🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 24. Reece James

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

4 hours ago, Superblue_1986 said:

Zappacosta has had 13 appearances so far this season and he is terrible in all facets of the game, and is clearly not trusted by Sarri hence why Azpi is flogged to death. Even Azpi having a poor season is still far better than Zappacosta in my opinion.

I'm pretty sure if Reece James was brought back in place of Zappacosta in the summer, minimum games he'd play next season is 20 across all comps and if he plays well there's no reason he won't play more games than that.

But if we cant shift Zappacosta do you really think we are gonna trust an academy product ahead of a full back who cost 25m or whatever? 

If Zappa goes yes James has every chance of featuring as Azpis back up but if Zappa doesnt, I really cant see it.

[Superblue 6,372]

7 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

But if we cant shift Zappacosta do you really think we are gonna trust an academy product ahead of a full back who cost 25m or whatever? 

If Zappa goes yes James has every chance of featuring as Azpis back up but if Zappa doesnt, I really cant see it.

It purely comes down to the board. Zappacosta will be able to be shifted whether permanently or on loan, someone would take him in Italy. Zappacosta himself would also likely prefer to leave to somewhere he has more chance playing.

If the transfer ban stands, the board must be prepared to let some players leave and replace them and refresh the squad with some of our loan and/or academy players and take the chance. If we don't make top 4 this season it will be 2 in a row with largely the same squad, so surely any sane mind will be able to see that form will unlikely be reversed a third time.

If the transfer ban is reversed or deferred, the club must still make a bold decision. We need to rebuild this club and spreading a transfer budget out over 5 or 6 players could be a disaster like the 2017 summer window. Instead we should be filling our squad out with academy prospects and using our budget on say 3 key players to improve the first team. As Reece James is one of the better players from our academy in recent times and with a season of football under his belt, he should be one of the 3 or 4 we look at integrating into the squad.

[the wes 7,212]

 

[OhForAGreavsie 6,074]

Wigan fan site, Latics Speyk, is conducting its Player of The Year poll. So far about 5.7% of voters have not voted for nineteen year old Reece James. That leaves 94.3% who have voted for him.

Back in January one of the Latics Speyk members, bored of Reece winning player of the month, every month said the voting was a waste of time and that they might as well award Reece all the monthly trophies, and the POTY then and there.

The only real argument against Reece came in this post, "Sam for me...Because hes ours not somebody else's." To which someone else replied, "That is a very good point and the thought had crossed my mind but Reece James is such an exceptional talent I could not vote for him." [By 'him' the poster means 'Sam Whoever', not Reece.]

Meanwhile the local paper is putting forward the idea that Reece could be the finest player ever to play for Wigan. Either they are all getting carried away, or Reece is pretty decent.

P.S. They're now debating closing the voting and opening another ballot for runner-up.

 

 

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[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

Let's just hope he's given a shot next season. If he does well, it will save us a pretty penny. 

Imagine a team where RLC, CHO, and James are regular starters. 

[Jase 43,479]

 

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

 

If we can lose Zappacosta it has to be considered. Unless we were to go for Wan Bissaka although we are transfer banned and gave him to Palace on loan for a year.

[killer1257 3,282]

9 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

If we can lose Zappacosta it has to be considered. Unless we were to go for Wan Bissaka although we are transfer banned and gave him to Palace on loan for a year.

Would be stupid to give him a chance in the first team squad under Sarri because Azpi always plays. He would make 10 steps backwards by playing under Sarri. He should be loaned out to a PL team, so even a stupid Sarri could see with his own eyes that James is PL material. Otherwise, he will waste a year

[nyikolajevics 2,698]

4 hours ago, killer1257 said:

Would be stupid to give him a chance in the first team squad under Sarri because Azpi always plays. He would make 10 steps backwards by playing under Sarri. He should be loaned out to a PL team, so even a stupid Sarri could see with his own eyes that James is PL material. Otherwise, he will waste a year

We have like 50 matches a year, or maybe 60. James can not only play as a RB but as a CM aswell. He can easily get 20-30 games a season.

 

[ja1 1,166]

5 hours ago, killer1257 said:

Would be stupid to give him a chance in the first team squad under Sarri because Azpi always plays. He would make 10 steps backwards by playing under Sarri. He should be loaned out to a PL team, so even a stupid Sarri could see with his own eyes that James is PL material. Otherwise, he will waste a year

I very much used to feel like that. Added to this he has some very good options for PL loan. West Ham, Brighton, Palace (if AWB goes) he probably goes almost straight into first XI. However Sarri has started to improve his rotation slowly but surely with the more talented back ups, Emerson, CHO, RLC good examples and so maybe James does have a decent chance of making 20-30 apps. 

 

Im still very much wary of us bringing him back to make no league appearances and only start early rounds of cup matches but less wary than I was during Winter time. 

[Tomo 21,751]

28 minutes ago, ja1 said:

I very much used to feel like that. Added to this he has some very good options for PL loan. West Ham, Brighton, Palace (if AWB goes) he probably goes almost straight into first XI. However Sarri has started to improve his rotation slowly but surely with the more talented back ups, Emerson, CHO, RLC good examples and so maybe James does have a decent chance of making 20-30 apps. 

 

Im still very much wary of us bringing him back to make no league appearances and only start early rounds of cup matches but less wary than I was during Winter time. 

It certainly wouldn't be a bad thing should the worst happen and we play Europa again, all going well in the three comps that would be a good 20-25 appearances guaranteed straight away before even factoring anything else in (Azpi's decline the main one).

[OhForAGreavsie 6,074]

2 hours ago, Tomo said:

It certainly wouldn't be a bad thing should the worst happen and we play Europa again, all going well in the three comps that would be a good 20-25 appearances guaranteed straight away before even factoring anything else in (Azpi's decline the main one).

Azpi should be weary of Wigan manager Paul Cook's comment about Reece's role in his squad, "Reece was brought in to provide defensive cover. After a couple of training sessions it was obvious he wasn't going to be defensive cover."

As I said last summer, I think this lad is the best prospect to come out of Chelsea's academy since John Terry.

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

33 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Azpi should be weary of Wigan manager Paul Cook's comment about Reece's role in his squad, "Reece was brought in to provide defensive cover. After a couple of training sessions it was obvious he wasn't going to be defensive cover."

As I said last summer, I think this lad is the best prospect to come out of Chelsea's academy since John Terry.

In an ideal world, him doing well and taking over Dave would be great. However, I am still adamant in saying that there will always be pressure put on the manager to play players that were invested on. 

I fully expect us to tap into the market or keep Zappacosta vs promoting James and giving him game time. Even with good performances. 

[the wes 7,212]

Just scored for Wigan 

[Yeboii 1,844]

And what a goal it was!!!

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

that was one of the goals of the year. like a young lampard.

[Vesper 30,178]

4 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

that was one of the goals of the year. like a young lampard.

video?

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

11 minutes ago, Vesper said:

video?

https://www.trollfootball.me/highlights/view/bristol-city-0-1-wigan-reece-james-great-goal-37

[Vesper 30,178]

2 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

https://www.trollfootball.me/highlights/view/bristol-city-0-1-wigan-reece-james-great-goal-37

thanks!

did it take a deflection?

[the wes 7,212]

16 minutes ago, Vesper said:

thanks!

did it take a deflection?

I think it did as well He's like a wee Pitbull he's a very strong player for his age