Unpopular opinion - Daniel James is not very good

roonster09

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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.
Exactly, over half a season he has 9 goals and assists, that would rank him in 23rd position in PL. That's not a bad when you consider the context.

PlayerAppsGoalsAssistsG+A
Kevin De Bruyne21(1)71421
Jamie Vardy2117421
Sergio Agüero13(4)15318
Marcus Rashford2214418
Sadio Mané20(1)11617
Mohamed Salah1911516
Tammy Abraham21(1)13316
Raúl Jiménez22(1)10616
Danny Ings19(4)14115
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang2214115
Riyad Mahrez12(7)7714
Gabriel Jesus11(8)9413
Harry Kane2011213
Teemu Pukki2210313
Son Heung-Min17(1)5712
Raheem Sterling20(1)11112
Jack Grealish217512
Anthony Martial16(1)8311
Roberto Firmino20(2)7411
Richarlison228311
David Silva15(3)3710
Adama Traoré19(3)4610
Daniel James20(2)369
Bernardo Silva14(5)549
 

Kush

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James is a limited player but he's extremely young, there are aspects to his game which can be honed and improved upon with time.

At the moment, he should be a bit-part player but due to a hilariously shit squad we've assembled. We've got no option but to play him consistently, I feel for him.

Exactly, over half a season he has 9 goals and assists, that would rank him in 23rd position in PL. That's not a bad when you consider the context.
PlayerAppsGoalsAssistsG+A
Kevin De Bruyne21(1)71421
Jamie Vardy2117421
Sergio Agüero13(4)15318
Marcus Rashford2214418
Sadio Mané20(1)11617
Mohamed Salah1911516
Tammy Abraham21(1)13316
Raúl Jiménez22(1)10616
Danny Ings19(4)14115
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang2214115
Riyad Mahrez12(7)7714
Gabriel Jesus11(8)9413
Harry Kane2011213
Teemu Pukki2210313
Son Heung-Min17(1)5712
Raheem Sterling20(1)11112
Jack Grealish217512
Anthony Martial16(1)8311
Roberto Firmino20(2)7411
Richarlison228311
David Silva15(3)3710
Adama Traoré19(3)4610
Daniel James20(2)369
Bernardo Silva14(5)549
That's not too bad. His productivity will improve over time, we need to be patient with him. Over-playing him and killing his confidence is a big no-no.
 

roonster09

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James is a limited player but he's extremely young, there are aspects to his game which can be honed and improved upon with time.

At the moment, he should be a bit-part player but due to a hilariously shit squad we've assembled. We've got no option but to play him consistently, I feel for him.



That's not too bad. His productivity will improve over time, we need to be patient with him. Over-playing him and killing his confidence is a big no-no.
Yeah, he is young and just 2nd season in his career.

Without checking, people moaning about James would be first to moan if we don't take these punts on young players from lower leagues.
 

TheGame

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Writing off a player after half a season, pathetic really but I'm not surprised. Same people writing Fred off last season and now he is coming good. Evra had a horrendous start to his United career. James has shown glimpses of what he can do and hopefully he can be more consistent as he gains experience.
 

Enigma_87

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He'll do ok when people realize he is not supposed to carry the team in his first season.

Had a great start and normally for a young player went off the boil lately.
 

Offside

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He seems pretty promising to me. Problem is he should be a nit part player who we are patient with as he has just come up from the Championshiop. Yet as the board are so incompetent he was one of only 3 signings and therefore our expectations of him are too high and he is forced to start every game as we didn't buy any proven quality.
 

Dr Fink

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The lad needs a rest. He's been used far too often than he should have in his first season. That's how deperate we are. Those slamming the "he's better than Fred" comments are laughable. Fred is our best performer at present and is flavour of the month and he's only doing a 6/10 in my opinion. He's not the standard we need. We are that short of quaility.

Back to James. He has the ability, he just looks drained, overplayed and looks isolated. He needs passes played in front of him to run on to. He's fast. He needs a break. Our midfield is utter garbage at present, it's embarrassing - nobody can provide THAT pass to him, ahead of him. Play direct like the Dippers yesterday, over the top. But no one can pass. Get Pogba back ASAP when fit and please sign Bruno................
 
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AshRK

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So he is the new punching bag now. It's his first season in a PL and keeping in mind the context he has been doing fine. He is already on 6 assists, with better finishing could have been on double digit. He is far from the problem. There were numerous times yesterday when Periera should have passed the ball quickly to James but he didnt. What we lack is good AM who can spark some creativity. Blaming James is ridiculous.
 

Scaring Europe to Death

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As a City fan, I was at Swansea last season, when James tore Delph apart, and City were lucky to eventually progress.
United is a big step-up because every poor cross will be magnified.
He needs time, but in the modern game, you're lucky if you get a full season.
 

SilentWitness

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He's 22 and has only had one season of senior football prior to this. For a player today that is relatively old to be in only your 2nd full season. Not only that but his second seasons is going to be in the PL for United who are trying to get into the top 4 when his previous season was with Swansea in the Championship. Has he performed poorly though? Goals and assists wise he's caught up with Martial who is in his 5th season now with you so I think it's actually quite admirable to how well he has done.

He's not poor or 'not very good' at all. He has a particular skillset and it hasn't been utilised to the best of his ability in most games so he's had to try and adapt but because it's only his second season of senior football he's struggling a little. Nothing wrong with that. Put him in with a world class coach and he'd be a very valuable and excellent squad player to have. It's shocking that he has needed to start so much and that hasn't helped his development either. When he hit a rough patch he should have been out of the side and replaced by someone else but as your squad is a shambles currently this wasn't and isn't possible so he sticks out a bit.

There are far worse players in your squad that need replaced before looking at James.
 

Alabaster Codify7

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He's been exactly as I expected him to be. Hard-working, decent in fits and bursts, but overall looking like an inexperienced Championship winger who relies mainly on pace and acceleration.

Defences have figured him out. He should have been a squad player though, somehow we're so threadbare that he immediately became a mainstay in the starting 11 despite not being fully ready.
 

Shimo

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First game of the season, that was probably the role he was probably the plan when we bought him. Plays as a squad player for the most part. In the early parts of the season, bring him on when we need a bit of pace and really push things. But, poor planning and circumstance have seen him thrust into being a consistent starter. He has shown can be very good, just not consistent. Some of those crosses he has put in are exactly what we've been missing but, he is not consistent. There are aspects of his game that need work, like taking on defenders one on one and a doing better with his passing but, given time, no reason he can't become even better

Team is having a shit season but, let's not lose all perspective.
 

Okey

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Re: OP, I doubt anyone thought we had signed a star for this season. A squad player with the potential to become a good starter is what he is. If anything, it's his level of involvement so far that's been a surprise, all thanks to the shite show our season has been. Youngster in his second full season as a pro. You might be eating your words in a couple of seasons time...
 

gerdm07

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He's not good enough for Manchester United. He's NOT a teenager.
James mostly gives a 6/10 performance, bog standard average mediocre performance.
In some games he gives a 5/10 performance, SHIT.
Then, when he "plays well", which is defined as "getting a goal or assist", it's a 7/10 performance.
We have another player just like that. LINGARD. He's 27 now.
Is Lingard capable of being a consistent 7/10 with 8/10, 9/10, 10/10 performances mixed in throughout a season?
NO OF COURSE NOT. Because Lingard is SHIT.
Why did we sign a Championship player? Giggs liked him?
Should we also sign Longstaff because Carrick likes him?
Do you all REALLY think we are going to improve by signing players like James and Longstaff?
James was shit again against Liverpool, but that isn't what annoys me. What annoys me is that most United fans still see James as part of the first team in the future. When they are building their team they have James in it. We will never, ever improve with players like Lingard and James.
Rashford is our best forward. What we need to do is get to the point where Rashford is the worst player of our front 3, Martial is on the bench as a squad player and James and Lingard are completely out of the picture.
And how do you propose to make it so Rashford is the worst player of our front 3? Do we snap our fingers and because we are Manchester United it will happen?

I hope you will be willing to admit you were wrong about James if he comes good next season. I'm not saying it will definitely happen, but he could come good, really good.
 

TheReligion

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He's 22 and has only had one season of senior football prior to this. For a player today that is relatively old to be in only your 2nd full season. Not only that but his second seasons is going to be in the PL for United who are trying to get into the top 4 when his previous season was with Swansea in the Championship. Has he performed poorly though? Goals and assists wise he's caught up with Martial who is in his 5th season now with you so I think it's actually quite admirable to how well he has done.

He's not poor or 'not very good' at all. He has a particular skillset and it hasn't been utilised to the best of his ability in most games so he's had to try and adapt but because it's only his second season of senior football he's struggling a little. Nothing wrong with that. Put him in with a world class coach and he'd be a very valuable and excellent squad player to have. It's shocking that he has needed to start so much and that hasn't helped his development either. When he hit a rough patch he should have been out of the side and replaced by someone else but as your squad is a shambles currently this wasn't and isn't possible so he sticks out a bit.

There are far worse players in your squad that need replaced before looking at James.
Good post. Not sure why this thread exists. I mean there's plenty to moan about at the moment but Dan James shouldn't even be on the radar.
 

fps

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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
It is just really unpleasant as well. This place is pretty foul, in how people foam at these other people they’ve never met, and piling in on a young lad like this is gross.
 

Tosicsleftpeg

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Certainly don't mind having players like James at the club, he works his arse off and is quick. Ok he's not setting the world alight but if he's used in the role he's supposed to be used in then I think he'd improve.
 

MackRobinson

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Given the Caf's history of prematurely writing players off, he'll score a hattrick on his next start.
 

SuperiorXI

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What were people expecting from a 15m kid from the Championship? He has easily over delivered and represents a bargain in this transfer market.
 

jeff gurr

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It is just really unpleasant as well. This place is pretty foul, in how people foam at these other people they’ve never met, and piling in on a young lad like this is gross.
It’s not just this forum I’m sorry to say. I belong to a few and negatives run rampant. If a player has a bad game people can’t wait to start slagging the lad off. It gives people the opportunity to be rude without having any consequences
 

cyril C

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How old is James? How old is Jesus? It becomes a problem when your entire fortune rests on a 22 years old. You always need a blend of experienced and youth to make up a team, when someone get rid of all the experienced players then obviously your result goes up and down. I say give James 1-1.5 season before we can judge him, the same time frame that we gave DDG....
 

MikeKing

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He is really tired. I'll bet he wants to rest or cut down on the relentless pressing so he can get in form again, but that isn't part of the plan. He is supposed to do the thing he always does first, and he does that every time. Running and pressing like crazy. It is good for his development and mentality, but he needs a rest the boy is exhausted which is to be expected.

I think he had some confidence about him earlier, that I liked. His posture was better when running and much more composed at high speeds, in tight spaces and in front of goal. Hopefully he can get back to that.
 

FrankDrebin

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He's got alot of attributes I like to see in a winger ,he just needs to work on a few of his weaknesses and I'm confident he will under the right guidance,which is just as important in any persons development,obviously.

Reading interviews and assessments on his conduct in training and his well matured personality around the club it looks like he's got a similar professional work ethic as young Rashford, which is great.
Its that particular character United needs around the club and ,from the outside,I think we're slowly getting there with the personal we're bringing in. Whether that be through transfer business or promoting from within.

Concerning his inclusion into the first team matters : I think the majority in and around the club knew that he would've been,in arguably more ideal circumstances,more steadily integrated into the squad but as we know,due to our current predicament with playing personal and fundamentally transfer issues, that obviously hasn't been the case.
But he's done relatively well when called upon. Again,going back to his attitude, you're seeing a individual who works tirelessly for the team.
Applying that mentality into the side already is a good foundation to build upon,even if he doesn't go onto to reach those heady heights which are expected of every player that steps foot onto the Old Trafford turf.

Regarding his position,I predominantly see him as a left sided attacker,though he's had some decent moments on the right to be fair.
This is where we've seen him at his best. Moving in linking up play or effectively moving out-wide, he's done both facets of wing play reasonably well but he can obviously improve upon that.

In a nutshell I have no concerns over him as of yet.
My expectations,similar to that of Greenwood,Garner,Chong, were low. A clean slate.Purely because these are young,inexperienced guys still feeling themselves into the game at the highest level,which people/fans tend to forget.

And off the pitch lets not forget the unfortunate passing of his father. To get such a heartbreaking situation like that occur to you when your personal life and career is on the trajectory is a hard,emotional part to stomach. For James to take that emotional punch and still continue with such clarity in everyday life while applying that with his utmost professionalism deserves alot of respect and illustrates the positive mentality of the guy.

All these variables hasn't put any doubt in my mind that we've got a top talent and a cracking individual at the club.
 
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Wing Attack Plan R

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He's like Adnan Januzaj Mk. II. Expectations were heaped on Januzaj's shoulders when he was even younger. I think he was 19 when Moyes started deploying him. Januzaj seems like a million years ago but today he is still only 24, to show how young he was when he was saddled with "the new Giggs" baggage. And because Giggs was the one stumping hard for James, I link it all together. I like James but it's more than a little unfair to expect him to be carrying this team.
 

roonster09

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He's 22 and has only had one season of senior football prior to this. For a player today that is relatively old to be in only your 2nd full season. Not only that but his second seasons is going to be in the PL for United who are trying to get into the top 4 when his previous season was with Swansea in the Championship. Has he performed poorly though? Goals and assists wise he's caught up with Martial who is in his 5th season now with you so I think it's actually quite admirable to how well he has done.
His goal contribution is good, if he keeps up the record he might reach 15 goals + assists which is good record for a 22 year old playing his second season in his career and first in PL. Not to mention complete shift in his playing position from left winger to right winger.

If the count is correct then he is in 23rd position when it comes to goal contributions this season, that's not bad as there are many CFs, players who takes penalties and few very good players playing for top teams.

He has as many goals + assists as B.Silva, Alli, Maddison and more than Willian, Lacazette, Mount, Pepe, Tielemans, Lucas Moura, Zaha, Jota. Not bad for his first season.
 

Hughie77

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It's the boys first premier league season, he's also been played more than most of us imagined, and the manager as well. He looks jaded, the games are intense he plays at a million miles an hr, that will take it out of the boy.

He misplaced 2 passes on Sunday which should have given Martial at least a chance on goal, both rushed, he can be forgiven because of his age, improvement will come when team improves, he will become a squad player with quality given time and better quality players around him. At 21 or 22 he needs to be given time.
 

ManchesterYoda

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And how do you propose to make it so Rashford is the worst player of our front 3? Do we snap our fingers and because we are Manchester United it will happen?

I hope you will be willing to admit you were wrong about James if he comes good next season. I'm not saying it will definitely happen, but he could come good, really good.
1. Sign an inverted right sided forward who is better than Rashford.
2. Sign a striker who is better than Rashford.
New attack next season = Rashford - New Signing - New Signing.

The only potential I see with James is that he turns into a decent Vardy type striker. I don't see any potential whatsoever of him turning into a quality wide player. Starting immediately, James should never start and be used only as a super sub to counter attack in games we are winning comfortably.
 

Bastian

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When we play this counter attacking style in a match that is suited for it, James is a player. When we have to break teams down, he offers (so far) very little. But he's been a very positive surprise this season and great squad player to have. Also, overplayed and huge pressure on a young lad.
 

Cassidy

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Given the Caf's history of prematurely writing players off, he'll score a hattrick on his next start.
He probably will have another decent or good patch. And fans will come and say see we told you so. But in the end just as has happened with Lingard, he will show us he is not good enough.

The lad just doesnt have the basic technical qualities required
 

SeeMe

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Judge him by using bench player standard please.
 

gerdm07

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1. Sign an inverted right sided forward who is better than Rashford.
2. Sign a striker who is better than Rashford.
New attack next season = Rashford - New Signing - New Signing.

The only potential I see with James is that he turns into a decent Vardy type striker. I don't see any potential whatsoever of him turning into a quality wide player. Starting immediately, James should never start and be used only as a super sub to counter attack in games we are winning comfortably.
You make it sound so easy, just buy the right players and everything is good. Kind of like buying di Maria, mikhatarian, and Sanchez. It's easy to not but the wrong players
 

James Ward

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Very harsh on James to be fair and think he has done well for us this season. He's 22 and playing basically every game for us and first year in Premier League.

He definitly has something and will be good player for us for the next 10 years. He has potential to be World class in my opinion, or else we have a good squad player.

I'd be more inclined to be giving out about Martial and the rest to be honest.
 

golden_blunder

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Very harsh on James to be fair and think he has done well for us this season. He's 22 and playing basically every game for us and first year in Premier League.

He definitly has something and will be good player for us for the next 10 years. He has potential to be World class in my opinion, or else we have a good squad player.

I'd be more inclined to be giving out about Martial and the rest to be honest.
My thoughts too.
I think it’s time for fans to regroup and come to a consensus what they want. On one hand “fix the scouting” is bandied around. We sign one of the best young players in the Championship for a decent price, few months later he’s not good enough? Then on the flip side we sign big names who flop then moan that we aren’t buying young players before they become known. Make up your minds!
 

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He's being setup to fail by being overexposed. There's no way he should be start nearly every game for Man Utd, it's not his fault. He should be coming off the bench and slowly getting introduced to the league, an impact sub, or being used in games that suit his current skill set.
 

ghaliboy

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That is because he isn't very good. He was brought in to grow into a better player over time

But he represents true value as to who he is and where his career is at currently. The problem is the team is a shrivelled mess and you're seeing him every week when he probably should have gotten a couple of cup starts and various cameos off the bench this season.
 

Eleven-Eighteen

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He was running past full backs and banging in assist worthy balls from different parts on that wing throughout the first 3 months. He's not "not very good"...he just needs to be developed more gradually. He said it himself that he didn't think he'd be playing this much.

I really like James. He's just been overplayed. The consistent 8 on 10 performances are there in him, but he needs to not be exposed so much so quickly
 

LInkash

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I'm hoping it's just fatigue. Until recently, even when he didn't play well, he was always still a massive threat and opponents had to foul him but he has gone missing in the past few games.