What happened to James? How Colombian's move to Real Madrid went wrong

It was a sharpness that hadn’t really been seen from James Rodriguez for some time, and not just on the pitch. After the playmaker had run the game in Colombia’s 3-1 World Cup qualifying win over Ecuador, following on from his goal in the 3-2 victory against Bolivia, he was asked why was playing so much better for his country than for his club. Rodriguez responded with a barb.

Those comments weren’t exactly cryptic, but did raise a number of questions. The first is about his relationship with Real Madrid, and why his time there has been so disappointing, relative to his quality. The second is deeper, and concerns the decision he made back in 2014 to move to the Bernabeu.

Rodriguez had the world at his feet that summer, having taken command of the World Cup with the authority and elegance of his footwork. It wasn’t just that he finished top scorer. It was how he scored the goals, and the way they came out of some wondrous play that left defences in disarray.

It is genuinely difficult to think of too many modern World Cups since 1994 where one player was so dominant and such a break-out, and Rodriguez certainly outshone Barcelona's Neymar. Things have changed in that regard and they did so long before Saturday's Clasico - something which hints at important differences between the two clubs and the players they sign.

Rodriguez was always going to leave Monaco in that transfer window but the wonder, even then, was whether Real were the right choice. They were obviously the seductive choice, since the Madrid club remain the biggest in the world - but that might have been part of the problem.

Because Rodriguez was so good in the 2014 World Cup it’s easy to forget he was just 22 and coming into the key final stage of his development. He was at a point when, to make the best of his quality, he needed to be in the right system, to be played off and allowed to flourish.

He needed to be something close to the main man; to develop with a team. That was never going to happen at Real, when the only main man is Cristiano Ronaldo, and it has undeniably affected Rodriguez’s game, even if it is not the only factor.

Some at the Bernabeu have been briefing to Spanish media that other aspects of playing for Real Madrid have had an effect, not least the lifestyle Rodriguez has enjoyed. There have been regular reports that he has indulged in the Spanish capital’s nightlife too much, while Rafa Benitez is known to have been irritated with his work rate and the player’s unwillingness to follow tactical plans.

Such distractions might be another reason why Real were the wrong choice.

Some of the stories about his fitness, at least, led to an angry response from Rodriguez in January.

“The talk really bothers me. Everyone who is close to me knows how I act and that I always look to take good care of myself. I'm a great professional. What's been said about me going out a lot at night is a lie.

It is also true that he has mostly been injured, inhibiting his ability to produce any magic, and that hasn’t yet improved under Zinedine Zidane.

Some now worry about the Colombian’s commitment. Yet, while there are clearly individual issues, it is hard to not think these are emblematic of what is a common problem at Real under Florentino Perez.

Rodriguez is a clear example. He wasn't exactly bought with a defined role in mind; he was bought because he is a star. The expectation from Perez and agent Jorge Mendes was for a long time that Rodriguez would succeed Ronaldo as Real’s main icon, but that is hard to guarantee when there is no proper plan to do so, no guided path. In that context, it isn't too much of a surprise that a young player has grown a little dissatisfied, even if he is far from blameless himself.

Rodriguez has probably had an attitude problem in the last year, but it is one that partly comes from Real's attitude to player recruitment and development.