Why It's Vital James Rodriguez Builds on His Copa America Form in 2016/17 Season

James Rodriguez didn't enjoy the best of seasons with Real Madrid in 2015-16 but put that behind him by playing a central role for his nation, Colombia, at the Copa America Centenario over the summer.

An expensive acquisition for Real two years ago who initially lived up to the expectations placed on him, James has a fight ahead of him to rediscover his best form at club level, partly due to injury last season and partly due to a lack of a real role for him in the team under Zinedine Zidane.

For both his club and his own career, it's imperative that James finds form early on in the forthcoming season and gets back to his top level—his quality is comfortably in line with that of the regular front three for Real, and Zidane's XI will only benefit from finding a place for James to flourish in.

Copa class

James was once again the man Colombia's team was built around, supporting Carlos Bacca in attack and playing centrally, with much of the buildup play going through him.

He netted a penalty against USA, both scored and assisted in the second fixture against Paraguay and played every minute of Colombia's knockout run, where they ended the Centenario tournament in third place.

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Despite playing largely well and contributing to the team's run to the semis, neither James nor any of his team-mates were named in the team of the tournament, which was comprised entirely of Argentinian and Chilean players.

The No. 10 dislocated his shoulder in the opening game but made it back in time for the second—though manager Jose Pekerman then made it clear he would need surgery after the Copa America finished, per ESPN FC's Tom Marshall. That hasn't happened, however, with J.L. Guerrero of AS reporting the fury of Real Madrid after James went on holiday after the tournament without having the surgery.

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Pekerman spoke in glowing terms about James even before the tournament, saying he was a "leader" and that he "dragged [Colombia] to victory" when wearing the armband, per James Horncastle of ESPN FC. But that aggression and determination hasn't been seen often enough at Real Madrid since the end of 2014-15.

Pacho Maturana, former Colombia head coach, told El Primer Palo (h/t Agustin Martin of AS) last season that James had "forgotten how to fight," and it is this resilience and desire that made James such a star in the first place. With confidence rediscovered after a good Copa, James must now take that into the new campaign and consign a poor 2015-16 season to history.

James '14 vs. '15

A star and a starter as soon as he arrived following a stellar 2014 World Cup, James was one of the best players of the season under Carlo Ancelotti in 2014-15. He played a key role for Real, both from the right side and centrally, in a 4-4-2 and 4-3-3.

His best came at right midfield cutting in, but his goals and chances created for others seemed to flow from all angles.

Goals still came last term. In fact, James averaged a goal or assist every 101 minutes in La Liga for Real Madrid—but game time was far less regular, both under former manager Rafa Benitez and Zidane.

Toward the end of the campaign, with Real rotating their Liga side to keep the UEFA Champions League starters fresh, James put in excellent performances more than once—but they weren't enough to force Zidane to play him in the biggest games that mattered most.

Serving as an unused sub in the Champions League final was the extent of his contribution to lifting the trophy.

Rumours, questions

Guerrero reports James is due back for pre-season training at Real Madrid on July 25 and the club have "no intention" of selling him.

He has been linked to Manchester City and Chelsea by Daniel Harris the Guardian. Meanwhile, Marca has covered all possible angles by alternately suggesting James wants to stay (per Laura Rubio and Robbie Dunne), he wants to leave (Jose Felix Diaz and Peter Coates), Real want to keep him (Carlos Carpio and Harry De Cosemo) and Real are prepared to sell him if they don't receive guarantees on his commitment (Diaz and Sarah Farrell).

In short, the fact there are so many rumours surrounding his future is indicative of how underwhelming his last season was; this is a player whose talent should dictate nothing but a regular first-team role, if the attitude were to match the aptitude.

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Hristo Stoichkov, a former Barcelona player and noted Real Madrid-antagoniser, suggested on Colombian radio station Blu Radio (h/t Metro) that James would remain "just another player" at the Bernabeu club if he didn't change his style of play. While calling him an "average player" was clearly over the top, there is an underlying grain of truth in his words.

James does not fit perfectly into Zidane's 4-3-3 setup, with the front line taken up by the BBC—Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo—and James himself is not a natural central midfielder. He can play that role, or at least improve enough to do so, but an element of self-sacrifice is required. That in turn might mean he gets more game time than he does currently, but would it also take away some of the best aspects of James' game?

Potential

There's no doubt that James has yet to hit the heights he is capable of, despite a stellar first season at Real Madrid.

As young and technically gifted as he is, and as potent as he can be in the final third, he can genuinely be as important and regular a match-winner as the likes of Eden Hazard, Thomas Muller or other attackers around Europe who have shown to be at their best, if in entirely different manners to each other.

It's probable that his best role on an individual level would be as a second forward, a No. 10 or tip of the diamond depending on the system, but there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to find consistency in his game from the right side of any attack or midfield line, too.

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James has the capacity to relentlessly get shots away from anywhere inside the final third, more than many strikers do, and simply buying a ticket more often will ensure he has success in goalscoring terms. But he is also a creative outlet, a set-piece expert, is possessed of a deft touch in beating a defender one-vs.-one and is selfless in his off-the-ball running at times.

The problem over the past year has been that he only seems to put this complete game together when it is of benefit to himself or he feels wanted in the team. That mentality has to change if he is to be a success at Real Madrid, but also for the bigger picture of making his career as impressive and memorable as it ought to be.

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