Matty James

[Aaron]

I personally rate James higher than Drinkwater; find his passing more metronomic and consistent. If he steers clear of injury I can see him re-forging a starting spot in the team. 

 

 

[foxes21]

Take a bow Matty James.

Edited 11 April 2017 by foxes21

[STUHILL]

6 minutes ago, foxes21 said:

Take a bow Matty James.

James>King    Thracian????  Come back! I need a counterweight

[ozvaldo]

I don't know if I'd rate him higher than Drinky.  When Drinky is on fire, he's immense.

He's a different type of player anyway.  I'd certainly rate him higher than Kingy.  Miles better.

Definitely deserves a full pre-season with us.  If Shakey is still in charge, he'll almost certainly keep James with us.

[weller54]

1 minute ago, ozvaldo said:

I don't know if I'd rate him higher than Drinky.  When Drinky is on fire, he's immense.

He's a different type of player anyway.  I'd certainly rate him higher than Kingy.  Miles better.

Definitely deserves a full pre-season with us.  If Shakey is still in charge, he'll almost certainly keep James with us.

King is finished as a PL player...Probably never was one in the first place! 

[TheUltimateWinner]

James is the type of player you want in Ndidi's absence. Drinkwater needs a defensive minded midfielder next to him and James fits this bill perfectly.

 

Whenever we start Kingy next to Drinkwater, it's just a square peg in a round hole.

[STUHILL]

CM's going into next season - N'didi, Silva. Drinkwater, James.... Mendy on trial for 6 months until January window. 

 

Amartey moved to CB. 

 

I will be really disappointed if we don't go out and buy a top CM like Silva, as Drinky has had a very poor season. 

[ozvaldo]

3 minutes ago, STUHILL said:

CM's going into next season - N'didi, Silva. Drinkwater, James.... Mendy on trial for 6 months until January window. 

 

Amartey moved to CB. 

 

I will be really disappointed if we don't go out and buy a top CM like Silva, as Drinky has had a very poor season. 

Agree.  Desperately need someone in like him.  Hope Drinky comes good.  When's he's on it, he's really dangerous.  

[AmarteyAndChill]

13 minutes ago, STUHILL said:

CM's going into next season - N'didi, Silva. Drinkwater, James.... Mendy on trial for 6 months until January window. 

 

Amartey moved to CB. 

 

I will be really disappointed if we don't go out and buy a top CM like Silva, as Drinky has had a very poor season. 

Drinkwater was our best player till December in fairness. Luckily we now have Ndidi, someone who can drag Drinkwater though a game when he's not on it. 

[Riot Van]

3 hours ago, Aaron said:

I personally rate James higher than Drinkwater; find his passing more metronomic and consistent. If he steers clear of injury I can see him re-forging a starting spot in the team. 

 

 

That's such a ridiculous statement. Change it to rated and I would agree with you but saying James is currently better than Drinkwater is just farcical.

[STUHILL]

5 minutes ago, AmarteyAndChill said:

Drinkwater was our best player till December in fairness. Luckily we now have Ndidi, someone who can drag Drinkwater though a game when he's not on it. 

I thought that too. I don't know what's happened to him. I think we need to constantly be looking for improvements all over, rather than squad fillers, so that's why I would aim for an upgrade over Drinkwater, and then if he does regain his form of last season, then we will have some great options for CM and even be able to switch to a 3 if needed. 

 

I just hope Shakey is ambitious in this summer window and goes after 2-3 real quality players like Sigurdsson, Silva and Trippier etc. If we stick with our same starting 11 and go after squad fillers, then I think we could get caught out sooner rather than later.

 

We have the money, we have the pulling power (not as much as last summer) but still a Premier League club with a certain romance about us - so lets aim for big improvements all over, even at the expense of some first teamers if needed. I actually think we will start with the tried and tested same 11 for next season, but imagine top players waiting and pushing players like Drinky and Simpson in training for starts.

 

If we want to be a top 10 regular and higher, then we need to kick on and not stand still with nostalgia on what this team achieved. 

[Gary Eatfood]

1 hour ago, STUHILL said:

I thought that too. I don't know what's happened to him. I think we need to constantly be looking for improvements all over, rather than squad fillers, so that's why I would aim for an upgrade over Drinkwater, and then if he does regain his form of last season, then we will have some great options for CM and even be able to switch to a 3 if needed. 

 

I just hope Shakey is ambitious in this summer window and goes after 2-3 real quality players like Sigurdsson, Silva and Trippier etc. If we stick with our same starting 11 and go after squad fillers, then I think we could get caught out sooner rather than later.

 

We have the money, we have the pulling power (not as much as last summer) but still a Premier League club with a certain romance about us - so lets aim for big improvements all over, even at the expense of some first teamers if needed. I actually think we will start with the tried and tested same 11 for next season, but imagine top players waiting and pushing players like Drinky and Simpson in training for starts.

 

If we want to be a top 10 regular and higher, then we need to kick on and not stand still with nostalgia on what this team achieved. 

Drinkwater was our best player up until he got suspended after the Watford match. He came back against Porto, got injured and hasn't recaptured that early season form as yet.

 

Strong parallel between this season and our first season back in the Prem, he got injured against Everton and never really got going after that. On his day he's still a top Prem midfielder but I would love to see Matty back here next season challenging Drinkwater for a starting place, can he do it though?

[lgfualol]

2 hours ago, STUHILL said:

 

 

I will be really disappointed if we don't go out and buy a top CM like Silva, as Drinky has had a very poor season. 

Drinkwater is due his good season though

 

2012/13 bad

2013/14 great

2014/15 bad

2015/16 amazing

2016/17 not great

2017/18 - ???

 

James will definitely have a place in the team it Shakespeare stays in charge though 

[1972 Fox]

3 hours ago, STUHILL said:

CM's going into next season - N'didi, Silva. Drinkwater, James.... Mendy on trial for 6 months until January window. 

 

Amartey moved to CB. 

 

I will be really disappointed if we don't go out and buy a top CM like Silva, as Drinky has had a very poor season. 

I see that you say a top CM like Silva. Not sure who though. Would have loved Silva here but I don't see it happening anymore. That ship probably sailed last summer when we didn't close the deal. Similar could be said about Keane and Deeney.

 

Regarding James I would love to see him back in the squad to add depth and fighting for a place in the side. Really hope he can get back to the required level.

Edited 11 April 2017 by Blue Fox 72

[AmarteyAndChill]

12 minutes ago, Blue Fox 72 said:

I see that you say a top CM like Silva. Not sure who though. Would have loved Silva here but I don't see it happening anymore. That ship probably sailed last summer when we didn't close the deal. Similar could be said about Keane and Deeney.

 

Regarding James I would love to see him back in the squad to add depth and fighting for a place in the side. Really hope he can get back to the required level.

Deeney was never going to happen as Watford wanted ridiculous money for an average 28 year old striker. The Keane one has sailed as the top 4 team are all looking at him now.

how can you compare silva to the other two? Especially now, silva will only cost us around £25m? 

Edited 11 April 2017 by AmarteyAndChill

[1972 Fox]

11 minutes ago, AmarteyAndChill said:

Deeney was never going to happen as Watford wanted ridiculous money for an average 28 year old striker. The Keane one has sailed as the top 4 team are all looking at him now.

how can you compare silva to the other two? Especially now, silva will only cost us around £25m? 

Because we were English champions at the time with a Champions League campaign ahead of us. We had our chance then to sign some top quality players but we missed out. Unlikely to happen now with that level of player.

 

Unless of course we go on to win the Champions League! 

[Aaron]

3 hours ago, Riot Van said:

That's such a ridiculous statement. Change it to rated and I would agree with you but saying James is currently better than Drinkwater is just farcical.

 

Injury was the biggest factor in Drinkwater eclipsing him. I do like Drinkwater a lot, but he's too erratic with his passing accuracy; he's like a Scholes clone when he's on form, but there's not enough middle ground, he's either immense or massively out of his depth.

 

i think James has a more consistent game, reminds me of a young Gareth Barry. He's finding his rhythm again at Barnsley and I can see him surprising a few people next season. 

[Stevosevic]

He'll be our 3rd choice next year.

 

Shakespeare being appointed would give him a real chance of a future here. He'll get a shot.

[Aaron]

1 hour ago, Blue Fox 72 said:

I see that you say a top CM like Silva. Not sure who though. Would have loved Silva here but I don't see it happening anymore. That ship probably sailed last summer when we didn't close the deal. Similar could be said about Keane and Deeney.

 

Regarding James I would love to see him back in the squad to add depth and fighting for a place in the side. Really hope he can get back to the required level.

 

Keane is already on Everton's preseason tour....

 

Calum Chambers is more realistic, probably available for about £10-12m. Has been solid at Boro and oozes class. 

[StriderHiryu]

Big round of applause for Matty James today, I thought he was very good. He has that Gary Taylor-Fletcher look of having eaten all the pies (a look I like to rock myself!) but he was good on the ball, a lot more mobile than I was expecting and good out of possession. A very welcome surprise! Despite all of these injuries he gets, he keeps coming back and that is a brilliant mental attribute to have.

 

Also whenever Puel talks about him, it makes me laugh that he keeps calling him "James Matty" instead of "Matty James" !

 

Edited 13 January 2018 by StriderHiryu

[Charl91]

He was brilliant today!

 

Between him and N'didi, it was like having Drinkwater/Kante back.

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

Really like he guy. Comes in without many games under his belt and played brilliantly. Can see why Puel started him ahead of Iborra. Love that we seem to have potentially sorted the CM situation out thats plagued us since Kunte (only joking) left

[Jattdogg]

36 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

Big round of applause for Matty James today, I thought he was very good. He has that Gary Taylor-Fletcher look of having eaten all the pies (a look I like to rock myself!) but he was good on the ball, a lot more mobile than I was expecting and good out of possession. A very welcome surprise! Despite all of these injuries he gets, he keeps coming back and that is a brilliant mental attribute to have.

 

Also whenever Puel talks about him, it makes me laugh that he keeps calling him "James Matty" instead of "Matty James" !

 

....any pie will do.....

[Father Ted]

Absolutely outstanding today once more. As I've said before, when fit he is more than a back up for us - he starts. Happy for him. He gives us that dynamism in the middle, always involved, good tackler, always looks forward when passing. Outstanding. Do those saying he is no better than Andy King finally smell the ****ing gravy?!

[sm1]

Played today like he had a point to prove. Him and Ndidi bossed the midfield. I don't think i've seen Kante look so ordinary and give so many fouls.