15 Sep 2021 18:02:27
So Ed 025 mate what does Rafa do with James, stick him in the reserves, put him in the Team, or just forget about him, at £250 grand a week the quicker we get to the January window and some mug Team take him the better what a waste of really good talent in my eyes so much skill.

{Ed025's Note - he doesn,t fit into rafa,s plans GB because he is not fit enough and lacks desire, i dont think there is any way back for him myself and the sooner he has gone the better mate..

1.) 15 Sep 2021
15 Sep 2021 18:14:45
No one is going to come in for him in January. Why would they? They could have him on a free in the summer.

Also why would he want to leave? If he’s on £200k per week with us it’s highly unlikely he’ll get that anywhere else so why would he want to leave for less money? I can’t imagine any of us on here would give up a nice and easy job on ridiculous wages to go and have to graft somewhere else to earn less.

We gave him the contract so we just have to ride it out, unless he decides to leave he’s with us till the end of the season.

{Ed025's Note - nail on the head there dan..

2.) 15 Sep 2021
15 Sep 2021 18:46:24
Will anyone want a thirty something player with all the baggage he has, he will have to take a massive pay cut, ah well at least we be shot of him, still think it’s a waste of such talent.

{Ed025's Note - talent yes GB...but no heart or desire, and without them mate you just dont have enough..

3.) 15 Sep 2021
15 Sep 2021 19:37:19
Just shows what you can find if you look hard enough mate, Gray and Townsend come to mind, two players brought in with passion eh.

{Ed025's Note - two amazing signings up to now GB...and long may it continue..

4.) 15 Sep 2021
15 Sep 2021 19:49:03
I think last season, we got more games out of him than we could have expected. The fans were lauding him when he arrived, he had a decent season considering he hadn't really played any football for a year or two. He scored some great goals provided some amazing passes to assist goals. CA left and the landscape changed a bit, it was no surprise that he signed for the previous manager.
Fast forward 12 months and the club decided he was surplus to requirements, is that the players fault? If you were told the same, would you be happy? There has been all sorts of bs rumours surrounding him that fans seem to be latching on to. There is obvious history between him and rafa which doesn't help his cause.
What I'm trying to say is that the blame lies with the club for a lot of the problems. Letting him have time off towards the end of last season to get in shape for the
copa America, clubs fault. They could have said no. Wages given to him, whatever they actually are, clubs fault. Playing him as a RW club/ managers fault. We all seem to want to shoot a player that we were salivating over a year ago!
What I want to happen is that he actually trains well, puts himself into consideration for a place in the squad and give his all for the time he is here. Play him as a No 10 rather than a winger. If we are paying him over 200k a week as reported, then make him earn his wage. Despite what people say about him, there is a very good player there and we would only be cutting off our noses to spite our faces not to utilise him in some way.
I understand there's differing opinions on the lad, this is just mine.

{Ed025's Note -we all have our own take on it BP and this is what these sort of forums are for, my opinion is that Ancelotti wanted him and with no fee we were obliged to pay hefty wages (whatever they are), he was always a luxury player and very talented as we all know but the premier league is a different animal to anything he has encountered abroad. He is not prepared to reach the fitness levels required for this league and even though he has some excellent attributes his attitude lets him down.
Our new manager does not suffer fools gladly and even though he could make an excellent No10 he has to show he wants to wear the shirt and work hard and i just dont think he has that in him, i would love to be proved wrong but for me he is done here and the sooner he departs the best that will be for both Everton and James himself, just my opinion of course mate..

5.) 15 Sep 2021
15 Sep 2021 20:11:26
Your right Ed mate we only want players prepared to give all to wear the famous Blue shirt.

6.) 15 Sep 2021
15 Sep 2021 20:26:53
Couldn't agree more, ed025. I'd like to think he will knuckle down and give his all, its the minimum requirement for us Evertonians, but only time will tell.

{Ed025's Note - it will BP mate..

7.) 15 Sep 2021
15 Sep 2021 21:10:20
I would like to hope so mate.

8.) 16 Sep 2021
15 Sep 2021 22:18:20
Let’s think?
Stay as I am playing on twitch and pick up my obscene wage.
Train really hard, get picked, get lumps kicked out of me, and pick up my obscene wage.

Can’t blame him really for picking the first option as we gave him that contract and there doesn’t seem to be any incentive for him to bust a gut.

Until we sign players on performance related contracts, some will do the bare minimum to get their wage.

{Ed025's Note - oh i can blame him alright dan, had the chance to leave a legacy but goes down in history as a waster who just couldn,t be arsed, is already a multi multi millionaire so how much money do you need?..

9.) 16 Sep 2021
16 Sep 2021 15:48:52
Think all of us as Everton fans can blame him as we all want what’s best for the club and for the team to do well.

However looking at it without my blue tinted spectacles on there’s absolutely no incentive for him to want to do well. He’s going to get paid whether he plays or not, whether he busts a gut or does the bare minimum.

I’m hoping he’s the last of these types of signings we make - big wages to entice a player that wouldn’t have ordinarily come to us as clearly money his only motivation.

Early days yet but look at Townsend and gray, haven’t broken the bank to get them, neither had any prior allegiance to Everton, however both hard working professionals who want to succeed and actually look like and sound like they enjoy being at Everton - I’ll take that any day of the week over another James type signing.

10.) 16 Sep 2021
16 Sep 2021 16:31:47
Think the question is even if he gets fit who would he replace?
Team biggest strength right now is that they are working well as a unit. Personally I would love to see him playing just behind the striker, but would that stop the likes of Doucoure getting forward?
Frustrating because our forwards could really profit from a player of his passing ability. Hopefully he proves us all wrong and does make a go of it.

11.) 17 Sep 2021
17 Sep 2021 11:20:30
In my opinion, the ball is very much in James' court. He has the talent to force Benitez hand but he needs to get fit and show that he is prepared to give it a go. If he continues as he is then, so far as his position at the club is concerned, Benitez has no decision to make. How James, as he presently stacks up, sees himself attracting a decent club is totally beyond me.

12.) 18 Sep 2021
18 Sep 2021 09:40:34
Sadly I think the motivation for James will be his desire to get back in the National team, that does seem to be a focus for him and being dropped for the copa and with the World Cup coming up it could be his swan song performance. We may reap the benefits of his National team ambitions as he knows he needs to play to get picked, he will know what’s required to get into Rafas plans and get what he wants. I think the global interest in the premier league compared to that of the Turkish or Portuguese leagues may also have influenced his decision to stay and fight for his place. In a league where Columbians can watch him play will create the demand for him to be picked for the World Cup.
Hopefully we may get the benefit and see some more worldy passes and goals.

13.) 18 Sep 2021
18 Sep 2021 11:54:43
Whatever his ambitions, he has more chance of fulfilling them fit and firing than fat and faffing about.