Ancelotti dismisses talk of Rodriguez being unsettled

So... rumours spreading that Rodriguez is off in the summer. Seems he can't take being challenged by Premier League defenders???

The Rodriguez stuff is media biased propaganda to shift the blame on him when the RS go into assault mode on our playmaker. Very predictable.

The James stuff seems like rubbish, but I can fully imagine him wanting to play in a Champions League team and not mid-table mediocrity. Head and shoulders above anyone else we have.

Put him in a quality team and he'll look world class.

I can't believe I'm actually commenting on this.

Were James's expectations that Everton would be higher in the league or playing in a better climate when he signed?

I'm not sure which would be a bigger masterstroke by the club if they convinced him of either.

I'm not that suprised, where would you sooner live southern Spain or wet freezing N W of England.

Unless it’s his agent, with an early leak, to make teams aware. Hope not.

James has been the center of speculation for years. Before he started a game for us Asprilla had a piece in the Echo saying he wouldn't like the weather. The Colombian Marca then claimed he was faking injury to spend more time on Instagram. I think he's sort of the David Beckham of Colombia so a certain percentage of the media love to hate him.

I think he would prefer a warmer climate and CL football. Carlo in the summer also said Moise Kean was part of his plans, so wouldn't surprise me if James left.

We are always going to struggle to attract and keep top talent without the CL football carrot. Thing is we need that talent to qualify, bollox ain't it.

Not too bothered anyway, decent in patches but inconsistent generally, injured one week, average the next, great the game after that, then rinse and recycle,if he’s not happy, get rid, and everyone moves on.
I’m sure the full back behind him won’t miss him either.

Tbh

His career has been one of flattering to deceive. He has undoubted ability but he’s never really established himself at any of the clubs he’s played.
Massive red flag for me was coming off ‘injured’ against Fulham. I suspect other players would have copped a lot more stick for that

I've heard Klopp wants to go skinny dipping in the Mediterranean with Saido and Mo, just to let the kopites know that they'll all be off to Barcelona soon.

Graham

He's a little bit like Gheorge Hagi. Great talent, but doesn't appear to have the work rate and desire to be as successful as he could be. The United game he was terrible but then scored a magnificent game changing goal. Ideally we can get enough quality pieces around him so we can overlook his deficiencies and just enjoy his sparkle

He's a great talent but a bit of a snowflake. The PL is too rough for him. We'll need a replacement in the summer. Someone who can play a few games on the trot would be good.

He can look decidedly average at times, and lacks mobility of course. He does try to run around, but he's mostly treading water - it's worth noting he's always been like that so it isn't age or anything.

The thing with a player like James, is that he can make something happen in an instant - be it a cross, pass, shot, goal, whatever - he makes things happen at his own pace and is undoubtedly a very classy operator.

Yeah he can leave us a little short when we don't have the ball, but personally I'd much prefer us to be moving to sign world names, than Championship players.

James has helped raise the profile of EFC, and is part of the sea-change we need at stuffy old Everton. Top players & managers can be swayed by other top players & managers, so signing James is more than just signing a footballer.

With a bit more protection from refs, and teammates, James wouldn’t get kicked as much as he does.

Why do we even have a captain when no one gets in the refs ear like other captains do?

Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves in the summer. It’s not only the kicks, weather, food, language, lack of cl etc... his girlfriend refuses to move to England so he’s probably a bit lonely.

I hope he stays because he is better than anyone we have had for a long time. It is a pleasure to watch him.

So reading between the lines it’s true then, winter blues, Girlfriend back home, see yeh then James , it was good for about 270 minutes.. overall.

I’m sure he was well compensated for his inconvenience.

As soon as these rumours start, you know they’re true,if you have ever wondered what agents get paid for?

this is what!

Colin

Professional footballers soon realise if someone in the immortal words of Corporal Jones ‘don’t like it up them’.

It’s top level sport, your weaknesses get found out quickly. I hope I’m wrong about the lad as many have pointed out he can do things on a football pitch that very few can. But if you haven’t got the bottle it’s all for nowt.

I hope he stays as well. Some call him a luxury player, I call him the jewel in the crown. The only problem being, we don’t have a crown.

Don’t worry - if he does leave we can extend Gylfi’s contract and he can be our no 10 for years to come.

I think the pace and physicality of the Premier League has taken James by surprise. He will expected it to be tough, but it’s worse than he expected. The dirty stuff that a lot of players get away with is making him disillusioned. He probably is thinking it’s only a matter of time until he gets a long term injury.

It’s tough on him because he is so gifted, but this is the way it is over here, it’s the English game, it won’t change. It’s got to the stage now when there is fair debate about whether we are a weaker side when he starts.

If he does want to go I hope he can put some great cameos in for us before he does. Starting tomorrow.

Since Van Dyke did his testes he’s been stinking the joint out and Ancelotti’s faith in him has looked misplaced.

He’s not suited to the Premier League physically and he needs to really want it to make it here.

If he scores the winner at Anfield tomorrow, he will be forever burned into EFC legend like Super Kevin Campbell.

James is still acclimatizing, give him time and also give him the No10 thats where he should be playing.
You will really see his worth then.

If he wants Champion's League football, he can always, you know, help us get into the Champion's League. I know some have basically written the season off, but we're only five points off 4th with a game in hand. It's basically there for the taking.

James is a human being. And still quite a young man. He’s currently experiencing our city during a national lockdown and really crap weather.

He doesn’t owe us anything. He’s a world class player. We are paying him a good wage and from what I can see, he’s performing for us when given the opportunity. If he decides his future would be better elsewhere then that’s his prerogative.

Me. I’d like him to stay. We’re having a difficult little spell. Hopefully we can come through it.

I’m comfortable with this.

Understandable in the current world we live in!

Hope he stays and becomes an Everton great!

He was great at the start of the season but fizzled out at the first international break (as did Richarlison) and has been patchy ever since (same as Richarlison). Unlike Richarlison, though, he seems to have poor stamina, given his inability to last 90 mins. You can see why Bayern didn't want to keep him and why Real let him go.

A hat trick tomorrow, and he's welcome to go where he likes.

Lockdown with persistently sore testicles must be quite a challenge.

I honestly can't believe what I'm reading here.

Are people really that insecure that they hear a fake news story and instantly go on the defensive to suggest that James hasn't cut it in the Prem/is a “snowflake”, isn't good enough, should have known about the weather in England?

Seriously?

He's one of the best passers of the balls we've ever seen at Everton. We're a much better team when he's on the pitch and he's proven again in yet another league that he can score, assist and make killer passes even in an average team that have been struggling for the last few years.

Has he been kept quiet in some games? Yes. Have Kevin de Bruyne, Aubameyang, Kane and Vardy all also been kept quiet in some games this season too? Yes. But are they all quality players? Yes!

I think we should back our players rather than turn on them as soon as one story is published that most people on here haven't even been able to translate properly.

Let's see how he gets on for the rest of the season, shall we? To be honest, if he scores the winner tomorrow, then he's done his job for this season for me!

All the best. Stay or go. Life goes on!

Well said, Teddy.

This is James Rodriguez ffs! The things that fella can do with a football at this feet defy logic. Even when he's having a bad game and getting knocked to shot by some thug like Shelvey he can pick out a pass that most of us can't see even in a slow motion replay.

As a player he is certainly someone I would like to see Everton retain but let's be honest, where on Merseyside can you get a good paella or a decent BBQ'd guinea pig?
Give it time, we are talking an almost legend in his own country.
And please, don't tell me Everton had a you got in for so you can get out for nothing card in his contract.

Frankly, two days before the Derby this gets "leaked"? Too coincidental for me, sounds like RS whispers to unsettle us before the game..
On a side to this just when are referees going to give protection? We seen him purposely knobbled as a tactic in almost every game, where is the Peter Reid to return the favour with interest? We need someone to give it back simples.

We have someone to give it back Christine.

Ben Godfrey.
Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war.

I hope the dogs of war don't slip.

He looked happy on the pitch tonight after stuffing those bastards.

Brilliant player who I am dying to see live, we’ve got a genuine class player who produces assists and contributes goals,What a pass for Richarlisons goal, he didn’t even have to break stride just latch on to it and stroke it in the corner, great pass great goal, I love him playing for Everton

If you think that James Rodriguez should leave you need your head examined.

I’m glad I didn’t criticise James. I sometimes think he must be pissed off with his teammates for their lack of movement but yesterday everything worked to, almost, perfection.

On another thread I said James is a silent assassin. Don’t expect him to run round like a headless chicken.

He does things only the elite can do.

Yesterday, seconds before the ball dropped a typical pin-ball fracas had broken out betwixt ordinary mortals.

No one, I repeat no one, would have seen what he did in that blink of an eye.

The millionths of a second that sporting geniuses use to create majesty saw him gently pull the ball out of the air, clock Richarlison on the turn and see the weakness of the static defender.

The deftness of his pass was so exquisite a still photo of it should be framed in the Walker Art Gallery.

Sure he has his faults but I cannot see them for he encapsulates the greatest attribute of a sport I have loved since a child and thought had been lost forever. He gives us "the beautiful game".

I might add and not for the first time this season

I’ve been convinced for a while now that if we can put a solid brick wall between James and our keeper, add one or two players with pace and the ability to find the net (Richy and Dom), then we have one hell of a counter attacking team. Carlo stumbled upon this setup, which has seen us beat a lot of top sides, but he cannot yet find a winning formula when playing the lesser sides (at home especially). I hope this changes next Monday against Southampton.

What Barry said.

For years and years under Moyes we all cried about the lack of creativity, the Big Name signing, that bloke from Villareal, etc.

Now we have a genuinely great manager and a truly creative player!!

Granted, their best days (so far) have been with other clubs but they're still well ahead of anything we've had in my 31 years of going to Goodison.