Everton faced Tottenham in a crucial FA Cup fifth round tie, but coach Carlo Ancelotti left James Rodriguez on the bench as a clear sign of how to get the best out of the Colombian.
The playmaker has struggled to regain his peak form of 2020, having been pushed by Ancelotti despite not being at 100 percent after the ball hit him in the testicles against Liverpool.
Against Southampton, Fulham, Leeds and Burnley, he was far from his best and picked up an injury against the Clarets which would sideline him.
Without him, the team would pick up crucial wins to show that they do not rely on the former Real Madrid man.
Lesson learnt
In 2021, the Italian is taking a different approach.
"I didn't give him rest because this has happened, but because he played three games in a row and I wanted to have him fresh for the next game because of his injury," Ancelotti said after resting James against Leeds.
Despite playing well against Manchester United, he was taken off and appeared to have suffered a knock, which led to him being rested against Jose Mourinho's Tottenham.
A tight schedule lies ahead and Ancelotti wants James at his best to face Manchester City and Liverpool in the near future.
tadaprsu
1
again Spanish media took aim at Rodriguez he's superior for Everton
Zibbceopz
2
James Rodriguez is a very talented player. A player that Madrid never used properly even after a loan spell at bayern. Now proving all the doubters wrong by slowly n steadily building up his game. Obviously he shall be injury prone as he has not played for a long time n now he's being used by the coach who moulded him at Madrid, Munich n now in Liverpool. Hats off to Carlo who brought the best when it seemed James's career was all over. I'm pretty sure if Bale would've joined Everton instead of Tottenham by now he would be proving Madrid wrong
DMK36
3
Nothing is more important for a player than the manager having faith in you, wish u the best James