TheRedHearted
Full Member
Doesn’t he have the most assists in the team?
What you're describing there isn't reinvention. You seem to be saying that he doesn't have the individual quality to produce moments of brilliance, which is nothing to do with coaching. It is true though.Because the team isn't coached well so he has to find something new to do from his own intuition to be effective. I can't think of one outfield player that Solskjaer has successfully developed that we can say this guy has benefited from having Ole as the manager. Every stand out player this season has done so because of individual brilliance, we have never performed well as a team collective throughout 90 mins consistently. So it's hard for young players especially to make an imprint within the first team.
Regression to the meanJames has the second most appearances of any United player this season after Maguire. Given his lack of experience in the game (he was a late bloomer by all accounts) and playing his first full season in the PL, is it so far beyond the realms of possibility that he did indeed burn out? The guy has been crying out for a break for some time now.
I struggle to think of a more plausible explanation for his gradual drop in form as the season progressed after looking like our most valuable asset for the first few months.
What rubbishBecause the team isn't coached well so he has to find something new to do from his own intuition to be effective. I can't think of one outfield player that Solskjaer has successfully developed that we can say this guy has benefited from having Ole as the manager. Every stand out player this season has done so because of individual brilliance, we have never performed well as a team collective throughout 90 mins consistently. So it's hard for young players especially to make an imprint within the first team.
Why wasn’t Greenwood used an option there for rotation?It depends on the circumstances as no two players are the same. I think James would have benefited more from being a rotational player rather than one asked to perform every single week. But that was not an option for him due to a lack of alternatives in his position. In my opinion anyway.
How would you explain his drop in performance as the season progressed?
If you rely on space to get through a line and players start man marking you or staying shoulder to shoulder the manager has to help you figure out ways to slip the marking or be more of a nuisance.That he's just not that good. When he's denied space, he's very ineffective and opponents figured that out quickly enough.
Him being so fast but unable to beatI don't know why but main theme this year is that time will solve everything. That in time player or coach will raise their skill and become new Giggs, Fergie or at least Fletcher or Park.
Well, it is not working like that. Time can solve some problems but not everything. Player can learn to be more smarter on the pitch or more efficient but some things will stay like they are.
James has average technique( even bellow average if we look only his position) and he will not in one year or five suddenly be more creative or more clinical in front of goal. He is a winger who is fast and can't beat a player ffs. Because his skill is average. Dribble, cross, finishing...all attacking skills are average. At this moment he is useful in some games but when we reach that stage( with Ole or other manager) when we will stop playing counter football and start playing attacking dominant football, James will be more or less useless for us.
so his role next season shall be rest for Rashford or a sub for Rashford. Makes senseNeeds to be used less. He has played too many minutes for us. Also the thought he had his better games on the LW and as far as I can remember he’s not played there for some time.
Yeah, he was good today. Having a player like Bruno who can pick up a runner will make him (and Rashford) a lot more effective going forward.Really happy for him today, good ball that won the penalty, and overall a much more positive display from him. Clearly better on the left, and I hope he gains confidence from it. I still think him coming off the bench and terrorising tired defences is the best use of him, but with some good coaching, some strength training, there's clearly a useful player in there.
This! Nice guy and I love the effort he's putting in, but you can't give what you don't have. He's sadly a level below what we need to be back at the top. Like you said, Sancho on that wing today (especially with a more natural striker than Martial) with the same plays and we'll be talking of a cricket score hiding.Think today outlined the need for Sancho as a replacement for James. I like him and his pace makes him dangerous but I just feel he doesn't have enough end product when he gets himself into good positions. Some of the chances he had today you could imagine Sancho scoring or assisting from.
Sancho passing the ball back to Fred would still lead to Fred smashing the ball over.Think today outlined the need for Sancho as a replacement for James. I like him and his pace makes him dangerous but I just feel he doesn't have enough end product when he gets himself into good positions. Some of the chances he had today you could imagine Sancho scoring or assisting from.
Park had the likes of Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, whoever, to create around him. We have Bruno. James saw the most ball today, but it was pretty poor defending to let him cut inside a few times.Sancho passing the ball back to Fred would still lead to Fred smashing the ball over.
James was our most threatening attacker today, those saying he's not even good enough for our bench hasn't seen our bench lately.
In the correct set up he could be a Park Ji-sung level player.
I like him and I'm thinking people are forgetting he only turned 22 in November and its his first season in the premier league.Park had the likes of Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, whoever, to create around him. We have Bruno. James saw the most ball today, but it was pretty poor defending to let him cut inside a few times.
Much better performance, but still don’t see him having anywhere near enough skill to play well regularly on the wing for us.
He's not Park level even with quality around him. He's very basic when you take away his pace. Reminds me of Walcott.Sancho passing the ball back to Fred would still lead to Fred smashing the ball over.
James was our most threatening attacker today, those saying he's not even good enough for our bench hasn't seen our bench lately.
In the correct set up he could be a Park Ji-sung level player.
He's 22 and not on a huge wage. Definitely worth waiting to see if he fulfills his potential.He's not Park level even with quality around him. He's very basic when you take away his pace. Reminds me of Walcott.
Played well today though. Just feel like i'm watching a standard footballer.
Yeah he's handy. But way down in the peaking order if we get (fingers crossed) Sancho and if Chong signs and develops.He's 22 and not on a huge wage. Definitely worth waiting to see if he fulfills his potential.
Handy squad player to have but needs replacing in the starting line up in the Summer.
Definitely wouldn't get rid of him.
Chong is an absolutely useless player when compared to James. People keep talking about his "potential" but from what I have seen, he simply doesn't have it in him to ever become good enough for a decent PL side, let alone for us.Yeah he's handy. But way down in the peaking order if we get (fingers crossed) Sancho and if Chong signs and develops.
While some fan may claimed he had a very good game versus Watford, I lost a few hair just by watching him play. His decision making was awful all day except for 1-2 decent ones. Yes you can only learn on your game but his schooling could cost us dearlyCan't we just enjoy watching his development? He may turn out to be world-class, he may turn out to be decent, or he may turn out to be completely average or worse. Who knows? He is fecking 22!
Thought he had a very good game versus Watford, the previous weeks however he has been pretty poor. You know why? He is fecking 22! We can see what he is capable of let's hope he can produce at that level consistently.
Caf being overly critical of a winger is classic Caf.People writing him off,classic Caf.
Pogba + Jones should get a n/a tbf, hardly played haha Pereira fully deserves to alongside Lingard in shit. agree with he rest thoughThought he is not too bad. Its obvious he is not better performer in our team, far beyond that, but he is not that bad, at least offer us something, far better than useless Lingard and Pereira
This season so far:
Key performer: Rashford, AWB
Good performer: Mctominay, Fred, Martial, Greenwood, Bruno?
Decent performer: Maguire, Williams, De Gea, Shaw, Pogba(injured)
Average performer: Lindelof, James, Matic, Mata
Poor performer: Pereira, Jones
Shit performer: Lingard
To be fair I think most critics are just assuming James isn't and never will be top level, and therefore struggle to see him as a long term starter for us. However I think you're right; there is something inherently exciting about giving younger players a go and it is not practical to expect every signing to be nailed-on first XI quality.Caf being overly critical of a winger is classic Caf.
We once had a one trick pony on the right wing. Dan James not in that class, but he’s proven to be a very useful addition to the team. Great attitude and potential to improve. Some fans just crave ready made players, whilst harping on about youth...
This guy is a great player to have as a squad option, the thing is we barely use him the way he was meant to be used:
We haven't used him as as ub to run against tired legs because we don't have anyone else to use who is better than him so he always starts. And we haven't used him as the occasional starter agains weaker opposition because he is to important for us to risk him in the easy games. As weird as thoat sounds he will be much better next season if we get a quality RW in, and use James as the player he is meant to be: a great sub against tired defences or as a starter against weaker teams when we can afford to rest our first teamers.
Great post. It seems that there has never been a young United player that hasn't been written off by a lot of our fans. They dont all make it of course, but he is going through the same cycle as so many others do. Burst onto the scene, get figured out, adapt.I genuinely think he has an excellent first season so far, especially given his lack of experience and it's not mentioned enough here he has the most assists in your team in the premier league.
His drop in form is not unusual for a young player in his first major season, you've seen it from Rashford for example as well this season. Also he has struggled of late from double marking, see for example the Chelsea game, where as against Watford, they didn't do this and unsurprisingly he was much better. But the double marking brings a bonus as well as it means he takes up two players leaving more space for others.
The people writing him off should remember how Rashford was written off by many posters as well or McT last season, I think the boy has bags of potential, he terrifies defenders and as I said for his first ever PL season, playing almost every match in a team under as much pressure as Utd he has done brilliantly. James can be very proud of himself.
Badly mismanaged? Thats a tad extremeExcellent post. We've badly mismanaged his situation and transfer, to be honest. Based mainly on us not having anyone decent to play there instead.