The I cant believe we haven't been linked with X player thread

James Rodriguez - Big name and commercial as well in South America an ideal replacement for Pogba should he leave but not once have I seen a story, fake or otherwise linking us to him. Odd to me.

AJ Bullet said:

James Rodriguez - Big name and commercial as well in South America an ideal replacement for Pogba should he leave but not once have I seen a story, fake or otherwise linking us to him. Odd to me.

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He's shit.

SquishyMcSquish said:

He's shit.

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He's not.

bucky said:

He's not.

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If there was a dictionary definition of luxury player it would be James Rodriguez.

There's a reason Madrid could only get rid of him by shoving him out on a 2 year loan and still can't find a buyer. The man is only 28 but nobody big wants to touch him with a bargepole, even at what would likely be a hugely cut price deal.

He'd be very good as a big fish in a small pond type at maybe a team like Everton or Wolves, but no higher. United would be fecking insane to go anywhere near him, and if your fans get annoyed with Pogba ducking in and out of games/not putting in a shift, I'd hate to see what they'd think of James.

- Neves
- Ndidi
- Maddison
- Gueye
- Diaz

SquishyMcSquish said:

If there was a dictionary definition of luxury player it would be James Rodriguez.

There's a reason Madrid could only get rid of him by shoving him out on a 2 year loan and still can't find a buyer. The man is only 28 but nobody big wants to touch him with a bargepole, even at what would likely be a hugely cut price deal.

He'd be very good as a big fish in a small pond type at maybe a team like Everton or Wolves, but no higher. United would be fecking insane to go anywhere near him, and if your fans get annoyed with Pogba ducking in and out of games/not putting in a shift, I'd hate to see what they'd think of James.

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Madrid got rid of Sneijder, Xabi Alonso, di Maria, Ozil, Higuain and Robben, that's not an indication of how good a player he is. Munich wanted to keep him, but James wanted to move on, since he didn't get on with Kovac. Napoli and Atletico are seemingly both interested. He was excellent for Monaco, during his first season at Madrid and during his first season at Munich. The other 2 seasons for Madrid he wasn't exactly playing poorly either. It's fairly obvious, that if a manager rates him, he's going to play well. He's also not a luxury player, since he can play several positions, works hard for the team, if he feels trusted by the manager and he's also very good at keeping possession.

bucky said:

Madrid got rid of Sneijder, Xabi Alonso, di Maria, Ozil, Higuain and Robben, that's not an indication of how good a player he is. Munich wanted to keep him, but James wanted to move on, since he didn't get on with Kovac. Napoli and Atletico are seemingly both interested. He was excellent for Monaco, during his first season at Madrid and during his first season at Munich. The other 2 seasons for Madrid he wasn't exactly playing poorly either. It's fairly obvious, that if a manager rates him, he's going to play well. He's also not a luxury player, since he can play several positions, works hard for the team, if he feels trusted by the manager and he's also very good at keeping possession.

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No .. but nobody actually being particularly motivated to sign him is a pretty good indication of that. There was some slight interest but again, sent out on 2 year loan? No one does that if the bids are flying in. If a 28 year old brilliant playmaker was on the market for a cut price deal, every big/mid sized club would be throwing out bids. I've seen him play plenty to know he's far too often on the periphery and doesn't want to put a shift in, the game against Liverpool in the CL was a proper disgrace on his side. Never seen a player more invisible and pointless. He's the Colombian Ozil as far as I'm concerned. He's a luxury player because if things aren't going your way he's one of those who is happy to disappear in to the background and offers no physicality since he can barely even sprint, or doesn't bother to.

He was great at Monaco/for Colombia at the WC, and had a decent first season at Real. But again he's a proper big fish in a small pond where if you give him set piece duties and build a side round his technical ability he can flourish, but he'll never be a driving force/main man at a big club, and would be a proper flunk in the Prem at a side like United. At Madrid he was good statistically but there's a reason Real went with more balanced midfield players and were able to win stuff because of it.

I honestly think he'd be total dirt for any of the PL top six, other than maybe Arsenal but even then again I don't think he'd be any better than Ozil.

SquishyMcSquish said:

No .. but nobody actually being particularly motivated to sign him is a pretty good indication of that. There was some slight interest but again, sent out on 2 year loan? No one does that if the bids are flying in. If a 28 year old brilliant playmaker was on the market for a cut price deal, every big/mid sized club would be throwing out bids. I've seen him play plenty to know he's far too often on the periphery and doesn't want to put a shift in, the game against Liverpool in the CL was a proper disgrace on his side. Never seen a player more invisible and pointless. He's the Colombian Ozil as far as I'm concerned. He's a luxury player because if things aren't going your way he's one of those who is happy to disappear in to the background and offers no physicality since he can barely even sprint, or doesn't bother to.

He was great at Monaco/for Colombia at the WC, and had a decent first season at Real. But again he's a proper big fish in a small pond where if you give him set piece duties and build a side round his technical ability he can flourish, but he'll never be a driving force/main man at a big club, and would be a proper flunk in the Prem at a side like United. At Madrid he was good statistically but there's a reason Real went with more balanced midfield players and were able to win stuff because of it.

I honestly think he'd be total dirt for any of the PL top six, other than maybe Arsenal but even then again I don't think he'd be any better than Ozil.

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Why do you keep spouting that nonsense? Munich wanted to keep him. Napoli and Atletico have been interested. That's 3 big European clubs already. That Real aren't necessarily making it easy for Atletico to sign him, should be obvious as well. I seriously doubt you've actually watched him all that much, considering your take on his first season at Madrid and you've come out with the usual WC 2014 reference. That season was definitely better than decent. Under Ancelotti he played on the right wing in a 4-4-2, which produced some of Madrid's best football in recent history. Isco and him on the wings were working hard in that system to make it work. You can tell a similar story, when he played for Heynckes. Again, for an attacking midfielder, he definitely works hard enough. Him being frozen out by other players at Madrid doesn't make him a shit player, or luxury player as you put it.

bucky said:

Why do you keep spouting that nonsense? Munich wanted to keep him. Napoli and Atletico have been interested. That's 3 big European clubs already. That Real aren't necessarily making it easy for Atletico to sign him, should be obvious as well. I seriously doubt you've actually watched him all that much, considering your take on his first season at Madrid and you've come out with the usual WC 2014 reference. That season was definitely better than decent. Under Ancelotti he played on the right wing in a 4-4-2, which produced some of Madrid's best football in recent history. Isco and him on the wings were working hard in that system to make it work. You can tell a similar story, when he played for Heynckes. Again, for an attacking midfielder, he definitely works hard enough. Him being frozen out by other players at Madrid doesn't make him a shit player, or luxury player as you put it.

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Yeah, all these clubs were so interested he's stayed at Real again. And everyone wanted him so badly when he left Real that he ended up on a deal massively favourable to Bayern with zero competition. Napoli are not an elite club.

I said his first season was good, what more do you want? He then got pushed out because of his tactical limitations, because Isco/Casemiro in midfield is more balanced. And we fundamentally disagree that he works hard enough, and plenty of other attacking midfields track back far more (watch Eriksen) and do their defensive shift. He is not an elite level player and that's why multiple Madrid coaches haven't been interested, that's why he was sent on a 2 year loan, and that's why he hasn't been able to get out of Madrid completely. The other players you mentioned got their moves almost immediately to top teams.

Games against Liverpool summed him up for me. Few decent set pieces, tidy in possession, but you'd barely know he was even there otherwise. Would get lost consistently in the premier league just like Ozil does because when his team doesn't have all the ball he's not prepared to fight to win it back and will just get wound up because he won't see the ball.

BrianMcClair'sBarnet said:

I thought we'd be linked to atleast 1 Norwegian player.
They cant all be bad.

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You'd be surprised.

SquishyMcSquish said:

Yeah, all these clubs were so interested he's stayed at Real again. And everyone wanted him so badly when he left Real that he ended up on a deal massively favourable to Bayern with zero competition. Napoli are not an elite club.

I said his first season was good, what more do you want? He then got pushed out because of his tactical limitations, because Isco/Casemiro in midfield is more balanced. And we fundamentally disagree that he works hard enough, and plenty of other attacking midfields track back far more (watch Eriksen) and do their defensive shift. He is not an elite level player and that's why multiple Madrid coaches haven't been interested, that's why he was sent on a 2 year loan, and that's why he hasn't been able to get out of Madrid completely. The other players you mentioned got their moves almost immediately to top teams.

Games against Liverpool summed him up for me. Few decent set pieces, tidy in possession, but you'd barely know he was even there otherwise. Would get lost consistently in the premier league just like Ozil does because when his team doesn't have all the ball he's not prepared to fight to win it back and will just get wound up because he won't see the ball.

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He didn't get pushed out of the team during his first season. He started more games than Isco and Casemiro was at Porto that season. They changed managers and his role changed as well. Not being first choice in a team with Ronaldo, Bale, Modric, Kroos and Isco at their disposal doesn't make him a shit player. He has shown multiple times that he's a versatile player, who can play various positions, being tactical limited is something different to me. There is also a difference between saying he's not an elite player and he's shit.

Over the course of their careers James is also averaging about the same as Eriksen in terms of tackles and interceptions per game, despite not being first choice for Benitez, Zidane and Kovac.

bucky said:

He didn't get pushed out of the team during his first season. He started more games than Isco and Casemiro was at Porto that season. They changed managers and his role changed as well. Not being first choice in a team with Ronaldo, Bale, Modric, Kroos and Isco at their disposal doesn't make him a shit player. He has shown multiple times that he's a versatile player, who can play various positions, being tactical limited is something different to me. There is also a difference between saying he's not an elite player and he's shit.

Over the course of their careers James is also averaging about the same as Eriksen in terms of tackles and interceptions per game, despite not being first choice for Benitez, Zidane and Kovac.

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In fairness, shit was an exaggeration. I should've said he would be shit for United and far from an upgrade over Pogba. You'd get an even more frustrating player.

And yes, I know he was successful first season at Real. Then second season (when they were more successful) he got dropped because they went for a more industrious midfield which was a result led them to perhaps play less attractive football, but also led them to more success in big, tactical games. He's tactically limited because he won't put up the running numbers and fill the spaces which Eriksen will do, you'll get a serious pressing game from him (not the case pre-poch, but since that he's adapted his game) and I don't think you'd get James to do that under any coach.

In the prem, you can't get away with being a passenger at a top six side, Ozil is the best example of that and even Pogba gets criticised for it despite putting up good numbers. Even the likes of Eriksen, De Bruyne, Silva, have to run their hearts out and press as part of a unit.

Gueye seems like a really obvious one given the value PSG keep being linked to him. I’m not sure why PSG still want him now they have Herrera.

SquishyMcSquish said:

In fairness, shit was an exaggeration. I should've said he would be shit for United and far from an upgrade over Pogba. You'd get an even more frustrating player.

And yes, I know he was successful first season at Real. Then second season (when they were more successful) he got dropped because they went for a more industrious midfield which was a result led them to perhaps play less attractive football, but also led them to more success in big, tactical games. He's tactically limited because he won't put up the running numbers and fill the spaces which Eriksen will do, you'll get a serious pressing game from him (not the case pre-poch, but since that he's adapted his game) and I don't think you'd get James to do that under any coach.

In the prem, you can't get away with being a passenger at a top six side, Ozil is the best example of that and even Pogba gets criticised for it despite putting up good numbers. Even the likes of Eriksen, De Bruyne, Silva, have to run their hearts out and press as part of a unit.

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That was my point. I think for a reasonable price he would have been a good signing for United, coupled with a new midfielder like Rodrigo. Considering our situation, I can also understand why United stayed away. The rest is opinions, I guess.

Josep Dowling said:

Gueye seems like a really obvious one given the value PSG keep being linked to him. I’m not sure why PSG still want him now they have Herrera.

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I wondered about this as well, but they only have Verratti, Paredes, Sarabia and Herrera currently.

Arek Milik

Gaitan

RedStarUnited said:

Simple thread - Name a player you think would suit us/solve a problem within the squad that we simply haven't been linked with.

I will go first, Ruben Neves. Young (22), premiership experience and technically sound. We badly need another CM and we are chasing Longstaff.

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Neves is a very good ahout.

James Ward-Prowse