Despite continuous speculation on James Rodriguez’s future, his impressive showing against Espanyol proves he can win back a starting spot in Madrid.
James Rodriguez has had an up-and-down time of it since joining Real Madrid from Monaco. After a blistering 2014 World Cup with Colombia (in which he won the Golden Boot and Goal of the Tournament), he was snapped up by Real, while Angel Di Maria was unceremoniously shipped off to Manchester United.
He had a strong first season, with 13 goals and 13 assists in 29 league appearances. But his form tailed off somewhat last season, and as Rafa Benitez left and Zinedine Zidane came in, the midfielder found himself out of favour.
However, despite a summer rife with speculation about his future – with the Colombian seeming as though he may follow the path Di Maria tread to the red half of Manchester (as reported by the Mirror) – he was retained. This may partially have been down to the transfer ban that was looming over Real Madrid, one that has since been confirmed.
It is also possible that the sale of James would have given Madrid the financial boost necessary to land long-time transfer target Paul Pogba. So while United were still chasing their prodigal son, any transfer business with rivals for his signature would have been off the cards.
With central midfield very much a problem area for the Red Devils, they would ideally have landed both players, although James’ arrival would almost certainly have meant Juan Mata’s time at Old Trafford was over.
Whether or not the club wanted to keep their number 10, they may be glad now that they did. With both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale injured, the rise to prominence and return to form for several of Madrid’s supporting cast has been vital to their winning start. Marco Asensio has made his presence felt, and Lucas Vasquez has picked up from where he left off last season, while Mateo Kovacic and Alvaro Morata have also been impressive when called upon.
But James has made a contribution too. He started and played an hour in the 2-0 win against Espanyol, scoring the opener. He was involved in Benzema’s second too, and generally displayed good link-up play and strong running in his time on the pitch.
If he can keep this up, he will nail down a starting spot in midfield, and keep it when Ronaldo and Bale return to make Real Madrid an even more fearsome attacking force.
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