The early impact of James Rodriguez at Everton
By Adam Bakr
Despite signing for Everton just a week before their season opener, James Rodriguez has started in both of Everton’s Premier League games so far.
The late arrival does not seem to be affecting him, with James Rodriguez putting in two great performances to start his Premier League career.
Rodriguez was always expected to be at the heart of Everton’s gameplay. He was brought to Everton by Carlo Ancelotti, who brought him to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, previously.
In Rodriquez’s only full season under Ancelotti, he tallied 13 goals and 13 assists in 29 games.
His adaptability to the role should be no surprise to anyone. So far with Everton, he has had a free-roaming position on the right-wing similar to his role at Real Madrid in 2014/15 when Gareth Bale would miss games.
He played there 16 times that season, getting nine of his 13 goals and eight of his 13 assists. It’s also a similar position to what he plays with the Columbian national team.
It’s important to not overreact so early but the signs have been positive in his first pair of fixtures. He had no preseason with the club and is still adapting to a new league and team, and is still playing in great form.