James Rodriguez must step up for Bayern Munich in Muller’s absence

With Thomas Muller’s shock injury sidelining him for the next few weeks, now is the time for James Rodriguez to step up for Bayern Munich.

There’s no doubt that James Rodriguez is an excellent talisman of a player. The Colombian wizard has shown he’s clearly capable of stringing together magic in midfield. After spending some time developing his talent in Europe with Porto and Monaco, the young star exploded onto the scene with an exceptional 2014 World Cup campaign, where he even edged out Thomas Muller in the Golden Boot award.

Naturally, James then became a highly sought-after player across Europe. After significant success under Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, managerial changes caused the star to become an afterthought in the Spanish capital. After a few less than stellar seasons, James chose to make the move to Munich, hoping to repeat his success under Carlo Ancelotti.

However, with comparatively lower game-time, concerns rise over a repeat from his stay at Madrid. In his starting performance in Bayern’s thrashing of Schalke, James showcased how he could potentially be one of the smartest acquisitions of the summer.

His performance this past weekend at Hamburg couldn’t have been any different. While it was just one game and he must be given more time before judgments can be made, James’ showing at Hamburg was surprisingly lackluster.

And it looks like more game time is coming his way. With Thomas Muller injured for the next three weeks, Bayern are left with scarce options in attacking midfield. Now is the time for James Rodriguez to step up.

Electric combination play with teammates

One of the things that made James shine so much against Schalke is his energetic attitude on the pitch. The Colombian was all over the field, never lacking energy. He drifted around the field in a highly fluid manner, distributing key passes as he went. Even before his eventual goal and assist, he created several excellent chances for his teammates.

Often combining with Thomas Muller, both of them were unlucky not to notch more goals and assists on the day. This anticipated lineup featuring both the German and Colombian turned heads, showing potential for an electric partnership. While James Rodriguez was the clear star of that show, the more subtle contributions of Thomas Muller looked very promising as well.

The two players are definitely different, but one of the things they shared was their flexibility in roaming the pitch. This is, in fact, the very reason Jupp should probably experiment with both of them together more often. Unfortunately, that experiment must be put on hold for the time being, as Thomas Muller will be sidelined for a few important matches.

As competition thickens, performances must improve

James Rodriguez is credited for being quite a versatile player. Primarily known for excelling in the number 10 role, James has also shown himself flexible enough to play on the wings. Jupp Heynckes rotated against Hamburg, and James was deployed in his favored role. Unfortunately, he didn’t capitalize on such a great opportunity.

For whatever reason, the Colombian just didn’t look comfortable. Hamburg’s intensive pressing against Bayern Munich saw several forced errors out of the whole team, particularly James. His fluidity — not just in passing, but in his movements and exploiting open spaces — was simply not present.

With Thomas Muller now facing a spell on the sidelines, James seems the unanimous choice to fill in for the Bavarian. Muller has been in excellent form recently, and will sorely missed in the number 10 role. Again, James is no doubt talented in this position, but he will need to shrug off his most recent performance at Hamburg with clubs like RB Leipzig (twice) and Dortmund looming ahead.

Perhaps the Colombian’s recent poor performance was simply due to lack of exposure. Hopefully, with game-time, James will become more integrated in the Bayern XI. With supreme talents like Thiago, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Rudy in the Bayern midfield, James should have no issues building on-field relationships with his teammates and becoming an integral part of the squad.

Next: Bayern Munich stumble through 1-0 victory against Hamburg

Trying times ahead

With the injury list continually growing, now is the time for James to prove his worth at Bayern Munich. A key component of Bayern Munich’s attack is the relationship between striker Robery Lewandowski and the playmaker sitting just behind him. While the Polish goal-machine is world-class on his own, James Rodriguez and his performance can make the absolute most of him in a match. Given the teams Bayern Munich have to face next, the time for patient development is over. James Rodriguez has to step up now and prove he is still a world-class star.