicly flogging to acknowledge that it will be disappointing if a 'very, very small problem' leads to him missing a handful of the most important games the club's had in a generation.

 

[DOMNOLAN]

He's already out scored and assisted Iwobi, Bernard, Walcott in 18 games than they have in 2+ seasons.

It's what he does. When he plays. He delivers.

He's like a postman with Tourette's, he f***ing delivers

 

[Yarrgh]

He is a star. His quality is more than apparent to anyone with eyes. He needs managing and used carefully in games such is his condition and we walked into his signing knowing that full well. My only regret is that we didn't have him here much, much earlier in his career.

 

[Arteta10]

As is often the case there seem to be more people complaining about what they think people are saying than there are people actually saying it.

I think James is wonderful, and that his signing has proven to be worthwhile even if he only plays another 5/6 games. I also think that it's a fair point that him missing out with lots of niggles and perhaps not being particularly willing to play through the knocks is a bit frustrating, and worth commenting on. You don't have to hate him and want him publicly flogging to acknowledge that it will be disappointing if a 'very, very small problem' leads to him missing a handful of the most important games the club's had in a generation.

The bit in bold is just pure speculation tho. I’ve never understood why a lot of Evertonians always look for a negative spin to put on things about our own players when it’s not really based on any real evidence.

Also we can’t really have it both ways, if we want him to play when he has a niggle and he’s not quite right then we can’t complain when he’s injured again and misses further games as a result of being overplayed when not fit.

I appreciate you’re not slagging him off like and obviously it’s disappointing that he’s not available for as many games but I don’t think that’s a criticism you can level at the player particularly. Ancelotti said it was a ‘very very small problem’ but surely by now we know to take what he says in press conferences with a pinch of salt.

 

[Lanolin]

The bit in bold is just pure speculation tho. I’ve never understood why a lot of Evertonians always look for a negative spin to put on things about our own players when it’s not really based on any real evidence.

Also we can’t really have it both ways, if we want him to play when he has a niggle and he’s not quite right then we can’t complain when he’s injured again and misses further games as a result of being overplayed when not fit.

I appreciate you’re not slagging him off like and obviously it’s disappointing that he’s not available for as many games but I don’t think that’s a criticism you can level at the player particularly. Ancelotti said it was a ‘very very small problem’ but surely by now we know to take what he says in press conferences with a pinch of salt.

It's based on what we're told. Yes Ancelotti might not be telling the truth, but you can't blame people for believing him can you? I've mentioned this before, I don't think the club handle injury information well - I appreciate they may want to keep the opposition guessing at times but it's more than that, we quite often give out information which turns out to be way out, and that breeds distrust and a feeling that things are going wrong. You can stop that happening by thinking about your communication a bit more.

A couple of weeks ago, Ancelotti said of James 'It is the intensity of the Premier League, there is a lot of contact. He suffered a contact against Fulham but it was a normal contact. To avoid contact is impossible in football. He has to accept this.' Now it may be a language thing or whatever, but I think when a player goes off like he did in that game - with most of us thinking it looked pretty innocuous - and then his manager effectively says after the game that there's nothing wrong with him, he's going to get kicked and he needs to deal with it, it's probably more than pure speculation to say that he may not be the most willing to play through knocks.

 

[Arteta10]

It's based on what we're told. Yes Ancelotti might not be telling the truth, but you can't blame people for believing him can you? I've mentioned this before, I don't think the club handle injury information well - I appreciate they may want to keep the opposition guessing at times but it's more than that, we quite often give out information which turns out to be way out, and that breeds distrust and a feeling that things are going wrong. You can stop that happening by thinking about your communication a bit more.

A couple of weeks ago, Ancelotti said of James 'It is the intensity of the Premier League, there is a lot of contact. He suffered a contact against Fulham but it was a normal contact. To avoid contact is impossible in football. He has to accept this.' Now it may be a language thing or whatever, but I think when a player goes off like he did in that game - with most of us thinking it looked pretty innocuous - and then his manager effectively says after the game that there's nothing wrong with him, he's going to get kicked and he needs to deal with it, it's probably more than pure speculation to say that he may not be the most willing to play through knocks.

The club aren’t obliged to keep the supporters informed about all the minute details of player injuries tho. If some fans want to spin that as a negative and distrust the club because of it then that’s on them, not the club. I’d much rather we kept the information to a minimum if Carlo thinks that will give us an advantage by keeping the opposition guessing.

In the Fulham game IIRC James never asked to be substituted or anything, he got clattered by two of their players and then Carlo chose to sub him straight away as a precaution but again I don’t think you can use that as a criticism of the player.

 

[Lanolin]

The club aren’t obliged to keep the supporters informed about all the minute details of player injuries tho. If some fans want to spin that as a negative and distrust the club because of it then that’s on them, not the club. I’d much rather we kept the information to a minimum if Carlo thinks that will give us an advantage by keeping the opposition guessing.

In the Fulham game IIRC James never asked to be substituted or anything, he got clattered by two of their players and then Carlo chose to sub him straight away as a precaution but again I don’t think you can use that as a criticism of the player.

And again, as is often the case, you're creating a straw man argument rather than addressing what's being said. Is it fans spinning it as a negative that we were told Gbamin could be fit for the start of the season, and then ready to play by November, and we're now in March and he isn't even training with the first team yet? Or is it reasonable to think that we probably spoke a little hastily there, and much of the speculation about his injury and future could have been avoided if the club had just said 'It's a bad one, we're just going to have to see how it goes and he'll be back when he's back'? I'm sure all 34 opponents have had a hard time guessing whether or not Gbamin will be playing or not though, you're right.

 

[TheBigIguana]

And again, as is often the case, you're creating a straw man argument rather than addressing what's being said. Is it fans spinning it as a negative that we were told Gbamin could be fit for the start of the season, and then ready to play by November, and we're now in March and he isn't even training with the first team yet? Or is it reasonable to think that we probably spoke a little hastily there, and much of the speculation about his injury and future could have been avoided if the club had just said 'It's a bad one, we're just going to have to see how it goes and he'll be back when he's back'? I'm sure all 34 opponents have had a hard time guessing whether or not Gbamin will be playing or not though, you're right.

Anybody with an understanding of injuries knew Gbamin was at best going to make it back around New Year's. I don't know which complaint that falls under but people should use some sense too. He blew his Achilles out. Start of the season was hilariously impossible.

 

[brieverton]

He is either fit to play or he isn't in terms of the opinion of the medical staff.

I'd accept given his status and talent that some extra leeway be given to him in that regard, but I'd be disappointed if he missed out on a game like tonights, when we need him more than most times, and he didn't play because he didn't feel ready, or up for it.

We should expect to have enough about us to manage without him vs. West Brom away or Southampton at home, but his absence tonight could be the difference between one point and none, or three points and one. Which could have much longer term consequences.

I'd believe he wouldn't be keen on being kicked around for 70 minutes by an Allardyce outfit, but surely tonight he is just plain old unfit to play/start.

 

[Lanolin]

Anybody with an understanding of injuries knew Gbamin was at best going to make it back around New Year's. I don't know which complaint that falls under but people should use some sense too. He blew his Achilles out. Start of the season was hilariously impossible.

Yeah I get that. My point was more that you can't really have a go at people for being annoyed when something the club says turns out to be wrong. Saying fans are turning things into a negative by taking information at face value is a new level of self hate, even for Everton.

 

[Arteta10]

And again, as is often the case, you're creating a straw man argument rather than addressing what's being said. Is it fans spinning it as a negative that we were told Gbamin could be fit for the start of the season, and then ready to play by November, and we're now in March and he isn't even training with the first team yet? Or is it reasonable to think that we probably spoke a little hastily there, and much of the speculation about his injury and future could have been avoided if the club had just said 'It's a bad one, we're just going to have to see how it goes and he'll be back when he's back'? I'm sure all 34 opponents have had a hard time guessing whether or not Gbamin will be playing or not though, you're right.

You’re the one banging on about Gbamin in the James thread to try and support your point mate, that’s a bit of a straw man argument isn’t it?

We were talking about James, and the fact that there’s no real evidence that he isn’t willing to play through knocks. My point still stands; some evertonians just love to assume the worst and put a negative spin on things whenever they get the chance, I don’t understand that.

 

[Lanolin]

You’re the one banging on about Gbamin in the James thread to try and support your point mate, that’s a bit of a straw man argument isn’t it?

We were talking about James, and the fact that there’s no real evidence that he isn’t willing to play through knocks. My point still stands; some evertonians just love to assume the worst and put a negative spin on things whenever they get the chance, I don’t understand that.

I was just using Gbamin as a further example of what I was talking about, hardly 'banging on'. If you don't see why believing what the club says is not assuming the worst or putting a negative spin on things, then i'm afraid I can't help you. I could probably arrange for you to get 10 superbloo points though if you want.

 

[Fansince1988]

He is either fit to play or he isn't in terms of the opinion of the medical staff.

I'd accept given his status and talent that some extra leeway be given to him in that regard, but I'd be disappointed if he missed out on a game like tonights, when we need him more than most times, and he didn't play because he didn't feel ready, or up for it.

We should expect to have enough about us to manage without him vs. West Brom away or Southampton at home, but his absence tonight could be the difference between one point and none, or three points and one. Which could have much longer term consequences.

I'd believe he wouldn't be keen on being kicked around for 70 minutes by an Allardyce outfit, but surely tonight he is just plain old unfit to play/start.

There’s not much point in having James if he doesn’t play more consistently, these games we need him. If he’s injured fair enough but if it’s a slight injurie I’d expect him to play, we would Richarlison and I’m sure he does play with with slight injuries James should be no difference.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

Really thought he'd be in the squad today and was being rested for today.