James Rodríguez has scored four goals in the English league this season. REUTERS / Paul Ellis
On the road and after two dates without a win, Everton beat Leeds United 2-1 under Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, climbing to sixth in the Premier League. The victory, however, left more doubts than certainties to the fans of the ‘toffee’, not only because the blues were subdued by their rival for most of the game, but because James Rodríguez had no minutes on the field of play. Why was the star signing of the team not there?
There are those who think that the ’10’ of the Colombian team did not play because of Carlo Ancelotti’s punishment, especially for the statements a day before the game. The Italian coach referred to the good footing of some of his players, but questioned the attitude of the team. “The quality of James, Richarlison, or Calvert-Lewin is not enough to win,” the helmsman said in the preview. And I add:
It’s simple, having spirit is not about turning something on or off, it is about being very focused on the game
The words have led the sports press to a conclusion: Ancelotti did not give James minutes as a lesson. The midfielder has quality, nobody puts it into discussion, and commitment, because he fights the balls every time he is due, but he lacks intensity in the game, an indispensable characteristic in English football. That was the opinion raised by Jorge Bermúdez, a Colombian journalist for the Espn network.
That it was a punishment of the technician is not the only hypothesis about the absence of James. It is no secret to anyone that, par excellence, the casts led by Marcelo Bielsa maintain an exuberant intensity throughout the game. Y due to his conditions, more of guiding with the passes than running with the ball, he was replaced by Ancelotti specifically for this matchsome pointed out. He may also have given him rest, thinking about the game against Manchester United, the second team in the table, with which he will face on Saturday 6 February.
The second theory would have more support than the first if one takes into account what was seen in the game: Everton won, but it was Leeds who dominated. And Ancelotti noticed, because two of the changes were defensive: he replaced ’10’ Gylfi Sigurðsson with containment midfielder Tom Davies and forward Richarlison with center back Michael Keane. It was not the match for James Rodríguez, because what the match demanded was players who contributed the brand.
“We knew they play at such a high rate and it’s different than what you play most weeks. We had to match them man for man, win our individual battles, and the rest will take care of itself. “, were the words of Carlos Ancelotti once the victory was achieved, which suggest that if James did not play, it was for a tactical issue.
“The reaction after the loss to Newcastle was really good. We played very well in the first half. We were smart in the game in the second half, it was difficult because we gave up an easy goal, “concluded Carletto.
Next Saturday at 3pm, at Old Trafford, Everton will face Manchester, which comes from beating Southampton 9-0.
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