other than being fast & working hard, what does he bring to the table in terms of footballing ability?
What is Dan James good at?
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Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) discuss United's fantastic win away against Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Europa League.
They also pick out the positives of United's 4-3 loss away at Brentford, and Nik reviews a day out at Old Trafford watching Manchester United Women qualify for the Champions League.
Being Giggs' golden child.
or love child ?
Bebe 2.0. Probably dodgy agent fees again.
Did we seriously need another James bashing thread?
And yes, I expect the joke answers like “being British” etc but I’m seriously asking the question of people who consider themselves fans of him what is it you are seeing that I am not? It’s not a thread to bash him, I’m genuinely curious into what his admirers see in him.
Well, you answered your own question. You've asked what he's good at, then listed the things he's good at.
Running a lot AKA the new Lingard.
I just don’t see it with the kid. He’s a likeable character and I want him to succeed, but the gaps in his game are worrying. He’s quick and has plenty of hustle, but his decision making is extremely suspect and his final ball is very poor. He’s a young player and hopefully has time to improve, but I’m not convinced he will to any meaningful extent. In fairness, he was thrown into the deep end this season. He should have spent the year playing soft minutes against weaker opposition and tired legs, but he featured more prominently than I expected. I think it really hurt his confidence as the season wore on and his game suffered even more. It’s far too soon to give upon him, though. Fingers crossed he can develop into a useful squad player.
Long term squad player, homegrown, young enough to improve, has tremendous pace coupled with a hard working attitude, on cheap wages, small transfer fee, can play a reserved role when needed and to give players a rest.
Also been played out of position for the whole season.
Personally think he s a tremendous find by the club. Not to forget Leeds, under Bielsa, wanted to sign him which speaks more than most might think.
We need to ease up on the kid. Can become a modern Park Ji Song for us. Tbf Park Ji Song was capable on the ball, but that aspect of his game was often sacrificed for a defensive role in the team, which is what I think James is capable of. 22 years old making a jump from the championship to the premier league ( Never mind Man United) will always take time to adapt.
Just look at Zaha
Also been played out of position for the whole season.
Personally think he s a tremendous find by the club. Not to forget Leeds, under Bielsa, wanted to sign him which speaks more than most might think.
We need to ease up on the kid. Can become a modern Park Ji Song for us. Tbf Park Ji Song was capable on the ball, but that aspect of his game was often sacrificed for a defensive role in the team, which is what I think James is capable of. 22 years old making a jump from the championship to the premier league ( Never mind Man United) will always take time to adapt.
Just look at Zaha
Constructive criticism should always be welcomed but when you see stupid comments like bebe 2.0 or giggs love child , agent making fees you wonder how seriously should one take this thread.
This is nuts
Park Ji Sung and James are light years apart in terms of footballing ability
At James's age, Park was in the K-leagueThis is nuts
Park Ji Sung and James are light years apart in terms of footballing ability
Physical attributes can absolutely help you in reaching a good level as an footballer. James's pace is borderline unrivaled, making it as useful a weapon when utilized correctly as something like a very tall target man ( a la Fellaini ).very useful squad player
He’s been in awful form for a long time so it’s hard to say whether the decent player he looked before Christmas is what we should expect or the terrible one we’ve had since. He just doesn’t use his pace anywhere near enough. He should be getting the ball and running it down the field but he just doesn’t do it. For now his best asset is nipping at defenders toes and winning the ball back.
I’ll post what I posted in his thread last month:
People need to remember that this is his second ever professional season, coming from the Championship.
Between August and early November he was pretty much our sole attacking force. For many games it was pass to Dan James and see what happens. Especially that 1-1 away to Southampton where the team shoved all the responsibility on him to win us that game after his wonderful goal in the first half. Without his early threat in these games we would’ve been sitting in the bottom half before Rashford found form.
He’s out of form but still can be a valuable weapon to us against teams who press high. Double figures in goal contributions for the boy and who expected that when he came in from Swansea. Some of the overreactions are a disgrace.
People need to remember that this is his second ever professional season, coming from the Championship.
Between August and early November he was pretty much our sole attacking force. For many games it was pass to Dan James and see what happens. Especially that 1-1 away to Southampton where the team shoved all the responsibility on him to win us that game after his wonderful goal in the first half. Without his early threat in these games we would’ve been sitting in the bottom half before Rashford found form.
He’s out of form but still can be a valuable weapon to us against teams who press high. Double figures in goal contributions for the boy and who expected that when he came in from Swansea. Some of the overreactions are a disgrace.
you have to be Daniel James or related to himJames is a bum. Seems like a good kid, but a bum of a player nonetheless.
Just needs to calm himself down in the final third. A loan would do him a power of good. He needs to play week in week out for his development.
Unfortunately I can't see it happening because we don't have enough cover for that position.
Unfortunately I can't see it happening because we don't have enough cover for that position.
Pointless thread when there's already a James bashing thread on the front page.
Also are there really admirers of him on this board lionising his ability? I've not seen it. The most positive posts are people holding the sensible view that he's cheap and adequate cover as our 5th/6th choice attacker next season.
Also are there really admirers of him on this board lionising his ability? I've not seen it. The most positive posts are people holding the sensible view that he's cheap and adequate cover as our 5th/6th choice attacker next season.
He should be a full back.
Dancing?
I'd send him on loan next year to somewhere he'll get proper game time.
The jump from where he was this time last year to Utd, even second string, is too much. It's a failing of the club that we've had to play him so much.
Shouldn't be anywhere near the first team next season, nevermind being second choice for any position.
Similar level to Chong, young & learning, jury is out, but needs to play regularly to see what he can offer.
The jump from where he was this time last year to Utd, even second string, is too much. It's a failing of the club that we've had to play him so much.
Shouldn't be anywhere near the first team next season, nevermind being second choice for any position.
Similar level to Chong, young & learning, jury is out, but needs to play regularly to see what he can offer.
So basically he is quick, British and cheap, you have actually summed up all/the only good things about him. Is that what our club should be striving for? He was bought as a squad player and a time project, so to be far on him he has been thrown in at the deep end with our bare attacking options before Greenwood was ready....but I dont see any ability there at all to develop into a premiership play with the jump you said, let alone a Manchester United player. For me far better players have come here cheap and got nowhere near to making it at the club, Greening, Powell were never good enough, yes inexpensive gambles but I really dont see what the scouts and club have seen in Daniel James at all. Said it a thousand times he is a shit verison of Walcott
Seriously watch back the games in the first half of this season.
Basically for a squad player
There are a lot of limitations in his abilities. Too many and too obvious to be seen, no need to describe it but mostly his on-the-ball abilities lacking good skills/techniques <-- it's too basic and stiffy, plus his decision makings are often questionable but definitely not worse.
At best I'm confident he can only be a very good squad player for us. I think the only one thing he can improve on is just consistency. He is still too inconsistent but that's normal. Once he is consistent, he'll be that very good squad player.
Basically for a squad player
- good in cutting in dangerously when he's playing LW.
- goals, his shooting is quite good.
- creating chances (he's our best chances creator before Bruno when Pogba is injured).
- assists and crosses (remember the "passes to Rashford"? still inconsistent).
- high acceleration to exploit spaces.
- running on the ball at top speed.
- running into the boxes and get pulled down (won us penalties but eventually he got the 'diver' label).
- defensive workrate (not really good at defending)
- off the ball movements especially when there are spaces beyond to run into.
- team support in receiving passes.
- counter-attack with speed, his runnings gave us options.
- attacking-minded.
- very direct.
- great fitness.
There are a lot of limitations in his abilities. Too many and too obvious to be seen, no need to describe it but mostly his on-the-ball abilities lacking good skills/techniques <-- it's too basic and stiffy, plus his decision makings are often questionable but definitely not worse.
At best I'm confident he can only be a very good squad player for us. I think the only one thing he can improve on is just consistency. He is still too inconsistent but that's normal. Once he is consistent, he'll be that very good squad player.
Too weak for that.
Great post. Sums up everything he’s done well this season. People have seem to forgotten that he was our main creative outlet pre Bruno. Delicious assists against Norwich and Liverpool of all teams.
If people need a reminder they should watch this - a great comp of all the good things he did to keep us afloat early on in the season.
The amount of chances he put on a plate for Rashford when Marcus was out of form was unbelievable. Should truly be in double figures for assists alone.
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Loan to Brighton/Saints/Arsenal?
Agreed.
This is Greenwood’s first ever season, coming from err, U23s.
I've tried in another thread explaining much of the same - not in that detail mind well done.
Can we not just give him a chance as a squad player? That was what he was supposed to be from the start he was pretty much forced into the team too early.
Pathetic isn’t it
Greenwood is a elite level, possibly generational talent from one of the best academy’s in the world who has been earmarked since he was 13 years of age and will most definitely be starting for us over the next 10/15 years.
You can’t compare him to Dan James, a boy from Hull academy who has never been marked to be a generational talent.
Thats like saying “err Rooney” in 2002 while players like Drogba were languishing in the French second division. Players develop at different rates.
It's pure revisionism at its best to state, "watch the first half of the season". He wasn't good for half-a-season. He was good for a month, two at most. His early and short-lasting form has been generously extended into some kind of half-season achievement which never happened.
Video thumbnail makes him look like the new tiger king.
That’s basically my point. Greenwood is playing a lot better because he’s a lot better. Not because he’s at the best stage or perfect conditions to show his talent. Greenwood is just playing in accordance to his current ability, and James is playing to his. It’s both of their first seasons in the team, I’m not buying that he’s basically a lot better than this, it’s just that it‘s his first season.
I disagree with this post.
In goal scoring, yes, he had a small purple patch in August with two great strikes against Palace and Southampton included with his debut goal against Chelsea.
However, with a quick fact check on Transfer Market, in the whole of 2019 the only month James did not contribute to a goal was in September.
August: 3 goals (vs CHELSEA, Southampton & Palace)
September: No G/A
October: 2 assists (vs. LIVERPOOL & Norwich)
November: 1 assist (vs. Sheffield Utd)
December: 3 assists (vs. MAN CITY, Everton & Burnley)
This was all done in only 18 starts in the league in 2019 which puts his G/A ratio at 1 in every 2 games before an admittedly drastic loss in form in 2020. Pretty spread out across the months while contributing in big goals against big teams and direct Champions League rivals for much of the season. Not even counting the penalties that he won this season with his pace and direct style (I think he’s on 3 won off the top of my head).
So I’d say it’s revisionist to say that he was only good for one month.
Players adjust differently, was you calling vidic or evra shit in their first season and comparing them to other defenders?
I agree with you to a degree. But some players step up to the plate far quicker than others do. There are countless examples of this. Yes it may be Greenwood’s first season in the first team but he’s been in and around the club for a decade which has helped Greenwood settle in quickly I should hope.
This is James’ first season in the first team after moving from the Championship. I’d say the conditions are different by a mile.
I do disagree with writing off a 22 year old player with 10 G+A this season. I don’t think anyone was expecting 5 G+A from him let alone that. The expectations from his good start have deluded people into thinking he’s a better player than he should be at this moment in time which has led to this very harsh criticism of him.