When did I said that? I said that he wasn't slow, that's too different things, he isn't the fastest player which is fine since he is a #10 and he is far from a genuinely slow player.
James Rodriguez| Is considering his options
- Thread starter Attila
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When did I said that? I said that he wasn't slow, that's too different things, he isn't the fastest player which is fine since he is a #10 and he is far from a genuinely slow player.
You said he was as good a dribbler as Di Maria and have made repeated reference to how quick you think he is, including saying he is as fast as Reus.
It's like we're watching two completely differently players.
It's like we're watching two completely differently players.
He is quick, he doesn't have a particularly high top speed, he isn't particularly powerful, he is a good dribbler, good passer, he has a good vision. Overall he is potentially a very good player but his defensive contribution is dubious and his attitude too.
PS: Di Maria is a good dribbler but he isn't genuinely great.
non sequitur
But is he a Roberto Martinez signing?
I would say:
His pace is slow/average.
Agree that he isn't very powerful.
Think his passing is better than good, but that depends what you mean by good. He'd be the best passer at United.
Agree that he is questionable defensively.
Don't know about his attitude. Madrid fans talk about his lack of dedication and too much partying but idk how true that is.
This is just the wrong way of looking at it, we need to pick a team, a formation, tactics etc and then buy player to fit that not the other way around. That's where we have been going wrong the past 3 Windows.
And I'm saying that we could choose a tactic that uses a #10, I'm not telling you to buy James and decided what to do after. I'm saying the opposite.
Ok fair enough if you think we should do a 4-2-3-1 then maybe he's a good player for that. Personally I would rather we play 4-3-3 as it just suits our players far more and it's just overall a more solid formation in my opinion. Even if we do play a 4-2-3-1 I still don't think number 10 is the top priority as I'd want a winger, striker and deep lying playmaker before touching a number 10, especially as in a good settup Mata could play that number 10 role far better than he shown here.
Mata has had ample opportunity to show his skill at #10 and he rarely delivers the sort of creative flare youd expect from a player like him. As #10's go... he has minimal impact on a game.
He is way faster and powerful than Mata, has better physique, more goalscoring ability, is a far better dribbler, has a better shot, better set pieces, and far more creative, and able to create space because he can actually keep hold of the ball, he'd be a massive upgrade on everything we have as AM, and has potential to get better. Hope the talksbare true.
But does he fit with the system we play? if Mata doesnt fit in the system we play, why does it even matter that hes an upgrade on him? Hes definitely not good enough that you fit the team around him... so where would he fit in here? is he a mourinho player?
He had a great world cup so Real Madrid splashed the cash. He is a decent player but the price they paid and the prices quoted for him are ridiculous.
They are different players, they play differently and James is superior in pretty much everything.
I think he's a brilliant player and a certain upgrade on anyone we have in the number 10 role. People saying he is painfully slow!? I'd bet my wife on him winning a race with Mata, Carrick, Fellaini, Morgan, Herrera and maybe even Rooney. Then again maybe my tv plays la liga games on 2x speed compared to the premier league matches. He is not lightening quick by any stretch but when we have possibly the slowest Man Utd side in recent memory he would certainly improve us pace wise. However I feel we would need two defensively sound players behind him to get the best out of him in a 4-2-3-1 formation. So yeah I would be totally up for this signing if we have a chance but I very much doubt it will happen.
No James for Madrid again.
He wont be there next season, thats for sure.
You have to remember he cost £40(might be €)m before he went to Madrid.
Star and People reporting we've been offered him for 60mil.
Do not want. <pic of a shocked panicking dog face with white bulging eyes looking sideways at the incoming sex pest>
That is how much I don't wNt him.
That is how much I don't wNt him.
Seeing Greizman is incredibly unlikely, I would take him. Agree he isn't top of the priorities though.
Could buy Jesus, Pele, and Maradona's left nut, and genetically blend them to make the greatest living footballer and human to have ever existed; and Van Gaal still wouldn't let them shoot first time.
Giving new players to LVG, is like giving Viagra to a eunuch. Pointless.
Giving new players to LVG, is like giving Viagra to a eunuch. Pointless.
We're the rare big club that could use a #10 like him.
-------------------Martial/Rashford------------
Memphis/Martial-----James----------------RW
------------Herrera---------Schneiderlin-------
would be fine with me next year. Rooney, Mata and Fellaini out and an expensive starting RW and another CM to fight with Herrera for his spot in there (Kante or Saul would be lovely), since Blind and Schweinsteiger can backup/challenge Scheiderlin just fine. Maybe throw in a promising, young and hungry goalscoring #9 we like a la Chicharito/Diouf/Solskajer and keep Lingard, Pereira and Januzaj around for depth and that's your front 6, with a good chunk of cash saved for the purchase of another CB to round out the summer.
-------------------Martial/Rashford------------
Memphis/Martial-----James----------------RW
------------Herrera---------Schneiderlin-------
would be fine with me next year. Rooney, Mata and Fellaini out and an expensive starting RW and another CM to fight with Herrera for his spot in there (Kante or Saul would be lovely), since Blind and Schweinsteiger can backup/challenge Scheiderlin just fine. Maybe throw in a promising, young and hungry goalscoring #9 we like a la Chicharito/Diouf/Solskajer and keep Lingard, Pereira and Januzaj around for depth and that's your front 6, with a good chunk of cash saved for the purchase of another CB to round out the summer.
James is the better player. He needs to be the number 1 though.
Shame it didn't work out. But I'll be more sad when Isco inevitably leaves aswell.
I just hope we're getting some quality in aswell (Pogba, Verratti, Hazard, Reus etc..)
I just hope we're getting some quality in aswell (Pogba, Verratti, Hazard, Reus etc..)
I Wouldn't mind us getting Rodriguez, Xhaka, a CB and maybe a RW, unless Mourinho can improve what we already got in that department.
How much did Real Madrid buy him for?
I wouldn't want to pay half the price Madrid will expect for him.
I think James is a talented player. He'd be a better #10 than anyone we currently have at our disposal, and would improve our team. The fact that Real Madrid may want to sell him doesn't, in and of itself, concern me. They've seen fit to get rid of many players who have gone on to do extremely well at other clubs. Quite frankly, in retospect, we should have pursued some of those players at the time. The one we did, Di Maria, was probably destined to fail - a combination of him always having his heart set on Paris and Van Gaal's uncanny ability to bring the worst out of players. Moreover, with a potential transfer ban looming, Madrid will want to do plenty of business this summer (sales as well as acquisitions). What I would be cautious about is the price. Madrid overpaid for him, as did Monacco prior to that. I believe we were interested when Porto sold him, but understandably balked at the fee. The market has changed since then, but the rumoured 60M that Madrid wants would likely put me off again. I would want to see Madrid to take the same sort of hit as we did on Di Maria.
Re-the two defensively sound two players thing, I agree and I think we can make it work too if we got him. We have Schmidfield, young TFM who Mourinho (if he got the job) would definitely try out in midfield because of his physical attributes and have been linked with Kante. We can make it work on the pitch and Woodward would drool over the possibilities he could give us in the S. American shirt market particularly the sizeable Latino population in the US. I can see him relieving Memphis of the iconic 7.
80million euros I think.
I think it was around £65mill.
The major sticking point for most people looks to be James's lack of pace and mobility, probably because these exact qualities are lacking in the no. 10s we are trying to improve upon (Mata and Rooney). Watching him I'd say his pace is average for a no. 10, but still quicker than Rooney or Mata. His dribbling could be considered above average overall, especially in England. While he's confident enough to take on his man if he needs to, it's not really his game.
I'll add something that hasn't been said about James thus far, and that's his reluctance to use his right foot for anything but short passes. While he's no Valencia in this regard, he's very one-footed for a top player. Here's a video published when he reached 100 career goals for club and country - almost all of his goals are taken on his left foot, and he seems to score roughly the same number of goals with his head as he does with his right foot.
That said, it's one hell of a left foot. He strikes the ball very cleanly, with minimal backlift, with great accuracy and power.
Right now we don't have anyone who can really do that, which means one less thing for opposition defences to worry about (it's not like they have that much to worry about us at this point anyway). So again, having him around would improve us.
Some have called him a fair weather player and we have plenty of those - except James is even better on his day. Whether or not he'd be willing to dedicate himself to work hard for a team that doesn't have a Ronaldo to carry the team when they're having an off day, now that's open to question. I can't see him being that keen to move to England at all, which means we could end up with another Di Maria situation on our hands. I think he's talented enough to make it here if he really wanted to, but how would he respond to playing in a different league, with an inferior team?
I'll add something that hasn't been said about James thus far, and that's his reluctance to use his right foot for anything but short passes. While he's no Valencia in this regard, he's very one-footed for a top player. Here's a video published when he reached 100 career goals for club and country - almost all of his goals are taken on his left foot, and he seems to score roughly the same number of goals with his head as he does with his right foot.
That said, it's one hell of a left foot. He strikes the ball very cleanly, with minimal backlift, with great accuracy and power.
Right now we don't have anyone who can really do that, which means one less thing for opposition defences to worry about (it's not like they have that much to worry about us at this point anyway). So again, having him around would improve us.
Some have called him a fair weather player and we have plenty of those - except James is even better on his day. Whether or not he'd be willing to dedicate himself to work hard for a team that doesn't have a Ronaldo to carry the team when they're having an off day, now that's open to question. I can't see him being that keen to move to England at all, which means we could end up with another Di Maria situation on our hands. I think he's talented enough to make it here if he really wanted to, but how would he respond to playing in a different league, with an inferior team?
Never watched him much, but from the you tube posted above i can notice he predominantly uses his left foot,something which remains me of Valencia, one footed player.
Robben says hi
I doubt that he can match Robben's pace,but again i might be wrong, someone who would have seen more of him could say how quick he is.
Oh no Robben is 100 times better but he's as one footed as they get is what I meant. I don't think Rodriquez is a player I'd want purely because I don't think he will have the hunger to make it here.
No doubt a good player but I'm not convinced he's the right player for us.
That said, Woodward would be all over this. It's the exact type of deal he'd love to make.
That said, Woodward would be all over this. It's the exact type of deal he'd love to make.
There is definite appeal on and off the pitch like you say, especially with his adoring female fan base, the closest thing to Ronaldo these days, looks wise, so very marketable player. I have high hopes for TFM and Schneiderlin performing to a much more higher level next season but for me it all depends on if van Gaal is still here otherwise I think it is another season of shite to look forward too.
If we can finally sort that major right side problem we have, then having two skillful and pacey goal scoring wide men either side of James would be very exciting. However right now I have about 5% faith in this club doing anything remotely good on or off the pitch (except sponsorship deals) but what is a certainty is we are miles behind the top clubs and not just because we have a shit manager but also a lot of average players who wouldn't get a sniff at these other clubs. Several of our youngsters do have some real promise though so with Jose and three or four top drawer players brought in then we'll see very different team.