slow down; bale may be playing better, but with the team in 3rd, and slacking in big games, i don't think anyone has turned anything around....let's just say bale isn't as bad as last season, its not a complete turn around. it will be a complete turn around when players start stepping up against the barcelonas of this world, and when players step up when the team is having problems with opponents and not just scoring ten against teams like rayo and malmo....

i remember i was criticized for calling out the team after they stat padded in the game after the clasico; everyone saying it will boost confidence. well, it hasn't boosted anything. as for james, he is confused out there, just like most of the squad. and even if he does get better, my main question will be, how consistent can he be? not that he gets better against scrubs then disappears against top sides

He needs to play as a 10, and we don't use a system that requires a 10, he can't be RW, he's too slow for that and he doesn't have the capacity to play as a RCM, i like James but we don't have room for him, and he's proven he's not good enough for us to build the team around him, same goes for Isco.

How can we build a team around Isco or James if we all know neither is played in their preferred position. Maybe if we still played like how we did under Mou + Di Maria I'm sure both would shine/excel as our 10

Again, that's not really true.  Monaco played a 433 under Ranieri with Toulalan-Obadi/Kondogbia-Moutinho in the mid and the forward 3 of Carrasco-Falcao/Riviere/Berbatov/Martial-James as the front 3.  He's playing the exact position he played at Monaco with Bale out.

As far as this, there is no excuse for James.

It was either right or right center. He wasn't allowed to go left since Carrasco was really good there and there was no reason to move him in areas he couldn't handle.

James is just not playing well. His vision, passing and even scoring were all superb at Monaco. What you saw at the WC was a continuation of what he was doing at Monaco... it wasn't some crazy fluke. He'd been doing that for 8 months.

The Sun...
REAL MADRID could offer Chelsea a sensational swap deal to sign Eden Hazard in exchange for James Rodriguez.

Sunsport understands the Spanish giants are considering making this offer after the £70million Colombia superstar’s poor season.

Real believe James, 24, would still command a huge transfer fee despite his lacklustre performances this season.

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is a huge admirer and Hazard

Hazard, 25, has also suffered from miserable form this season at Chelsea and fell out with Jose Mourinho at the start of the season after being dropped.

His performances have not picked up even after Mourinho was replaced by Guus Hiddink.

It is believed he may seek a move to the Bernabeu or Paris St Germain this summer.

Sounds like a good deal

and he would play where exactly? in the 3 man midfield? lol

Mr Nick09 wrote:and he would play where exactly? in the 3 man midfield? lol

Illusory superiority at work again

You assume that there will be no other changes

Hazard is having a much worse season than Hames so I don't really know why you are happy about this.

Don't call me James wrote:Hazard is having a much worse season than Hames so I don't really know why you are happy about this.

Agreed.
James has not exactly been stellar but that overrated scrub Hazard can't even rack up a decent assist and goal count in the m*le league
Mahrez would be a much better option

These are my observations about James's Problems.


1. Cant make space for himself.


He has no Right foot. He is alot similar to Di Maria in this regard, except that the former could break away from the defender with his supreme speed and dribbling ability to provide the Killer ball, Cross etc.

James has much better tools than DI Maria.. A fantastic through ball ability, Superb cross and probably the best shooter in the world and did i mention his freekick ability.

But he has absolutely no ability to make space for himself to make those through balls, shots etc. His lack of dribbling and speed means that he has to rely on linking up with others to make space for him. If a decent defender is tightly marking him then he becomes so limited because he now has to rely too much on his teammates. Every one knows he is going to cut inside from the left so defenders are conscious about it, unlike Bale, Robben,Di Maria etc James dont have the ability to break away from defender to do stuffs.



2.His lack of right foot.

If he cant develop a right foot then he is not going to have a good time any where on the pitch. He receives the ball on left and turns to right, taking too much time and too much touches making it easier to dispossess him. Lack of right foot rules him out from playing any kind of deep /center midfield role because a minimum level of weak foot is required for a center midfielder which James doesnt have.


I frankly dont think he can play anywhere on the field other than a static NO 10 with free role. I like his ability on the ball whether it is passing,shooting etc but the fact is he is a limited player and team will have to do lot of sacrifice if he is to fulfill his potential here.

the truth is i've never seen a more one footed player than james, and i mean never. the guy can't use his right even if he's life depended on it, he's lucky that his left is marvelous.

Not really. He's a fantastic, mercurial talent. He's having a bad patch though

futbol_bill wrote:Not to mention his inability to receive ball. i seen 12 year olds with better first touch than him. I can't understand how an 80M player can be missing this basic skill. James may go down as the worst purchase ever at his signing price.

lol
I think everyone is on the same page considering his form, it's been dreadful but don't over exaggerate.

is there any video on youtube with his failed first touches ?

So...this has come to a supposed end. What are your thoughts on his rather short lived tenure at Madrid (going with the assumption he doesn't come back)? Also, it was nice to read that Chad disliked Isco all the way back in 2014, forgot about that.

Personally, it was always an unnecessary purchase but a purchase I wanted to be successful as I do like players of James' ilk. Sadly, that 1 good season does not make up for what followed after. I wouldn't call him a flop but he certainly didn't live up to the expectations needed for him to be a success.

Good but not great could have been better.

Too bad he never stood a chance against the Excellence of German execution in Toni Kroos and probably the best midfielder in the world Luka Modric.

Doc- I share your same sentiment. He was a player who didn't fit into our lineup as we had previously seen with Ozil, BUT I had really hoped it worked out because he is a fantastic player.

He was so good over both legs, constantly finding Bayern players in dangerous positions with passes cutting our midfield open. I think it's safe to say that he outperformed all our midfielders over both legs. And he is such a classy dude as well, glad Bernabeu gave him an ovation.

Not only have we been playing the 4-4-2 diamond with a number 10, James preferred position, he's also thriving at Bayern as a CM in a 4-3-3. Basically the exact same set up as our 4-3-3 with Javi Martinez playing DM/Case and James with Thiago playing the Kroos/Modric roles.

So lots of media attention surrounding James and his imminent return to Real before his loan expires at Bayern. Do we need James back in the team this early? Thoughts?

If he plays like he did in the world cup then he'll be great. if he plays like the last year with us then no.

Unfortunately he still doesn’t really fit the system, but I think Solari might be more willing to make room than Zidane, especially with how bad Bale has been.

I think he does fit what we want to do, whether in a 4231 or 433, or even 442 he can be a creative force. He improved a lot over the past two years. I think James gives you a chance to move on from Modric for example. Completely different profiles i know but at least you are replacing him on the squad with a quality experienced mid, and that's even if you want to sign someone

Man I'm on fire lately bringing up the need for James to comeback well in advance and now he could be back for real, thank the footballing gods a guy who can score and assist from any attacking position, this James doesn't fit stuff is rubbish not everything is about shitty dribbling and shitty possession, everybody on their mother said isco fits better for a guy who can't even perform with Spanish NT coach managing him, give James the same luxury afford to scrubsco over the years and he blows him outta the water, like he did before rafa and zidane started benching him for no reason other than making isco relevant but let's keep pretending that not what was going on, as soon as James leaves isco get a 10 role and free roaming role both James destroys him in yet everybody was saying zidane doesn't use a 10 lmao.