Loan deal for Rodriguez sought by Turkish side Basaksehir

We will probably end up paying half his wages. Don't see this Turkish side being able to pay his £200k wages.

I doubt they could meet his wage demands or even 50% of them. I also doubt he would be willing to move to Turkey. He wants a move to one of the big leagues in Western Europe. I'm sure until this happens he will just bide his time.

So, without inner knowledge, it does seem the club want to offload him in one shape or form. Be that financially or the manager just not liking him.

Financially, I don't see it, as surely we are still going to foot the majority of the wages bill? If we couldn't sell him, why loan him out?

Personally, I hope he stays and sorts whatever previous he has with the manager out. And vice-versa. I want to physically see James play for Everton. And I think the vast majority of Evertonians would love what they see.

Inevitable links to other leagues with a window still open... why would he go? He can play for us or sit on the bench; either way, he will pick up his money. He has already shown he isn't that interested in playing for anyone.

Unfair? Maybe, but history shows he isn't going to bust a gut for a living. Maybe he doesn't need to, that's how good he is.

I do wish people would stop assuming his wage, we don't know what it is. When he first arrived, it was widely reported he was on £90k a week and Brands was a frickin' legend for negotiating that. Now it might be £200k but we don't know.

The James - Everton story is a sad representation of the modern game.

The bare facts are we have agreed to pay James best part of £200,000 per week and, as I understand it, he still has best part of 12 months left on that contract. I doubt he would fancy Turkey, so I guess he will see out his contract which will give his agent 12 months to do a deal with any prospective buyers.

Just as Bolasie and Besic did, they saw out their contracts and we never received a penny in transfer fee for either. There are a few on our books who will stay to the last day of their contracts because nobody else will pay them the money we are.

No wonder we have FFP problems the way this club has been run and all this has happened on Moshiri's watch. Let's hope the FFP has taught him a lesson, Leicester have done everything he wanted to achieve at Everton – won the Premier Keague and the FA Cup and more than balanced their books in the process.

Rodriguez was on roughly £150k a week at Real Madrid. Can't see him coming to us and talking a pay drop.

Maybe the £90 grand wages are his net salary, something lost in translation.

Benitez should re-integrate him into the squad. The playing style he has adopted is fairly simple and teams will adapt to it shortly.

He needs to have alternative solutions in the squad so he can adopt different tactics as needed.

It's a shame it has come to this, but Benitez wants pace and intensity as standard, James's poise and mercurial skill don't fit in to the game plan. Benitez has started well but I'm not jumping on the bandwagon that James Rodriguez can't be used in a positive way for us. There has got to be certain matches or instances from the bench when such a player can make a big difference to a game. Sometimes a game needs a change of dynamic to unlock the stalemate, one piece of pure class, James is one a few players in the PL who can lay claim to that elevated talent.

I think the player needs bringing back into the fold and an arm around him, Papa Carlo style. He needs telling he is going to be used in a strategic way for Everton this year that benefits us and him to the maximum. He can get us more wins if he is fighting fit and motivated, whilst getting himself a guaranteed pass for World Cup selection next summer.

For it to happen Benitez and Rodriguez will have to build bridges and trust in each other. Sadly, I fear that possibility may have gone past the point of no return.

I'd go with that Tony. Use him appropriately. It's a squad game these days. How many players play every game now more so than in the past?

And if we can use a talent like James sparingly, then he wins us games. I know many, myself included, keep pointing to the Derby, but if he only plays half the matches and does that, I'll be happy.

I agree, Steve, we don't know what his pay really is.

Spotrac say £90k per week... but they are apparently unreliable if what was posted about Calvert-Lewin's new contract taking him well above £20k (£75k) per week has any truth to it. As you say, we just don't know.

But very few other sources are using that Spotrac number. The Echo (I know, I know) cites £200k per week in just about every story that mentions him. Now if that was way off the mark, you'd think someone at EFC would have a word with them lads and lasses down in St Paul's Square, you know... in the interests of openness and transparency *cough*, *splutter*.

No, you're absolutely right: we just don't know.

To me if he is to get a move to a big club and get paid good wages in future, strikes me that he needs to perform particularly in important games for us. I hope he starts playing as he is class and a joy to watch when fit.

However, I don't see why we should indulge him / if he ain't fit, just like the Colombian coach's decision, he shouldn't play if that's the case. That's my view whether or not Rafa is manager.

I don't think it matters what wages he's on, Benitez will use Rodriguez if he proves himself worthy of a place. If Benitez doesn't use him, it would be because Rodriguez hasn't proved himself in training to the boss before he is used.

If we sell him, or send him on loan, then Benitez is no fool, he will not forego the lad's talent. If we keep him, it will be because Rodriguez has convinced him, and the players, that he can fit into the team game.

I remember when he signed the fee was cited as £90k pretty much across the board, and his wage at Real was said to be twice that with one year left on his contract.

My thought at the time was he's getting the same wedge, but over 2 years instead of 1, plus there's an option of a further year. That sounds like a win-win, especially considering he's got a great relationship with Carlo.

Some of the sites who compile such wage data show his contract as £180k. Separately it shows duration of the contract as 2 years. I wonder if some teenage scribblers have misread it, the rest just blindly reproducing it.

The £200k is a relatively recent appearance, but we don't know for sure, as said above.

Maybe image rights?

It was widely reported at the time that Rodriguez had agreed to a huge wage decrease to sign for Everton. He's not on £200k a week. This just suits the Red Echo narrative when they want to print negative stories about him/the club.

I would think Everton "having a word" is the last thing the club would lower themselves to do.
Anyway, it's not 'our' – so meh!

It's never bothered me what wages the players are on. That's between the player (employee) and club (employer). Business decisions.

I'll focus on the footballer. I hope I get to see him play against Burnley and if not, against Norwich.

I'd love to see him, but only if Rafa Benitez reckons he'll contribute to the team.

He's worth every penny of his modest salary just to see photos of him in his jet and playing his Xbox. We owe Ancelotti a debt of gratitude.

It's all about money and any player who say's differently is a liar.

Players agents are always wanting moves to happen because of money. It's a living but greed is rife. That's a sad fact of life especially in the ''entertainment'' industry.

I don't blame the players as their careers can be short at the top and they don't all become second-rate commentators like Gary Neville and Carragher.

The only important things worth talking about are the players performances and the team's results. I really don't give a toss about off the field dealings.

He helped us win a derby for the first time since many can remember. Some of the younger fraternity can't even remember that.

He scored goals and is a player many Evertonians can't remember since Kanchelskis (an equal highly paid temporary fixture). Or the quality that many Evertonians haven't seen. I hope they get to.

If we want to point the finger at those soaking up wages and not giving anything back, Fabian Delph springs to mind more than James Rodriguez in my mind.

I hope both I and many other Evertonians get to see James in an Everton shirt live.

Why should we entertain his lack of motivation and effort when his own national team won't? He has shot himself in the foot with his half-hearted attitude and it looks like he is about to drop down a level.

Rafa is right about him, effort and commitment come first.

This story is about as likely as James going to Shamrock Rivers.

Outstanding beauty is often forgiven the frailty of the ordinary.

For example the young and handsome JFK remains an icon of American politics despite being a monumental twat... and James strikes me as similar. His gorgeous technique blinds the entranced to his incompleteness. Hardly any pace and not keen on defence or the physical, he compounds woes by having a proclivity for taking time off.

He is a 17th Century dandy, a workshy fop of style but questionable substance – traits of failure that did for him at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Of what use is genius if sitting at home or on a jet arsing around on social media when the action is elsewhere?

And he's either a bit dim or incredibly arrogant.

At most clubs (especially this one), if you butter up the fans, you can get away with murder... but soft lad doesn't seem to have grasped this and, worse still, shows no intention of wanting to. All-in-all, everything looks like it has to be on his terms or it's no deal. Not what you want if building a team. If Benitez laid out these home truths at Real Madrid and sees the same issues here, he has no option but to bin him.

Love the fella's ability and not in favour of shooting him in a dark alley but it isn't happening for him so it's time to say "Adios".

He earns $191,800 a week on average, according to Salary Sport.

Most likely to sit out his contract and sign for an MLS club next spring.

Barry (24), “Not in favour of shooting him in a dark alley.”

No worries there, Barry. Rodriguez never gets involved in any rough or tough places or situations.

Dave 27

Many a true word said in jest - nice one

Not playing James when he is here is like having a dry September when you have a garage full of booze.

Drink the booze and have a dry October.

What a farce Ancelotti left us with. James doesn't want to be here (remember the smiling in the private jet). Even if James felt, "I'm gonna knuckle down, get fit, and play," it's only a few weeks until it gets all cold and James doesn't like it cold and wet.

The players currently playing in the starting 11 all want to play for Everton.

Does loaning him out, even with the possibility of the loanee paying his full wage, help us out with FFP?

Because, if it doesn't, there'd be no point in loaning him coz we can't use the money to bring anyone else in, can we?

Not unless we try'n get someone in January.

James isn't likely to go to Turkey though... Be like Tom Cruise going the Grafton!

As Danny said, if he's on wages of £90k which is the same as Delph, who has played little game time since we signed him over 2 years ago, I know who I'd want on the bench as a game-changer.

I'd understand if we had moved him on before the end of the transfer window, because we could have brought in a replacement, but to lose a player of his calibre and probably still have to pay a percentage of his wages doesn't make sense. He's a class act and the fans at Goodison would definitely spur him on.

I'm just trying to evaluate how bad James's relationship with Benitez would have to be for Tom Cruise to want to go to the Grafton...

Yes Dave, he's too busy scoring goals and making assists.

Kevin #33.

I have to wonder if you've seen that comment in the way it was meant. 🤣

I think it's got to be Benitez's judgement as to whether he plays or not, He's played Rodriguez and he's played Delph. I think Rafa when asked about Rodriguez, said something on the lines of "good skill but not fit". He's also said that he will use Rodriguez once he's fit.

Benitez appreciates skill, he brought in Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia and Robbie Keane, all skilful players... but grafters too.

James has got loads of skill but has he got the will to graft and fit into a team pattern? Benitez isn't going to cut off his nose to spite his face; I think he'll use anyone that's on the playing staff, if they will give the team an edge.

As for Delph, well, the same goes with him. If he gets fit and can contribute to the team, then Benitez will use him.

As far as I'm concerned, if Benitez doesn't play either as regular first-team players, it's because he thinks there's better available at the time.

I'd love to see him too, but I think it's a dangerous road to travel if fans demand a player to play, no matter who it is.

Brian yes v funny!

He would have to get to the back of the line until Rooney got his blue rinse bird first.

This is absurd. A loan is of no benefit, particularly if we're still subsidizing the bulk of his wages (and we all know the Turkish clubs are the worst when it comes to pleading poverty).

We're off to a nice start, but let's be real here - we're light on genuine creativity and have almost zero depth. Anything less than three points against Burnley and the good vibes will start to sour. We don't have the luxury of spurning a player like James when he's under contract. Benitez needs to figure out how to make it work, that's what he's paid for.

Mission Impossible 2 : The Long Walk Home

Tom Cruise‘s quest to get a 2 am taxi outside the Grafton.

Christy# 32 I would have to disagree with you about Delph not being a game changer.

I bet if you brought on Delph when we are winning, nine times out of 10 we will draw or lose.

Signing James Rodriguez was always a calculated risk. He delivered a few great moments in a season that started brightly before faltering horribly - for James and the team - and if that's it then I am fine with it.

All things considered, even if his salary is £10 million a year, and we end up covering half of that this year if he fancies a loan to Turkey, then we'd be down £15 million on the James Rodriguez experiment. The lack of a transfer fee was always going to mean that the downside was always going to be paying his fat salary for 2 years - and when you consider what we lost (in transfer fees and wages) on players like Bolasie and Schneiderlin, as well as the inflated salaries of non-achievers like Sandro and Bernard, I think James was definitely a risk worth taking.

Maybe Benitez will decide to keep and utilise James this season, but if he goes out on loan then so be it; saving that £5 million (or so) makes sense if he is not considered to be fit/focused/ready to contribute.

Haven't we been here before, where the talented player achieved the square sum of fuck-all in terms of productivity for a middling team, at best?

I'm talking about Duncan McKenzie, a guy still held as a legend by some of us despite having only been adept at waltzing runs right across the pitch in a derby whilst allowing the opposition to re-organise their defence, oh, and being able to jump over a Mini car.

James Rodriguez, by his present-day stance re club (us) non-availability in favour of private jets for a home country who see right through him, is a luxury we cannot afford.

Courtesy of our inept owner/board we're embroiled in a football world of hard graft rather than fanciful craft, if he ever feels like it.

How much are Everton paying our current wonder boy Demari Gray per week, I wonder? Interesting comparison with James in that both made a superb start to the season.

If the rest of Gray's season turned to crap as of now, as rough as it would be on our hopes and expectations, we could live with it based purely on what we paid and are paying him versus the return we got. The difference with James, as Andrew #42 mentions above, is the overall outlay over the course of their contracts. We'll all have our own opinions with the value of hindsight.

The point I was making there, just to be clear, is that I reckon Gray is already close to being worth the punt based on overall outlay versus the return we've had to date even.

James on the other hand, based on that same criteria, still owes us. Hence this loan, get rid, keep & try to get the best out of him debate.

The best footballer at the club bar none, I'm sick of watching tackling machines and crabs so I want him in the team, put an arm around him whatever it takes but we must use him while he is here, a brilliant footballer capable of moments of magic, and contributes goals and assists, come on Rafa make use of him.

James now on holiday in Ibiza. Assuming this is with the Club's permission, why???

I'm with you Mick (46). Out with the cloggers let's have a bit of class with a capital C !

Martin@47. Unbelievable, says everything what's wrong with this club.

I heard he was very good in training last week, but I don't know if he was buzzing just because he knew he was going to Ibiza with his mates?

He just having his international break like everyone else! Back to the grindstone on Thursday, bench on Monday.

Most of those on “international breaks” will be training every day with the National team, or in the gym ready for next week. He's had all summer to sit on his arse……he's lost any support he's had from me, and I've been a backer.

I can sympathise with posters who are slagging him off for Ibiza, but when I thought about it, the only reason I can see for him to be allowed this indulgence is if he has been told by the club that he's never going to play for us.

I can't see him being blasé or stupid enough to openly flaunt his time away if he still had a relationship with the club. His fitness will clearly nosedive and he would be heavily fined if he was simply taking the piss.

If I was a ridiculously overpaid sportsman and my club had just told me to take gardening leave then I wouldn't be sitting on my arse in my back garden either.

It didn't take Benitez long to get a change of tune out of many ToffeeWebbers. I hope Rodriguez gets himself fit, and we can prepare for the handbrake turns in (some) opinions.

This is a right mess and is getting more embarrassing by the day. The fact is he has a degree of talent we can still use. Our squad is paper thin as it is so why loan him out to Turkey?

He comes across as a likeable chap but neither he nor his agent are doing themselves any favours. Get him to Finch Farm, get him fit, get him involved and get it sorted!!

Let's stop assuming he doesn't want to play at all, let's stop assuming Benitez doesn't want to play him now we know he isn't going anywhere until at least January. Give Benitez the chance to pick a team first. If actually picked, then give James an opportunity to show if he wants to play or not.

I do agree however it is a mess and an avoidable one. Carlo really fucked us, didn't he! Fair play to Rafa for taking on this mess and (so far) getting a tune out of the players.

Having said all that, it does grate to see James on the back of a yacht and vaping whilst others are hard at work on the training group or out on international duty. Why have we given him a holiday anyway?

Sunbathing on his private yacht in Ibiza, surrounded by his mates and a bevvy of scantily clad beauties, having a quiet puff on his vape, while being paid 200 big ones a week by Everton to do fuck all.

Where did it all go wrong James?

Not sure about handbrake turn John, someone had better let James know we are playing on Monday, not Saturday, and give him a heads up who we are playing.

The photo of him on his private jet, while his team mates were getting smashed at City, still grates with me, along with the cold winter months of many a missed game by him, and the not knowing who we were playing.

Now we have him sat on the back of a yacht, puffing on a vape, with a couple of birds for company.

We now have some players who are making a big difference and starting to pull trees up, have a quicker tempo attacking.

Whether James plays again or not I do not care one bit, I am more than happy with the current setup, for me James need to step up, stay fit, and certainly put a lot more effort in to convince me otherwise.

Hope he wins some silverware with us.

As for another Turkish loan, no chance. Do they want us to financially compensate them too!

Burnley is the exact type of game that James can be used. Tight and organise defence, sit deep and won't allow you space from behind to run into. No matter what pace you have when there's no space, we can just move the ball sideways and backwards unless you have a lockpicker.

We are talking about the highest elite level. Players know where they stand in the team and I am sure other players can see what James can do and can't do and won't blame him for not defending hard enough. It sounds like we're talking about high school teams that focus on efforts rather than winning. Even Messi is free and willing to join Everton, surely we'll reject him.

James ain't going to happen.

Rather than getting fit on the training ground after missing 4 games already, he was sunning himself on a yacht in the Med.

His commitment was all there to see on the private jet at the end of last season, whilst games were still being played.

If he is fit to play, what's the problem? If the club has okayed it, no problem. If Benitez has said "I am not playing you, period." – then what is he going to do? It's a nice Liverpool Echo hatchet job... sounds to me like he has been told he isn't going to be playing for us again.

Why isn't he at Finch Farm busting a gut to get match fit for Burnley? Christine, I'm thinking the same, he's likely been told he is not in the manager's plans and to try and find a new club. I can't see Turkey happening, but the Portugal window is open until September 22nd.

Is there is still a deal to be done on him going to Porto on loan now in return for Diaz in January or next summer ? The transfer value of Diaz could be negotiated and adjusted to make the James loan deal happen. Also James may be motivated to take some kind of wage cut to be happy and to be playing somewhere where he is wanted by the manager.

I'd be very surprised if the club have told the guy we're paying £200g a week that whatever happens over the next four months we ain't picking him. Why would we do that?

I think this yacht episode is just further evidence of his nonrelationship with Benitez, which you can see in the cold way Benitez talks about him. No warmth whatsoever. They just don't like each other.

I don't think this is the last of James, I think he will make sporadic appearances as a sub, and will be anonymous cos he ain't motivated anymore. The problem is, if you want to use him, you have to build the whole team around him, like we did last year, and even then it ain't great that often, as we know. He's a wonderful player, but as long as he isn't prepared to run, he creates a vulnerability for us that other teams will seize.

Rodriguez is very, very media savvy. He knows that photgraph would go worldwide. He's a world renowned superstar (admittedly past his peak) and the fact that he's been photographed vaping on a yacht makes me think this was a two fingered salute to Benitez.
Either that or, despite the fact that he's a bit of a genius when it comes to football, outside of that he's a bit of a knobhead.

If he has absented himself from the club, for whatever reason, would there not be a case for us to terminate his contract ?

Some serious overreaction going on here. With no games at the weekend the players will have been put through their paces at Finch Farm over 4 or 5 days, this is normal, and then given a long weekend off.

If you had worked hard all week and were given a long weekend off, and were on £200k a week, what would you do? Sitting on a yacht would be right up there for me.

Not defending everything James is done or doing, but this is nothing.

If I was James I'd be sitting on a boat in the Med with his bird, Shannon, dangling on to him. Who wouldn't?

No harm sticking him on the bench and giving him a chance to shine if/when needed. Might be a win-win, in that he wins a few games for us off the bench, and keeps himself in the shop window for January.

Simon, #70, that is just not going to happen, Rafa wants him gone.

At the end of the day, us mere mortals have no knowledge of what is going on here. I would like to think that James although obviously unhappy at the present, would dig in for the season and deliver what he is being paid to do.

So if he is not used then another piece of "deadwood" has been created which begs the question of who would be to blame for this, never mind what it might do for Everton's popularity in parts of South America.

The words nose, face, spite, two goalkeepers and bench come to mind.

Get results without him. Come to the table or be dealt with at the current manager's preference. Or take on various sitting positions and look a fool.

Perhaps James and Jack Wilshere can start up a futbol del playa league for the continental playahs!

Like everyone else, I don't know EXACTLY what's going on re Rodriguez (staying, coming, going, loaning, etc blah) so I can only really comment on what appears to be happening.

We have a player in Rodriguez who has something many others don't, ie: a bit of vision. It's true he doesn't look like he'll give us much in the way of 'spadework' (tracking back, throwing tackles in etc) but I suppose you could argue Allan won't give us much in the way of defence-splitting pin-point passes (no criticism of Allan, just making an obvious point).

These days (I'm 62) I don't really get too hung-up about who arrives or leaves and understand they're professional sportsmen with greedy agents who are constantly looking to increase the length of contracts or move their players on (any 'romantic' notions I had about players and Everton ended when Rooney went to Utd).

However what does drive me to distraction is Everton 'doing a Niasse'.

It's clear that the best professional football players (or for Sky Sports viewers, 'top top players') exist in a rarified world. They're staggeringly well-paid and though 'adults', often appear mentally frail. That's not really a criticism of them as individuals, just a natural by-product of spending all one's time with a group of indulged wealthy sportsmen.

The clubs who pay them are interested only in results and usually whatever keeps the players happy makes sense.

Bill (spit!) Shankly spent much of his career mentally building up players so they'd run through walls for him.

So here's what I don't understand about the (apparent) treatment of Rodriguez.

Why the seeming hostility and cold shoulder from within?

What if the opposite had been tried?

Praise, praise, flattery, praise.

If we get a bid that suits everyone, fine, let him go, take the money etc, but until then, make the feller feel ten-feet tall.

All this hard-case stuff about training away from the first team, no squad number, no locker (whatever goes on) is just dumb and self-defeating. Once a player has signed a contract, anything other than playing nice is dumb and self-defeating - remember Winston Bogarde.

As for the player's ability, any Everton supporter genuinely doubting his talent imo doesn't have a clue.

"Yeah but what about his commitment?"

What about Everton's?

Just a thought.

Uh, Allan set up both goals last week with two passes worthy of James' jealousy if he could be bothered. And let's rewind to the cloaked comments from the captain last season, he may have been calling out James at that time and now with recent actions his time is up.

Eugene, arm round the shoulder or a hundred press ups on the sand dunes at some God forsaken northern beach. Arm round the shoulder or humiliation. What will work best with James? A tough one, I'll admit.

It would certainly appear true that Benitez has told him he's not in his plans. Benitez referred to doing what's best for everyone all round.

I think Benitez expected James to be gone in this just "slammed shut" window. He didn't go, Benitez won't back down, so a Mexican (or in this case a Spanish/Colombian) standoff has ensued.

This one is a lose-lose as far as we the supporters and the club are concerned, I feel because James will only go exactly where he wants to on exactly the terms he wants.

I think he's here until his contract runs out in the summer unless he gets it paid off or partly paid off by the club to do one. I don't think we'll see him play for Everton again.

While we all guess as to what is happening with Rodriguez, I think it's patently obvious that the disagreement he and Benitez had while at Real seems to run deep with both parties.

Seems Benitez has no intention of playing James and he isn't the least bothered, but Everton are contracted to pay him £200k per week or whatever till his contract ends. He will turn up at training, will do whatever is necessary to fulfil his contractual agreements. He wont leave till a deal is struck that suits him and that won't happen till January at the earliest.

But having a player at the club who is not likely to be picked can't do team morale any good, and to think how desperate we all were when he signed to be able to see him play live at Goodison.

Maybe our owner needs to get both Benitez and James in a room and tell them to grow up and put their differences aside for the good of the club. As nothing can happen till January to help resolve the problem.

Benitez doesn't strike me as a stupid man. He may well have wanted James gone, but there will be times when he simply has to bring him in from the cold.

Then we will find out just how much of a fuck the Colombian gives...

It is being reported that Rodriguez will have to miss Everton's next two matches because he went to Ibiza, although I'm not sure how correct those reports are?

I heard only yesterday that Rodriguez had been brilliant in training towards the end of last week, and it was the best Benitez had ever seen James train, including when they were at Madrid together.

If true, this will be a kick in the teeth to the manager, and also to the club who pay him an absolute fortune every week. Rodriguez has so far figured in 52% of the games that Everton have played since he signed for the club, and it would have been nice to see him figure in another 52%, but not with an attitude that appears to have total disregard towards Everton Football Club, if it's true that he will now have to self-isolate.

Tony @81,

On the last day of the season at Man City, he showed a lack of respect for the club and he has continued this season with his silly comments about not knowing who they play on Saturday.

If he was vaping on that yacht, he is an idiot. He should look at his ex-teammate Ronaldo: at 36, he conducts himself with total professionalism.

Oh for times gone by. Love him to be in a locked dressing room with Reid, Ratcliffe, Big Nev, Andy Gray, Psycho Pat,….A “ message” would certainly be “forthcoming “. Then he can fuck off.

I've just seen the pictures of him on a yacht off Ibiza enjoying a cigarette. What a tosser.

I keep reading and hearing that Benitez didn't rate James at Madrid and dropped him from the team. Curious, I looked up the stats. From the start of the 2015-16 season until early Jan 2016, when Rafa was sacked, he picked Rodriguez for almost every match he was available (not injured) and he started almost all those matches.

When Benitez was replaced by Zidane, that's when James got dropped – and hard, barely featuring for the rest of the season and not much the following season until finally joining Bayern on loan in 2017.

So I think Rafa will select Rodriguez if he performs well in training.

As for the yacht, I believe the players were given a long weekend off. Allan was apparently in Disneyland with his family. I don't see why James would have to isolate if he's just been in Spain.

I can understand the sentiments expressed by Eugene, et al but let's remember that he (James), was taking the piss when Ancelotti was still here, and he even pissed-off the Colombia boss too.

Sorry, but as much as I like his talent, I am with Rafa all the way on this twit. Wankers are wankers, talented or not.

If it comes down to Rodriguez vs Benitez, which it looks very much like it already has, there's only going to be one winner.

The manager has to be the boss and the club will stand by the boss before they stand by the player.

Write him off or write him in to the script, we still have to pay him. I don't think Benitez is daft enough to cut his nose off to spite his face. I expect to see him on the bench next week.

Our (currently) "James" has played just 320 club games since 2006, for seven different clubs, and that's about 20 games per season.

He's scored 97 goals in those games, not quite one in three, and a good number of those were in leagues of lesser repute than ours. He's forever therefore been the "nearly" guy who might just take his next club to a level above their norm. But he provably never does that, hence he's moved out.

Alternatively he might just be a talented cynical dickhead who's only interest is himself, whose regard for whoever employs him is akin to my regard for the pair of used skiddies I throw into my laundry basket each night.

Who knows?

Yet he's now 30 years old.

Hmm?

Can we stop this bit about him not wanting to play against Man City last season. Colombia picked him for international duty despite Everton saying he was injured and unavailable to play. The Colombian national team manager said he didn't believe this so James flew to Colombia where he failed a fitness test owing to injury, he did not play and the National Manager backed down, I don't recall if he apologised but James, according to Everton, would not have been fit to play against Man City.

You can have your own opinion of what he did on an aircraft to South America but if you think he could have played that game then you are saying that Everton lied which does not seem to be the case. As for "vaping" on a yacht, Ray Wilson was a pack a day man and Roy Vernon was known to have one in the shower and reputedly put one out on the pitch in the warm-up. Grow up, even rich people do daft things.

Building him up didn't seem to work too well after the first few games last season. It really seems a McKenzie - Lee situation and there will only be one winner while our results are acceptable.

Perhaps if James adopted an approach of “I will show him” rather than chilling on a yacht, he might be taken more seriously by the manager. I know he is entitled to a break if the club allows it and he avoids Covid problem areas but he just doesn't seem that bothered to me. He is in danger of disappearing into the “nearly great” category and, for me, he has done very little to justify his reputation since the 2014 World Cup.

The aforementioned Duncan McKenzie produced moments of skill, which I would suggest were beyond James's ability but a succession of managers could not build a team around him to function with a luxury player.

James missed the start of the season because he was said to be self-isolating, having come into contact with a Covid-positive person. Had he been double-jabbed, he would not have had to self-isolate.

He has just returned from an amber list country so, unless he has recently been double-jabbed, he will have to self-isolate once again. Let's wait and see if he's pictured in training today.

Surely our club would have cautioned those being given time off and who had not been double-jabbed against visiting anything other than a green-list country?

Why would James need a "break"? He has been supposedly self-isolating and hasn't played any football in ages!

Don #90,

He's put up impressive attacking stats in every league he's been in, with the sole exception of his last season at Real Madrid, when he barely played under Zidane. He put up monster numbers in Portugal and France, which are high-standard leagues. He led the French league in assists and was in the team of the season.

People were excited about the prospect of us signing Luis Diaz from Porto and were gutted it didn't come off. Diaz is an exciting player, probably still improving, but James was not only much better when in Portugal, he was also 2 years younger than Diaz is now, when he left for Monaco.

He was named best midfielder in Spain after his first season, despite missing 2 months with a broken foot.

At Everton, despite playing for a team that put up garbage attacking stats his personal numbers were still impressive. Just in raw goals and assists terms, he contributed to a goal every other match.

The idea that he's some kind of nearly-man is baffling.

That a story is going around this morning that Everton have agreed a deal with the Turkish team to send him on loan whilst paying most of his wages is perverse. Thankfully, it appears that Rodriguez is blocking the "deal" going through.

It sums up Everton as an institution, that we can somehow get a player of his ability at the club, not have had any fans actually see him live playing in a blue shirt, and be falling all over themselves negotiating an embarrassing deal to force him out the door. Jesus wept.

Eddie #93,

ALL the players were given a long weekend off after training all last week. As I mentioned above, Allan was at Disneyland, for example.

Apart from the spurious claim from March that he'll have to isolate 2 weeks, I've heard nothing to suggest any truth in this. As far as I'm aware, he'll be training today at Finch Farm.

Kevin #95 - March?

Kevin @94. Absolutely spot on.

Kevin @94.

If the player himself had shown that he really wanted to be here, then I'm sure fans would be behind him. But he hasn't. He even said when we played Leeds that he didn't know who we were playing. Sounds like a committed player. He probably was given time off this week, but why not stay at Finch Farm and get himself ready for Monday? No, he goes on holiday... smoking!

Martin #96,

Hah, it's supposed to read "Marca"! Typing without my glasses on, plus TW wouldn't allow me to edit the post. 😕

Paul #98,

Did any of the first team stay at Finch Farm? How about the coaching staff?

I'm not a fan of athletes vaping, but what he does in his off time is his business tbh. It's only because he is a massive superstar in Spanish-speaking countries that he's had his pic snapped via telephoto lense. Other than hearing that Allan was on holiday with his family I have no idea what any of the other 20+ players have been up to, so they are non-stories.

He did come off as a bit of an arse suggesting he didn't know who Everton were playing, this is true.

But other than translated exchanges from Twitch, paparazzi photos and third-hand opinions on what he, Rafa etc want, and that people are fuming about, what do we actually know?

1. The club want to sell him, due to his large wage, which they awarded him only 12 months ago.

2. He has been ineligible for selection so far this season due to Covid protocols.

3. He's been training with the team as soon as he was permitted.

4. He's made no public statements saying he wants a transfer and in fact has turned down at least one offer (Porto).

5. Benitez has given no indication that he won't be selected when available. He has a squad number.

Everything else other than those 5 points are supposition, people reading into things that may not be there

Let's see if Benitez actually picks the lad, and how he plays if picked?

Kevin,

Perhaps you will be proved right and the lad has simply made a few social media gaffes. We will see if Rafa picks him over the next few games.

If we see James get a cameo and he shows desire and commitment, then I will be quick to admit I was wrong but my reading of the situation is that the guy doesn't want to play for us. Carlo abandoned ship, leaving him in a bit of a pickle.

This saga with Rodriguez is draining. Have we nothing positive to talk about?

Exactly, this is his situation that he could have navigated better for all of us. He didn't and so is better left relegated to those things we think about when we're bored with being undefeated and building anew.

Sean #102,

Hopefully Monday when we hammer Burnley!

Did anyone see the picture that Mina posted recently of him, James and Richarlison - commenting that they were all staying?

In nearly every game I saw James play last season, he worked hard. Maybe not as much defensively, but the amount of ground he often covered to get on the ball put a lot of players to shame. He would constantly drop back to his own half to try and start a move, be available for a few passes and be up top looking for the end of the move.

I say we give him a chance.

Sean #102, here's something positive, even though it's not about James -- Pickford's resurgence for England:

Rejuvenated Jordan Pickford set on turning Euros pain to World Cup glory

Kevin #105.

Spot on for me.

Somethings are just priceless, like the look on James's face when Richarlison put the ball into the net at the Kop end. Fucking joy. Watch James's celebrations after that goal, he knows what it means to Evertonians.

That boy gives us something special and he's here for another year, so let's milk it

All I can say is that, whilst he remains registered as an Everton player, then I hope Benitez can come up with a system to include him.

When I go the Burnley game on Monday, I would love to see Rodriguez playing at Goodison in an Everton jersey.

Kevin, Kevin, Mike and Tommy... amen.

Just a glimpse of that #19 shirt on the pitch will have me dancing.

I would call James (and Tosun when fit) up for every single league and cup game, have them on the bench, make them go through their paces, and see what reception Tosun gets, warming up in front of a full house, after declining to move on, unless Everton paid his remaining contract up.

James could still offer us something, but freezing them out of the team, no pun intended for James frozen out, is giving them a free reign to put their feet up, pick their wages up for doing nothing.

I would work the bollocks off them; we will not get a transfer fee for either, both will be gone, at the latest, after this season, so, while they are here, make sure they do not get their feet up for the remainder of their contracts.

Off topic but note that ITV 4 are right now showing the 'Big Match Revisited' with 1975 Blues v Fulham. Muddy pitches, sliding tackles to take your knee off and mad hair — great stuff!

Never been a fan of James other than the first four games.

He's easily physically intimidated, he scored two goals and had one assist in his last 16 games, he has the heart of a pea. He missed games because he was ‘fatigued'. He's a massively overrated prima donna.

He's turned down loan deals where he could play some football.

Fuck him, stick him in with the kids and let him see his time out.

Mike,

Indeed. Great to see some pragmatic Blues not letting emotion get in the way.

For me, you have two types of players: ones that can make things happen and ones that stop things from happening.

James isn't capable of playing his own game and doing what some Evertonians demand which must be chasing down full-backs, booting it into Row Z, steaming into challenges.

But hardly any players on the planet can do what Rodriguez is capable of. His presence alone at Anfield last season put them on the back foot.

But you do need workhorses around him. There's no doubt about that.

Ray...

Clive bloody Thomas started his love affair with us that day. Sod all wrong with our disallowed goal. Then again, they had a decent one ruled out.

I have never yet heard an Evertonianian demand that James chase down full backs, boot it into Row Z or go steaming into challenges.

I think most would settle for him expressing and showing a desire to put his boots on.

Darren @115,

He played 23 league games last season. And Benitez has not picked him so far this season.

Tell me, Darren, what does ‘desire' look like?

Does it look like Duncan Ferguson getting sent off for strangling someone and leaving his teammates down to 10 men?

Mike #106 I'm delighted with Pickford's performances lately. He looks like he has steadied his head and his focus has improved greatly. As long as he keeps his head we will benefit. On a goalkeeper topic we here in Ireland have a great kid between the sticks. Gavin Bazunu,19 on loan from man city to Portsmouth. This kid is the real deal. Unfortunately the rest of the Irish team and the backroom team are shite. Pep sees an Ederson / Allison in him.

Sean #117, haven't heard of him yet, but I was mightily impressed by a glimpse of your teenager Parrott last spring. Friendly with one of the minnows, like Andorra or Lichtenstein, and he banged in a couple. Looked REALLY fast.

Don't know why but this thread makes me want to congratulate Davy "eez fuckin' shit 'im, fuck 'im off Everton!!" Klaassen on his goal for the Dutch national side in their 6-1 defeat of Turkey yesterday. And Moise "eez fuckin' shit 'im, fuck 'im off Everton!!" Kean also scored a cracker tonight for Italy.

Eugene, it wasn't just a first minute goal for Klaassen... he also made the most brilliant pass of the weekend for their second and drew a penalty for their third.

Tommy @ 108. I hope James plays against Burnley. I really hope you get to see him being brilliant. We disagree on Kenny but on James you are spot on. I honestly think that had he played in front of Evertonians like yourself he might well have been touched by our club. I would love to see him play. Who knows?

If he does play against Burnley Andy, Burley will kick him off the pitch, complete with his nuts readjusted.

@ 122 Brian.

Maybe they'll make the same mistake as you, Brian, in assuming he's a soft touch because of his appearance or simply because he's foreign?

Of his weaker aspects I don't believe robustness or bottle are amongst them.

Shame Klaassen and Kean couldn't do the sort of things they did last evening against Premier League teams.

Very different situation playing alongside ten of the best players in your country against lowly opposition to playing against Man City, Chelsea, the Red Shite etc etc.

On a different subject, have a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFuASn7XNwA

Klaassen both frustrated me and intrigued me Brian.

There is a definite football brain in him. I'm not by any means saying at the same level, but it would have been interesting to have seen him back in the Premier League, in the right time after regaining his confidence with Werder Bremen in German. Like a certain Kevin De Bruyne, himself not blessed with pace.

Intelligent football, just at Everton at the wrong time in my opinion. I think we'd have grown to like him if he'd been with us under better circumstances.

He was a strange one, Klaassen, for me, Danny. Because he just looked like he had absolutely nothing. He was just a functional type of midfielder player who ran around chasing the play.

Even in the European games when facing continental opposition, to which you'd think he'd be more suited, he was woeful.

He was steady in Germany but nothing more.

Conversely DeBruyne was integral to a Wolfsburg team that finished 2nd in the Bundesliga. He was brilliant in a Europa League game at Goodison, awesome in fact.

He got double figures in goals but most tellingly, got 20 assists. Which in a league season is phenomenal. He also starred in a destruction of Bayern Munich that season.

He was simply so good, it was obvious.

Plenty of pictures of a happy looking James training alongside his team mates today. No training alone or quarantine as we've been led to believe would happen by media. Orchestrated campaign to rubbish him and unsettle us? Why are these people never held accountable for the shite they publish?

When dealing with any Turkish clubs interested in our players, the club should name their sale price, full payment upfront only, no loans being offered... or tell them to do one.

Danny (125),

De Bruyne and Klaassen are very very different players.

De Bruyne can play pretty much anywhere – centre-midfield, wide midfield, wide up front, false 9 – and has as good a range of passing as anyone in world football, as well as incredible vision and execution.

Klaassen can only really play in an advanced central midfield role, and his game is really made up of quick, short-passing and off-the-ball runs that seem his arriving late and unmarked in the box.

Also, De Bruyne is far from slow – and is very fast when carrying the ball. Klaassen on the other hand is a plodder who is unlikely to ever find his pace carrying him past a player (which is why his off-the-ball running is so good).

Yep, have to agree, Klaassen was an awful signing. It's close as to who was worse between him and Sandro.

I'd like to see a comparison between him and Van de Beek, who we might have got had it not been for FFP. It troubled me being linked also to Maupay. Thank god we are skint... so to speak.

Someone get Ruane the highlights of Juve-Napoli from this weekend please.

Whilst I'm not a fan of boo boys, or scapegoating a player in gerneral, can I just assure Eugene - and any other potentially worried blue - that Moise was absolute shite against Napoli. Woeful.

All Moise would accomplish by being still here is being disliked by a different set of fans to the ones that dislike him now.

Juventus are off to their worst league start in a generation - one point from three games - and the Juve fans are - perhaps understandably - a bit miffed they swapped the free scoring, eternally youthful all time great Ronaldo for the sulky little shit they thought they'd offloaded to those English idiots for big money years ago.

One swallow doesn't make a spring. And a nicely taken goal against the mighty Lithuania doesn't prove Moise Kean is fit for purpose either Eugene.
Just sayin'.

Derek

Are you fairly new on here?

Getting back to James Rodriguez, there are now reports (alluded to above) of him being paid £200-250K per week by us!

If this is true then the berk/s who signed him need to be provided with another arsehole courtesy of a sawn-off shotgun.

I'd be amazed if Brands was involved in such a signing because it all smacks of a self-deluded (minor) billionaire once again imposing his very flaky football knowledge on very well-paid employees, who obviously acquiesce on the grounds of very well paid self-interest, and that seems to be the recurring theme for the past 30+ years under you-know-who.