Only reason he played instead of Greenwood was because of his work rate. On the reverse, had it been Greenwood who had the opportunity to play in Martial on those 2 occasions which weren't actually difficult passes to make, you can imagine he would've done better.
Unpopular opinion - Daniel James is not very good
- Thread starter Josep Dowling
- Start date
Sure he isn’t playing like a top wing forward at all, gone disappear too often and has poor finish. But it’s fair to say he has at least double his worth this season. Well he only cost us 15m afterall.
Exposed him
He's 21, first season in the PL... Give him a chance FFS.
Should he be starting away at Anfield? Absolutely not, but that's hardly on him!
Look at his determination to get back to Salah for their second goal, while Dalot barely broke out of a trot. At least he gives a shit.
Should he be starting away at Anfield? Absolutely not, but that's hardly on him!
Look at his determination to get back to Salah for their second goal, while Dalot barely broke out of a trot. At least he gives a shit.
This is why Martial links with Rashford because Rashford doesn't play like a winger - Rashford is a pure forward playing one twos with Martials before making runs off him and vice versa.
Greenwood is the only player with a left foot who is a forward and has hardly had a game with those two to interlink.
The game he did - I think it was against Newcastle - we had Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Fred, Pogba *Newcastle looked completely and utterly lost in how to handle us - coaching or not our players were interlinking with each other with natural ability due to everyone playing in an almost symmetrical and balanced way.
James is too direct on the right hand side.
Just another stupid thread. Let’s run down this list of Daniel James opinions on here:
- Sign him, people say it’s a joke we are signing championship players.
- Plays a couple of games, and is declared not good enough.
- Settles in and becomes our best performer for about 10 games. Declared signing of the season.
- Hits a “bad” patch where he’s not getting the numbers, but still working his socks off, is declared not good enough again.
We’re only half way through the season.
I am so, so glad football fans don’t get to go anywhere near player development.
- Sign him, people say it’s a joke we are signing championship players.
- Plays a couple of games, and is declared not good enough.
- Settles in and becomes our best performer for about 10 games. Declared signing of the season.
- Hits a “bad” patch where he’s not getting the numbers, but still working his socks off, is declared not good enough again.
We’re only half way through the season.
I am so, so glad football fans don’t get to go anywhere near player development.
no he is decent but our new defence is average, DDG makes mistake after mistake, we have no midfield.
He is low hanging fruit for those looking for a scapegoat.
He is low hanging fruit for those looking for a scapegoat.
He needs to sit down and watch players that dribble fantastically without being blessed with blistering acceleration/pace. He has no clue how to dribble with his body. The only tool he has is a kick and run. Almost every time he tries it - he mistimes it prematurely. You have to still engage your opponent to some degree - square up for a split second, drop a shoulder and then explode off once you've actually beaten them. He needs to be put in a 5 by 5 cone square against someone and told to beat them only within that square over and over again.
I can't imagine we actually have a talented dribbling coach at United. Other than Martial's natural ability with the ball at his feet it seems to be a weakness for all other players. Rashford has his odd moments.
I can't imagine we actually have a talented dribbling coach at United. Other than Martial's natural ability with the ball at his feet it seems to be a weakness for all other players. Rashford has his odd moments.
James is quick.
But more often than not he makes poor decisions.
It is his first season and he is still very young.
The fact we are so reliant on him is because of how thin our squad is.
But more often than not he makes poor decisions.
It is his first season and he is still very young.
The fact we are so reliant on him is because of how thin our squad is.
Of course he is not very good, how can anyone think he is Very limited player.
Very limited player.He's certainly fizzled out, like almost all the players that come here. He's had some good opportunities that are just hit straight down the middle of the goal and keeper though.
Once upon of time players like Daniel were slowly incorporated to the team, given time to get settled but our thin squad has forced Ole to play him as if he was a ready superstar.
Spot on
I think he has a future here as a squad player but ultimately we need better for the first 11. I like him though and he definitely has his uses.
He's a bit young; I'd give him a pass. Hard to blame the kid when Lingard is hardly pulling his own weight.
To be fair our priority should not be to double the players worth given we aren't a selling club. Our sole aim should be to assemble a squad to reach the top. I like James but as I've often said, he is a strong squad player. Should be taking the role of a Mata/Lingard rather than being a starter.
1. Our last right winger was Valencia, a really long time ago, and you're satisfied with some routine reports about a replacement? (Bet you believe the routine reports about a DOF too?)
2. Like Mane & DJ, Sancho is yet another that is better on the LW cutting in imo (played there for City too), why can't we just target a proper right winger?
3. No stand out quality right winger for all these years? Mahrez & Bilva before City got 'em? Ziyech? Suso, Berardi, Pepe
4. Why are you satisfied that every summer we seem to have one target (Bale), fail to land him & go after zero back-up targets for that starting RW slot - yet we're super efficient when it comes to signing squad depth the likes of DJ?
Yeah given his pace he should be getting a yard on defenders from a standing/near still position much more often. Like Willian from Chelsea regularly does. Maybe he has to work on his upper body strength for that?
He's been terrible lately.
I do wonder if it's a valid criticism that you should perhaps not target 'squad player' signings until your team's first XI is relatively set.
Because then the squad player might become part of the first XI and he becomes exposed.
I do wonder if it's a valid criticism that you should perhaps not target 'squad player' signings until your team's first XI is relatively set.
Because then the squad player might become part of the first XI and he becomes exposed.
The negativity here never ceases to amaze me, he's 21, signed for 15 million and has registered the most assists for your team this season.
The boy plays his heart out every time he is on the pitch, this is a very undeserved thread
The boy plays his heart out every time he is on the pitch, this is a very undeserved thread
I was hyper critical of him when we bought him as @roonster09 can atest to, but early on I had to admit he's technically better than I thought and that can be developed further, but right now he's a bit of a blunt object and isn't a natural football brain like Sancho or Mason, yet he's being asked to be a week in and week out starter which isn't a natural development trajectory.
How is this unpopular? This is facts
Guy is a kick and run bandit and not much more
Guy is a kick and run bandit and not much more
We’ve only spend 15m on him as backup, he already does more than that, he’s a good squad player IMO, and a very good option from bench too. If we aim higher maybe we should invest 120m+ on Sancho instead.
James is a very good sub. He can be a nightmare for a tired defense at 80 min. But he is not ready to start the game yet.
Oh sorry I didn’t know we were talking about other transfer windows not relevant to the purchase of Daniel James when talking about buying Daniel James.
Sancho plays predominantly on the right for Dortmund and England. Pepe has looked every bit worth that 70 mill. The point is, whether you agree with it or not, it seems that the club is going to go all out for Sancho, you can’t go and buy a 50 mill plus player for the right wing and then go spend 80 mill plus next summer.
I didn’t say I’m satisfied with not having a right winger, more buying Daniel James doesn’t impact our attempts to buy a right winger and was a transfer that will do far more good than harm in the long run. If he was bought to be a long term starter on the right then yes I’d be worried, but you do still have to buy the right players when they come available starting or squad quality.
You said you didn’t understand why we bought James when we have so many left sided players, (only two of whom were worth keeping and/or actually wingers) and I said because you still buy for the squad. Currently our starting left winger is out for two months and the other player you said was a left winger is in fact our striker. In terms of numbers buying James looks like a fantastic idea now, seeing as we are thin pretty much everywhere in the pitch.
If you want to go further back in time and grumble about us selling Kanchelskis and Ince, go ahead.
This comes back to the old discussion. Who in the squad deserves to be out there?
Almost all our players play average/below average way. It is anyone's guess if it is bad coaching or average ability or lack of interest.
Most players blow hot and cold. And can hardly be called reliable.
So anyone doing a touch better than that will be idolized. That is the way it is.
Almost all our players play average/below average way. It is anyone's guess if it is bad coaching or average ability or lack of interest.
Most players blow hot and cold. And can hardly be called reliable.
So anyone doing a touch better than that will be idolized. That is the way it is.
He's a very good young player who has been over played and needs a break, sadly we don't have anyone else any good in his position.
Bit harsh the criticism of James, he's a 21 year old who is making a step up from the championship. Left wing is his best position but he is being pigeon holed into a right winger due to our lack of investment again. Doesn't help when he makes great runs and we don't have a no.10 who can find him with a through ball so he can utilise his pace.
Bags of heart and runs his socks off.
Bags of heart and runs his socks off.
Obvious from the start he has limitations... so?
He was superb early season, but starting around mid till now he's struggling.
He was superb early season, but starting around mid till now he's struggling.
This. Some rare objectivity among the pitchforks in this thread.
Yes, we lost to Liverpool because, Daniel James - a kid who is playing his first season in the PL and has been thrust into a role he clearly isn't ready for - is not good enough for Manchester United.
People here have lost their minds. I believe the blinkers were completely on before this game and people are now latching on to anything to blow off steam. This thread should be locked till folks have time to cool off.
I see. But some here are raving about him not being coached correctly or even has had zero development.
I saw him a couple of times and he has clearly learned a few things after he came here, he is much more involved now. He has also already outscored his best season in Swansea and that half way in season.
Yes, he is young, he will need time and performances will swing because of his age is all natrual - it aint because of bad coaching... If anything the coaching staff has given him alot of time on the pitch and he has progressed from it.
The blaming on staff and manager for everything is getting annoying and out of context.
He's dependant on his pace and would need more time to develop. Everybody was clear of this when we first bought him.
He was brought in as an additional squad option but his early performance and our lack of options meant he's playing more than expected.
I'm not sure why people are so critical of him when he has actually exceeded expectations this year.
He was brought in as an additional squad option but his early performance and our lack of options meant he's playing more than expected.
I'm not sure why people are so critical of him when he has actually exceeded expectations this year.
When he was on form we had a thread saying how Rashford shouldn't play as LW, he should either play as RW or on the bench. Now few poor games, James is not good enough.
Anyways very good for what? Is he good enough to be starter for league winning team? No.
Is he good enough for this ManUtd team as a squad player? Without doubt.
Just over half a season and he has 9 goal contributions this season, if he reaches 15 then it's a very good season for a 22 year old who is playing just 2nd season in his career and first in PL.
Anyways very good for what? Is he good enough to be starter for league winning team? No.
Is he good enough for this ManUtd team as a squad player? Without doubt.
Just over half a season and he has 9 goal contributions this season, if he reaches 15 then it's a very good season for a 22 year old who is playing just 2nd season in his career and first in PL.
He's more effective on the left. He'll be very useful to bring on for last 30 mins next season to terrorize tired opposition, but like his manager used to do.
Bids for the likes of Osimhen and Sancho will be made in the summer. Sancho has already said he won't go to a team outside top 4 though
Bids for the likes of Osimhen and Sancho will be made in the summer. Sancho has already said he won't go to a team outside top 4 though
This place is like a badly dung funeral dirge at times.
He Is Our Best Winger Period, grow up kids and shut up.
Are we jumping at the chance to write off young players again?
22 years old, had a cracking start for us and is now having a lull in form as the opposition have studied plenty of his videos and learned how to negate his best assets.
Completely normal that this happens and just like it was daft to judge him on his initially good run, it’s daft to judge him on this run of form.
It’s how he adapts and improves over the next couple of seasons that will show you what sort of player he’s capable of being.
That quite clearly is not me advocating putting so much faith into him that we don’t buy a player who can step right into the team ahead of him, I’m just saying that we should give him time to grow before we start our usual hate campaigns.
22 years old, had a cracking start for us and is now having a lull in form as the opposition have studied plenty of his videos and learned how to negate his best assets.
Completely normal that this happens and just like it was daft to judge him on his initially good run, it’s daft to judge him on this run of form.
It’s how he adapts and improves over the next couple of seasons that will show you what sort of player he’s capable of being.
That quite clearly is not me advocating putting so much faith into him that we don’t buy a player who can step right into the team ahead of him, I’m just saying that we should give him time to grow before we start our usual hate campaigns.
Lad needs a more creative player to feed him into dangerous areas. When it’s pereira supplying the front line, then hardly surprising they’re going to struggle. James has exceeded all expectations this season, lord knows why he’s suddenly being singled out...
Because this is RedCafe, home of the hysterical whinefest.
He's been better than we have any right to expect.