Amidst the grim reality of Leicester City's harrowing campaign, Jordan James has stood tall. He is the undisputed Player of the Season by a considerable distance. To suggest otherwise is to ignore the structural integrity and potency he has brought to a side perilously flirting with disaster.
The Wales international's ascendancy remains untouched even with troubled genius Abdul Fatawu in the ranks. For while the Ghanaian winger is not quite firing on all cylinders, his propensity for spectacular worldies and halfway-line beauties cannot eclipse his colleagues monumental consistency. In an otherwise dreadful Foxes collective, James has been the saving grace. He is just great!
Leicester City star Jordan James of late and going forward
​Admittedly, James's standards have marginally dipped since returning from a testing injury layoff. However, he remains remarkably productive in goal involvements.
The 21-year-old is the authentic engine room: a powerhouse capable of hauling Leicester out of this relegation quagmire almost single-handedly. All while adding Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard-esque contributions elsewhere.
To isolate the standout midfielder for special criticism amongst a squad featuring several apathetic, underperforming teammates is both unnecessary and unjust.
​The catalyst for this recent backlash stems from a frustrating outing or two where exasperated observers noted he tried to do too much.
"Jordan James: He wasn’t really involved early on, and when the ball did start coming his way, he tried to do too much, going for the extra take-on rather than trying to find a team-mate. He also risked a red card with a rash challenge just after the penalty miss. 5"Leicester Mercury
James did hold onto the ball when simple passes beckoned. And the situation was compounded by a rash challenge that flirted with a red card. Such petulance was merely the manifestation of a maestro trying to overcompensate for those around him.
​The remedy, as outlined by local media dissecting this Jamesian peculiarity, lies in his tactical deployment. Shifting him away from the restrictive, advanced No.10 role and restoring him to his natural, deeper central midfield habitat will liberate him. From there, he can dictate the tempo and arrive on time. Driving the Foxes forward from the heart of the pitch rather than being marooned with his back to goal.
"It would be assumed that getting a promising attacking player further up the pitch would naturally make them more effective but that hasn't been the case with James this season and there was more evidence of that at the weekend."