Goooollll de @jamesdrodriguez calmateeee alma mía que te vass a salir ...pero donde te pongooooo James @FCBayern 3 1 @bayer04_es pic.twitter.com/xBmA0p5yZs— www.lasensacionalstereo.com (@sensacional7) September 15, 2018
He really wanted that one. James might have the most bloody obvious body language of any player I've ever seen. He was turning up his palms and putting his hands on his hips a lot today before that goal. Can't say I blame him either. I think he's getting flashbacks of his 2nd season at Real. I can understand why Tolisso got the start today--he's probably suffering more than James is. It took James a good minute, but he finally did smile a bit after his goal.
First - Kovac is rotating only carefully at the beginning. It is more Thiago + Müller + somebody in midfield. They show a very good organization like I haven't seen it in the last 2 seasons. More vertical than before so he even plays Müller with a box-to-box in front of Thiago as a 6. The pressing and positioning did not function as good anymore when James came in for Tolisso - that is why he then put in Martinez and shifted James to the left and Thiago onto the 8 instead of substituting Ribery for Gnabry. James needs to adapt here. He was playing in Thiagos role the last season and Thiago is back and in good form. But Thiago is great playing the 6, too. We play more Pep style again than we did since Guardiola left - with more vertical components (but that is what Pep does in Manchester, too). Positioning got more important, group pressing to get back the ball very fast. Kovac has to get more experimental in the next weeks - Tolisso seems to be out because of an ACL - and there is a lot matches. James will get his time in which he can show himself. And to the tactical issues he has to adapt. He did that last season, too.
I have so much respect for James. The guy responds so well to pressure. Many players would have fallen apart after the madrid situation. Not him. He keeps fighting
Kovač on James Rodríguez: "James had fitness problems after the World cup. He is catching up with the rest now. I told him I was happy that he stayed here. He wants to play and he will certainly play in the next games, we will see if this starts tomorrow" He said this yesterday. I wouldn’t worry too much about it unless it continues.
Yeah with James and the ongoing injury issue he had last season and during the World Cup I don't mind them building him up slow. James will get lots of time now with the injuries, hopefully he gets back to being central for the team like last season.