Not very.
Unpopular opinion - Daniel James is not very good
- Thread starter Josep Dowling
- Start date
I agree with many similar posts on here. James is one of those many players you see, at all levels of the game, that look a handful with their pace and mobility, but that have poor end product and decision making and just don't hurt teams like they could.
He was very lucky to be signed by a club like Man United as a first team squad player at 21. I can fully understand buying an U18 player with those raw abilities and hoping they'll hone their technical talent and end product coming through the youth system. And I can understand those academy products, once at the club, getting some first team opportunities while they're still raw and a work in progress.
But United buying someone still at that raw level at 21, to be immediately integrated into the first team squad? Well, he was very lucky. Because there's plenty of players with raw pace and work ethic, but a real lack of end product, plying their trade at much lower levels of the game. And you really should have a lot more about your game than that, by 21, to earn a move to United's first team.
He was very lucky to be signed by a club like Man United as a first team squad player at 21. I can fully understand buying an U18 player with those raw abilities and hoping they'll hone their technical talent and end product coming through the youth system. And I can understand those academy products, once at the club, getting some first team opportunities while they're still raw and a work in progress.
But United buying someone still at that raw level at 21, to be immediately integrated into the first team squad? Well, he was very lucky. Because there's plenty of players with raw pace and work ethic, but a real lack of end product, plying their trade at much lower levels of the game. And you really should have a lot more about your game than that, by 21, to earn a move to United's first team.
Yeah in general I think we targeted him because he played a position of need and offered a cheap, youngish option that wouldn't really do us any harm if he didn't work out. I simply just don't think he has the technique required at this level, and his footballing iq doesn't make up for that either. So what tends to happen is he gets into great positions but squanders it constantly because he isn't allowed enough time on the ball that he needs to be effective.
Most popular unpopular opinion
In before new contract to protect his value.
I might be wrong but at the time we were signing him, I read somewhere that Giggs recommended him.
Please make it stop..
I just don't see any reason to have ahead of Amad in the pecking order. We want our attacking squad players to be like Park - highly intelligent, strong technique and incredible work rate or let's say, Iheanacho - a bit of magic of the bench to create something out of nothing. James is neither, he just works hard and is apparently fast (but can't beat a man).
If Rashford wasn’t injured we may have cashed in on him seeing no one else is in much demand.
I think this is his last chance. If he doesn’t do any wonders this season, he’ll be sold. There’s still a few clubs who can exploit his strengths but he isn’t refined enough for us.
I think this is his last chance. If he doesn’t do any wonders this season, he’ll be sold. There’s still a few clubs who can exploit his strengths but he isn’t refined enough for us.
I swear he has something on Ole to still be given chances. He is simply not good enough even as a squad player for a team with title ambitions. He provides nothing on the pitch other than running around. Far better players were given fewer chances. Get rid and get Elanga or Pellestri in. They can run around too while they get the experience and provide something to the team.
Dan James has the tools to be a quality player, the problem is, his main weapon of pace and acceleration is not seen as a skill. I think many football fans tend to judge skill over physical qualities and try to justify their negative assessment based on this.
He may not get the assists or goals that players in his role tend to be judged on, but his workrate and selfless running creates problems for the opposition and is another area that gets overlooked. If anything I see him is a very much under valued player and he can come in and play 15-20 games a season and not cause any problems.
He may not get the assists or goals that players in his role tend to be judged on, but his workrate and selfless running creates problems for the opposition and is another area that gets overlooked. If anything I see him is a very much under valued player and he can come in and play 15-20 games a season and not cause any problems.
So a kind of silent domination?
feel like you’ve been watching a parallel universe version of Daniel James. I will concede speed, but ability? The guy is a bum
Good enough to even be on the bench. I get your point; "he is just a fringe squad player, its not like he will start much anyway so why worry", i get that.
I disagree with that though and heres why. Him occupying a seat on the bench is as bad (well) as having him starting games. With him on the bench he will
get a lot of game time over a season, minutes id rather give to our more exciting prospects who i think should be above him in the pecking order.
I cant think of any potential scenario where id rather throw James in over the likes of Amad, Hannibal and Elanga. Its not like we havnt given him time, hes been here two years now to show what he can do and i think i can speak for more people than me when i say, he hasnt impressed that much to earn him another chance.
Now that this new batch of talents comes knocking on the door, James have become a bit redundant. Thats just how it works, if Amad, Elanga or Hannibal fails to impress
when theyve reached James age, they will feel the same pressure from yet another batch of talents coming through, and on and on we go. It might sound harsh but this is the reality at the absolute top, its swim or sink.
I think it would be best for all parties to part ways now, we'll get a decent fee and he will get more game time.
Its a shame though, i really like the guy, he seems so down to earth and i love how he never stop running. Thats a trait i really like in a player, unfortunatly other important aspects of his game isnt up to par.
If he stays with us next season i will support him and hope he make me swallow my words
We should have sold him to Leeds, for some reason Bielsa likes him, tried to sign him multiple times so maybe he can have a decent career. I think for a team like Leeds he will be a good player where everything is done at 100mph.
We may well still sell him to Leeds or another club but we need his replacement to be upto speed with his roles in the team before we let James go. Amad is mentioned but I don’t think he’s ready to perform some of his defensive duties as well as James does.
That’s the reason Ole hasn’t let him go yet.
But time is definitely running out for him.
If you read it how can you be wrong?
His first touch is championship level to be honest. That's what holding him back the most.
Oh and also his decision making is worryingly bad.
I genuinely believe he could improve further, but those two things is something you either have it, or you don't.
If you're lacking in that department, forget about being the world's elite.
Oh and also his decision making is worryingly bad.
I genuinely believe he could improve further, but those two things is something you either have it, or you don't.
If you're lacking in that department, forget about being the world's elite.
I dont think we really need James. Rashford will be back by October, we have 2 international breaks too.
Cavani, Martial as CFs. Martial, Greenwood, Sancho as wingers and then we have players like Mata, Amad to play when needed.
When you know player is not good enough and there are buyers, we should sell them. We shouldn't accumulate poor players. Also we have to offload to sign new players as we don't have squad spaces to register.
I think James’ defensive efforts are key in his selection and Mata will basically be a backup incase of too many injuries or if someone isn’t up to the level which happens so often.
James is also pushing the ones above him in the chain while also aspiring to take their spots. He’s hungry enough to keep pushing and that’s vital in the grand scheme of things. Many players succumb to the pressure and lose their spots. James is still around the corner and still young.
I think we’re giving him another season and wouldn’t rather sell him. Let’s be honest, if we sell him what we’ll receive isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. What if he comes good this season? His value will increase atleast 10m. Maybe more.
Knowing the players just played euros and have to play a mid-season World Cup I’m sure Ole doesn’t mind extra help. Many of our players now play a key role in their international teams and injuries are always a factor.
He doesn't have the tools. His first touch and control are championship standard, not an exaggeration. His decision making is awful. That's why he's a winger with searing pace who doesn't score goals or register assists.
He causes no problems for quality opposition. And his ability to effect the game against any low block side is negligible.
At best he's someone to throw on for 20 minutes if the opposition full back is booked or carrying an injury, otherwise his purpose is to be a secondary full back. Which is a role that belongs in the Mourinho era. Something is going badly wrong if we play someone in any position for what they do without the ball, rather than what they do with it, let alone a fecking winger.
Greenwood is easily first choice and if Martial starts as LW the Greenwood will be backup for Sancho.
Also I don't think James is pushing any player for the spot. Agree about his defensive quality but we shouldn't keep players because they provide good cover defensively when we are talking about attacking positions. Working hard should be minimum criteria, he should offer lot more than that.
Without Sancho and Greenwood having off field issues, he barely played. Now with Sancho and Greenwood looking back to his best, I don't think we will use James much. Whatever chance he will get will be in first couple of months as Rashford is injured.
IMO we should also think long term and start playing Amad instead of James.
I think he's the type of player where if you are 1-0 up and want to wear the opposition down in the last 10 minutes you can bring Dan James on and watch them chase him round the pitch.
Then he wakes up. This kid doesn't have a single clue how to dribble a ball
We should cash in now. Pogba is ahead of him too at lw.
Yes. Good post.
Ability as in when you’ve got speed you can kick it pass a player and run. Not much more then that unfortunately but has potential…
What good is pace for when you cant do anything with the ball? He is not a sprinter…
Long term he wont make it, just not good enough and has not developed since joining
Long term he wont make it, just not good enough and has not developed since joining
Imo we'll see him going to another club by Jan, probably Leeds. We will have Rashford fully back by then. We have Martial and Pogba. We have Greenwood so even Sancho would play there sometime. Elanga and Amad also would need minutes if we don't loan them out. I simply don't see his future here.
We bought him cheap so the club would have no issue selling for +20m I think.
His dribble and 1v1 skills aren't good enough.
Every time he got the ball yesterday he didn't know what to do with it.
Every time he got the ball yesterday he didn't know what to do with it.
I think that overall James has been a worthwhile signing, he definitely contributed more than most during that tricky 1st transitional season. Even though he's not that easy on the eye at times and a bit of a one-trick pony, he still produced a decent number of assists. Recently, it's become very clear that he is far more effective on the left than the right, and I think this has contributed to him looking a poorer player than he really is.
However, this is another example now of the club not knowing how to get maximum value for it's players. I believe, on the back of a decent Euro's and a reasonable end to last season, we could probably get £35m for James.
Instead, what we will inevitably do is keep him, give him one game in every ten, his performances will drop off, he'll get near to the end of his contract and we will either loan or sell for way below his value.
We seem to have sorted out SIGNING players, now we have to get to grips with SELLING players, otherwise we'll never be able to build squads capable of taking on City
However, this is another example now of the club not knowing how to get maximum value for it's players. I believe, on the back of a decent Euro's and a reasonable end to last season, we could probably get £35m for James.
Instead, what we will inevitably do is keep him, give him one game in every ten, his performances will drop off, he'll get near to the end of his contract and we will either loan or sell for way below his value.
We seem to have sorted out SIGNING players, now we have to get to grips with SELLING players, otherwise we'll never be able to build squads capable of taking on City
Sounds about right
I rate him higher than most in here - he’s a good PL winger and I can see why Brighton and Leeds want him. I’m confident he’ll be sold later in the window when Martial is more up to speed. Lingard is staying and with the emergence of Elanga who offers the pace and energy James does but with a far higher goal threat and ceiling I don’t see space for him in the squad.
Agreed.
Imo we should definitely learn from Chelsea. They've out spent us the last ten years with only half of our net spend.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/trans...&nat=&pos=&altersklasse=&w_s=&leihe=&intern=0
This let's keep this player maybe he'd turn out good when clearly he's like 4th-5th in the pecking order must stop. They'd never get enough game time to fulfill their potential, if they have any.
He doesn't. That's the issue.
3 seasons, that’s the problem. Way too long to judge a player when he has shown little to no improvement and clearly isn’t good enough. This is why our club struggles to sell players. Just keep them on the books for as long as possible then lose them for nothing.
To be fair to him, if ‘being fouled’ is something to be celebrated when it comes to Jack Grealish, then James doesn’t do as badly as we may think. Because Jack has been wearing this ‘most fouled player’ thing as some sort of badge of honour for a while now.
Some very harsh posters in this thread! James has played a major part in some of our victories against top teams in the last couple of seasons with his work rate and amazing counter attacking ability.
Is he good enough to be a first team regular? No. But a squad needs players like James to provide an option in certain games.
Is he good enough to be a first team regular? No. But a squad needs players like James to provide an option in certain games.
I disagree, he’s speed gives him the ability to counter and he has played some important roles in some of our goals. Now is he good enough to be a Manchester United player? Absolutely not but give the lad some slack, the way some talk about him would have you believe he can’t tie he’s laces!
Yes and because Ole was new and raw then he accepted the advice of an old colleague who probably only did it on the hope it would improve him for Wales. We send better players out on loan ffs.