Los merengues
Registered User
- Mar 24, 2019
- 409
- 223
So we agree on most things. What comes to the chart. I saw it, but it has little to do with press resistance or ball retetion. James scores, assists makes more key passes compared to many players. Thats a given. Hi simply isnt a player to play for a "super team" like Bayern or Madrid. He is the perfect guy for though Napoli.You don't think it might've had something to do with Rafa tossing him out as a RW and using Bale as the play-maker?
Or Zidane preferring the BBC and a 4-3-3?
And then the signings of Asensio and Isco?
James failed at Madrid because Florentino bought him for all the wrong reasons with no coherent plan, and then other fantastic players were preferred by Zidane after Rafa's silly attempt at being a Madrid manager. It had nothing to do with "mentality." Zidane himself said he's got nothing against James, but understood he wanted to play more.
He's a mega-talent that got stapled to the bench due to tactical reasons and due to Madrid having an embarrassing amount of attacking talent. When you have a player like Ronaldo, you don't worry about trying to get the best out of a #10. You worry about balance. Whenever, and wherever, James played, he produced. That's undeniable.
I'll give you defensive skills , but the other two? Not so much. Look at the chart I posted above again, if you missed it the first time.
And honestly, he's not even really a true CM.
I could go on about his mixed time at Bayern, but a lot of the same things happened to him there.
What comes to that Zidane episode you are correct. But Even If Zidane didn't have anything against James its a fact that Isco did exactly what James shouldve. He fought for his spot back then and with Bale around injured, being more interested in golf than the team and performing badly when not injured. Isco got alot of playing time time on 4-1-2-1-2. That couldve been James.