Glenn Johnson

[zigackly]

I wonder if he would object to trying out on the wing, like a lot of people have said all season. It could be a good solution with a more solid full back behind him. He definitely has the pace and the tricks to play as a winger, and I suspect he'd be our best one.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

I wonder if he would object to trying out on the wing, like a lot of people have said all season. It could be a good solution with a more solid full back behind him. He definitely has the pace and the tricks to play as a winger, and I suspect he'd be our best one.

 

I also think he'd chip in with enough goals. ;)

[piscinin]

I wonder if he would object to trying out on the wing, like a lot of people have said all season. It could be a good solution with a more solid full back behind him. He definitely has the pace and the tricks to play as a winger, and I suspect he'd be our best one.

 

Alternatively you could pair him with a center half who is good at defending space and can play high up the pitch. Then he can continue to play patterns with a wide midfielder, will have space to run into and will have an extra target in the box. Worked for Pompey, why not us?

[stringvest]

Johnson does have a very noticeable flaw, his decision making about his positioning when he transitions from being the first defender to the one who needs to cover / balance is poor. That said, that's not new news, we should be able to come up with a defensive scheme to balance that out, Harry managed it after all.

 

Alas for us because our defence has been so crap he's spent the second half of the season largely playing to his weaknesses, stuck in his own half and people forget the inventiveness and intelligence he plays with in the final 3rd.

 

One of the keys for next season is to find a way to let him play high up the pitch without falling apart defensively.

 

this makes sense, and would be managed best by backfilling him with a more robust, positionally aware, yet energetic right back. I think he plays with real freedom and energy going forward, and his decision making going forward is first rate.

[stringvest]

Alternatively you could pair him with a center half who is good at defending space and can play high up the pitch. Then he can continue to play patterns with a wide midfielder, will have space to run into and will have an extra target in the box. Worked for Pompey, why not us?

 

That would work too but that is a more difficult situation for us to get to from where we are today.

[Mathewbet1]

He made bad mistake last night that lead to us being knocked out and has to take some responsibility for it.

 

After a great start the season he seems to have struggled slightly, but still provides a great attacking out-let from the rightback side which is what you need against 90 percent of the teams in this league. Yes he partial to the odd defensive laps, but hes by no means a terrible defender. Least of our worries i would say.

[RafaLaBamba]

Would I swap him?....Not in a million years. Arbeloa was far too steady for my likings and never got forward anywhere near enough to be a Liverpool quality right back. He wasn't a bad player by any means, but he did frustrate me a lot at times. Johnson has had a decent debut season and has improved on his defensive side of the game. I fully expect him to have a good illustrious career with us.

 

This thread is clearly because he was played out of position last night and didn't have the greatest game you will see.

[dirty_sanchez]

I don't think he's a bad player mate, I just don't think he's worth what we paid and I would personally prefer Bob. Maybe just a matter of preference at the end of the day. Johnson does his best work around the opposition's box, Bob did his best around ours.

 

Agree. On both of those points to be fair.

[Guest Dog Chaser]

He made bad mistake last night that lead to us being knocked out and has to take some responsibility for it.

 

After a great start the season he seems to have struggled slightly, but still provides a great attacking out-let from the rightback side which is what you need against 90 percent of the teams in this league. Yes he partial to the odd defensive laps, but hes by no means a terrible defender. Least of our worries i would say.

 

I don't think he made a mistake, he was unlucky that his header bounced off Reyes back into his path, i think the blame is more attributed to Mascherano who was ahead of play and didn't pik up Forlan when Carragher was picking up the other Madrid player.

[ZonkoVille77]

Anyone got enough time on their hands to count how many goals we have let in this season because of Johnson's 'defending' ?

 

It would be interesting to see how many he's been at fault for, because I honestly think had Arbeloa still been here we'd be in 4th place now. There's always doubts about GJ defending, and that's because he is not good at it. simple fact.

 

Before anyone blasts me outta it, I do take into account the number of changes in the back 4 due to injuries etc, and the loss of form of those players that have played.

[Whelan]

Anyone got enough time on their hands to count how many goals we have let in this season because of Johnson's 'defending' ?

 

It would be interesting to see how many he's been at fault for, because I honestly think had Arbeloa still been here we'd be in 4th place now. There's always doubts about GJ defending, and that's because he is not good at it. simple fact.

 

Before anyone blasts me outta it, I do take into account the number of changes in the back 4 due to injuries etc, and the loss of form of those players that have played.

 

I count two. But he has never played in a Liverpool defense that has conceded four goals though, which Bob was part of twice. So following my completely unbiased analysis Glen is a much better defender.

[dirty_sanchez]

Anyone got enough time on their hands to count how many goals we have let in this season because of Johnson's 'defending' ?

 

It would be interesting to see how many he's been at fault for, because I honestly think had Arbeloa still been here we'd be in 4th place now. There's always doubts about GJ defending, and that's because he is not good at it. simple fact.

 

Before anyone blasts me outta it, I do take into account the number of changes in the back 4 due to injuries etc, and the loss of form of those players that have played.

 

See I think it might be the opposite. I don't think Johnson is as liable for as many goals as people seem to think he is.

[Whelan]

The way things are going on this website we will be reminiscing about Sean Dundee next!

 

Would be piss poor DVD that, 'How to become a better footballer'

 

Part one. Leave Liverpool Football Club.

 

Part two. See part one.

[zigackly]

My argument isn't based on Johnson's individual mistakes, it's based on the fact he's vacating the defence more, which has left us more vulnerable.

[ZonkoVille77]

I wanted to see if it's just perception that he's been responsible for many goals or is it actually the case that he is at fault.

 

Are we all in agreeance though, that for his brilliance going forward the sacrifice is then at the back? If we had better cover for him when he's going forward maybe it could work. I agree with Zigackly and piscinin's points - those are areas that defo need to be looked at. He's just not a reliable RB as I see it.

[Torvald Utne]

Best right back in the country, playing in an underperforming team.

 

I was a big fan of bob but Johnson offers a lot more going forward.

[dirty_sanchez]

The way things are going on this website we will be reminiscing about Sean Dundee next!

 

Would be piss poor DVD that, 'How to become a better footballer'

 

Part one. Leave Liverpool Football Club.

 

Part two. See part one.

 

You forgot the big where he said with a completely straight face "I'm faster than Michael Owen"

[loadsoftrophies]

The money Pompey owed us dictated how much we paid for him as that 11million owed to us would have gone missing if the yanks got their paws on it so the price tag doesn't really bother me.

I still think Johnson is a top player but he's not good enough defensively to play left back, i though he really struggled out ther all night and just looked really uncomfortable, there were moments where he couldn't sort out his feet whether to use his left or right on the ball.

He started off the season brilliantly and then got a bad injury and since then he hasn't really settled back in, he's struggling badly on his defensive side.

[PaulMcC]

Na.

 

He's the best right back in England and a better player than Arbeloa.

 

I think Carra has been responsible for more goals conceded than Johnson. Skrtel too.

[RedBrian84]

He was playing full back and never attacked a routine cross-field ball.

 

Its got nothing to do with whether he was on the left or right.

 

But so the fuck what. He made a mistake. He'll make more. As will any other full back we buy, for 17 mil or on a bosman.

 

And those who feel Arebloa never cocked-up have serious memory issues.

 

Johnson would have fit perfectly into last season's team, imo.

 

I don't think anybody suggested that Arbeloa never 'cocked up', but there has been something fundamentally wrong at the back for us this season. I'm not laying all the blame at Johnson's door, or even Insua's (who has been dire), but look at our defensive record last season compared to this. Of course, Alonso's departure hit us really hard as he often provided relief for the defence with his ability to take the ball from danger and start attacks, but I personally believe that the arrival of Johnson has unsettled the back four. Obviously he wasn't ever going to settle seamlessly into the new side straight away, and he's been injured, but I classed Arbeloa as defensively more reliable. I think that's what most people who've said they've missed Arbeloa were getting at.

 

That's not to say that he's not a good player; I just think defensively he can improve. It happened a few years back with Ashley Cole- praised for his attacking mentality, criticised for his defensive inadequacy. He's worked hard to improve that side of his game, and it's work. Johnson could do with taking note.

[RedBrian84]

Best right back in the country, playing in an underperforming team.

 

I was a big fan of bob but Johnson offers a lot more going forward.

 

There really isn't a lot of competition for that title though.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Na.

 

He's the best right back in England and a better player than Arbeloa.

 

I think Carra has been responsible for more goals conceded than Johnson. Skrtel too.

 

As in English player or all ?

[PaulMcC]

All.

 

He's better than any other right back in England imo.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

All.

 

He's better than any other right back in England imo.

 

His attacking attributes put him up there with the best. But he isn't the best overall imo as his defensive positioning is terrible at times. Suppose you can't have it all though.

[DonaldDonaldson]

My argument isn't based on Johnson's individual mistakes, it's based on the fact he's vacating the defence more, which has left us more vulnerable.

 

There are two way to address this:

 

1. Ban Johnson (or any other full-back) from attacking.

 

2. Play defenders in the other defensive positions that are better suited to covering space when the full-back goes forward and the move breaks down leading to a loss of possession.