Life at Real Madrid can be very tough for a young, promising footballer because you need to sacrifice everything to satisfy the ever increasing demands of the Madridistas, and everything you do is severely scrutinized under a microscope. James Rodriguez is the latest addition to this list of highly talented but frustratingly inconsistent Galacticos, and the 2014 World Cup Golden Ball winner is now almost an afterthought in Zinedine Zidane’s team. His fall in form has been spectacular this season, he has played 22 games and scored six times this season, while during the 2014-15 campaign he featured in 46 matches and notched up an impressive 17 goals. When you add all these up, you realize why Real don’t want to keep him anymore, and here are 3 reasons why I think Manchester United should lap him up if he is on sale:
1. Our formation and style of play suits him
James finds it hard to fit in a 4-3-3 system, but we employ a 4-2-3-1 formation which is unlikely to change no matter who comes. So the Columbian will find more space to exploit and more options around him as well as have lesser defensive duties, and he is likely to thrive. Moreover, if we sell Juan Mata, we need to find a world class replacement for him, and there is absolutely no doubt about James’s talent. He won’t come cheap though, and will probably cost more than 75 million euros, but the chances are high that it will be a worthy investment.
2. He will have a more normal lifestyle here
The Cafetero’s private life has become too recurring a theme in the Spanish red tops for many a Merengues’ liking. On New Year’s Day he was caught driving “200 kilometers per hour” on his way to training while ignoring the police car in hot pursuit. After the incident became common knowledge, the South Americantried to justify his behaviour by claiming he thought the undercover officers were attempting to kidnap him. Car chase aside, the club are also losing patience with the number 10’s appetite for the Madrid nightlife. Now Manchester isn’t as happening as Madrid, nor does the club’s values encourage such a lifestyle (as we saw with the way the likes of Ronaldo was dealt with), so James will probably find it easier here.
3. The Old Trafford faithful are more understanding
It is almost impossible for a player to last at Real if the Bernabeu has shown it’s fangs to him, and that’s exactly what had happened to James after the Madrid derby in February. The fans of the Red Devils, on the other hands, are far more understanding and considerate than their Spanish counterparts, meaning he will have more time to settle in and show his true potential.
