2021/22 James Rodriguez

[Spadge Vernacular]

He's a rat.

Denied us Diaz; belittled the club on social media; wont take a transfer set up for him because he wants to bleed Everton dry; goes instead to Ibiza and is working the Covid19 rules set up to protect people for his own selfish ends.

Ancelotti is to blame for this disaster.

Dave, don't tell anyone but something about this post worried me.

I couldn't put my finger on it at first and then I remembered a piece of high-level analysis by dholliday and from his work, you seem to have slipped to the bottom 'rung'!

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Steady on
It’s not about jealousy
What pisses me off more than anything about him is that he has all the talent in the world but has never utilised it consistently at any club
He always successfully manages to do the minimum required
What is there to be jealous of?

Spot on mate. That poor attitude only sees him ranked in the top three attacking midfielders in Europe since around 2014. His failure to utilise his talent meant that he only won one golden boot and not the other so can't really wear it. His insistence on doing his stupid minimum meant that he was only our best player last season. It's so annoying.

 

[d34noj]

No problem
Quite happy to be proved wrong if it benefits the team ?
I just look at his career and I’d say the outcome is 70/30 in my favour - let’s see

Yeah his career has been a real let down.

 

[d34noj]

He's a rat.

Denied us Diaz; belittled the club on social media; wont take a transfer set up for him because he wants to bleed Everton dry; goes instead to Ibiza and is working the Covid19 rules set up to protect people for his own selfish ends.

Ancelotti is to blame for this disaster.

Has Rodriguez called us small too?? That's it get rid.

 

[Barnfred 55]

I can’t draw the parameters for him
That’s up to him and the manager
We’ll both know what success will and will not look like
Let’s see how it pans out

Bollox man. This isn't about him and the manager, it's about me being able to pull you up over this post.

So hypothetically, come end of November, James has made 1 start and 7 substitute appearances. He has scored 2 goals, assisted 3 more and actively contributed to say another 3 goals. Has helped us turn around games that contributed to an additional 6 points since he joined the field of play.

I would consider that doing well. I pull you up on your post and you just say nah, I expected more from him.

 

[Jeff Jones]

I'm only guessing but if Benitez is married to a plan that involves his forward 3 pressing as a unit and acting as the front line of defence then I can clearly see how a player who doesn't do that negatively affects a plan. One player not doing their bit efficiently is 1/3 of that going down the pan and nullifies the efforts of the other forwards as there is always then an easy out.

It's also been demonstrated quite clearly the negative effect he can have on a game plan given how exposed the fullback behind him becomes when playing in what seems to be his preferred position. The opposition creating overloads on the exposed fullback behind him became a common source of problems for Ancelotti's side.

Majestic skills or not that's clearly a negative impact on a game plan. Denying the opposition chances to create chances is a significant part of a game plan.

I think he's a wonderful player on the ball but I can also see quite easily how there wouldn't be a place for him in many systems. And as good as he is there are no teams with genuine silverware credentials sniffing around him. There are major gaps in his overall game and question marks over his physical condition. The best teams as a general rule work hard everywhere on the pitch. Intensity seems to be a common attribute through all the most successful sides of the last few years - especially in the PL whose teams seem to be hitting the latter stages of the CL more consistently than other countries.

Again this is all supposing it's a tactical thing. Benitez has to look at what Rodriguez offers the team and what he takes away and how that works out in pure percentages for his chances of success. It's far removed from the romantic footballing notions of the drifting playmaker splashing touches of genius in and amongst the mundanity but that's what football is.

I'm sorry, I find modern football tedious a lot of the time and the word 'romantic' came into my head immediately before your last paragraph, and your description fits very well with how Evertonians would like the game to be played.

We were once known as The School of Science and I'm old enough to remember why.

 

[Barnfred 55]

Dave, don't tell anyone but something about this post worried me.

I couldn't put my finger on it at first and then I remembered a piece of high-level analysis by dholliday and from his work, you seem to have slipped to the bottom 'rung'!

View attachment 138393

Not so sure he slipped in there mate. Think he may have been born there.

 

[miff]

Yeah his career has been a real let down.

In terms of what it could have been yes 100%

 

[roy vernon]

If we're losing games at Goodison and James is fit, but either not on the bench, or on the bench and 18 yo youth players are played ahead of him, and we end up losing the game, then fans will absolutely turn against him. And it would be his own fault.

I don't expect this to happen by the way. He knows that his position here is dependant upon performance. We have an owner who isn't frightened to sack underperforming managers.

I would normally agree with you Fred, but, this whole situation is strange, I think that as long as we are somewhere between 14th and 8th, Benitez’ job will be quite safe. I really think he has been brought in to steady the ship while the books are balanced so that when we eventually move into Bramley-Moore we will have a shiny new stadium and a club being run within reasonable financial parameters.

It’s a shame, because James could really be an effective plan B for us against teams who park the bus. Will Benitez be pragmatic enough to use him? I fear not.

 

[ClausThomsen]

He destroys the game plan of any team looking to defend from the front and his attitude stinks and woul;d infect the rest of the team.

No wonder the Benitez haters want him in an Everton shirt.

I think destroys any gameplan is overegging it. I also think the latter half about his attitude is based on nothing but guesswork.

I'd love to see him flourish in an Everton shirt. But I can 100% see why he wouldn't fit into a Benitez side and it's nothing to do with unsubstantiated vitriol about his personality, attitude, influence on squadmates or other aspects those outside Finch Farm haven't got a clue about.

 

[Egil Olsen]

Spot on mate. That poor attitude only sees him ranked in the top three attacking midfielders in Europe since around 2014. His failure to utilise his talent meant that he only won one golden boot and not the other so can't really wear it. His insistence on doing his stupid minimum meant that he was only our best player last season. It's so annoying.

What kind of ranking are you talking about? Is that the ranking where Gylfi can also be considered the world's best offensive midfielder?

 

[miff]

Bollox man. This isn't about him and the manager, it's about me being able to pull you up over this post.

So hypothetically, come end of November, James has made 1 start and 7 substitute appearances. He has scored 2 goals, assisted 3 more and actively contributed to say another 3 goals. Has helped us turn around games that contributed to an additional 6 points since he joined the field of play.

I would consider that doing well. I pull you up on your post and you just say nah, I expected more from him.

You're getting it wrong, if he is successful and subsequently Everton are - happy days and yes I'll say I was wrong 100%
My underlying view is that I don't think he's that arsed, that's all

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Benitez has to have us challenging for the top four, no less. Anything else is an unacceptable failure. If he plays James consistently he might just do it.

 

[Bkk Andy]

Spot on mate. That poor attitude only sees him ranked in the top three attacking midfielders in Europe since around 2014. His failure to utilise his talent meant that he only won one golden boot and not the other so can't really wear it. His insistence on doing his stupid minimum meant that he was only our best player last season. It's so annoying.

It's also why the cream of Europe were fighting over his signature whilst on a free with half his wages covered.

Talent alone just isn't enough anymore.

 

[d34noj]

In terms of what it could have been yes 100%

Ridiculous.

Everton have what? 27 honours in our history?

James Rodriguez alone has 24. And he's 30. And it includes 2 Champions Leagues, and a top scorer at an actual world cup.

Anyone who doesn't think he improves us both commercially and on the pitch is a genuine idiot, or on the wind up.