Stepgar Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 Every one keeps saying that James is crap and not worthy of his place blah, blah, blah.. If I can't make the game I do make sure I listen to it and all I keep hearing from the commentators is that James delivery is very very good. This is the reason why I believe that AP keeps picking him. His delivery is always being praised on the radio so he can't be that bad can he? If people were getting on the end of crosses then maybe people would be screaming his praises rather than shouting him down all the time. Maybe the quality is lacking in the attacking roles from Lallana, Hammond and Spider? They do not have the prowess to get in to the right positions?? Seems all too easy to blame someone who can not dictate if someone will try to get on the end of a cross. Also I do remember when Bridgey went from left mid to left back everyone got on his back and that he should be dropped for Franny. The rest is history. If memory serves correctly it took him a long time to adjust. Certainly more than just a season! Please remember that James has been pushed from position to position. Has the goals we have conceded come from just his side, I think not. rant over, give the guy a break and get behind him.
Niemster Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 I always defend James as well, for natural midfielder i think he puts in a very good shift at right back and was one of the only decent players against exeter.
forever a red and white Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 James has actually been a very productive player for saints this season. By reckoning he is 2nd or 1st for assits in the squad. Although his natural position is MF, e doesn;t provide enough creativity. This may seem conflicting but out wide he provides a beautiful delivery, but he doesn;t have that killer pass, e.g. through balls, ignoring Waigos JPT goal v Norwich. He and Hammond as a parntership work hard, but don;t produce enough
Genk Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 Good post. He is part of our improving team. He's young and has played every league game this season. Perhaps people compare his progress to AL but lallana is a different class
corky morris Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 James's best match for me this year was at Walsall where he played right midfield & in my opinion that is where he is at his best. He wont go past players, but he is capable of delivering a good cross, but as someone else said on another post for every good cross there is a bad one. If you play Lallana on the left playing James on the right makes sense as he is more defensive. He is awful in central midfield as I dont think he is creative enough & at right back he is too slow. All in all he is a decent squad player & an important member of the squad.
Verbal Kint Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 Every one keeps saying that James is crap and not worthy of his place blah, blah, blah.. If I can't make the game I do make sure I listen to it and all I keep hearing from the commentators is that James delivery is very very good. This is the reason why I believe that AP keeps picking him. His delivery is always being praised on the radio so he can't be that bad can he? Couldn't disagree more. His crosses are nearly always from far too deep and he isn't able to get enough pace on them. Once in a while he can put in a cracker but 90% of the time they are easy moppings for the opposition centre halves. His corners as well are never whipped in with enough pace, just floated aimlessly into the box for the keeper to come and collect
team-saint Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 I like Lloyd James and think he is a good player and have defended him before, but his crossing is fairly good at best, we just lack real wingers who can put in a cross. James always floats the ball in fairly slowly never whipping the ball in with pace and he generally does it from far too deep. Since Bale and Skacel were playing together down the left we have not been getting enough crosses into the box and any half decent striker will score goals for us if we can get a good winger who can cross the ball. How many headers has Lambert scored this season out of his 19 goals. I think just 1 or 2.
oggiee Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 Same here ive been saying all season that James is a good player for us, yes defensively he can be suspect at times, his positioning and speed can be a problem but hes been pushed into the RB spot and not whinged once, hes got a great attitude and a good delivery, hes actually one of our top assisters this season with about 6 or 7! When played in CM he does give us more bite than others there, i certainly wouldnt start him there ahead of Spider and Hammond as they work well together and are probably better than him there anyway but towards the end of a game he is very useful. Hes also been in the league 1 team of the week this season and yet people wont give him a chance because of last season which agreed he was poor, but always improving.
Chez Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 what's his best position? I'm not sure he is outstanding in any. but as a utility player he aint bad.
oxfordshire_saint Posted 28 December, 2009 Posted 28 December, 2009 but as a utility player he aint bad. Hit the nail on the head, he never moans, is happy to play wherever AP asks and always puts in a decent shift. People are forgetting this is only his 2nd season as a proper first teamer.
david in sweden Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 Good post. He is part of our improving team. He's young and has played every league game this season. Perhaps people compare his progress to AL but lallana is a different class He has become a regular but it doesn't mean we should expect him to MOM every game. It takes time for some to play themselves into a spot (Oakley and Surman had similar probelms in the past when they were at SMS). LJ is continually changed between defence and MF, whenever we have injuries at the back. If Murty was fit and playing, there would be no argument. LJ would be in MF.
benjii Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 He's a decent squad player but quite simply is not a defender and nor is he a natural winger. He could play in centre mid but doesn't really compliment Hammond who is by far and away our best central midfielder.
Arizona Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 what's his best position? I'm not sure he is outstanding in any. but as a utility player he aint bad. I'd pretty much go along with that. He can fill in accross the midfield and at RB in an emergency, but he wouldn't be anywhere near my starting 11 if we had more depth in the squad. His lack of pace and his concrete boots approach to jumping hold him back IMO. His crossing also frustrates me. He never takes a player on, but as soon as he crosses the halfway line he just lofts it into the box.
Whitey Grandad Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 I'd pretty much go along with that. He can fill in accross the midfield and at RB in an emergency, but he wouldn't be anywhere near my starting 11 if we had more depth in the squad. His lack of pace and his concrete boots approach to jumping hold him back IMO. His crossing also frustrates me. He never takes a player on, but as soon as he crosses the halfway line he just lofts it into the box. I agree totally. It drives me up the wall when he won't get forward another 10 yards before trying to cross the ball. Crosses from deep favour the goalkeeper and defenders every time. As a right-back he is a liability. His positional play is woeful and he can't run very fast. He has an awkward running gait with his arms stretched straight out and downwards which means that he shuffles over the ground. He ball-watches a lot when we are going forwards and any opposition left-winger who picks up on it just skins him. He wasn't marking his post on Saturday when Exeter scored and I lost count of the number of times that he tried to cross when he had Antonio in front of him in space. We need a proper right-back in January or we will not make any further progress.
eurosaint Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 I think that he comes into the category of a 'player's player' ! The manager obviously rates him and he certainly is a steady 'all rounder' which is needed in any squad ! He keeps his distribution simple and he never hides ! His real major weakness though is that he cannot turn and has no pace to recover ! This is why I think that he can be a liability at RB against a pacy winger ! All in all however, I think that we have bigger issues to address and I have faith that there will be positive changes in the January window !
Arizona Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 If we could clone Harding, but rotate his brain through 180 degrees so he is right footed, that would be ideal. Not sure if SCW's sports science is that good, but we could give it a try.
Whitey Grandad Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 If we could clone Harding, but rotate his brain through 180 degrees so he is right footed, that would be ideal. Not sure if SCW's sports science is that good, but we could give it a try. Wouldn't he be playing towards our own goal if we did that? Another right-back with Harding's commitment would come in very useful. There must be hundreds out there, all of them a better option than James.
RedAndWhite91 Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 I wish he would just try and get to the byline a bit more, instead of trying to cross it from the deep everytime. He is good enough at crossing but it is so easy for the defenders and the keeper to pick up on the long deep crosses.
Prince Jazzbo Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 I wish he would just try and get to the byline a bit more, instead of trying to cross it from the deep everytime. He is good enough at crossing but it is so easy for the defenders and the keeper to pick up on the long deep crosses. I'm not sure if he has the pace to get past the defender and get to the byline with the ball and cross it.
Saint Fen Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 James's best match for me this year was at Walsall where he played right midfield & in my opinion that is where he is at his best. He wont go past players, but he is capable of delivering a good cross, but as someone else said on another post for every good cross there is a bad one. If you play Lallana on the left playing James on the right makes sense as he is more defensive. He is awful in central midfield as I dont think he is creative enough & at right back he is too slow. All in all he is a decent squad player & an important member of the squad. I agree I think his best position is right mid and was superb against Walsall, I think he does alright in the centre of the park and ok at right back but is not the best option we have in either of these areas. At Walsall he was well supported by Murty who has been fantastic when hes played.
Saint_clark Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 I'm not sure if he has the pace to get past the defender and get to the byline with the ball and cross it. There were three or four opportunities yesterday when the ball ricocheted out of the defence and he received the ball on the touchline about 20 yards from goal, with nobody anywhere near him. He had all the time in the world and he just chucked it straight in. In those situations, you should ALWAYS be going to the byline...
benjii Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 Can't remember Beckham getting to the byeline much. The problem with James is that he is predictable and not great at defending.
sidthesquid Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 The reason he stays in the team is that he can cross a ball better than anyone in the team, with pace or deep and high. If he got it bang on every time he'd be the new Beckham, but how often does Antonio or the long list before him of Thompson, Dyer, Hammill, Fernandes going right back to the Wallaces beat their man only to blaze the cross into the stand or the keeper's gloves. He is a good player in this league
Window Cleaner Posted 29 December, 2009 Posted 29 December, 2009 Can't remember Beckham getting to the byeline much. The problem with James is that he is predictable and not great at defending. It's not so much about the byeline as pulling the ball back, can't be offside that way. Beckham has immense skill, he can (could) put the ball wherever he wants and the pace and "float" that he wants. Even if he didn't get to the byeline the crosses often did before coming back towards the penalty spot. Anyway comparing Lloyd James to Beckham is a bit nonsensical.
mitch01 Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 James is an average defender at best but boy can he cross. He has good potential IMO.
crouchi Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 He's a decent footballer in comparison with Antonio and others. The more he plays the better he'll get and we need his type of player in the squad i.e. young with potential. Like others have said, there are several players that need replacing before you worry too much about Lloyd.
david in sweden Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 (edited) James is an average defender at best but boy can he cross. He has good potential IMO. Not a teenager any longer but he has potential. It depends WHO he plays alongside. IF Murty was playing you'd seee another side to his game I'm sure. Our history is dotted with young players who became greats because they had an older player alongside to bring them on. A younger Terry Paine gave credit to veteran FB Stuart Williams for his help. Steve Williams played midfield alongside his boyhood hero Alan Ball and Nick Holmes got the help of Peter Osgood. Steve Moran playing inside forward to ....Kevin Keegan, and Wayne Bridge was at his best, when in partnership with Mazza. Its a team game, but James is being asked to play a different role every other week, of course he's not MOM every game. He's lacking encouragement from an older player. Edited 30 December, 2009 by david in sweden
JustMike Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 as a squad / utility player he is vital to this team. Not a RB! His best game for us imo was when he played right wing (walsall i believe) and he wasnt too bad v brum in the centre either, but its consistancy with him. To be fair he does get moved all over the pitch so he can never be sure where he is going to start each game. I like his attitude and he is still only young.
ribbo Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 he played excellent with murty behind him, i love his attitude, he gets moved around all over the time, is not a natural right back, other teams play to this weakness and yet he doesnt complain, the sign of a very good pro in the making.
SET Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 he's ****, will end up playing out the rest of his career at this level and below.
SET Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 he's ****, will end up playing out the rest of his career at this level and below. Meant to add Best we have right now so get behind the lad on a match day
saintds Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 I argue Lloyd's case with my mates at every game. They can't understand why AP keeps picking him and think that he is a terrible player. I think he was one of the few to come out of last season with any credit and that he is improving still further under AP. I particularly enjoyed the Exeter game given his involvement in the first two goals - the silence from my mates was deafening (after they'd cheered the goals, that is). I'd certainly be interested to see Lloyd's stats for assists this season as he must have a few...?
oggiee Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 I argue Lloyd's case with my mates at every game. They can't understand why AP keeps picking him and think that he is a terrible player. I think he was one of the few to come out of last season with any credit and that he is improving still further under AP. I particularly enjoyed the Exeter game given his involvement in the first two goals - the silence from my mates was deafening (after they'd cheered the goals, that is). I'd certainly be interested to see Lloyd's stats for assists this season as he must have a few...? The OS says he's got 7 assists this season.
Ewell Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 The OS says he's got 7 assists this season. Not to be sniffed at but yet again Saints fans know best.
Stanley Saint Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 I argue Lloyd's case with my mates at every game. They can't understand why AP keeps picking him and think that he is a terrible player. I think he was one of the few to come out of last season with any credit and that he is improving still further under AP. I particularly enjoyed the Exeter game given his involvement in the first two goals - the silence from my mates was deafening (after they'd cheered the goals, that is). I'd certainly be interested to see Lloyd's stats for assists this season as he must have a few...? Agree with this totally.
Scummer Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 It's interesting that Harding gets a lot more praise than James on here, but Lloyd seems to see an awful lot more of the ball.
Portland Wilfred Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 Lloyd seems to see an awful lot more of the ball. Going past him, usually with the opposition winger as well !! Cant jump, no pace and limited attacking options. A cross form 20 yards outside the box is about it !!
SNSUN Posted 30 December, 2009 Posted 30 December, 2009 All teams need a squad player, and he's ours. When Thomas and Murty were out earlier in the season, it was James who stepped in. God knows who we'd have chosen had we not got James. Thought he was very good against Exeter, a distinct improvement from the first time I saw him, against Palace away last season.
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