Should Glen Johnson get a new contract?

[Redder Lurtz]

I don't think he's "fucking shit" at all, though he frustrated the shit out of me in the first half last night. Improved in the 2nd half but as we continue to progress he's going to stand out more and more as the weak link.

 

I'm wracking my brains thinking about players who'd improve us. In terms of sheer ability we need to be looking at the likes of Alvez. Johnson is nowhere close to that.

 

Thanks for everything Glenn lad but time to go I think.

[JermainePennant]

I honestly think all of Brendan's recent quotes praising him are just really obvious attempts to unload him.

 

Our fullbacks are the weakest part of our team right now, and Johnson's 90k/week salary must be target number one to dump. I'm sure if someone makes us a half-decent offer (more than a pittance, basically) he'll be off in the summer. West Ham can usually be relied upon to do us a favour, maybe we can give Big Sam a call and say "England's starting right back, top quality player for just £4 million, what do you say?"

 

Wisdom/Flanagan are probably at least at the same level and wouldn't cost us half what he makes even if you added their salaries together. Use them for cover and then buy a better right back in the summer.

I think it was more of a case to get johnos confidence up, Rodgers rates him clearly, whenever I see videos from training he and glen are having a laugh and johnno supported Brendan in his early period, they appear to have a good relationship.

 

As for wisdom and flanno being atleast as good as him that is bollocks, when have you ever seen any of them give the performance he gave against Cardiff?

 

Not even in a youth game have they been that effective attacking wise and that wasn't even glen at his best.

 

Im very confident he will be here next season.

[Pureblood]

It's a risk having your full back regularly positioned at the edge of the opponents box. The reward is that he creates chances or scores the occasional goal, With Johnson these days its all risk and no reward.

 

I have must have dreamt about his well timed run and assist in the Cardiff game.

[Jairzinho]

How much of this is down to the midfield diamond though? It does seem to leave both full backs isolated at times. I'm sure that if we told both full backs to not push on or overlap for 90 minutes then the perception would be that we were a lot more solid defensively. But then we would lose something going forward and that is not something the BR wants to do.

 

My view is that most of our defensive frailties are down to the way BR wants the team to play as much as the quality of the individuals. I'm really enjoying watching us play the way we do at the moment so I'm happy to take the negatives that come with it. If we can find an upgrade on any of the back four then of course we should go for it but I'm not sure that there are too many out there who will do a better all-round job than GJ at this time.

 

Agreed. Its the choice Brendan has made, its been a good one.

 

My main frustration with Johnson yesterday was the amount of pointless crosses, and just generally needlessly giving the ball away.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

How is it down to the way we play? It's so rare that we concede from being to light at the back and so often due to individual s. It's right there on tape.

[Jairzinho]

The mentality of the team is to attack, a lot. So often both fullbacks are in the opponent's half, and the midfield three (or four if we play the diamond) can be 50/60 yards apart, leaving huge gaps for the opposition to exploit.

 

It's right there on tape.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Which goal this year was due to us having huge gaps? It's just such bollocks thi, it really is.

[MLB]

I think we'll offer him a deal on about half the wages he's getting right now and he'll leave.

[RedRazor]

I must have been watching a different game. Johnson was generally OK defending . Better than Flanno who switched off for the Sunderland goal. His attacking attributes as they are these days amount to getting up with the attack , getting the ball and running into to a couple of players . At which point they take the ball off him , he is out of position and Henderson then has to cover his arse ( which he does very well) on the opposition counter.

 

It's a risk having your full back regularly positioned at the edge of the opponents box. The reward is that he creates chances or scores the occasional goal, With Johnson these days its all risk and no reward.

Really harsh. At Cardiff he made the pass for the first Saurez goal and had a hand in two of the other goals. Last night was not one of his best games but quite a few players seemed nervous last night - maybe they are starting to feel the weight of expectation?

[liverpoolsno9]

No

[Hades]

Which goal this year was due to us having huge gaps? It's just such bollocks thi, it really is.

 

You joking? The way we attack requires constant movement to create space, which is why players are so often out of position when running back. It's vastly more difficult than maintaining two banks of four. 

[RedRazor]

Which goal this year was due to us having huge gaps? It's just such bollocks thi, it really is.

The two most obvious, and damaging, examples are Hazard and Negredo.

[Pureblood]

Teams exploit the gaps to win freekicks and corners..  The goals come from set plays/second phase but can originate from counter attacks. 

[RedRazor]

Which goal this year was due to us having huge gaps? It's just such bollocks thi, it really is.

Cabaye

[RedRazor]

Which goal this year was due to us having huge gaps? It's just such bollocks thi, it really is.

Campbell and Mutch v Cardiff

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Campbell and Mutch v Cardiff

You might want to watch again. I'm on the phone at the moment. I'll be back on tomorrow with video and pics to dispel this idea that it's playing style and being left open by it that's the issue and not, as is clearly the case, almost exclusively individual errors.

[RedRazor]

You might want to watch again. I'm on the phone at the moment. I'll be back on tomorrow with video and pics to dispel this idea that it's playing style and being left open by it that's the issue and not, as is clearly the case, almost exclusively individual errors.

Sure the focus on the first goal will be Allens poor pass to Flanagan but look very carefully at Gerrard's movement. As soon as Allen gets control of the ball he makes a diagonal run right out to the touchline and, crucially, beyond Mutch. Presumably to provide an attacking ooutlet for Flanagan. When the pass is misplaced he then cannot get back at Mutch who scores. Had we been playing bulk standard two banks of four that situation almost certainly would not have arisen. Flanangan would have been expected to hoof the ball fifty yards down the pitch and Gerrard would have been between Mutch and our goal when Allen misplaced his pass.

 

For the second goal Flanagan has to maintain his position as he has Fabio overlapping and can see Campbell stood directly between him and Gerrard who are about 20 yards apart on a diagonal. Gerrard needed to drop to cover Campbell but didn't. Presumably because it would have made an even bigger hole in the centre of the pitch. Again if we were playing the standard two banks of four this would not have happened. Gerrard would have been deeper and able to come across to cover Campbell.

 

Do not interpret this as me wanting us to play two banks of four. I am extremely happy with the way we are playing and I am happy for us to take these risks.

[Alan Sex]

I think he's maybe lost a yard of pace the last year or so. Makes it tougher for him to get back, and means he can't get past a player to cross as well as he could.

 

I think he should get a new contract next season. With someone else.

 

Won't be easy or cheap to find a better player that can fit straight in though...

 

I'm in agreement that we will probably offer him a cut rate and he will leave. If he accepts an offer, I can see us bringing in a young player with potential to slowly take over the position. Don't think we have quite good enough coming through the club in that position - good, but not good enough.

[Boss]

Montoya's release clause is 16.5 million, it got released in the times today.

[Phoenix]

Montoya's release clause is 16.5 million, it got released in the times today.

 

Thats in  his new contract he signed today.He isnt going anywhere.

[xerxes]

Not even in a youth game have they been that effective attacking wise and that wasn't even Glen at his best.

Agreed. But he is a full back, we have plenty of attacking midfielders and forwards.

[LFC 6 Times]

I remember when Glen first arrived he was a revelation, a bundle of energy got up and down the flank at break neck speed, ran at fullbacks with serious menace outside or in. Yesterday, he was afforded so much space and had numerous 1 on 1s with their LB and the crowd were just begging glen to go at him, what does he do? he takes too many touches than at the last second tries to cut in on his left, something I'm really getting sick of how many times does he cut in and just balloon it over the bar or loses it high up the pitch. He's technically very sound a very good touch and a good passer but the myth that he's a top class attacking fullback is just that, a myth he looks out of ideas when he reaches the final third.

[Jose Jones]

Loved his celebration for the first goal.

[KopOut]

Does Glen Johnson want a new contract?

[ZonkoVille77]

credit where its due, he played well yesterday.

He's still fuckin shite though.