What is Dan James good at?

Genuine question: is he even that fast?

Forget that fact that he never dribbles past anyone, I never see him leave anyone for dead. They way he's hyped, he's supposed to be the fastest player in the league (straight lines, without the ball, just to make it simple), and from I've seen he's absolutely nowhere near.
 
Giggsyking said:
Against Chelsea he had a chance in a counter attack and instead of playing the ball to two open players he chose to go in between 3 defenders.
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Yeah I saw that, it was really basic, low level decision making wasn't it. I back Ole at the moment, but picking Dan James was a poor decision.
 
Jonno said:
Yeah I saw that, it was really basic, low level decision making wasn't it. I back Ole at the moment, but picking Dan James was a poor decision.
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I think Ole just needed to rely on some high intensity pressing which he knows Dan will offer at the top of the pitch.
 
RUCK4444 said:
I think Ole just needed to rely on some high intensity pressing which he knows Dan will offer at the top of the pitch.
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Absolutely correct. He defends from the front pretty well which is why he played Saturday until we'd asserted ourselves as the dominant team and he was replaced.

I don't see him playing Saturday as a major issue, I personally wouldn't have picked him but can see why Ole did, his overall performances have dropped off massively and will probably be out of the first choice 18 again soon with Cavani & Greenwood being fit, Martial back from suspension etc.
 
JB7 said:
Absolutely correct. He defends from the front pretty well which is why he played Saturday until we'd asserted ourselves as the dominant team and he was replaced.

I don't see him playing Saturday as a major issue, I personally wouldn't have picked him but can see why Ole did, his overall performances have dropped off massively and will probably be out of the first choice 18 again soon with Cavani & Greenwood being fit, Martial back from suspension etc.
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Yeah my thoughts exactly.
 
He's a decent squad back-up for lesser domestic cup games. If he's content with that role, then he has a spot here.
 
Gabagoo said:
Genuine question: is he even that fast?

Forget that fact that he never dribbles past anyone, I never see him leave anyone for dead. They way he's hyped, he's supposed to be the fastest player in the league (straight lines, without the ball, just to make it simple), and from I've seen he's absolutely nowhere near.
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I was thinking this against Chelsea. I remember him breaking with the ball on the counter, head down, miles ahead of the opponent but he caught up to him fairly quickly.

Really don't rate the guy. He's about to turn 23 and he hasn't really kicked on here at all, despite many opportunities. I don't think I'm being harsh, and I genuinely do believe he'll become a very good squad player elsewhere.
 
Cypriot said:
I was thinking this against Chelsea. I remember him breaking with the ball on the counter, head down, miles ahead of the opponent but he caught up to him fairly quickly.

Really don't rate the guy. He's about to turn 23 and he hasn't really kicked on here at all, despite many opportunities. I don't think I'm being harsh, and I genuinely do believe he'll become a very good squad player elsewhere.
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Yep, he looked slow against some of Chawsea's lot.

The question is, at which level will be end up being a very good squad player? Add to that, which type of team and manager will be flourish at?
 
No more pelters from me for Dan James, he's had enough., the lad needs to move on.

Grealish should be our number 1 target now, he is exactly what this team needs, hope we go back in for him at some point.
 
ivaldo said:
Well, you answered your own question. You've asked what he's good at, then listed the things he's good at.
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haha right? he's just a squad player for a mid-table team ( sadly which we are right now) but not for long. So, he should be used for cup games and against teams that are in relegation. Even the teams that are in the relegation zone will fight harder on the day they play big teams like us because it will make a huge difference for them.
 
If Ole wanted to defend from the front why didn't he play Telles on that spot who offers way more. Especially when you bring in Cavani, you want somebody who can cross the ball, what almost no player in our squad brings. If you don't have any crossers at least bring in Donny instead of Cavani, who is better at playing between the lines and breaking down defences, Cavani was useless up front now.
 
Jetrooooo said:
If Ole wanted to defend from the front why didn't he play Telles on that spot who offers way more. Especially when you bring in Cavani, you want somebody who can cross the ball, what almost no player in our squad brings. If you don't have any crossers at least bring in Donny instead of Cavani, who is better at playing between the lines and breaking down defences, Cavani was useless up front now.
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Good shout. Telles showed what he could bring to the side. Offers a lot more than Greenwood.
 
Gabagoo said:
Genuine question: is he even that fast?

Forget that fact that he never dribbles past anyone, I never see him leave anyone for dead. They way he's hyped, he's supposed to be the fastest player in the league (straight lines, without the ball, just to make it simple), and from I've seen he's absolutely nowhere near.
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Since the return in June, you're right he doesn't seem that fast. But during the first 3-4 months at United and especially at Swansea he was one of the quickest players I'd ever seen, only Adama Traore and maybe Douglas Costa from a few years ago being quicker, also Giggs and Rashford said he's the fastest they'd ever seen which says a lot. What happened to him, I don't know.
 
Gabagoo said:
Genuine question: is he even that fast?

Forget that fact that he never dribbles past anyone, I never see him leave anyone for dead. They way he's hyped, he's supposed to be the fastest player in the league (straight lines, without the ball, just to make it simple), and from I've seen he's absolutely nowhere near.
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Dan James has a high top speed, but not "fastest in the league". He does however have tremendous acceleration, and is very fast with ball in his feet. Essentially: Once he's past the defender he's not catching up, which is his strength.

He IS fast, you can't deny that.

I'm really annoyed because there is a player there, we saw the first third of the 19/20 campaign.. but yeah, he's not contributing hte way he should be doing ever since then, nearly a full season after. His end product is not good enough. He's still young enough to develop it but I'm not hyped right now
 
Remember the geese said:
I think it's only a matter of time until his time here is up. I don't think he currently offers us anything that Anthony Elanga wouldn't. On top of that, Amad Diallo is considerably more talented than him and despite being a different type of player, Facundo Pellistri will be getting games from a wide position, at least initially. Although doubtful, Tahith Chong may feel as if he isn't done here just yet either. That's without even including Rashford and Greenwood.
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How can you say that with your chest when Amad Diallo has played 3 games for the Atalanta 1st team.......

...& Facundo Pellistri is a raw talent from the Uruguayan premier League who has only played 30 games....

The hatred for our own youth players when they don't come firing out the blocks boggles my mind.

If Diallo/Pellistri go down the same route as James (Out the blocks firing on all cyclinders then form falls off a cliff) people would be writing the same thing about other youth team players about these guys too!

Can't we just all have a bit of patience?
 
UnitedSofa said:
How can you say that with your chest when Amad Diallo has played 3 games for the Atalanta 1st team.......

...& Facundo Pellistri is a raw talent from the Uruguayan premier League who has only played 30 games....

The hatred for our own youth players when they don't come firing out the blocks boggles my mind.

If Diallo/Pellistri go down the same route as James (Out the blocks firing on all cyclinders then form falls off a cliff) people would be writing the same thing about other youth team players about these guys too!

Can't we just all have a bit of patience?
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I don't understand what I've said that is so controversial. You don't have to watch someone consistently play top division football to determine whether they are more talented than someone who does. Is this where we have a difference of opinion?

As for Pellistri, what is your point? I merely stated that I imagine once he gets games for us, it will be from a wide position. Hardly outlandish.

Also, I don't hate any of our youth players and am perfectly patient. You seem to dislike the idea that these two players in particular will provide competition for James and I can't understand why.
 
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Dan James should go back to the basics, what made him shine in his first few months here.

I think he is obsessed with cutting inside and playing 'R2',he has neither guile nor shot to succeed.

He should know his strength and weaknesses and stick to what he's is good at That is running at defenders, tracking back and pressing. Later,he can start to add more strings to his bow.
 
The boy is good but he is trying too hard he should stick to the basics for now.
 
Tom Cato said:
Dan James has a high top speed, but not "fastest in the league". He does however have tremendous acceleration, and is very fast with ball in his feet. Essentially: Once he's past the defender he's not catching up, which is his strength.

He IS fast, you can't deny that.

I'm really annoyed because there is a player there, we saw the first third of the 19/20 campaign.. but yeah, he's not contributing hte way he should be doing ever since then, nearly a full season after. His end product is not good enough. He's still young enough to develop it but I'm not hyped right now
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I'd like to believe this, but I simply haven't seen any evidence that once he's past a player, there is no catching up. And that is because he never even really attempts to get past the opponent.

That's the thing: I don't see evidence for the one thing about his game that we actually bought him for. I'm aware that theoretically he's fast, and I've seen the Swansea videos, but he doesn't attempt much of anything when he's in possession, nowadays.

Is it coaching? Should Ole not be isolating him to do dribbling practices and get James hugging the touchline? Nuno at Wolves has got Traore playing to his strengths, yet James definitely doesn't play to his.
 
I like the kid... but I worry that he is inflated. To me, serviceable off the bench but in no way a starter at this point. When he is dribbling towards goal.. I feel no confidence that he will complete a pass or get a shot off.
 
He is shot of all confidence.

His ability on the ball is scary, no one really wants to pass the ball to him in tight areas, no one makes runs when he has the ball because team mates do not trust him.

Ole surely needs to see this, if he wants someone to give him legs, I am sure Lingard can do that?
 
croadyman said:
I just think he cannot offer anything unless the opposition give him space to run into
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The funny thing is I can barely remember him even doing that. Despite the fact that we often like to play on the counter, has he been involved in many successful attacks where he's run in to space?
 
Ibi Dreams said:
The funny thing is I can barely remember him even doing that. Despite the fact that we often like to play on the counter, has he been involved in many successful attacks where he's run in to space?
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He showed glimpses of it at home to Chelsea last season and away at City
 
Gabagoo said:
We'd have to offer £50m plus James to Wolves, if we want Traore. Traore's market value is rightly around £70m and we'd be lucky to get £20m for James, based on the majority of his career with us.

But regardless of the money involved, I agree that cash plus James for either Traore or Saint-Maximin would massively improve us.
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Yeah, possibly true. But, with Traore being on the bench for them plus a season of covid, surely the price would be lower.

Anyway, brilliant result tonight!
 
Lack of quality in the final third and decision making. Although, this could be changed if we coach him in a way that suits his style like how Giggs did him in Wales but won’t suit our style as a team which is the issue.

He will get less less minute and might ask to leave in January and Leeds will come back again with their offer. 25m and I suppose that will be fair amount to move on and get the money back from what we spent on the fees and wages.
 
Hoof The Ball said:
It's pure revisionism at its best to state, "watch the first half of the season". He wasn't good for half-a-season. He was good for a month, two at most. His early and short-lasting form has been generously extended into some kind of half-season achievement which never happened.
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4 goals and 6 assists in 50 games just doesn't cut it.
 
Mr Smith said:
Not his fault, but he just isn't good enough for this level. Fairly certain he will be sold next summer.
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Who's fault is it he's not good enough then?

I'm not good enough either, but it's not my fault I'm too old, not fit enough, don't eat healthy diet and, most importantly, don't have the skills.

James has all those, except the last one.
 
I think we should use him as an impact sub at this moment - use his pace when the defenders are tired. His recent performance haven't been no where good enough to start.
 
He needs to be sold or loaned out. He's so far from the required standard that his game time is a waste of other players' play time.

We should veer away from wingers until we have some and that gives James only dead rubber playing time at a period in his development that he needs all the minutes he can get; it's better for him to be a full-time feature at a lesser level than it is to be a spare part here.
 
The writing was on the wall the moment we signed him. Watching his performances for Swansea you could clearly see he lacked the technical ability such as the close control to be able to impose himself more as a player. I know Bale for years prior had the reputation of knocking it in behind a player and running into the space but he has always been comfortable running at speed with the ball in possession.

This is not something that can be coached it's a players instinct to naturally run with the ball in close quarters. Because of this unless James is going to become a wing back he will not be a pivotal first team player. He's too limited, has nothing to do with age or the phase of his career it's his personal attributes that are lacking. I can only see James excelling with a very strong manager who perhaps individually can raise an average performers game and outside of Klopp I don't see anyone with that SAF level of development.
 
ImmzB said:
I think we should use him as an impact sub at this moment - use his pace when the defenders are tired. His recent performance haven't been no where good enough to start.
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What use is his pace if he can’t keep close control of the ball when running at speed?
 
Is it his confidence or what is it? He was a much better player this time last year.
 
Just give him time
He is a good player and will only get better
He has not played a lot of top level football so is still learning his trade
he is now training with world class players and will only get better
 
Gabagoo said:
Genuine question: is he even that fast?

Forget that fact that he never dribbles past anyone, I never see him leave anyone for dead. They way he's hyped, he's supposed to be the fastest player in the league (straight lines, without the ball, just to make it simple), and from I've seen he's absolutely nowhere near.
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This is getting ridiculous now. He's been subpar but to suggest he's not fast is just baffling. He's lightning quick, and I feel he's not making the most of his runs due to low confidence.
He displayed exactly what he could do in the first 10 games with us, if he can replicate that, he's a very good option from the bench. If he can't, he'll not be in the team sooner than later.
Whoever thinks he's got no potential missed his good starting spell completely. The opponents had to go full thug to catch him, with the blessing of the referees.
 
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