Man United and James.....if this is true, hope Mourinho makes James a central part of the team rather than a spoke in the wheel which is how Mourinho used Cuadrado.... http://www.espnfc.us/story/3122437/manchester-united-offered-real-madrids-james-rodriguez-sources
Would be a bad transfer for James, stay away from Mourinho he's way too defensive and can be a career killer. Hopefully James learns the lesson from his last 2 years and from Falcao and Cuadrado under Mou. James needs to find a team that will play attacking soccer and give him that freedom.
Atletico Madrid off to the races down 0-1 in aggregate after an early 2 goals by Atletico. Hopefully there is a need for James to play today =) as for the man united rumors.....i'll trade a 40+ game season (hopefully that can be duplicated a few times) at Manchester United (regardless of Mourinho and his defensive tactics) where James is a regular starter and core member of the team versus what his current situation is at Real Madrid. if going ManUnited and staying at Madrid were the only 2 options, do you agree with the above statement?
Yup Mourinho ruined 2 of the 3 greatest Colombian players of all time.... want him to ruin the best the season before the WC. James needs to go where he will play but stay the fk away from England and especially the fk away from Man U and Mourinho Read Pogba who is the most expensive transfer ever only had 7 goals there. That team is a cluster fk
Pogba's job is not to score goals. I don't know where people get that idea from? I'm all ears 1. Falcao was injured and recovering during his stint at Chelsea and manUnited. Unfair to blame manager and player for falcao's form 2. Cuadrado came to Chelsea mid season to be cover for Willian on a team that was firing from all cylinders with the expectation that chelsea was going to be playing games every 3 days come crunch time. When Chelsea was eliminated from CL he stuck with his already winning lineup which had willian playing on the right wing. Sadly, jc11 was frozen out from playing time. Yes manU may appear to be a bit disorganized at the moment but that is why james could be the solution. Just trying to look at the situation from glass half full POV. I agree it's a risk but if the rumors are true, then all we gotta hope for is 1. James is an every-game player 2. Form will follow if he plays on a more consistent basis than last season and this season.
Pogba's job is not to be the primary score man but at $100+mil you do expect A LOT more from him than what' been given. ManU has plenty of MFs though and I'm not sure Mou tactics will suit James. I think ManU would be a mistake as he needs a team built around his attributes. He's simply not a box to box MF (look at how Mou was forcing Hazard to work up top and defend back and how with Conti, Hazard is instead the extra man in the box upfront, causing havoc and creating space on counter but without the defensive duties). Also, a full year without CL play and or competing for any true silverware. ManU fans wear rose colored glasses as they still think their team is competing as they are today, James or not. But he does have to get the heck out of RM if he wants to build a legacy for club outside of our NT. RM is pretty much the pinnacle of clubs. Only a tiny, tiny 2-3 have that type of status, pedigree, money, etc., so James will need to set his priorities straight and find a club he can stay at and feel proud of. Don't know why I feel he'll end up @ PSG.
good observations....wherever he ends up next season, i'm sure there will be other signings and/or departures that will go hand in hand with what james brings to the table....i just want him playing every week (40+ games and 75+ minutes a game would make me happy). the form/success will follow
James is not a good fit for MU, but ,Guardiola may. Juventus is the ideal scenario, but Dibala is already there.
I've already said that james going to ManUnited may not be ideal but that rumor seems to be the strongest. if he plays 40 games at manUnited And is a regular starter I would gladly take that over another season of being part of a rotation at Real Madrid. Agree?
I'd take anywhere he's playing every week over RM. That said ManU is one of the riskiest places to go for a few reasons revolving around Mou. For one he's defensive minded and doesn't tend to play to the strengths of mainly attacking mids like James, two he's ruthless and if you get on his bad side or out of his good graces he'll cast you out super quick. Three if he does like and rely on you he tends to play his players into the ground and doesn't give a shit about their long term health if it fits his immediate needs, just look how he's been talking shit about his players who are injured in the last month, young impressionable players. And on top of all of that they aren't that good, with the money he's had and the stars he signed and without being in the UCL they are not going to make the top 4, even if they win Europa that's bad. In a World Cup year taking all of those variables into consideration this would be probably the riskiest transfer he could make, almost any other of the big clubs he could go to he'd most likely be going to a manager who will make him a central part of the team and will be a much more player friendly manager. Also Mou can't coach attacking soccer, he's good at setting up teams to be defensively organized but he's not going to help players like James grow outside of being more defensive which he shouldn't be with his talent on the ball.
You had me convinced until I read this. I am trying to figure out which teams have the money to afford his contract and a player friendly manager that will just let him come in and not fight for the starting job and become a central part of their offense in year one. I am not sure there are many if any situations like that, but I could be wrong.
Yeah, definitely looked like a goodbye with the way he clapped as he came off. As far as where he goes next, I don't think Mou's MU is the right move. But I also don't think the EPL in general would be good for him.
There's a difference between letting you come in and not fight for your job and coaches who kill players confidence and doesn't understand how to foster attacking talents. Mou might be the worst at the big clubs for this. Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpol, Juve, PSG would all be better choices. Lots of players hated Mou and year after year he chooses defensive lineups over passing and attacking lineups. He could get in the dog house at any club, the chances are just the highest with is style and that coach, and history has shown that with Mou.
So Zidane and Nacho claim that he was not saying goodbye and that they were applauding him out of respect.
In today's football, few teams have the money (or players to swap) to pay for a top player like James. Here are the teams that could afford/offer for James and how I'd rate them: Bundesliga: Bayern Munich: They have the cash but they're also loaded with talent. Carlo will be happy to have James and other than a mostly boring league, it would be great to see James there. Borussia Dortmund: A swap for Aubemayang and/or Dembele seems the only way that they could afford James. A nice exciting team that usually go deep in UCL. I'd love it. Ligue 1: PSG: They have the cash, they have the desire to be among Europe's best, but they seem to lack the confidence. Now that Monaco is back on their feet and they no longer dominate France at will, it will make for a more interesting season, especially if Unai Emeri is replaced with a slightly better coach. Monaco: It will be nice for James to be reunited with Falcao and Mendes can probably orchestrate a trade involving Mbappe and/or Mendy. With James and the current group, they could be again challenging for the UCL. However it will feel like a step back for our 10. Serie A: Juventus: A very well managed and coached team that is going deep in Europe every season and dominates Italy at will, not to mentioned the prospect of playing day in and day out with JGC. What's not to like? Probably a swap for Dybala will be the way this will be executed. AC Milan: They have now the money but they seem to lack a plan. They might squeeze in into EL but they are really not a top side anymore. Internazionale: Yes, they have money. Other than that, yucks. EPL: Chelsea: Conte seems to be working his magic, but this team looks crowded on the midfield. James probably will crack in the rotation with their busy schedule but do we really want to see a Zidane reddux? Tottenham: I have tought for a while that Real is interested in Kane and/or Ali. The spurs is a team they have a good relationship with, so I would not be surprised of a swap for both with some cash going to the Spurs. Pochetino seems like a good coach and this a team on the verge of greatness but they also may stall without the right pieces. ManCity: Pep seems to have lost his magic and anyways, James does not seem to fit in his style. But who knows, maybe a revamped attack with a retooled Aguero, and upcoming Sane and De Bruyne would be the terror of defenses all over the continent. ManUnited: Intriguing. They have the cash and they will get into the UCL. Mou is a good coach but as others have said he prioritize defense and also seems to exhaust his players after a couple of seasons. The talent is there and with aging Rooney and Ibra they might opt for more dynamic lineup with James in the middle, but don't hold your breath for Jose to play dazzling offensive football. Arsenal: Yuck. Wegener used to be a great coach, then a great scout for young talent, of lately, he's neither. If he leaves (is he?) they really don't have a deep talent base to do better than 4th in EPL or choke in elimination rounds in Europe. Liverpool: I don't think they have a lot of money but maybe they can swap (Mane or Coutihno) but then they will have a very thin team to face next season. I like Klopp as a coach and I think he can coexist with Couthihno and thrive. Spain No, I don't see either Atletico or Barcelona making a bid for James, or Real accepting it.
I'd like the Atletico Madrid switch and part of the French dude transfer. Only thing thinks James makes too much money to play for Arsenal, Dortmund or Atletico. Prob too much for Italy as well. Isn't he on 7 million euros? Icardi is at 5 so don't think Inter would pay him that much. I know Ac Milan is cheap as shit. So basically England is his only option. I'd love to see him at Liverpool or Tottenham they play some real nice footy.
Just to be clear, I am a huge James supporter and want nothing but the best for him. I think he's a great player. BUT reading some of these comments makes me laugh. We want him to go to a team where he doesn't have to compete to be a starter. We also don't want him to play much defense (waste of talent). Oh that team better be championship ready, we also don't have time to help build anything. I do want him to leave RM but I'm starting to think if James and his representatives get too picky with a new team, he'll end up back on RM's bench. We'll still be talking about him leaving next year.
i don't think anyone here from Big Soccer are part of the James Rodriguez management team LOL jokes aside - there are going to be advantages/disadvantages to whichever team he ends up at and there could be some advantages if he remains at Real Madrid - but that would depend on a number of factors - manager/new players/departing players/injuries/off season training/etc
that's stretching the context a bit. Very few teams can afford to have such expensive players on their bench (and we all know he's not the only one riding that multi million dollar RM bench). I think what we can agree that he's more than capable of carrying a team. James is a franchise type of buy. You can build a team around his talent. He's also a player that was really unjustifiably made to sit, specially from Benitez, after having a top rate season in just his 1st year @ RM. Reading other forums that know very little about James and his success, folks forget that he hasn't earned this opportunity solely based on a great World Cup but rather has been a standout world class player since he was able to break Banfields's 1st side as a 17 year old kid from Colombia. He's has success in every club he's played for and has fought hard to earn a starting spot in every club (and NT) he's played in. So does he have the right to sulk and be a bit pissy about his situation? I would think so. In fact, this shows just how competitive a player he is and simply doesnt want to sit in some bench. The only reason you're hearing about having his cake an eating it too is mainly because only the richest clubs will be able to afford him and won't have the luxury to bench their 1-2 marquee players.
Well said, James isn't some flash in the pan pre madonna, he's fought and won everywhere he's played and tried to do so at Real Madrid. Facts are he's going to be one of the most sought after players this summer and is in a good position to pick the place that fits best for him, so he should pick a team that fits with him and will give him the best chance to be successful.