Daniel James Can Still Play an Important Man Utd Role, Despite His Limitations

It's been a turbulent first season in Manchester for Daniel James, and his cameo appearance as a late substitute in their Europa League semi final defeat to Sevilla was testament to that.

The Welshman was brought on with just three minutes of normal time left to play as United trailed Sevilla 2-1. And while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reluctance to make changes to his starting XI speaks volumes about United's lack of options from the bench, it doesn't do James any justice.

The 22-year-old struggled to make an impact in the 10 minutes or so he managed to play, considering added time. But can you really blame him? By this point, United were already fatigued and any chance of a late comeback seemed highly unlikely as an experience Sevilla saw out the game well. James struggled to make a mark on the game, and while some of this is down to limitations in his play, the truth is that he isn't being used to the strengths he does possess.

If James can improve on certain aspects of his game ahead of next season, he could still prove to be a valuable squad player for the Red Devils at a bargain price.

The Welshman ended his 2019/20 season with four goals and seven assists from 46 appearances in all competitions. By no means is it a contribution that sets the world on fire or leaves him hanging with the elite level youth products in the footballing world, but it's also not a bad return by any means.

So, where has the criticism come from?

He started life with his new club in electric form, winning Manchester United's Player of the Month award for August 2019. Scoring on his home debut in a 4-0 win against Chelsea was enough to send United fans crazy for the 22-year-old. Another decent shift against Wolves in a 1-1 draw was promising and, despite United losing 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace in their third game of the season, James scored what looked to be a late equaliser that was set to salvage some points.

He went one better the following week, scoring a spectacular curled effort away at Southampton, which meant he'd bagged three goals in his first four games as a United player. Not bad.

After that blistering first couple of weeks, however, the bar was high. And perhaps too high for the young Welshman to deal with, which is what has led to so much criticism in recent weeks and months. While he's managed to pick up assists since and put in good performances - mostly from the left wing - James has managed just one more goal since that strike against the Saints.

To further the disappointment, whenever James has played as a right winger - a position where United have been desperate for someone to step up and make it their own - he's failed to impress.

The Welshman possesses unrelenting pace that has proven too much for defenders to handle and at times hugely beneficial to United's counter attack, but that's about all he's offered. James has been found out to be a largely one-footed player that is only really capable of cutting in from the left or bursting into open space on a counter attack.

The emergence of Mason Greenwood hasn't helped his cause, either. The 18-year-old striker has enjoyed a lethal debut season at senior level, bagging 19 goals and assisting five in all competitions.

Greenwood has proven to be much more well rounded than James despite being four years his junior, operating more comfortably as a right winger despite actually being a striker by trade, thanks to his outstanding technical ability, use of both feet and range of finishing.

Consider that the Red Devils seem adamant on recruiting some more firepower to their squad this summer and are still interested in signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, even if they claim he isn't for sale, it looks like James' time at United could already be over. It's not been easy throughout the season for him, especially with so many fans constantly watching him like a hawk, but it cannot be denied that James can still offer something to United, even in a lesser role.

Signing for just £15m, it's easy to forget how much of a steal the 22-year-old was in today's transfer market. Consider how good he looked at the start of the season from the left flank and how much people have struggled to defend against his pace when he gets in behind, James is exactly the rotation option United need.

This wasn't best demonstrated by Solskjaer against Sevilla, who played an incredibly resilient defensive game at times. Should James have been brought on before the Spaniards equalised, however, perhaps he could've had a greater impact against their full backs, who were pushing up incredibly high before they took the lead.

To suggest selling or even loaning out the Wales international so soon after him signing is admittedly ludicrous. James has a lot to work on and must elevate specific levels of his game in order to become an asset to Manchester United. Likewise, Solskjaer and his coaching staff must show a better understanding of James and learn to use him to his strengths, not being afraid to throw him into a game where he might be able to make a change.

If he can widen his arsenal of skills and prove to Solskjaer over what little preseason Manchester United will have that he is an asset, Daniel James could prove to be a very useful asset for the Red Devils at a small fee. Fans must realise that the Welshman doesn't have to be a starting player to have an important impact at the club going forward.