James Rodriguez | Former Al Rayyan Giggs Player

He’s a quality player, judging by today he’ll be fine in this league. Really good signing for Everton.
 
Looked good I thought, should have buried that chance early in the second half.

I was most impressed with Allan though, looked a class act.
 
Loved the classic number 10 stuff, aren't a lot of players in world football like him today. The idea that he's 'still got it' is a bit weird to me, he's only recently turned 29, he's not 35, and Real Madrid not playing you isn't always a fair reflection on a player's abilities. He was good for Bayern and has been good for Colombia when he has played, can't impress from the bench.

At the very top teams they don't want to carry someone like him which makes Everton ideal for a player of his ability. Him, Doucoure and Allan could lead Everton to top 6 this season. Far better than Spurs today.
 
Reminds me a bit of the Van Der Vaart signing, still clearly a very good player and a great signing for Everton.
 
Great player whose career has stagnated due to Real Madrid's obsession with the new flavour of the month. I think this will be a great move for him.
 
Well Veron and Di Maria started well in their debuts and few appearances after. Ancelotti is a good manager for James though and as long as he’s there managing, he’ll probably be motivated enough to play football in that part of the world
 
I think James has a better mentality than Sanchez or Di Maria. He may not become the best player in the league but he'll at least give them a good two seasons.
 
Yes - with the glittering praise after one game, Deco immediately come to my mind too. It could go either way.

There's a reason why he's gone to Everton and it's not just 'Madrid not playing him'. Bare in mind the price has seemingly gone from 20m to 12m to well, possibly free.

He's at a level where he can get away with flaking in and out of games unlike Deco at Chelsea. It's good for all, very rare a players ego allows it.
 
3 shots and 5 shot assists today - absolutely brilliant debut. Not surprised Ancelotti looks likely to get the most out of him by putting him in positions to succeed.
 
TheRedDevil2019 said:
17/18

11 goals and 13 assists for Bayern Munich. Then got injured the following season, returned to Madrid to rot on the bench. Everton have hit jackpot here, me thinks.
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The great in that season weren't his goals or assist as most of them weren't decisive but he played a passmaster on the 8 that season and worked good defensively, too!
 
James Rodriguez had one start with madrid the entire season. Im not trying to compare him and Bale but this could be an indication that players siting the entire year in madrid doesn't mean they are past it or out of form. That being said it is early days and we still have to see him play week in and week out.
 
He’s a fantastic player. Most people are just lazy with their opinions and revert to trends and cliches.

Those who have been criticising and questioning all summer, can you put your hand on heart and say that you have watched him playing football in recent seasons, but just playing poorly? I doubt it’s the case, just lazily relating his ability with his current ‘stock price’. If you agree that he was a top player 3 years ago, at what point would you say he lost it and became less good? It hasn’t happened.
 
If there is one team worse than us in devaluing their players, that's Real Madrid.
 
James is a player you can add in any jogo bonito squad. Elegant but still effective when he is on the ball, he is able to create lots of room and chances for his teammates but when his team is without the ball he turns from Dr. Jekyll to Mr, Hyde. His defensive work and positioning leaving lots of options for counterplay.
I like to compare him to Oezil just that Oezil is the better passer and James more dangerous towards the goal but them role and style (and even them strong foot) are much alike. Oezil was chased away at Real (so was James) and he played an excellent role at Arsenal.
The same I believe James can do if he has a strong counterpart (which he has in Allan), who either delays the counterattack, so James' team can get back their order or simply wines the ball. These type of player he also had at Real (Casemiro) but in Madrid the clocks work differently.
If James has a good season and Allan won't get injured I believe that Everton can make even Top4.
 
You can't take anything Madrid do all that seriously. If a coach plays someone like Vazquez over Rodriguez then theres something wrong.
 
Looked really good yesterday, but seems to need a better attacking cast around him. Will be interesting to see how Everton do.
 
Have people not learned with James yet that it's nothing to do with what he outputs in a single game but over a run of games into quarter or even half seasons?

He's the epitome of ropey and it won't be a surprise if/when this thread is bumped a few months down the line with him looking bored and ineffective. If the guy could retain a semblance of his best output, he wouldn't be bouncing all across Europe.

Would be a miracle if he turns it around at Everton and delivers like his talent dictates for the entirety of a season.

I'm expecting 8's, 7's a few 9's even as well as some 2's 3's and 4's. A player like him shouldn't be seeing less than 6's.
 
Fortitude said:
Have people not learned with James yet that it's nothing to do with what he outputs in a single game but over a run of games into quarter or even half seasons?

He's the epitome of ropey and it won't be a surprise if/when this thread is bumped a few months down the line with him looking bored and ineffective. If the guy could retain a semblance of his best output, he wouldn't be bouncing all across Europe.

Would be a miracle if he turns it around at Everton and delivers like his talent dictates for the entirety of a season.

I'm expecting 8's, 7's a few 9's even as well as some 2's 3's and 4's. A player like him shouldn't be seeing less than 6's.
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This may well be true, but what I generally find amusing is the fawning that’s going on from one game - no matter who the player is.
 
ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg said:
This may well be true, but what I generally find amusing is the fawning that’s going on from one game - no matter who the player is.
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Thing with him, in a single game he can look like a player who should be playing for whoever the best team in the world is at any given time, so the hype isn't misplaced, really, just that whatever is wrong in his constitution means he can nosedive and plummet to depths that leaves you scratching your head as it doesn't make sense.

If you don't know the player and his M.O. I suppose there will be a period of realisation that this guy is erratic beyond belief.
 
He looked good against spurs but nothing I didn’t expect - he will have much harder games than spurs that’s for sure, they were awful.

I suspect he’ll find it tougher against the types who won’t give him all the space he likes.
 
SilentStrike said:
Morata comes to mind.
Also useless players like Jese or Danilo were sold for tens of millions
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They're actually really good at bringing young players through and selling them off for a good pile of money. Not huge amounts but it adds up in the end for them.
 
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