A Progress Report on the Early Season Form of Real Madrid's James Rodriguez

In July, Real Madrid paid €80 million to sign James Rodriguez from Monaco following his impressive World Cup performances for Colombia.

It was a move that came somewhat out of the blue. Madrid had not previously been credited with an interest in the young attacking midfielder, while the fee—then the third-highest ever paid for a player—seemed a little steep.

To add to the pressure, Rodriguez’s arrival facilitated the departure of Angel Di Maria, one of the driving forces behind Madrid’s Champions League triumph just a couple of months earlier.

It would be impossible for any player to immediately justify such a outlay, but have Rodriguez’s performances in his early months in Madrid gone at least some way towards proving that it was money well spent?

Rodriguez made his Madrid debut against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup in mid-August. He was deployed in a hybrid midfield role with a license to attack but also the responsibility to fill in on the left whenever Cristiano Ronaldo moved infield.

He was a little unsure in his defensive work but performed decently enough given the circumstances and could certainly not be faulted for his application. Adam Bate of Sky Sports wrote, “James showed himself to be a willing worker and a picture of concentration, visibly straining sinews to cover defensively for his team-mates ahead of him.”

Rodriguez has been used in the same role in the majority of his Madrid appearances to date. He has performed well when used as part of the front three—most recently in the 5-0 win over Levante on Saturday in which he scored—but it is in midfield that he has been most regularly utilised.

Carlo Ancelotti has tasked him with replacing what Di Maria brought to the side last season. Rodriguez is not quite as blisteringly quick as his forebear but has displayed the necessary mix of pace and technical ability to at least come close to replicating the attacking part of Di Maria’s game.

He was involved in two of Madrid’s goals in the 5-1 Champions League win over Basel, provided a beautiful goal and a nice assist in the 8-2 league win over Deportivo La Coruna and played an excellent diagonal pass to Karim Benzema in the buildup to Madrid’s second away to Villarreal.

Rodriguez is still adjusting to not being the main attacking outlet—a role he enjoyed for Colombia at the World Cup and (largely) for Monaco in the second half of last season. At times it also looks as if he is still playing a little within himself, choosing a safe square pass instead of the more progressive option or turning back rather than taking on a defender.

Yet his attacking output is still broadly similar to what he achieved at Monaco last season, with a comparable number of completed dribbles, key passes and assists, according to WhoScored.com. He leads Madrid in successful crosses.

Rodriguez is shooting at a slightly lesser rate, but Madrid have other players to take care of that side of the equation. He is still on course to equal his seven-goal haul of last season.

He is also working hard on the defensive side of his game. Indeed, as per ESPN FC’s Nicholas Rigg, Rodriguez "covered more ground than every Madrid player except Kroos" in their Champions League victory over Basel.

He has made the fourth-highest number of average tackles per match in the Madrid squad, as per WhoScored.

In summary, Rodriguez has made a solid start to his career in the capital. He is still adapting to a new role and the attention that comes with playing for a club as grand as Real Madrid, but there are signs that he is coming to terms with both.

His strong performances as part of the front three (combined with Isco’s excellent recent displays in midfield) suggest that may be the best role for him moving forward.

Rodriguez was never going to exactly replicate what Di Maria brought to the side, and as he settles his own attributes will become increasingly clear. He certainly has the necessary talent to eventually become a decisive player for Real Madrid.

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