What's new

Reece James

Dixon said:
For starters, his lack of pace in FB posistion will always be a real problem for him.  I get the impression he doesn't really care for the hard work side of defending and just wants to do the pretty stuff in the opponants half. Very much like a right sided version of Alonso but without the goal threat. Young enough to improve but a heck of a lot of improvement is going to be needed if he's going to make it at this level.
Click to expand...
I don't agree with that, at the youth team and at Wigan (and even times here) he's been outstanding defensively, at youth level he played RCB in a back three.

He'll get there no doubt about that.  

 
Argo said:
I don't agree with that, at the youth team and at Wigan (and even times here) he's been outstanding defensively, at youth level he played RCB in a back three.

He'll get there no doubt about that.  
Click to expand...
I hope you're proven right and he does go on to make it at Chelsea. So too with Tammy, CHO and Mount.  I just haven't seen much from James, other than having a natural ability to whip a cross in.

 
Dixon said:
I hope you're proven right and he does go on to make it at Chelsea. So too with Tammy, CHO and Mount.  I just haven't seen much from James, other than having a natural ability to whip a cross in.
Click to expand...
with james i think there are clear positives - wicked cross, physicality, ball control and technique.. what i am worried about is he doesnt seem to be very pacy and also his positioning is very suspect right now

 
Gol15 said:
His marking in defense isn't that good but he's very capable of winning aerial duels and making tackles and so on, IMO he's more than anything suffering for going too much forward at times and that habit he might have only because of the coaching or just watching Emerson and Alonso.

He's a really good talent there is no doubts about it. He picked up Willian for the first goal and he was the only one putting in crosses and cutting the balls in the box regularly, he's not that far off from Azpilicueta, he's already capable of doing most things at a high level. He's not like Moses he's simply better and he has all predispositions to become world class.
Click to expand...
He’s a million miles off Azpilicueta and if you can’t see that then I despair. James is a terrific talent but Azpilicueta is a million times better than him as a defender & for all the criticism he gets for his end product. I’m pretty sure he’s actually our most creative player this season.

The guy has been here 7 years and is still criminally underrated by most while the James love-in seems never ending no matter how many sh*te performances he puts in.

James is great talent, but he’s got a long way to go before he displaced Azpilicueta as first choice. There’s a reason teams don’t target the side Azpi plays on & go at the other one. James takes the entire first half to grow in to games and that’s not OK at this level. It will improve over times as he develops but to say he’s not that far of Azpilicueta is wrong.

 
EdinburghBlue said:
He’s a million miles off Azpilicueta and if you can’t see that then I despair. James is a terrific talent but Azpilicueta is a million times better than him as a defender & for all the criticism he gets for his end product. I’m pretty sure he’s actually our most creative player this season.

The guy has been here 7 years and is still criminally underrated by most while the James love-in seems never ending no matter how many sh*te performances he puts in.

James is great talent, but he’s got a long way to go before he displaced Azpilicueta as first choice. There’s a reason teams don’t target the side Azpi plays on & go at the other one. James takes the entire first half to grow in to games and that’s not OK at this level. It will improve over times as he develops but to say he’s not that far of Azpilicueta is wrong.
Click to expand...
Much as I like the lad, apparently he never was a full back, he was put there at Wigan and did well at that level. Has no pace and little sense of urgency or danger. Apparently doesn't like doing the hard graft of defending and therefore cannot really do the job he is in there for. Going forward he is good and delivers some lovely balls into the box, almost like a midfielder rather than a full back.

 
EdinburghBlue said:
He’s a million miles off Azpilicueta and if you can’t see that then I despair. James is a terrific talent but Azpilicueta is a million times better than him as a defender & for all the criticism he gets for his end product. I’m pretty sure he’s actually our most creative player this season.

The guy has been here 7 years and is still criminally underrated by most while the James love-in seems never ending no matter how many sh*te performances he puts in.

James is great talent, but he’s got a long way to go before he displaced Azpilicueta as first choice. There’s a reason teams don’t target the side Azpi plays on & go at the other one. James takes the entire first half to grow in to games and that’s not OK at this level. It will improve over times as he develops but to say he’s not that far of Azpilicueta is wrong.
Click to expand...
No way has Azpi been underrated! He's always rated up there with being one of the best or even the best value for money signings of the RA era. It's just a case of more fans thinking he's past his peak and we need a younger player as first choice starter.   But even past his best, at this moment in time he is indeed far better than James. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dixon said:
No way has Azpi been underrated! He's always rated up there with being one of the best or even the best value for money signings of the RA era. It's just a case of more fans thinking he's past his peak and we need a younger player as first choice starter.   But even past his best, at this moment in time he is indeed far better than James. 
Click to expand...
On this forum? I disagree - as soon as he has a below his usual standards game the ‘he’s finished’ or ‘not good enough anymore’ posts start & crying for James to play who comes in and inevitably plays even worse but gets praised.
The guys 30 years old. I’m not sure where this myth of players being finished when they get over 30 comes from. Sure their resale value will start to go down but a lot of people reckon Giroud is our No1 striker and class, he’s 33 going on 34 and I’d argue playing some of his best football for us.

 
WhiteWall said:
Much as I like the lad, apparently he never was a full back, he was put there at Wigan and did well at that level. Has no pace and little sense of urgency or danger. Apparently doesn't like doing the hard graft of defending and therefore cannot really do the job he is in there for. Going forward he is good and delivers some lovely balls into the box, almost like a midfielder rather than a full back.
Click to expand...
I listened to a podcast with Reece James' father Nigel. He said Reece was mainly playing as a centre midfielder up until u15's. Then he started to put weight on and struggled to get up and down the pitch, so he moved to right back. He then spent time getting fitter, and when he went into the u18 team under morris, he flourished at right back and was made captain. 

So while he wasnt a right back all his life, its the position that has seen him go onto another level, he wasn't put there at wigan, if anything it was the opposite, signed as a right back, but he qas so good and influencial they moved him into centre midfield to get him on the ball more. 

I just think he is a player that will have to manage his body, he is naturally a big lad, and in the offseason, he is susceptible to weight gain more than most, and i think we are seeing that rustiness, and lack of fitness, since the restart. 

Azpilicueta is still number 1 for me, but i think it will be a pretty natural changing of guard over the next couple of seasons, when James starts to get better tactically, and when Azpilicueta starts to struggle physically. 

James is a gem for me, he isnt as polished as Wan Bissaka, or Alexander Arnold, but he has everything including the mental strength to surpass both in the long run. 

 
EdinburghBlue said:
He’s a million miles off Azpilicueta and if you can’t see that then I despair. James is a terrific talent but Azpilicueta is a million times better than him as a defender & for all the criticism he gets for his end product. I’m pretty sure he’s actually our most creative player this season.

The guy has been here 7 years and is still criminally underrated by most while the James love-in seems never ending no matter how many sh*te performances he puts in.

James is great talent, but he’s got a long way to go before he displaced Azpilicueta as first choice. There’s a reason teams don’t target the side Azpi plays on & go at the other one. James takes the entire first half to grow in to games and that’s not OK at this level. It will improve over times as he develops but to say he’s not that far of Azpilicueta is wrong.
Click to expand...
As much as Azpilicueta has been good on both sides, I saw plenty of games where his side was targeted and when it wasn't he did have problems dealing with crosses that came on his far post.

That doesn't mean that he isn't our best defender, after all he has the most tackles made and has been playing well for most of the season, he is our captain, I don't think that I'm putting him down.

I really believe that James isn't that far behind, he is behind in both defensive tasks and offensive tasks but next season Azpilicueta will be 31 and James has been progressing fast, he will learn to cover better and he will end up having the same amount of assists as Azpilicueta has been having.

 
James has long way to get to Azpi level especially will consistency, Azpi has been shaky in some games this season but on a whole he's still one of the best defender's in the league. 

James has a very lackadaisical way of playing which sees him get caught out quite a bit. 

All can be improved though as he has time on his side, remember the journalist who said something about Azpi that if she reaches a certain level or win a title he will eat his something or the other and look at him now, so James can absolutely be one of the best in Europe just needs to learn and improve.

 
Have to say, of all the hype around the youngsters, he's underwhelmed me (along with Hudson-Odoi) with his performances the most this season. Injuries haven't helped him for sure. But if I think about his displays, I can remember his goal against A**x and some good crosses. But he hasn't put in that stand out overall display YET - I'm not writing him off here - that convinces me he has the position for the long-term. The fact teams seem to be consistently targeting his flank and getting crosses in, is a concern. 

 
The Brit said:
Have to say, of all the hype around the youngsters, he's underwhelmed me (along with Hudson-Odoi) with his performances the most this season. Injuries haven't helped him for sure. But if I think about his displays, I can remember his goal against A**x and some good crosses. But he hasn't put in that stand out overall display YET - I'm not writing him off here - that convinces me he has the position for the long-term. The fact teams seem to be consistently targeting his flank and getting crosses in, is a concern. 
Click to expand...
The more I watch him the less I think hes a right back, or defender of any kind. He, like Alonso, maybe would flourish as a wing back in a 5 but he has no positional understanding or discipline. He looks a hell of a prospect as he has a fantastic technical level, pace and size. But I` not sure where he should play.

 
dkw said:
The more I watch him the less I think hes a right back, or defender of any kind. He, like Alonso, maybe would flourish as a wing back in a 5 but he has no positional understanding or discipline. He looks a hell of a prospect as he has a fantastic technical level, pace and size. But I` not sure where he should play.
Click to expand...
The ease in which sheff utd played around him and Willian on Saturday for the second goal...stuff of nightmares...

 
dkw said:
The more I watch him the less I think hes a right back, or defender of any kind. He, like Alonso, maybe would flourish as a wing back in a 5 but he has no positional understanding or discipline. He looks a hell of a prospect as he has a fantastic technical level, pace and size. But I` not sure where he should play.
Click to expand...
He's a right back, when Lampard put him in the midfield he played his worst game of the season. If he were as Alonso he wouldn't be playing at all, he's obviously better.

He's still a 20 year old, his positioning and marking will improve next season, it's ridiculous to say that you don't know where he should play, he's very far from a finished product. Not as good in offense as Alexander-Arnold and not as good in defense as Wan-Bissaka but he's younger and will end up being more balanced in a few years time.

 
Gol15 said:
He's a right back, when Lampard put him in the midfield he played his worst game of the season. If he were as Alonso he wouldn't be playing at all, he's obviously better.

He's still a 20 year old, his positioning and marking will improve next season, it's ridiculous to say that you don't know where he should play, he's very far from a finished product. Not as good in offense as Alexander-Arnold and not as good in defense as Wan-Bissaka but he's younger and will end up being more balanced in a few years time.
Click to expand...
Which games has he been good at right back so far? And I dont mean good as in his all round game, his crossing and attacking etc. I mean defensively good. If you read above someone pointed out he was basically moved in to right back in the youth teams out of necessity, it wasnt his natural position. 

And I wasnt equating him to Alonso`s level of player, just that his defensive abilities at the moment are not good enough for him to be our right back in my opinion, but he would be more suited to a wing back in a 5 to make the most of his attacking ability whilst covering his defensive problems.

 
First game that comes to mind is when he shut down Zaha full time... That's your 20 year old wonderkid stopping a winger at his prime.

ETFP-MnXYAY0AjS


ETFP-MnWAAAYlAc
ETFP-NGXQAEoYzi


 
I`ll be honest I forgot about eh Palace game. Look, I`m not saying hes rubbish or anything, I think hes a fantastic prospect and of all the youth coming through a the moment he is the one I believe will have a long career with us as a first teamer. I`m just not convinced its going to be as a full back, and like RLC I`m just not sure where he will end up playing. 

 
Of all the young men who promised a lot for this season he was the most exciting to see, he had better and worse days, but I believe that any elite coach would choose to be able to work with James sooner than any other.
He has physical, technical and personality conditions that can make him an elite player.

A young man with this potential needs a great coach at this age.
A coach who pays attention and fits you in a well-crafted team.

We know well that we have a coach who doesn't understand anything about how to put a team to defend.

So it's inglorious for James. And here I also include Tomori.
Who suffered and much of the same ills.

I believe that with a better coach, Tomori and James would already be much more developed and stable in the starting lineup, I have little doubt about that.

They are the bets that would be worth it. And not CHO, Mount or Tammy, who were sold as stars but will not be football stars.

 
Mr. President said:
Of all the young men who promised a lot for this season he was the most exciting to see, he had better and worse days, but I believe that any elite coach would choose to be able to work with James sooner than any other.
He has physical, technical and personality conditions that can make him an elite player.

A young man with this potential needs a great coach at this age.
A coach who pays attention and fits you in a well-crafted team.

We know well that we have a coach who doesn't understand anything about how to put a team to defend.

So it's inglorious for James. And here I also include Tomori.
Who suffered and much of the same ills.

I believe that with a better coach, Tomori and James would already be much more developed and stable in the starting lineup, I have little doubt about that.

They are the bets that would be worth it. And not CHO, Mount or Tammy, who were sold as stars but will not be football stars.
Click to expand...
Jesus f**king christ.... you really dont like Lamps as a coach do you,... 

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top