Nothing personal against him but he’s just not good enough compared to our other attackers who all have something. He got into some decent positions today and fluffed every chance. Just couldn’t help ask the question what would Sancho have done?
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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He is just out of depth at this level of football. And that is whole truth.
He can do a job in a lower half team, but he stands out as a sore thumb in this team. At least he gives his all, can't deny his effort. Maybe it may click for him.
Sad but true. Can't fault this effort and all that, but he's just nowhere near good enough.
He won't play much once certain players are fit and return.
He stood out as the weak link today unfortunately.
He stood out as the weak link today unfortunately.
This is the funniest thing I've read today!
Here here! I'd sooner we cut our losses and use his fee towards another key signing. Solskjaer has given James chance after chance. I think he'd struggle even in the championship to be honest, he's 24 and doesn't have a single outstanding attribute, not even his speed because he barely skins his markers unless he has yards of space
He was atrocious, honestly. I really think that was one of the worst performances I have seen from a United player in a long time, and there have been a fair few bad performances to choose from in recent years. I want him to do well, but he is just out of his depth.
He’s not terrible, he’s just not very good either. I think a team like Leeds would use him pretty successfully. Surely we need better a back up option on the wings.
what’s he good at? not being funny but if you can’t look decent in a team that just scored 5 where can you?
maybe he’d be better at teams with less pressure and more space like west ham.
I just think it’s going too far to call him poor. He doesn’t mess up that bad, he just doesn’t have the quality to make much of anything happen.
He looked to have a few goals in him when he arrived but he hasn’t scored much since. He’s quick, he can space the field, hold up the ball for a minute to recycle it. Him being in the team didn’t stop us being amazing.
Yes. I think he’s improved a bit in his all round game. But he is limited alright.
Not sure he deserves so much stick to be honest. He was meh today, but he's shown in the past that as a squad option he's got his uses
Great to have on the bench, use him against tired legs but he's too limited to be anywhere near a starter. Was dissapointed in his positioning today, with his speed he really doesn't have to hug the offside line. We lost possession a few times because he was needlessly offside.
I don't see anything in him to suggest he's worthy of any more chances. Pretty much all he has is that can run fast and he can run a lot. He has no first touch or control, can't dribble or beat a man, his passing/crossing is shite, his shooting is rubbish and he has absolutely no positional sense.
He tried a few balls into the box that didn't work out but there have been way worse than him, even he himself had worse performances last season. Ole has spoiled us.
Lots Leicester fans on their forum think Brendan Rodgers can make James into a world beater !!
Terrifying !!
Terrifying !!
He does seem like his confidence is a bit shot. His touch and lack of ability to get the ball out his feet has been bad for a while now. He's getting game time though so he needs to mature and find his role.
It's borderline but I don't have an issue with him a squad player at the moment. I'd love to give minutes to Mejbri and Amad but it's not that simple when you've still got a developing team trying to win honours.
It's borderline but I don't have an issue with him a squad player at the moment. I'd love to give minutes to Mejbri and Amad but it's not that simple when you've still got a developing team trying to win honours.
Come on guys. He's simply a backup. He won't play much once Sancho is fit and Rashford is back. I'd doubt he'd get 15 minutes a month by then.
The biggest problem with James imo is he has absolutely no awareness of his surroundings when he's on the ball. You're born with it or without it. He may have a role in a lesser team so the sooner he leaves the better for his career I think.
He strikes me as an honest, hard working guy and we had a pretty nice period with him in his first season here so all the best for him.
The biggest problem with James imo is he has absolutely no awareness of his surroundings when he's on the ball. You're born with it or without it. He may have a role in a lesser team so the sooner he leaves the better for his career I think.
He strikes me as an honest, hard working guy and we had a pretty nice period with him in his first season here so all the best for him.
TBF to get a truly good idea one has to weight the level of the opponents and perform the same analysis for everyone else in the squad and then combine those two into a number that you can use to rank everyone and see whereabouts he lies on the scale.
It's like when O'Shea and Park (just throwing out examples but one gets the idea) etc had those really good win rates and everyone and their grandmother points out that those guys played mainly against the cannon-fodder across all competitions.
Not sure its even about James directly, it might be our pattern dealing with a squad in general.
Just like Romero had a good record. When I've looked, pretty much all our former no2 had good records.
If Leeds want him I’d be accepting a £20 million offer , a loan won’t even do him good I think that’s as good as he is yesterday. I’d rather be giving the few mins he will be getting to Elanga or Hannibal , I think Diallo should be sent on loan also
What this guy said.
(taking nothing away from James, btw; after all, that stat could be worse)
EDIT: Plus that's how you want to use your squad players, to rest your big guns against the cannon-fodder and know you'll still get the three points and keep that momentum up.
I think he's a handy player to have in the side. His pressing from the front yesterday was quite impressive and set the tone for us.
In general I was impressed with United's versatility on the front foot. Alot of players comfortably interchanging their roles.
In general I was impressed with United's versatility on the front foot. Alot of players comfortably interchanging their roles.
People keep saying this. When that happens, other players will get injured, and then James will play again. So many people with the ‘once Sancho starts we won’t see him again’ as if that will be the end of the disruption to our team until next summer. He’ll play again and again. Probably including next week.
Very average again. Poor in his decision making. There was this moment, Bruno had the ball and Greenwood made a run through the middle. James, for some inexplicable reason, ran towards the centre too and brought his defender with him crowding the space. There was no one on our right flank and Bruno just had to hold to the ball and recycle it instead of trying to get it forward.
Immediately after that Bruno pointed to James that he should have held his width and that would have opened up space for himself and Greenwood as well.
It is such things which makes me believe James is never going to be good enough for us. His dribbling is poor. His ball control and shooting are average at best. When you then factor in his decision making, it's clear that we should cash in on him when his stock is decent and people actually are wanting to buy him. Let's use that money to get a midfielder who will actually improve us and try and give the game time to Amad to develop him further if he is not going on loan.
Immediately after that Bruno pointed to James that he should have held his width and that would have opened up space for himself and Greenwood as well.
It is such things which makes me believe James is never going to be good enough for us. His dribbling is poor. His ball control and shooting are average at best. When you then factor in his decision making, it's clear that we should cash in on him when his stock is decent and people actually are wanting to buy him. Let's use that money to get a midfielder who will actually improve us and try and give the game time to Amad to develop him further if he is not going on loan.
Also, the main issue the majority of James-haters have is that his minutes could be going to an Amad/Elanga/Pellestri.
It's not that they hate him, they see it as inefficient management.
It's not that they hate him, they see it as inefficient management.
Park was our go to big game player, that's rewriting history on his part.
Exactly what I've kept saying. Ole tends to use him as a sub too, especially when we lead, which we often do.
This. If we had no one else, I wouldn't have a big problem with James playing right now. But we allegedly give youth a chance and when this guy gets game time before our - and this isn't bullshit - REAL deal talents like Hannibal and Amad (even Elanga) it annoys me.
Ran his bollocks off, broke up some play with pressing, took up some good positions apart from a couple of the offsides.
I can see his off the ball work is useful to the team but on the ball he is noticeably weaker than the rest of our starting players.There's no shame in that as we have some great players but he shouldn't be starting PL games, and he won't once the likes of Sancho and Rashford are back and up to speed.
I can see his off the ball work is useful to the team but on the ball he is noticeably weaker than the rest of our starting players.There's no shame in that as we have some great players but he shouldn't be starting PL games, and he won't once the likes of Sancho and Rashford are back and up to speed.
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I think he's useful for some games, and a decent back-up option. In saying that, any minutes off the bench should be going to Amad or Elanga with their potential to be a lot better than James.
He just doesn't look confident within himself playing with the others.
He just doesn't look confident within himself playing with the others.
United are under no pressure to sell and he's a useful player on occasions with good attributes , like yesterday with his pressing.
So, unless a good offer comes in and James is willing to move on, I'll keep him in and around the squad for the current campaign.
So, unless a good offer comes in and James is willing to move on, I'll keep him in and around the squad for the current campaign.
In the context of things, yes he's poor, i.e. as far as being at the level of a Manchester United footballer goes. I assume most are judging him purely within this context.
Three years in now. We’ve not sold him, so we will soon be at the natural point of contract extension, because every player needs to have residual value. So expect by next summer at the latest, a new deal will be announced.
You ain't gonna win the league with players like him in your side. Just not good enough no matter how hard he tries.
He was signed 2 years ago and he signed 5+1 year contract.
Every time he cuts inside and does another one of those weak little worm-burners that barely reaches the keeper, you can see his little heart break a little bit more.
He works guys socks off, defends like possessed and always looks ready to try. He helps us by not allowing the other teams defense to go higher up the pitch. His pace frightens the opposition teams even if guys end product isn't the best.
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