2021/22 James Rodriguez

[Davideeyore]

This is like Rooney being shown the door a few years ago. Big social media following and shirt sales etc and a big wage to boot. Not to mention whether they're reliable to play. Shame. But RB telling us straight he's here until 31st August I thought he was contracted for 2 years.

 

[BlueToff]

Him being on Twitch announcing to the world that he doesn't know the very next opponents of the club that pays him around 200k a week is, yeah. It's eveidence of deep unprofessionalism. Whatever about how it made the club look (they deserve it), he made himself look like a massively entitled mercenary. Which of course he is.

The thing is, it's not that he didn't know who our next opponents were. That's understandable when he has been effectively excommunicated. It's that he announced this to the world without a screed of self-awareness. He simply doesn't care. Neither would I, in his circumstances, but a true professional would never have pulled back the curtain and revealed the truth so starkly. You can get away with that attitude when you are reliably producing the goods on the pitch, but James isn't. He is now a more reliable entertainer on social media than he is on the pitch. A circus act for public consumption.

I've said, it's bad. It was a bad thing to say. Also, if you've seen the full quotes, you'll see he quickly says 'Leeds, yes it will be a very difficult game, I hope they win'.

I cba with this argument. We';l miss him when he's gone. Doesn't mean we should let him get away with murder but I'm not arsed about respecting a club which went and just hired a manager who quite literally once called us a small club.

They don't deserve my respect, they're run by muppets.

Edit: Btw, I don't really care about Benitez's red links. He could be the right choice for us, I'm sure he's fully committed. I have a lot of concern about giving him free rein over signings which by reliable links he seems to have, and the general direction of the club.

 

[BlueToff]

This is like Rooney being shown the door a few years ago. Big social media following and shirt sales etc and a big wage to boot. Not to mention whether they're reliable to play. Shame. But RB telling us straight he's here until 31st August I thought he was contracted for 2 years.

No that's not what it means mate.

It means until the 31st of August, he is our player unless someone buys him/takes him whatever.

After that, he's our player if he doesn't move.

Basically as it stands he's in Rafael's plans but of course we all know that that can change.

 

[Drico]

I've said, it's bad. It was a bad thing to say. Also, if you've seen the full quotes, you'll see he quickly says 'Leeds, yes it will be a very difficult game, I hope they win'.

I cba with this argument. We';l miss him when he's gone. Doesn't mean we should let him get away with murder but I'm not arsed about respecting a club which went and just hired a manager who quite literally once called us a small club.

They don't deserve my respect, they're run by muppets.

I don't disagree with you about the club. At least the muppets knew how to put on a show. But James is just as undeserving of our support. His comments last night - while totally understandable in private - were incredibly disrespectful to Evertonians in how they were broadcast. He was nowhere to be seen when he was needed last season. It's not even about his injuries. He can't help those. It's that they were used as an excuse to get the hell out of dodge on a private plane instead of being with the squad offering moral support. Worse still, it provided yet another opportunity for a social media post while his team mates were being hammered 5-0 at Man City. To be fair, he probably couldn't have named our opponents that day either.

A wonderful player when present, but an absolute circus act off the pitch. An easier kill than he ever should have been for Benitez.

 

[Zeitgeist]

People take things so badly out of context and translation

From what I've seen the full script was a lot more friendly and positive and translated to something more like

I have been isolating for a while, I haven't been able to train because it's so strict, thank god I don't have covid, I am not even sure who the guys have at the weekend

And then some more

The way the twitter brigade have portrayed it was as if he said

Haha whatever la don't even know who they're playing

Just wasn't the case

 

[MACCA75]

People take things so badly out of context and translation

From what I've seen the full script was a lot more friendly and positive and translated to something more like

I have been isolating for a while, I haven't been able to train because it's so strict, thank god I don't have covid, I am not even sure who the guys have at the weekend

And then some more

The way the twitter brigade have portrayed it was as if he said

Haha whatever la don't even know who they're playing

Just wasn't the case

Didn’t know who we were playing though did he?

 

[Willie Thorne]

Hes like Karol Poborski, knocks in a worldie at a major tournament and everyone thinks he's the 8ollocks. No loss.

 

[davek]

People take things so badly out of context and translation

From what I've seen the full script was a lot more friendly and positive and translated to something more like

I have been isolating for a while, I haven't been able to train because it's so strict, thank god I don't have covid, I am not even sure who the guys have at the weekend

And then some more

The way the twitter brigade have portrayed it was as if he said

Haha whatever la don't even know who they're playing

Just wasn't the case

What was lost in translation when he failed to turn up at Goodison last home game of the season? What was taken out of context when he boarded a private jet and got off to Columbia before the season ended?

 

[pedro789]

He doesn't want to stay, Benitez doesn't want him to stay. These things happen.

What happens next, who's interested?

Since 2014, Ancelotti is the only coach to show any interest in him - bought him at RM, loan to Bayern, brought him here.

For all his talents, no other club or coach fancied him. In 7 years.

 

[ToffeeTim]

What else is he meant to be doing? How about something non-attention seeking? Perhaps reading a book, watching tv, having a virtual conversation with, you know, an audience somewhat smaller than the collective population of Latin America? Is Messi or Ronaldo on Twitch tonight or are they simply being professional?

This is the James issue in a nutshell. More famous for being famous than for anything he can reliably and consistently do on the pitch.

The issue isn't that he goes on Twitch. He can talk about gaming and whatever else he likes as much as he wants.

Its just the daft comments like not knowing who we play and chat about his future and availability that are the problem. That stuff should be kept in house. To talk about it to randomers online is unprofessional.

But playing games and letting people watch along and comment? Who cares... his free time is his own time.

Anyway, we've reached the point where the current situation is in no one's interest. He isn't wanted and he wants to leave. It is what it is - do a deal and reinvest the money in a good right back so some good can come from this.

 

[Brennan]

People take things so badly out of context and translation

From what I've seen the full script was a lot more friendly and positive and translated to something more like

I have been isolating for a while, I haven't been able to train because it's so strict, thank god I don't have covid, I am not even sure who the guys have at the weekend

And then some more

The way the twitter brigade have portrayed it was as if he said

Haha whatever la don't even know who they're playing

Just wasn't the case

Terrible take this.

Not knowing who the team you’re playing for, who are paying you hundreds of thousands of pounds per week, are about to play next is a joke.

No exaggeration needed.

 

[arch stanton]

People take things so badly out of context and translation

From what I've seen the full script was a lot more friendly and positive and translated to something more like

I have been isolating for a while, I haven't been able to train because it's so strict, thank god I don't have covid, I am not even sure who the guys have at the weekend

And then some more

The way the twitter brigade have portrayed it was as if he said

Haha whatever la don't even know who they're playing

Just wasn't the case

surely not a RS agenda driven media luvvy trying to upset the Toffs?

The job of the media isn't to tell 'the' truth (contrary to popular opinion), it is to tell 'a' truth, or 'a' story. The onus is on the reader to interpret what it said/written. This spin on the comment so from JR is a good example of that.

 

[The binman chronicles]

and this is why we will never have nice things..

 

[ForeverBlue92]

But him being on Twitch isn't any evidence of an attitude issue, is it?

Look, he's a massive social media presence. It's just what it is.

On the pitch, when he plays, he is on 9/10 times, excellent. His issue is niggling injuries and fitness but ultimately that will be his issue until the day he retired.

He couldn't go to the Etihad, regardless if he'd been in the country. He wouldn't have been part of the squad as he was injured. He was given permission to return to Colombia. He shouldn't have put the photo on and if he hadn't it had all have been avoided - it was a stupid thing to do. But it doesn't change the fact he couldn't have been there.

The Wolves game at home was different. He could have been part of the home squad and there to see the fans.

I blame the club as much as the player, and I blame the club - because this is on the club - for being in such a bad financial position that we need his wages off the books, because he's a fantastic player.

You seem very frustrated these days mate.

Disenfranchised with EFC?

 

[BlueToff]

You seem very frustrated these days mate.

Disenfranchised with EFC?

I am mate. I can't be doing with some of the fanbases' victimhood mentality with it either.

On James - I'm quite happy to say what he said yesterday isn't on, and that he hasn't been perfect. I get that. I just don't also agree with people suggesting he wasn't that good or still isn't etc, as he very much is on a level above anything else we can get or attract. However, I understand we have restraints and he's a luxury in that sense we can't afford.

But on that last point, it doesn't make me any less frustrated at it all, at how it's going to be perceived as a failure because Everton have a habit of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I don't trust the people in charge, not because they're malicious, but because frankly they seem clueless. I'll reserve full judgement until the end of the window but honestly, I'm not really feeling it atm.

Absolutely buzzing with the win the other day, and we needed it, and there were glimpses of good play and let's hope that's something to build on. But I can't say I'm happy with where the club seem to be heading, or how we've got here.