It has been a fairly mixed first season for James Rodriguez at Everton.
The Toffees pulled off their high-profile coup of the Colombia international last summer and he certainly enjoyed a rapid transition to life at Goodison Park.
Rodriguez scored three Premier League goals early on – including two in a win over Brighton in October – but he has only netted twice since then.
The former Real Madrid playmaker had a brief injury in that time but he has been fit for a lot of the campaign.
And Richard Keys has written in his blog that he always knew the 29-year-old would eventually ‘disappear’ for Carlo Ancelotti, claiming that Everton are better off without him.
He said: “After a couple of good games in blistering sunshine – against run of mill opposition – James disappeared, as I knew he would. And Everton are better without him.”
There’s no denying that there’s been a bit of a drop-off but no, Everton aren’t better off without him.
It was reported that the Toffees had paid £22 million for him last summer, but the Merseyside club’s director of football Marcel Brands revealed in January that he was, in fact, a free transfer.
Signing a player like that for nothing has to be considered a major coup and although he has been inconsistent, he’s still a player who can spark into life at any moment.
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