The strange & sad continuous fall of James Rodriguez…

[@RabonaTV]

UPDATE: James Rodriguez signed with Mexican side Club Léon on January 13th, 2025. Thoughts?

[@gadget00]

dead in the water, but enough to keep him in shape for next World Cup where he will shine again

[@vokenando4160]

It's a good fit. He's in a competitive team that's capable wining titles in the league, and they're gonna be in the Club World Cup. Plus he won't lose his National team spot, and I think he's gonna get that CONMEBOL qualifiers/ Copa America feel in Liga MX where he'll definitely ball out.

[@RabonaTV]

@@vokenando4160 Great points!

[@RaySmith79]

No scouting report, James will do good for the first 1 and a half. Once the scouting report is out. He will be on the bench trying to find a way back on Colombia national team.

[@StrangeAesir]

Liga MX is physically less demanding than the MLS, while asking a bit more in the way of technic. I think is a good fit at this stage of his career.

[@myst7042]

James really reminds me of this quote. "If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole" Getting your contract terminated multiple times in your career only happen to handful of players. Clubs usually opt to just run your contract down, they have to pay remainder of the contract anyway.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@Pehfsd13]

@@totallyscuffed9394I just double checked that. It says that Sigurdsson played 500 (36 matches) mins more than Rodriguez (23 matches), and they have the same amount of goals, the only difference is that Sigurdsson has 1 more assist than Rodriguez in the 2020/2021 premier league. Am I bugging?

[@totallyscuffed9394]

@@Pehfsd13 Sigurdsson was playing as a substitute & CDM, James was playing only in an attacking freerole where he had no defensive responsibilities, then not only this Sigurdsson ended up with more goals & assists that season, including 3 assists in 1 match vs Tottenham which was 3x more in 1 game than James had all season.

[@Pehfsd13]

@@totallyscuffed9394 Are we talking about Gylfi Sigurdsson? Just because the data that you’re talking about, I can’t find. It shows same amount of goals, but one more assist over Rodriguez, with overall like 10 more matches. And also shows that he played as a CM and CAM, not CDM.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

@@Pehfsd13 transfermarkt isnt 100% reliable, sigurdsson was mostly deployed as a ultra defensive CDM in those games and had a few appearances in CAM where he seemed to score or assist every single time he was put there, james only had set piece assists except for his open play assist vs liverpool, sigurdsson had 7 open play assists.

[@baquithemonkey5330]

As a Colombian, I think james should really talk to the coaches he's moving to before moving there. James at his age is not going to drastically change his style of play, snd he works best when he's relinquish of defensive duties and you have someone else in the midfield doing the "dirty work," much like De Paul does for Messi in the national team. In both Sau Paulo and Rayo, not only you had coaches that both did not ask for him or wanted him there, but most importantly played a pressing style of football. Now I have seen James pressed in the national team and running back to help with defensive duties as well, but he works best when he's the focal point of the midfield and he gets freedom to dictate play. Europe just isnt the place for that type of player anymore, at least not top European teams. That's why initially thought both Sau Paulo and Rayo could be successful moves, specially Rayo which meant having way less pressure. I definitely think James can be successful at club football again, even at a competitive league in The Americas or Europe. But he really needs to think carefully about where he moves. He needs to land at a club where the coach would be open to play to his strengths, an Ancelotti type figure

[@6GorillaBiscuits]

Yeah nah

[@zosiazaremba7479]

Or maybe he just needs to understand that no serious team is going to make their gameplan revolve around one guy just because he has Cristiano's number in his contacts and had a good World Cup ten years ago? Alright, I am unnecessarily harsh, but we share the same view - a James type player isn't welcomed in Europe anymore, at least at the top level.

[@arturmonteiro1929]

Almost every team wants to play high pressing football nowadays, even leagues that might be thought of as "lower" due to not being in Europe (like the brazilian and the japanese one) are filled to the brim with teams where every player has to run, it's rare to have a club like that

[@colonelhstinkmeaner8547]

I'm Colombian, I think he should just go to Colombia and finish his career.

[@doualadaliso9676]

wait , during Ancelotti's tenure at Everton, wasn't James at least spent one season at Everton? 😮

[@Dre3010]

You forgot to mention that Carletto took him to Bayern too. That man really loves James as if he’s his son

[@HonestTom1892]

That 2014 World Cup goal against Uruguay tho 🔥

[@12thMandalorian]

But it sadly propelled him into a world class player when he never was

[@WillMill03]

So what?

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@elijahthesage8510]

@@totallyscuffed9394 relax

[@Rayan01012]

Van Persie got robbed

[@Aj_2044]

He’s like that Mexican goalie at this point. Just here for international football

[@guillermoarias-lattke7020]

‘Just like that Mexican goalie’ his name is Ochoa you have no ball knowledge

[@Aj_2044]

@ Never claimed to have knowledge lol. I’m an American and pretty new to watching soccer my bad 😒

[@guillermoarias-lattke7020]

@@Aj_2044 that’s fine but your first big mistake is comparing them bc James was just different Ochoa was solid but not on the same level as him

[@Aj_2044]

@ Fair enough, I’m also biased against the Mexicans considering the rivalry lol. What club team should I support

[@kristianlolo2677]

Granted, Ochoa 's time in Spain wasn't bad he was just on weak teams defensively. He was the bright spot of Granada. Malaga he had to compete with Caballero and Kameni two amazing talents in their own rites. Playing in Mexico isn't bad either, considering most players don't leave cause the pay is the best in the Americas.

[@boisesoccer]

James Rodriguez club and country performance reminds a little bit of another Colombian footballer, David Ospina. Both of them did extremely well for the Colombia National Team, but sometimes struggled to be consistently playing at the club level.

[@716_ハディくん]

isn't that guy is james brother-in law ?

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@Furby2118]

@@716_ハディくんFalcao or was

[@gingergreek]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSPINA!!!!! Loved him at Arsenal but wasn't able to adapt to the new style of playing from the back. Nowhere near the worst goalie we had but not the best either

[@Coolruiz19]

@@716_ハディくんnot anymore , some divorce took place while sgo

[@bhupinder7720]

As a Bayern fan, I still reminisce about the two year loan. It was a joy watching him play. Unfortunately, it didn't work out at bayern. It's still a mystery to me how he ended up at Everton after that loan. I do think that the surroundings at a club and in the set country have to be perfect if we want to see the best of James. This is just way too much for a club to manage due to one player. The good thing is that he will never be forgotten because of the 2014 World Cup.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@benlane7282]

@@totallyscuffed9394I think we get your message mate

[@AntoninusTzu]

@@benlane7282 He's even lying, Sigurdsson, in 44 total games, had 10 assists. James, in 26 games, had 8 assists.

[@joey8033]

he left because of anceloti, that's the main reason.

[@joey8033]

​@@AntoninusTzuexactly and he didn't watch the games because if he did he would see how much of a contribution James was making

[@kristianlolo2677]

James is the Principal Skinner meme but instead of "Am I out of touch? No, It's the children who are wrong." except "Am I not functional? No, it's the coaches who are at fault."

[@emem2863]

With the right coach, James does produce, i.e. Ancelotti. However, it does seem like his style of play is no longer in demand, making him a liability instead of an asset.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@AntoninusTzu]

@@totallyscuffed9394, is your name totally scuffed because you must lie to make an idiotic point? According to Transfermarket, this is the reality: Sigurdsson, in 44 total games, had 10 assists. James, in 26 games, had 8 assists. Tell me, in what dimension is that 7x more open play assists than him that season?

[@robinspiekman9916]

This is the thing right. His motivation is high for colombia but at recent years he just uses a club to stay fit and train and thats it. When he plays for a club he is not even putting in 30% "thats why his contracts keep getting terminated" a club like leganes or wherever are focussing on who is worth the money they spend even if its little amounts. And if u wont give a 100% ur gone. Thats professional football.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@gunterdurden]

As an Uruguayan, he can be a terrible player for years and the when it's time to play against us he turns into Maradona

[@Akrepi28]

In Real Madrid he was supposed to be the magic number 10 but on a team that plays 4-3-3 It quite hard to shine. Actually a video about the downfall of 10 position or the last on that role would be interesting.

[@lp.shakur]

funny thing is, that position now sees a massive resurgence but in modern football they do have to also do dirty work, Musiala, Wirtz, Palmer, Bellingham are all classic 10s but the position just evolved and James didn't evolve with it

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@Akrepi28]

@totallyscuffed9394 after Real Madrid he was not the same

[@emanuelcr777]

At a good price Benfica could probably use him. He's still a very skilled player and we don't have a pure number 10. Since the Portuguese league is not very physically demanding he could adapt well there, not to mention he already played in Portugal (although Porto fans might not be happy if he goes to Benfica and plays well, lol).

[@Jotakumon]

God dammit, can you leave us just one player? XD

[@maciejbala477]

well since he got released, he's available for free

[@Luso00_]

Well, we purchased Otamendi a few seasons ago..

[@Pauliki]

Oh so there are still people wanting to be fooled by this man lol

[@hm9627]

He’s a systematic comfort player, simple as……

[@SquilliamWeber]

Still one of my favorite players, That Brazil World cup was my first, and seeing that man was magical

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@Randomaccount9470]

Did we ask? ​@@totallyscuffed9394

[@CryptoInsightsLab]

He already signed to go to Junior Barranquilla. So he will play back in Colombia. Probably the best option for him. Might not be the highest level of football, but he can play, be a star, and most importantly be happy. So I think makes sense for him at this point.

[@SWOTHDRA]

Yup

[@mexispartano8381]

Interesting. I could’ve sworn he was in talks with inter Miami and Tigres UANL.

[@secondnirvana]

​@@mexispartano8381 He was, but decided for going to Colombia. The truth is that James does not want to play soccer anymore, he is an active retired player that likes to play for Colombia. Maybe he will play some games for the club, but probably will be with those bullshit injuries that magically happen couple weeks before Colombia games so he is able to come back totally healed to play for the national team.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@moelester1941]

​@@totallyscuffed9394quit spamming clown

[@folu12]

Mate, it's strange the amount of naturals CAMs that hitting hard times after sintilating peaks. Jesse Lingard Mario Gotze Dele Ali Isco And that's just the popular ones. Pretty sure this systematic way of playing where there is less freedom is having a huge affect. I haven't seen KDB slice a curler in a hot minute now I think of it

[@Luso00_]

Isco was solid. The problem was that Madrid was loaded.

[@hm9627]

Mario Gotze was grossly overrated

[@kkzzul-sk2er]

@@hm9627 you just don't know ball

[@markisaki979]

@@hm9627 He had health issues

[@hm9627]

@@markisaki979 still grossly overrated

[@Battofc1986]

They way I see it is that the man is a great footballer but an awful professional, doesn't last long anywhere he goes because of this.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@Coolruiz19]

The video creator is also very misleading. Sao paolos coach praised his professionalism and team player mindset. Rayos coach said he did not request James transfer and that’s why he didn’t play him. There is more to the story of course, that’s basic to say. But dig deeper if you want formulate an opinion

[@Christians9955]

Come to Australia (A-league) - great lifestyle and fans will love him.

[@TheAmateurEditor]

Agreed, the pace and style of the league would suit his play and like you said, he'd love the lifestyle in a coastal city and be adored by the fans.

[@Christians9955]

@@TheAmateurEditor 100% the way football is played in the a-league would suit his style. Though what team will best suit him?

[@georgeliousas9857]

As an Australian I’d say for sure! But look at how that wsw coach is handling mata…doesn’t even give him a game :(

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@TheAmateurEditor]

@@Christians9955 I couldn't say, I live in the UK so don't really get the chance to follow the A League. He could play it safe and join the Mariners or a Sydney or Melbourne club, but personally, I'd like to see him at Brisbane Roar. I think he'd help them get the closest to a another title since 2014.

[@hectorr6299]

James " El Terminated" Rodriguez

[@justinokalla1]

Too much expectations. The guy is solid to his style. Coaches are solid to their style. And you have consistently pointed his injury proneness which he himself knows. He's just a guy loyal to his format in his condition and to his country.

[@zorashki]

People keeps forgetting that he soon 34, he looks young lol.... that 2014 World cup happened like 11 years ago... like cmon. not every player makes it at 30. yet 33....

[@Youcef8830]

He's like M'bolhi, world class keeper with the algerian national team, but shambolic club career.

[@rafikz77]

Yep There was even one season when he was without a club and despite the lack of club football he was still playing great for the NT

[@mobius1378]

The problem is, he's a pure no.10, which you don't normally see in football nowadays

[@jeremypersaud7522]

Rodriguez was an absolute legend at FC Porto, winning the treble of league, cup and Europa league under Andre Vilas Boas in 2011. Absolute quality .

[@matthewhernandez8342]

James Rodriguez and Mario Balotelli should both come over to MLS. They can play for another 5 years here in MLS.

[@titussalter8070]

Unironically tho, smaller league w/alt schedule, no regulation, decent weather depending on the team. Honestly a great league for players looking for a reset.

[@Bfg12327]

It’s retirement time so it’s either America or Saudi. Just get him out of Europe.

[@DamnDavid42]

@@Bfg12327Saudi didn’t work out

[@LongC0cky]

Best move to be honest they love star players

[@jusskitten9773]

MLS doesn’t like lazy players either.

[@shepardice3775]

James Rodriguez will always have a special place in my memory. My high school crush at the time was Colombian and i didnt even know she cared about football or was patriotic until that 2014 world cup. Ended up watching every single Colombia game with her and saw a complete football fanatic who would freak out and grab me any time Colombia had a good chance on goal lol. Thank you James for being so good that tournament 😂❤️

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@Eusou13]

And you never hit 😂😂😂

[@krismac7695]

He's a luxury player. In other words he's a player who knows he's the most talented player at whatever club he's at and therefore, only ever wants to attack and score goals and is too lazy and self absorbed to do anything else.

[@commonsense2156]

Our dude rocking a Costco hoodie love it

[@876jamaicanyouth]

He needs to go to the epl for a aston villa

[@maciejbala477]

like 5 years too late for that

[@memoriesmuseum2824]

Bro what are you talking about

[@maropengrampyapedi938]

The epl is most physical demanding league in the top5,olno top team in the epl would afford to have a guy like him,u cant have passangers in elite football, guardiola told messi the same thinf when he left barca and wanted city​@maciejbala477

[@matheusfiorelli8829]

São Paulo fan here (somehow James aint our worst signing in this century, that would be Lucio in 2013 for anyone wondering) hes tenure here was stained even harder cause he missed every single penalty he took, costing us a early departure from 2023 Sulamericana, than in the start of 2024 he wasnt in the line up for the first 5 in another shootout in the State League, wich we were also were eliminated early

[@Luso00_]

I'm sorry to hear that, because three seasons prior to that Inter won the treble, and you could argue that Lucio was their most important player. It sounds like his form fell off a cliff.

[@Deo_Volente]

Are you talking about the centre back Lúcio? Or the attacking midfielder Luciano? I've had a look at the Sulamericana 2023 tournament standings and they were eliminated in the quarter finals by LDU Quito and Luciano didn't take a penalty. I also looked at the Paulista A1 and Sao Paulo was eliminated by Novorizontino on penalties but Luciano scored his penalty. Could you explain this?

[@angeldelgado739]

He we find his form at Club Leon, they've always had a classic 10 in their play style

[@MarcelGehlen]

Bayern Fan here: We liked him, I think the squad did, too and he gave no aggressive interviews or something. He had a few brilliant games, but often was just good. And the problem was, that management didn’t want to pay 40 Million for „good.“ and I can get behind that.

[@USMC1997]

You have plenty of players still at Bayern that are just “good”. I don’t think that was the issue.

[@MarcelGehlen]

@ we have too many players, that are just good. That is a problem in our current team. Back then we hoped Gnabry or Sane would be better.

[@Harisankar-ce2vd]

Players need to evolve or get replaced by others. It's been impossible for teams to accommodate players such as James, Mata & Ozil who are pure number 10s but also create potential holes in a team's tactical set-up. The evolution of De Bruyne, David Silva, Modric, (even Taarabt to a certain extent) etc, are a lesson for all primarily attacking midfielders on how to develop as all round midfielders to fit the modern football systems.

[@maciejbala477]

basically, yup. Unless you're an extremely good player of world class quality such as Messi, the team will never be built around you, and you need to contribute defensively. And even then, max 1 player per team like this, or it doesn't work that well. James should go to a team where he'd genuinely be the main star and who would play to his strengths.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@82mfidgetspinner]

​​@@totallyscuffed9394stop repeating the same thing 🤦 . Yes his stats were better at Everton than james but he is now a registered sex offender 👍 one has never fulfilled his potential the other is a predator . Genuinely pasted the same thing under every comment 😂 is that you gylfi ?

[@AntoninusTzu]

​@@totallyscuffed9394 it's me again. Sigurdsson, in 44 total games, had 10 assists. James, in 26 games, had 8 assists.

[@domhuckle]

Man, the ultimate luxury player. Keane has it right - there's no "attacking and defending" there's just football, and it's both

[@silvesta5027]

He'd literally be seen as one of the goats if he played in the 2000s or something. The death of the number 10 in top level European football ruined one of the most magical number 10s of this generation.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@moelester1941]

​@@totallyscuffed9394Sigurdson is a nobody

[@totallyscuffed9394]

@@moelester1941 better than that loser james

[@JohnDoe0801]

​@@moelester1941so is rodriguez. He scored a good goal in a world cup thats it 😂

[@alexsch5583]

For ever one of my favourite players! The loss of the number 10 is undoubtedly the worst development modern football has brought spectacle whise. It's the most classic "true footballer" roll of the all out there and I pray to the gods for it's resurgence

[@NrthProd]

Bro when he came to Bayern Munich I wanted him to stay, made a good contribution & showed signs of greatness again after his RM slump, crazy to see where he's at now & the teams he's ran through

[@pablovint]

I think you missing some keys points mate, he is 10/10 but has no mentality or focus. He was once streaming while Everton was losing and I like James.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@AntoninusTzu]

@@totallyscuffed9394 is your name totally scuffed because you must lie to make an idiotic point? According to Transfermarket, this is the reality: Sigurdsson, in 44 total games, had 10 assists. James, in 26 games, had 8 assists. Tell me, in what dimension is that 7x more open play assists than him that season?

[@totallyscuffed9394]

@@AntoninusTzu Do you not know the difference between a set piece assist & an open play assist?

[@totallyscuffed9394]

@@AntoninusTzu Do you not know the difference between a set piece assist & an open play assist?

[@UmichVince]

@@totallyscuffed9394and who’s going to be remembered more? Respectfully who cares about terrible Everton teams 😂

[@GOMGOMA7]

Imagine prime James and Diaz for Colombia 🔥🔥

[@kommissar.murphy]

The Columbia 2014 geansai is an alltime classic!

[@scarpupgaming3645]

I remember when James was at Everton and not with the team due to injury he did an interview and he didn’t even know who the club was playing next Amazing talent but totally self-absorbed

[@itzenorozco3734]

He’s an old school 10 but there are fewer and fewer teams that are looking for that.

[@DanielGuzman-x9h]

James did a freat goal at 2010 world cup and that got him to real,did a decent first season and that was it..true ,he really shines with colombia

[@spooked2104]

We at Bayern fumbled w him so bad man

[@6GorillaBiscuits]

Nah

[@yaldabaoth2]

Dodged an expensive bullet.

[@darkseiddeath9812]

His wages were too high for Bayern.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@AntoninusTzu]

@@totallyscuffed9394 hey idiot, Sigurdsson, in 44 total games, had 10 assists. James, in 26 games, had 8 assists. Tell me, in what dimension is that 7x more open play assists than him that season?

[@alxwak]

Mate, on his season on Olympiakos, he was really bad. Granted, Olympiakos had a bad season that year and James brought to the team after UEFA deadline and couldn't play in Europa matches, but he only had two maybe three good games. The matches he played was usually a non-factor and usually the first subbed out. And while at the time of his release, Olympiakos had 9 matches remaining (3 regular season and 6 playoffs), he was already out of the team for (if i remember correctly) four matches, because he had an altercation with the manager on a game he was subbed out.

[@joey8033]

i remember playing him as my main center foward and right wing in my pes 2017 master league, that's what he's good for.

[@juanch00jack]

Problem is everyone thinks there pep and plays like robots James is not a robot he is one those last ballers who are pure 10s go find yourself a team that runs that 10 and ball out king 🐐🇨🇴

[@JohnDoe0801]

Cringe

[@juanch00jack]

@ yo mamá

[@dukegotpowers]

James has already answered ..when asked the same question (which is a very valid question). he answered ….”when I play for the Colombian team I am very fortunate to be surrounded by great players that understand my game and they play wholeheartedly for the team and they respect my play”…..in short .if the other team players for one reason or another begin to show apathy and a hidden lack of disposition responding and giving him the ball and the coach doesn’t do anything to correct their attitude..then the outcome is predictable….this is why James needs to assume the creative leadership role in the field …. and be an inspiration and a motivator to the other players as someone that has plenty of experience competing at a much higher level in all the big soccer arenas around the world….

[@LongC0cky]

James would be great on little 15 minute spells when you need a goal for any club in the world I truly believe that however no team pays big money for 15mins of magic the reality is he’s better off in the MLS where they build around stars like him wish he could do it in the big time but he can’t

[@seamustheterrible3978]

Literally can’t figure this out. He’s such a talent.

[@Konja]

He suffered the same fate as all the other midfielders who played the traditional #10 role. The position has kind of disappeared. There's another comment requesting a video on the downfall of the 10 position. I believe there are tons. It's why Ozil, Gotze, Isco, and others have had such a hard fall off compared to their old selves. The role is dead.

[@andrewmachado5934]

Saw a rumor that he's in talks to join Junior in Barranquilla. If he signs there, it would be the nail in the coffin for his career.

[@kazd4477]

he's the proof why international football is so pointless yet weighs in so much in football awards

[@omega8Black]

I always thought he should’ve stayed at Bayern Munich, I understand what he means about the weather and the culture shock but he fit quite well at Bayern. It’s a shame to see such a talented player go out like this.

[@porscheoscar]

He peaked too early. People forget he was already a league champion many times before he arrived in Spain. He was already a well experienced player when he was thrust to the #10 at RM. James has his issues. No point in denying it. But I think his problem is that of an insane number of extremely gifted players who fizzle before they even hit age 30. The modern game is over coached. If a naturally gifted and experienced player cant "fit in" to the Manager's system he's out. The games are over coached. Theres almost no spontaneity anymore compared to the 80s and 90s. I'm not even sure Maradona would "fit in" to every top club manager's system today. We have to go back to letting goal scorers score goals and return to more unpredictable matches of the past. The modern is getting boring with too much emphasis on dedense. I forget which superstar forward was asked about his position and he answered I am defensive stryker". 😂

[@M15TER_Turtlee]

Honestly with how his career has gone, he has two options now, either he takes the money down in the MLS or he takes the other bag down in Liga MX

[@gadget00]

option #2 is what he did, signing with Leon in LigaMX

[@M15TER_Turtlee]

@gadget00 it was inevitable honestly, liga MX buried Mexican talent for washed up foreign players

[@pedestal5767]

i don't think it's about the "pure number 10" thing. plenty of "lazy" players have crushed it at the highest club levels not that long ago. i feel like it's more of a "gets injured a lot because he doesn't even care enough to do fundamental workout" thing edit: just remembered the best possible example - Hazard. He knew he never had it in him to be like Cronaldo, Zlatan etc. But he also knew that as long as he had his butt and core rock solid, he could REALLY do it for a while

[@maciejbala477]

I think it is still a bit of the pure number 10 thing, though. You still need a manager who wants to play you in your preferred role

[@GuilhermeRib]

James Rodriguez simply doesn't want to play, hell he struggled in São Paulo against clubs of lower divisions in the Paulistão. Ganso in 2016 was our best player in a semifinal campaign in the Libertadores (our side at the time was very weak, Ganso and Calleri were the saving graces of SPFC), so a classic 10 can play in Brazil

[@emem2863]

Hazard actually asked for training and conditioning help at Real Madrid after being injured, but he never got the assistance, so he never fully recovered.

[@totallyscuffed9394]

James was dogshit at Everton Sigurdsson had 7x more open play assists than him that season

[@AntoninusTzu]

@@totallyscuffed9394 is your name totally scuffed because you must lie to make an idiotic point? According to Transfermarket, this is the reality: Sigurdsson, in 44 total games, had 10 assists. James, in 26 games, had 8 assists. Tell me, in what dimension is that 7x more open play assists than him that season?

[@50secs]

Good for him, relying on talent. Players come and go so what is the point in trying too hard. I like Bale and James, they are talented, they do the work that is required and enjoy their lives. They have more to life than just football.

[@Kamau1865]

I'm not an Everton fan, but I think when forgiengers are dismissive of them, they don't realise what a big and historical club Everton are. Much of their history has been spent fighting for major domestic trophies. It's really only in recent decades that they have declined into mediocrity and relegation contenders. They have a sizeable fan base too, I'd put them up there with Athletico Madrid in terms of how "big" Everton are.

[@gonzalez239]

yo the kirkland drip goes hard ngl they got some nice stuff

[@ianmurphy9955]

As an Evertonian, I despise Benitez notvonly for his Liverpool past but getting rid of James and Lucas Digne

[@Santi_Con_Sombrero]

Jürgen Klopp said it before: " if you're talentous, but not disciplined (not only in outfield job, but also inside) you're nothing (...)". If the team doesn't play by him, he's not the person who want to help them in other labors apart of the attacking, and If you ask him to, he just disappoint and just go away. In Colombia shines cause we accomplished his terms included the coach (I still Remember what happens when the coach tried to put his authority above James with Queiroz and much with Rueda; both was sack with a suspicious downgrade performance and with a problem with him). However that's not the way although we have good results. It's always been disappointed to me the fact that one player who haven't played +10 club matches in the last 7 seasons was cap and a starting player in Colombia above others like Quintero who has more regularity in terms of competitive performance because he's good in one specific month (WC) and good season 11 years ago, bypassing all the conflicts with 6 (repeat, SIX) differents coaches.

[@omega8Black]

He’s got two options left, MLS or a top team in Colombia. It’s such a bizarre situation.

[@fimmyk]

It has nothing to do with him being a 10. The problem is he thinks he’s Messi (not defending etc) but even Messi pressed and defended during his younger days. If your name ain’t Messi then you need to run, simple.

[@Kevy808]

Y'all can't go a whole video without bringing that man up

[@franriding6473]

Modern football you have to track back. James is amazing player. it’s a shame playrers like this are becoming a rarity

[@emilturbo5]

Johan Cruyff said it himself. On average you are on the ball for 3 minutes. The other 87 minutes are what matters the most.

[@ti3mpo618]

We want him at Atlanta United in the MLS

[@TheOnlyTaps]

Great coverage as always 👊🏿. A shame he landed at Rayo, i thought he should have gone to a Betis/Villarreal if he was coming back to la liga. Was hilarious when a lot of la liga pundits covered the transfer coz they predicted this outcome when the transfer was happening coz basically the coach didn't want him and declared it very vocally and publicly but Rayo's owner wanted him then the coach stood his ground and never played him 😂 coz he already has Isi Palazón and Jorge De Frutos for his system. Really hope he finds somewhere he can revive himself coz like we saw with Isco, these types of players can be adaptable if they themselves put in the work so the work he puts in for Colombia in short stints he needs to find somewhere he can translate that at a club that's not just Mendes forcing him somewhere but finding a coach who will put an arm round him the way Manuel Pellegrini put an arm round Isco 🫡💜

[@gadget00]

Im tired of this "the 10 is dead" excuse for James. Look at KDB; he's as much a 10 as anyone can ask for and he's being around the top players in his position for almost 10 years now. You can be a playmaker in this "modern era", but entitlement is what damages the careers of the likes of James (or Grealish and others). James never cared about club football; he's never "felt the shirt" of any of the clubs he's played at. It was all about him and when things dont go his way, he moves on. He enjoyed the prestige of playing for Real Madrid; but never figured or cared about how to contribute to the team. With Colombia he's "happy" and is revered by both teammates and coaching staff; but in club football you're just a cog in a system and he doesn't want that, he has to be the "star" even if it means losing games or playing terrible, as long as he's on the spotlight. Im tired of him, but mostly of fans making up 1000s of excuses for him; there are none. He doesnt care about club football, that's it. Never did; never will

[@NAT98989]

Decline started during his last year at RM, he didn’t want to run.

[@Въндев-у7с]

Hey, man 🤗, are you gonna do predictions for the European qualifiers for the WC26?

[@sammymorales6838]

He dominates international tournaments. Interesting how he’s struggled in club play

[@kevinfonque7554]

São Paulo and Rayo never wanted or needed a player like James. They bought him just to sell jerseys. He was always an asset to every team so long as he played and was a focal point in the midfield. Teams that buy him but do not use him do not understand how to use his strengths properly and blame it on his work ethic rather than their own coaching ability. If he is a “lazy” player, then he is just as lazy as Messi.

[@GuilhermeRib]

São Paulo definitely needs a playmaker, we got Oscar for a reason

[@BakiSmaki27]

Go to MLS and to a team that actually wants to play with a true 10. He's not going to get too many real chances at his age on a big European league because unfortunately, with the pressure most of those managers work under they are not going to risk it. He just needs to be realistic about where his career is at now.

[@JohnSchoolingJr]

He keeps acting like a diva and club coaching staffs hate dealing with that while country squads love these characters in their lineups. Thats James Rodriguez in a nutshell.

[@giorno6086]

similar to Ochoa, only performs when he represent his national team.

[@josue.ortega]

At least James did single handedly win games for Colombia with his strucks of brilliance. On the other hand Ochoa never carried Mexico through a knockout game in a relevant tournament, not a single game winning save when it's eliminate or be eliminated... only highlights in group stages games.

[@cactaceous]

Or Rodrigo De Paul… until he was given an ultimatum this season.

[@arca173]

He should go to Saudi Arabia where they have goalies who are construction workers. He'll def shine there

[@adrianblackwell29]

Kind of a Klose / Podalski issue it seems. Average to decent for clubs, legendary for country. Some players are just wired that way.

[@fgarcia2791]

They literally just added him back to fifa ultimate team this week and he even has a promo card in right now. And he’s gonna be gone after 😭

[@12thMandalorian]

Standard summer tournament hype, he never was that good but everyone remembers that one goal

[@mauricioblandon9881]

that’s absolutely false, his numbers at madrid are solid even with the limited playing time. his first year he was also in the la liga team of the year. same with his years at bayern, although not as good he still produced. this notion that he’s only good at a summer tournament is just lazy. is he not suitable for europe? no he’s not and hasn’t been for a while, but the talent has always been there

[@isacksb]

Thats a laughably bad take😂 u dont get topscorer at a world cup from the midfield just for «that one goal». Real Madrid bought him for a reason. Was great for porto and Monaco, good first season at Madrid, good first season at everton. And player of the tournament in last years copa america.

[@JohnDoe0801]

​​@@isacksbi mean if he was that good he wouldnt of signed for everton you absolute donut 😂

[@isacksb]

@@JohnDoe0801 What sort of Logic is that? He didnt do particularly Well for Bayern, which he came from before everton. And. That everton team under ancelotti literally fought for european spots and lead the league after matchday 10. that wasnt a bad everton team

[@krete69]

When he moves from RM, at that time I really hopes he will play in serie A, I think his play styles can work in serie A.. But well..

[@jackmiuf9192]

Do you work for Costco?

[@stellarsjay1773]

You can see it when he plays for Colombia. That team revolves around him and what he does. No club team will do that. He’s to much of a bird of paradise for daily humdrum football.

[@arshavindrameh32]

More contracts termination than good games since leaving Real Madrid .

[@guillermoarias-lattke7020]

Lmao he literally was the motm for almost every game in copa America stfu

[@AntoninusTzu]

Lazy and stupid take.

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

Goes to show you what being completely unknown and having one decent tournament can do for you. And to you.

[@maropengrampyapedi938]

Lazy players was the reason pep' s Barcelona dominated,the Germans noticed once everyone is pressing,Barcelona just were never the same.you can't have guys like James and ozil,in a modern day team.

[@vee1766]

Just another victim of the death of the pure #10 in modern football unfortunately. Playmakers aren't valued anymore because modern football hates risk and creativity when it comes to passing. Guys like Zidane or Riquelme for exemple would probably be undevalued in today's football and constantly under criticism for making risky passes and being too slow.

[@simonstewart5277]

So basically, he’s lazy ? No need to beat around the bush

[@guillermoarias-lattke7020]

With that logic Messi is lazy too

[@guillermoarias-lattke7020]

So is Neymar and other great players

[@princesally743]

​@@guillermoarias-lattke7020the difference is that Messi was giving 70 ga in his prime

[@guillermoarias-lattke7020]

@@princesally743 still lazy

[@princesally743]

@@guillermoarias-lattke7020 Yeah but he vastly outproduced James which justified Messi being lazy. It says a lot that Messi's worse season which was with PSG he still had comparable numbers to prime James

[@chrollo4882]

People need to realise that Rodriguez is not that superstar he's just an average player,had a wonderful world cup , scored a few beautiful goals and that's it he was never a superstar he had a lot of chances with a lot of clubs and it only worked out with him at porto and monaco for a while that's it

[@IAmTheOnlyLucas]

Curious that he harped on the cold during his time at Bayern. Colombia is not universally hot and tropical. Bogota is the rainiest capital city in the world.

[@emem2863]

Germany is a lot colder than Colombia.

[@UncleRichieGaming]

the streets will always love & adore James.

[@innocento.1552]

Sometimes the wages are a problem. A club will ne less patient with you if they feel that they are not getting value for your weekly wage.

[@TommyDJr45]

Yea the game is different now. It's all about systems. Gone are the days where you fit the system around your personnel. Nowadays they set the system and then profile players that fit that system. If you don't fit IN the system, you are OUT.

[@billywhizz19]

I thought this when he was at Everton. He didn’t like the cold.

[@joey8033]

lets be for real, the injuries were the problem and hate how europeans have turned sports to just hating and trolling. he's human too!

[@gadget00]

you probably are colombian to come up with that lame excuse, mijo! Come on; James is his own problem. He doesnt care for the clubs or whatever they want to achieve; here care about himself and Colombia. He hasn't "felt the shirt" of a single club he's ever played for, and it shows

[@joey8033]

@gadget00 no i'm not Colombian, but how can you ignore how injuries are a problem??? that's unfair

[@raketensven3127]

There's not really a fall. His Monaco season and WC performance were the outliers. Plus he has a pretty (marketable) face. Just like your favorite boy Joao Failix. Just severely overhyped in the beginning.

[@braxton9192]

It seems some guys are better over a smaller sample size than they are over a longer one

[@RichardCorongiu]

We've maybe all played with someone who posess pretty attractive skills...who don't do the rest...at international level you adopt a more " respectful" stance ..thats why he's good there...at high club level you get all sorts...fast, hard, equivalent skills...but maybe the coach doesn't utilise all that... you compare to Maradona ( for example) ...fast ..hard. skills..and...you found him defending at full back...I played with a few of them...great ball skills...but no legs...

[@dausmoithai6198]

Club Leon, Mexico

[@coolbian513]

he still had a great career

[@vladtepes97]

they should play him as centre back, force him to learn to defend.

[@gadget00]

contract rescinded at the end of the training session