Why has Daniel James' stock fallen after such a promising start for Manchester United?
Once again, a pacy Welsh forward goes into the international break in search of some respite from the struggles of club football. Wales have been here plenty of times before in the last few years but, for once, this has nothing to do with Gareth Bale.
Instead it is Daniel James who arrives on international duty in need of a change of environment. The Manchester United winger has endured a difficult start to the campaign, playing just 45 minutes of Premier League football so far, after falling out of favour in the latter stages of last season.
Strange as it may sound to anyone who witnessed his sensational start to life at Old Trafford, there were even suggestions that James could have left the club on loan this summer. United rejected an approach from Leeds United but their long-term pursuit of Jadon Sancho (and the signing of two teenage wingers on deadline day) does not reflect well on James’ long-term prospects of becoming a first-team regular again.
In the first half of last season, James started 90 per cent of United’s Premier League matches. He scored three goals in his opening four games for the club, impressing with his finishing and his ability to scorch in behind opposition defences.
His form soon dipped, though, and after lockdown he started just one league match. The superb performances of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood did not help his cause, and it seemed that James was paying the price for such an intensive start to his United career. As early as November last year, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said the Welshman had played “too much football for my liking”.
It is worth remembering that James had played just one full season at Swansea City before his £15m move to United in 2019. While adjusting to life at one of the biggest clubs in world football, he has also had to come to terms with the sudden death of his father, Kevan, who passed away just a few weeks before his son signed for United.
The pressures of playing for United, and the various coaching structures in place at the club, do not always lend themselves to the development of young players. James was raw when he arrived, and he remains raw now. It is tempting to wonder how much better he might have fared under the management of Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, the club he so nearly joined in January 2019.
International duty with Wales now represents a different challenge, where James has more responsibility as a key man. With Bale and Aaron Ramsey unavailable for Thursday’s meeting with England, James could be his country’s primary attacking force.
“[Even] if Gareth and Aaron are here, he is still a threat,” said Ryan Giggs, the Wales manager. “He has got that speed that always keeps the opposition interested. He has got that directness. Obviously Dan has friends here [in the Wales camp], ex-teammates and other friends in the squad. He always enjoys coming away and training, and the atmosphere. If he has not been playing it gives him the opportunity to get minutes on the pitch.”
Giggs was at Old Trafford on Sunday for United’s 6-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, but James was not part of the matchday squad because of a bug he picked up a few days earlier. The 22-year-old is also dealing with a knock to his foot, but is expected to be fit enough to feature at Wembley.
Asked if he was relieved that United failed in their pursuit of Sancho, given the knock-on effect it would have had on James’ chances at club level, Giggs said: “I always feel that the better the players in the dressing room, the better you become. So it is not necessarily the case. Another winger coming in would mean maybe less games. That’s up to DJ to step up and make sure, when he does get the chance, that he takes it.”
This international break provides James with an opportunity to play with more freedom. Since coming into the fold he has done well for his country, where he has predominantly played on the left wing. The left certainly appears a more natural position for James, but at Old Trafford he has Marcus Rashford ahead of him in the pecking order. With Wales, James can step out of the shadows and back into the limelight, for a few days at least, and issue a reminder of the talent that shone so brightly at the start of his United career.
