[Beans]

In the context of things, yes he's poor, i.e. as far as being at the level of a Manchester United footballer goes. I assume most are judging him purely within this context.

Maybe that’s the problem. Seems an unnecessary burden to put on a player, if someone wants to discuss how he rates compared to an average United winger they should make note of that.

I suppose when we rate a player we’re rating them against other professionals. Compared to the average human, James is great at football!

For a United winger he’s below average, no question. At another club he’d be singled out for praise for shining relative to the rest.

Personally I think we need a better back up. But considering we just brought in Sancho I’m gonna save my complaints for other issues.

I’d like cover for AWB who is good in the air and better going forward, and I’d like a CDM, so we can play 433 with Pogba in central midfield.

 

[Member 105568]

You ain't gonna win the league with players like him in your side. Just not good enough no matter how hard he tries.

Maybe not in the side but he's useful deeper in the squad. He's no way good enough to get regular league or Champions League games.

If you can make a good profit on him it's probably best to sell him but he's got some attributes that are hard to replace. Few players have both his stamina AND speed together and he seems a good lad. Most coaches love that and I think it could end up being a problem for Amad/Hannibal.

 

[E-mal]

Coincidence?

You bet, pure coincidence.
He isn't good enough, period! Perhaps, if he was good enough, he would have been of used in those games we lost.

 

[OrcaFat]

You bet, pure coincidence.
He isn't good enough, period! Perhaps, if he was good enough, he would have been of used in those games we lost.

It probably is coincidence to get that run of results and, in the grand scheme, he probably isn’t good enough to stay in the team or even the squad long term.

But Ole likes what he gives us and in certain matches or for cover and rotation, he is valued highly. Ole often says why that is: stamina, work rate, pace. The pace he has forces teams to play a certain way and creates space for others. The fact that James is pretty poor with the ball is a shame but is seen as an acceptable trade off against his other qualities.

So it probably isn’t coincidence that the team as a whole does well when he plays.

 

[Drifter]

Played out of his best position , and it showed.

 

[Litch]

Hard work and endeavour but honestly, not even close to being a Utd player even off the bench. The younger players are technically better......

 

[luke511]

Played out of his best position , and it showed.

He's our back up RW if Greenwood is moved centrally and Amad is loaned out. May as well be seen as his position now.

 

[Borys]

I think we've gotten to a point there is little room for Dan.
He's pretty useless against teams that sit back because of his general play being very... I'll call it "simple".
He is useful against decent teams, especially if you're settling for a goalless draw, but if you want to win I don't see him being the guy for those games neither.

Him and Wan Bissaka is a bit of overkill on the right side, no spark there.

 

[United in sin]

Coincidence?

Nope.

But some on here won't understand.

Context is needed. Jame's game time was limited last season and his goal tally was constituted of goals that merely padded his stats late in games that were sewn up.

Look at his goals, all but 1 of his 5 goals last season were scored in the dying minutes of big wins. His stats makes him appear to have contributed when in reality he just benefited from coming on against already defeated teams

 

[Pearl.Jam]

As a Welshman I’m never going to go in hard against him but it’s obvious that he just ain’t got what it takes to make it at United unfortunately.
Works his socks off but you just know whenever he sets off on a run that 99% of the time it’s going to come to nothing and he’ll either be easily brushed off or just plain run straight into the defender, his worm bothering shots are not a pretty sight either

 

[RedDevilRoshi]

Works hard but his decision making in the final
3rd is his major downfall which is why I don’t see him as a long term Utd player. Think he would thrive in a less pressured environment like a mid table Premier League side

He was the only player I didn’t give pass marks to yesterday and surprised he lasted as long as he did. Only good contribution that I can remember him making was a very good, well-timed, crunching tackle on a Leeds player early in the game which brought out a massive cheer from the crowd but other than that, he offered nothing.

 

[theklr]

Context is needed. Jame's game time was limited last season and his goal tally was constituted of goals that merely padded his stats late in games that were sewn up.

Look at his goals, all but 1 of his 5 goals last season were scored in the dying minutes of big wins. His stats makes him appear to have contributed when in reality he just benefited from coming on against already defeated teams

Well as weird as it sounds Dan James isnt there to score goals, he is there for defensive contributions and stretching defences. But as a wide forward he most definately should...

 

[Foxbatt]

I am sure that eventually the coaches would improve his decision making. It's something that can be made better.
So Ole seems to be making good use out of him. He does what he is tasked to do. Now if he can improve his decision making and his shooting it would be a bonus.

 

[edcunited1878]

Interesting to see how Lucas Moura's relentless running, work rate, movement, and pressing is being praised today.....yet James does the same thing all the time.

Moura has never been a consistent player with respect to output, yet has that talent and will have moments of quality because he has it, more than James.

Point of it is, again, you need hard working players like Dan in your squad. The pace and in your face stubbornness is needed when you're fighting against the scrappiness and competitive nature of the PL.

 

[largelyworried]

Interesting to see how Lucas Moura's relentless running, work rate, movement, and pressing is being praised today.....yet James does the same thing all the time.

Moura has never been a consistent player with respect to output, yet has that talent and will have moments of quality because he has it, more than James.

Point of it is, again, you need hard working players like Dan in your squad. The pace and in your face stubbornness is needed when you're fighting against the scrappiness and competitive nature of the PL.

I don’t rate Moura particularly and I quite like James, but I think Moura is a lot better than James and has way more quality on the ball.

 

[SoCross]

Much better on the left than the right. Decision making is still poor though.

Im ok with having him as back up for the wings for a couple more seasons to see if Elanga/Diallo are ready to step up.

 

[edcunited1878]

I don’t rate Moura particularly and I quite like James, but I think Moura is a lot better than James and has way more quality on the ball.

Moura does have more quality, totally true...but he's never been a good to top player because he lacks consistency on his output.

And Dan has been playing top level football for 3 years. Moura has played for many years more than Dan.

 

[Topgun1]

Interesting to see how Lucas Moura's relentless running, work rate, movement, and pressing is being praised today.....yet James does the same thing all the time.

Moura has never been a consistent player with respect to output, yet has that talent and will have moments of quality because he has it, more than James.

Point of it is, again, you need hard working players like Dan in your squad. The pace and in your face stubbornness is needed when you're fighting against the scrappiness and competitive nature of the PL.

You really cannot compare Moura with Dan James. There's a reason why Tottenham went to the CL final recently and Moura was a big part of that. It's not just his "relentless running, work rate, movement and pressing" which sets him apart from Dan James. It's his feet. It's the way he moves the ball, and the way he anticipates space in behind him. He seem to know what to do when confronted with bodies in front of him, that makes him extremely useful in tight areas when trying to break through on the counter.

 

[Champ]

Context is needed. Jame's game time was limited last season and his goal tally was constituted of goals that merely padded his stats late in games that were sewn up.

Look at his goals, all but 1 of his 5 goals last season were scored in the dying minutes of big wins. His stats makes him appear to have contributed when in reality he just benefited from coming on against already defeated teams

A goal is a contribution no matter when or how it is scored.

Fecking does my head in when people try to claim otherwise.

Would you rather he stop the ball on the line and kick it back to the keeper rather than score?

We've lost a league on goal difference, so you cannot claim that tap ins or goals scored in easy wins are just 'stat padding'....

 

[edcunited1878]

You really cannot compare Moura with Dan James. There's a reason why Tottenham went to the CL final recently and Moura was a big part of that. It's not just his "relentless running, work rate, movement and pressing" which sets him apart from Dan James. It's his feet. It's the way he moves the ball, and the way he anticipates space in behind him. He seem to know what to do when confronted with bodies in front of him, that makes him extremely useful in tight areas when trying to break through on the counter.

I'm comparing their work rate and relentless running. It is very clear that Moura is the better quality of player, especially as the much more talented and seasoned pro.

People are impressed by Moura's running, pace, attitude, etc. But when Dan James does it, so many people take it for granted and don't appreciate it. James is a very good squad option at United. The amount of disrespect he gets from his own is bullshit.

 

[Topgun1]

I'm comparing their work rate and relentless running. It is very clear that Moura is the better quality of player, especially as the much more talented and seasoned pro.

People are impressed by Moura's running, pace, attitude, etc. But when Dan James does it, so many people take it for granted and don't appreciate it. James is a very good squad option at United. The amount of disrespect he gets from his own is bullshit.

I agree with you yeah, I like Dan James' workrate and pressing myself. I think he's certainly a better squad option than Lingard. If they can keep Lingard, they should definitely keep James.

 

[WR10]

Played out of his best position , and it showed.

He can't control a ball in the premier league.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

You bet, pure coincidence.
He isn't good enough, period! Perhaps, if he was good enough, he would have been of used in those games we lost.

Might not be entirely coincidental.

He tends to play in games against teams that we set out to counter attack which is what we do better than most sides in Europe.

We also attack more down both flanks more which even though he often wastes moments does create more uncertainty in the opponents defence. That may well be a positive omen for Sancho.

 

[AngeloHenriquez]

So he isnt very good, shouldnt start, we beat leads scoring 5 goals with 10 players apparently....

Clearly he does more than we think or see on terms of drawing players away or pressuring to get chosen, when we win 5 - 1, I have nothing bad to say, nice to see him part of it

 

[Fortitude]

I don’t think there’s any big deal in saying he’s out of his depth. If you want to go against the grain because you feel he is being attacked, consider that his minutes could be going towards developing youngsters who we’d like to think are going to make it here.

I do hope he gets a move to a decent club where he can grow into his role without the degrees of pressure and scrutiny he is under here. It remains to be seen whether he’ll make it in the PL, ultimately, but a drop down in clubs would guarantee him full games he will not get here outside of injury crises and lesser competitions.

 

[Tomuś]

I don't even think his decision-making is the issue. For me, it's the quality applicating that.

He isn't a bad player. He just isn't a very good one.

 

[hungrywing]

Park was our go to big game player, that's rewriting history on his part.

No argument there.

 

[Polar]

he is there for defensive contributions and stretching defences.

We often forget or underestimate his value to the team; it’s overshadowed by his very poor end product. He is Bambi on ice at crucial moments. I don’t think United can afford to have a RW like James in the length. If we want to compete for the title we need efficient players in all offensive positions.

 

[Relevated]

Park was our go to big game player, that's rewriting history on his part.

He was also our go to arsenal player

 

[El Jefe]

Painfully average to the point of almost being a liability. There's no point of getting on his case though, when our other attackers return from injury or are match fit he'll be far away from getting on the pitch in the PL or CL.

 

[United in sin]

He was also our go to arsenal player

Lingard before Lingard

 

[TMDaines]

Coincidence?

Just came to post this. Some great stats.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

Coincidence?

Nice stats, but... What matches did he play in? Did he start in them, come off the bench when the match was in play, or come off the bench when the result was all but certain? Context is important here.

 

[Toad]

Coincidence?

The other 10 men did the job then. Unfortunately he just isn’t good enough, there can’t be any debate about that.

 

[Poborsky's hair]

Nope.

But some on here won't understand.

There is a big difference in being a nice lad trying his best and being of actual use. Based on perhaps 3-5 games he's had for us in his entire time this guy and some deluded posters think he's good enough for a squad player. He wasn't even amazing in those games he was good. He's simply way out of his dept. and those stats is an absolute coincidence and bad way to work with data. He had a run of games where we were still sorting out our team, and it was quite clearly a purple patch he was having without doing anything spectacular, then he didn't quite feature in big games all that much, and those games are much tougher to win other than cup games.

Also not losing in other ways said DRAWING is absolutely not an option to start with for MUFC, he's an attacking player and should provide goal moments to take us to victory, not keeping us from not losing.

Everyone who knows a bit of statistics and mathematics, can tell you that 38 draws mean 38 points and that's borderline relegation. Losing few games but winning more other than not losing is always always better and will get you closer to titles. So all this praise for his defensive attributes is a bit pointless. He provides pretty much nothing other than pressing and at his best he can find a cross maybe but his dribbling is bad, his speed overrated, his strength and ball covering subpar, his finishing shocking. Tackling nonexisting. I'd bet a lot that this is his last season here, but maybe his ambition won't be to play much football and develop rather than get good money here like Andreas and stay longer, but Pellistri, Amad, Elanga will replace him next year. That is quite certain..

 

[theklr]

The other 10 men did the job then. Unfortunately he just isn’t good enough, there can’t be any debate about that.

Think everyone agrees he is not starting XI material , yeah. But the argument goes towards if he’s good enough to be a squad player for his defansive contributions and stretching defences in certain games

 

[FrankWhite]

Lots Leicester fans on their forum think Brendan Rodgers can make James into a world beater !!
Terrifying !!

Is he much worse than Harvey Barnes? I don't think so. No reason why he can't have success at Leicester. He'll have less pressure and play in a more counter attacking team.

 

[Toad]

Think everyone agrees he is not starting XI material , yeah. But the argument goes towards if he’s good enough to be a squad player for his defansive contributions and stretching defences in certain games

I just don’t think he has the end product. He can do all he want with regards to stretching defences but if that end product isn’t there it results in nothing. If we need people to defend then put a defender on. I think Leeds would have been a good move for him. His level is high championship/low prem for me.

 

[FrankWhite]

Very average again. Poor in his decision making. There was this moment, Bruno had the ball and Greenwood made a run through the middle. James, for some inexplicable reason, ran towards the centre too and brought his defender with him crowding the space. There was no one on our right flank and Bruno just had to hold to the ball and recycle it instead of trying to get it forward.
Immediately after that Bruno pointed to James that he should have held his width and that would have opened up space for himself and Greenwood as well.

It is such things which makes me believe James is never going to be good enough for us. His dribbling is poor. His ball control and shooting are average at best. When you then factor in his decision making, it's clear that we should cash in on him when his stock is decent and people actually are wanting to buy him. Let's use that money to get a midfielder who will actually improve us and try and give the game time to Amad to develop him further if he is not going on loan.

I remember this moment. At the time, all I did was shake my head. I wasn't even mad because it wasn't a suprise that that was the run he chose it make. Looks a nice guy but seriously, currently out of his depth.

 

[Matt851]

Is he much worse than Matt Barnes? I don't think so. No reason why he can't have success at Leicester. He'll have less pressure and play in a more counter attacking team.

Who is matt barnes?