[criticalanalysis]

But, according to some here, he isn’t really that fast. Rapid as feck, and could have had a hat trick if all the stara aligned as well as an assist. Beat game for us. He is flawed for sure, but he’s above pub level as some would have it. A decent squad option with room to improve.

I love his standing start acceleration. It's fecking hilarious but so impressive at the same time.

He's does this speedy runner thing where he's powering/stamping his feet with full force (feet go up and down 3-4 times in a small space) to get a rhythm and then he flies away.

He's had a tough year and perhaps should have had more minutes but if he can pull out a game like this, it means Ole's man management to an extent and Jame's own preparation is professional at the very least.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

What? His pace is brilliant playing fifa

I know but I tend to sell players I don’t rate in real life. Fellaini was very useful in Fifa but I always sold him too.

 

[ValenciasDrilledCrosses]

Fair play, excellent performance. The one thing I miss from when he was starting regularly is how he tracks back and drops central sometimes to cut off passing lanes, helps us a lot in winning the ball back.

Best performance in a while, would love for him to succeed with us however unlikely it is

 

[Eternitiy]

Not his biggest fan, far from it, but I wouldn't be against giving him more opportunities if it means we can stop shunting Rashford to the right to accommodate Martial.

 

[Ali Dia]

It’s true though

I like him as a player, I can see his limitations but there’s something pure about him. I saw his head drop last year and I thought all the pressure on him was unfair. The board and the manager put all that pressure on Dan James and AWB and he was actually effective for nearly half a season and tapered off but if he’d kept it up he’d have been the bargain of the season. I honestly think he’s a better option than a sulky Martial, while not having as much quality is more aggressive and Rashford who just offers very little on the right. I think he could win us a lot of penalties and the fact he’s happy to provide assists is something we definitely lack. I noticed tonight and a few other times Rashford looks up and sees James absolutely motoring and if he releases it we are in right in behind (and their defenders are facing their own goal) but he nearly always used to the run to make more time for himself to cut it back and play a different pass that didn’t lead anywhere. Not slating Rashford. He was very good tonight.

 

[Ekeke]

I'm still looking for evidence that he's faster than Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

He obviously has pace, but I've never seen him do something that the other 3 cant in a United shirt when it comes to speed.

One thing I will say about James that is perhaps both frustrating and also promising is that it never feels like he's made enough runs for passes beyond the defenders making them run towards their own goals. When we find and release him he's always got men to take on and it doesnt seem often that he makes the run on the last player which is something Greenwood and Rashford do more often.

So thats something he can do more and add to his game and when he comes off the pitch having not done it you have to wonder why. Because thats the real threat defenders wont like playing against. They'll be much happier if James is getting the ball to his feet and then taking them on with his pace, rather than making the run behind them and getting to the ball

 

[Ekeke]

 

[Grande]

Not a popular opinion but could the way he’s being used be actually clever management by Ole?

His confidence must have been decimated at one point. Using him carefully against weaker teams with high defensive lines is playing to his strengths and helping him get a bit more self-belief.

Good point, and it seems to be working. He is pacing defenders ragged when they’ve followed his sprints for 80 mins and he still has got fuel left for the hot tank.

I’m as excited about technicians like Martial, Sancho and Amad as the next guy, but I do love to see the spirit of that lad too.

 

[criticalanalysis]

I'm still looking for evidence that he's faster than Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

He obviously has pace, but I've never seen him do something that the other 3 cant in a United shirt when it comes to speed.

One thing I will say about James that is perhaps both frustrating and also promising is that it never feels like he's made enough runs for passes beyond the defenders making them run towards their own goals. When we find and release him he's always got men to take on and it doesnt seem often that he makes the run on the last player which is something Greenwood and Rashford do more often.

So thats something he can do more and add to his game and when he comes off the pitch having not done it you have to wonder why. Because thats the real threat defenders wont like playing against. They'll be much happier if James is getting the ball to his feet and then taking them on with his pace, rather than making the run behind them and getting to the ball

He's absolutely rapid in terms of acceleration, there's no question of that but are you talking about on or off the ball? I think it depends on distance and circumstance e.g standing start, 5 yards or 25 yards etc. Off the ball I would have Rashford, James and then Martial/Greenwood. It'd very close because we've all seen them do insane sprints and reach high speeds. However, in general football and athletic situations, I'd have Rashford as 'comfortably' the fastest, then the other three being interchangeable but my second choice would be James.

I agree with your second point, although I would say that applies to all of our attackers. Martial off the shoulder runs and in behind are almost non-existant, Rashford has plenty of runs behind the ball but also plenty of mindless high intensity deep dribbles/run that ends up nowhere because he overdoes it and Greenwod never gets the chance because he's far too disciplined by keeping width. Then there's the fact we don't play football in a progressive way where we can stretch teams at will. Our passes behind defences are 'simple' chances created via counter attacking i.e high-risk percentage balls, which works fantastically when you've got Leeds/Sociedad/Leipzig willing to be so brave/naive against us but we know of course those games are far and few inbetween.

 

[Adnan]

 

[NinjaFletch]

I'm still looking for evidence that he's faster than Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

He obviously has pace, but I've never seen him do something that the other 3 cant in a United shirt when it comes to speed.

One thing I will say about James that is perhaps both frustrating and also promising is that it never feels like he's made enough runs for passes beyond the defenders making them run towards their own goals. When we find and release him he's always got men to take on and it doesnt seem often that he makes the run on the last player which is something Greenwood and Rashford do more often.

So thats something he can do more and add to his game and when he comes off the pitch having not done it you have to wonder why. Because thats the real threat defenders wont like playing against. They'll be much happier if James is getting the ball to his feet and then taking them on with his pace, rather than making the run behind them and getting to the ball

He's faster than Martial, that's for sure.

In fact, I'm not sure Martial's particularly quick. He's got a change of pace that scares defenders when he runs at them, but his top speed is unexceptional.

Similar is true for James, from a standing start he will toast players, but with two players running side by side it's a much closer run thing.

 

[Adnan]

 

[caid]

I like his energy and his hustle mostly. He just looks really annoying to play against with or without the ball on a good day. Himself, Bruno, McTominay and Fred collectively are hard to play against and going to get a lot of turnovers.

 

[ghaliboy]

I'm pretty chuffed for him, this is his level and he was left hung out to dry in the first team for way to long at the start of his time with us. If he was having a game like this every 3 or 4 over a few months people would have more patience with him. He's obviously matured a little bit with his time out if he can string some of these performances together he will be a pretty useful player over the next couple of years if we don't sell him.

 

[Foxbatt]

lets hope he gets more chances.

 

[Bondi77]

He did well today, I am happy for the young man.

 

[Isotope]

Good game. Good understanding on positional switches with Greenwood throughout the game.

 

[Caesar2290]

James is simple. If he gets space, he's deadly. If we play against packed defenses, he's garbage.

He'd be perfect in a pressing team though. Explains why Bielsa wanted him in the summer.

 

[youngrell]

It’s true though

I like him as a player, I can see his limitations but there’s something pure about him. I saw his head drop last year and I thought all the pressure on him was unfair. The board and the manager put all that pressure on Dan James and AWB and he was actually effective for nearly half a season and tapered off but if he’d kept it up he’d have been the bargain of the season. I honestly think he’s a better option than a sulky Martial, while not having as much quality is more aggressive and Rashford who just offers very little on the right. I think he could win us a lot of penalties and the fact he’s happy to provide assists is something we definitely lack. I noticed tonight and a few other times Rashford looks up and sees James absolutely motoring and if he releases it we are in right in behind (and their defenders are facing their own goal) but he nearly always used to the run to make more time for himself to cut it back and play a different pass that didn’t lead anywhere. Not slating Rashford. He was very good tonight.

Yeah it was frustrating to see James make very good runs only to be ignored for Fred, AWB or even Bailly at times

But as you say, no need to be too critical of Rashford after that performance.

 

[Jeppers7]

Awful for the first 50 mins, summed up by his ‘assist’...then came alive when they gave him loads of space.

 

[Bobcat]

Good point, and it seems to be working. He is pacing defenders ragged when they’ve followed his sprints for 80 mins and he still has got fuel left for the hot tank.

I’m as excited about technicians like Martial, Sancho and Amad as the next guy, but I do love to see the spirit of that lad too.

True. Hes fast as feck, but also seems to have a really good engine. If he plays like that there are plenty of defenders who are going to be completely dead on their feet if they attempt to keep up with him all game.

 

[yamo123x]

As a huge critic,.i eat humble pie again,.he did well..game suited him

 

[Classical Mechanic]

We should offer him to Dortmund as part of the deal for Sancho/Haaland. He's much more suited to that league and I think he'd be pretty great for Dortmund.

 

[AltiUn]

We should offer him to Dortmund as part of the deal for Sancho/Haaland. He's much more suited to that league and I think he'd be pretty great for Dortmund.

He'd probably hit 50 goals in the BL with their kamikaze defending.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

One thing that doesn’t get mentioned about him is his finishing. Any stats nerds know his conversion rate? He doesn’t seem to miss many chances. His goal against Soton was a clever finish and I liked the way he took the disallowed goal last night.

 

[Rossa]

I'm still looking for evidence that he's faster than Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

He obviously has pace, but I've never seen him do something that the other 3 cant in a United shirt when it comes to speed.

One thing I will say about James that is perhaps both frustrating and also promising is that it never feels like he's made enough runs for passes beyond the defenders making them run towards their own goals. When we find and release him he's always got men to take on and it doesnt seem often that he makes the run on the last player which is something Greenwood and Rashford do more often.

So thats something he can do more and add to his game and when he comes off the pitch having not done it you have to wonder why. Because thats the real threat defenders wont like playing against. They'll be much happier if James is getting the ball to his feet and then taking them on with his pace, rather than making the run behind them and getting to the ball

Arr you honestly doubting his pace vs Martial and Greenwood? When was the last time you saw Martial win a foot race over 20 yards? Greenwood lost a race to a defender yesterday that James flew past as if he wasn’t there. Look at his speed for when Bruno put him through. Rashford might make a case for himself, but even then James would beat him. Rashford, and particularly Martial, are much stronger though, so they are better at shrugging off players. If a defender manages to make contact with James, he usually struggles.

 

[abailey123]

A great performance and good to see him playing with a smile on his face. As someone earlier in the thread said maybe Ole is managing back to confidence. What ever he’s doing it seems to be working, 2 goals in 2 games from him. He’s never going to be a regular starter but there’s worse players to have in reserve / rotation

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Arr you honestly doubting his pace vs Martial and Greenwood? When was the last time you saw Martial win a foot race over 20 yards? Greenwood lost a race to a defender yesterday that James flew past as if he wasn’t there. Look at his speed for when Bruno put him through. Rashford might make a case for himself, but even then James would beat him. Rashford, and particularly Martial, are much stronger though, so they are better at shrugging off players. If a defender manages to make contact with James, he usually struggles.

agreed. When Rashford runs at players with pace, it can be breathtaking. Martial and Greenwood don’t have anywhere near the same level of pace, especially Martial.

James is rapid, and definitely our quickest front player. Would really like him to play more in the right, he could be a really valuable squad player if he can keep doing the same as last night.

 

[Kostov]

Not the best of games, but a nice goal, and his pace can be very useful.

 

[Tapori]

Agree about the confidence issue, but much like a Ji-Sung Park, James offers a very effective option against sides in big games where we're being pressed.

A vital squad player in the making if he continues.

 

[DWelbz19]

even his celebrations are sauceless

 

[GazTheLegend]

Solskjaers quotes on him were WEIRD, man

"Celebrate every goal as if it is your last!"

"I like that he went all the way without using his passing options"

Am I being ridiculous and reading too much into it but it's very odd praise to say the least. It was -probably- the right decision to shoot but it was a silly angle really.

 

[GledTheRed]

Solskjaers quotes on him were WEIRD, man

"Celebrate every goal as if it is your last!"

"I like that he went all the way without using his passing options"

Am I being ridiculous and reading too much into it but it's very odd praise to say the least. It was -probably- the right decision to shoot but it was a silly angle really.

Probably because he knows he's a terrible passer.

 

[quethenoo]

Solskjaers quotes on him were WEIRD, man

"Celebrate every goal as if it is your last!"

"I like that he went all the way without using his passing options"

Am I being ridiculous and reading too much into it but it's very odd praise to say the least. It was -probably- the right decision to shoot but it was a silly angle really.

Ole was asked by the interviewer about celebrating the last goal quite demonstrably and if he was happy for James, he replied with something about celebrating every goal like it's your last. It was just a stock response and I wouldn't read too much into it. Not sure about the not passing bit.

 

[Tapori]

Solskjaers quotes on him were WEIRD, man

"Celebrate every goal as if it is your last!"

"I like that he went all the way without using his passing options"

Am I being ridiculous and reading too much into it but it's very odd praise to say the least. It was -probably- the right decision to shoot but it was a silly angle really.

This is acrtually very nice praise.
He's saying "Lad should be more confident to take people on and be direct."

 

[pascell]

Didn't know Michael Caine was a United fan.

 

[Toshey]

Let me put it this way.The Angel di Maria fiasco has taught us something..
Even the best, most elite, technical and incredible footballer will NEVER do a job for you if he doesn't want to be here.

The popular opinion is that James is not elite level footballer. But I don't care about that. We had a lot of "non elite" footballers through the years who did amazing for us and helped us win many trophies. Why did they do that? Because they GAVE IT ALL.
Dan is the kind of player who gives it all, loves Manchester United with all his heart and will always keep on running, pushing, trying.
Under the reign of Fergie we've won many, many games where we looked lost. We've won them because of players giving it all and not stopping until the very last whistle.

I think Dan James is nowhere near his best and will only get better. The guy can be great option for us and I hope he pulls it off. I feel like he has in him at least 2 seasons where he'll get amazing numbers.
This season has been so encouraging! He seems to get a goal or assist or key pass every time he gets on the pitch.

 

[Matt851]

Arr you honestly doubting his pace vs Martial and Greenwood? When was the last time you saw Martial win a foot race over 20 yards? Greenwood lost a race to a defender yesterday that James flew past as if he wasn’t there. Look at his speed for when Bruno put him through. Rashford might make a case for himself, but even then James would beat him. Rashford, and particularly Martial, are much stronger though, so they are better at shrugging off players. If a defender manages to make contact with James, he usually struggles.

Martial plays most games looking like he has just eaten a big meal these days so its ridiculous to compare his apce to james

Hope to see james get some minutes in the league, do worry he will still struggle against teams playing deeper but could be a useful sub against city / chelsea

 

[GazTheLegend]

This is acrtually very nice praise.
He's saying "Lad should be more confident to take people on and be direct."

Yeah I liked it too personally, I love it when players run at people and commit them BEFORE passing/shooting. What I liked about that goal, personally was that Dan James DID have his head up a few times, but the options weren't there - so he kept going, then by the time he got on goal, it was -probably- harder to square the ball to Diallo for instance than shoot, and if you shoot and the keeper parries it then your striker has a tap in if you're nearby (in this case Diallo). So it was definitely the right choice.

 

[Bwuk]

One thing that doesn’t get mentioned about him is his finishing. Any stats nerds know his conversion rate? He doesn’t seem to miss many chances. His goal against Soton was a clever finish and I liked the way he took the disallowed goal last night.

Agreed I think he’s quite a reliable finisher. I’d of fancied him to of scored some of the chances Rashford missed.

He was excellent yesterday.