Rory Smith Exclusive Tomorrow

[RobbieOR]

I think he has been equally as average (none of them have been bad in my opinion). Johnson has been average as has Konchesky. Johnson wasn't expected to be as average as he has been, Konchesky was so why are people rounding off on Konchesky when it could be argued Johnson has been the poorer signing out of the two for the price he cost and level of performance he has shown bar a few games since he has been here.

 

a) Because Hodgson signed him and b) because his ma is an ignorant cow. Also Johnson is an England international and has put in some sort of decent form since he's signed so he's allowed a bit of lee way. (It doesnt mean the ironic cheering of Konchesky was right, though.)

[Iantn]

Had Konchescky made that stupid tackle Aurelio made for the Bolton goal yesterday he would have been slaughtered on here and everywhere.

 

Aurelio? Not a word.

 

Thats pathetic.

 

And, to be fair, if it had of been Lucas you would have slaughtered him on here. Just goes to show that people pick up on things when they don't really rate the player as opposed to giving slack to those players that they do.

[JohnnyH]

Every player makes silly mistakes. It's when the silly mistake is the norm that it gets referenced.

[Juan Galonso]

a) Because Hodgson signed him and b) because his ma is an ignorant cow. Also Johnson is an England international and has put in some sort of decent form since he's signed so he's allowed a bit of lee way. (It doesnt mean the ironic cheering of Konchesky was right, though.)

 

What difference does it make who signed him? Or what his ma said? He is on a hiding to nothing now because of that which isn't directly down to him. Has Johnson been worth the money? I expect more than ''decent form'' from an 18m full back to be honest.

[RobbieOR]

What difference does it make who signed him? Or what his ma said? He is on a hiding to nothing now because of that which isn't directly down to him. Has Johnson been worth the money? I expect more than ''decent form'' from an 18m full back to be honest.

 

It shouldnt make a difference, but thats the world we live in.

 

Im not having a go here john, but what if it was Rafa who signed Konchesky and Hodgson spent 18 million on Johnson, would that not cloud your vision on the player?

[Antynwa]

Johnson isn't a defender

 

Konchesky is just shit

 

Agger is overated

 

Skrtel blows hot and cold

 

Carragher is our best defender

 

Soto is alright

[Iantn]

Johnson isn't a defender

 

Whether you think he's good at it or not, he is a defender.

[Thants]

Had Konchescky made that stupid tackle Aurelio made for the Bolton goal yesterday he would have been slaughtered on here and everywhere.

 

Aurelio? Not a word.

 

Thats pathetic.

 

That's because it was out of character. Anyway, the blame lies with the marking.

[Juan Galonso]

He's probably the worst fit in the system though.

 

Insua and Dossena obviously didn't perform at a great level but they did things going forward that helped the system they was used in.

 

I don't think Konchesky has been as bad as made out either but at his age and experience I'd look to move on and use are youngsters as back up to a good attacking option.

 

What did Insua do going forward? Dossena scored a couple of goals v United and Madrid and he is Roberto Carlos all of a sudden? Do you remember his performance against Hull a couple of years ago in particular? Aginst the great Bernard Mendy as well? It was as bad as anything Konchesky and even Insua served up. Konchesky gets skinned by the shit off a stick Aaron Lennon and Nani a few times in a game (he wasn't the first and he won't be the last) Insua got skinned by Jobi bloody McAnuff non-stop over two games a year ago and practically every other game last season.

[Juan Galonso]

It shouldnt make a difference, but thats the world we live in.

 

Im not having a go here john, but what if it was Rafa who signed Konchesky and Hodgson spent 18 million on Johnson, would that not cloud your vision on the player?

 

No honestly it wouldn't. Poulsen has stank the place out for instance and needs to be sold and he has been an appalling signing but I could see why Hodgson bought him at the time considering Mascherano fucked us over and we needed a body in there but 4m it will go down as the equivalent of Rafa's Josemi signing and Houlliers Jean Michel Ferri signing.

 

Hodgson didn't and will never have (because he won't be here) that luxury to spend 18m on a full back. He just had to plug gaps in the squad at a cheap rate as well.

[Dan]

so it boils down that we need a new left back...simples

[Plev]

What did Insua do going forward? Dossena scored a couple of goals v United and Madrid and he is Roberto Carlos all of a sudden? Do you remember his performance against Hull a couple of years ago in particular? Aginst the great Bernard Mendy as well? It was as bad as anything Konchesky and even Insua served up. Konchesky gets skinned by the shit off a stick Aaron Lennon and Nani a few times in a game (he wasn't the first and he won't be the last) Insua got skinned by Jobi bloody McAnuff non-stop over two games a year ago and practically every other game last season.

 

I might be wrong, but I think Insua weighed in with a fair few assists last season.

[Phoenix]

Johnson would probably get into every team bar Arsenal in the league.

[Phoenix]

I might be wrong, but I think Insua weighed in with a fair few assists last season.

 

Six by february. dont know whether he added any after that.

[Hoddy]

No honestly it wouldn't. Poulsen has stank the place out for instance and needs to be sold and he has been an appalling signing but I could see why Hodgson bought him at the time considering Mascherano fucked us over and we needed a body in there but 4m it will go down as the equivalent of Rafa's Josemi signing and Houlliers Jean Michel Ferri signing.

 

Hodgson didn't and will never have (because he won't be here) that luxury to spend 18m on a full back. He just had to plug gaps in the squad at a cheap rate as well.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but neither did Benitez. This 18m figure keeps getting banded around, but wasn't it only a valuation that was reached because of money we were still owed from the Crouch deal? He never actually paid 18m on Glen Johnson.

[CWD82]

Arsenal;

 

Sagna is a good fullback. They haven't really got any centre halves of note and the only one I'd really look at is currently out injured. Clichy would improve our left back spot but I don't think he's anything special.

 

Chelsea;

 

Have a good four when they are all together but the likes of Ferriera and Boswinga are really average at best.

 

Man City

 

With the money they've spent and got to spend they should have quality options in nearly every position. In saying that isn't Lescott their 3rd choice centre half? And people talk about Skrtel being a disaster waiting to happen.

 

Man Utd

 

Vidic is a very good centre half but as we've proven can be very easily got at. Doesn't take anything away from his game though. Ferdinand has had similar injury concerns as Agger over the past couple of years. Evans and Smalling as their backups are very much under-whelming. Evra is a very good full back. At right back though, I don't think Ferguson knows who is the best option. O'Shea? Brown? Neville? da Silva? Wouldn't particularily want any of them at the minute.

 

Spurs

 

Between Corluka and Hutton at right back they have a decent but nothing more right back. Some of their centre halves make Agger look like an injury free player! And of the ones that stay fit is Kaboul or Gallas really want we'd be looking at to improve on what we have? Assou-Ekkotu is an average full back really.

 

 

We could build all these up but the fact of the matter is they aren't that much better, if any, than what we currently have. Watching ours week in week out and counting their mistakes whilst looking at these on a far less basis and thinking they are better isn't the way we should be fuctioning.

 

These are the one's I would say would get in our team but I know it's arguable with some.

 

Clichy, Sagna, Vermaelen

 

Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic

 

Terry, Alex, Cole, Ivanovic

 

Corluka, Gallas, Dawson, Ekotto

 

Boateng, Kompany, Kholorov

 

The point I'm trying to make is we have got inferior players in the main in the defensive positions. Not necessarily a major issue as you defend as a unit and a good manager can mould a strong backline

 

Obviously we know we're fucked in terms of relying on the manager to put a strong defence together

 

So we've basically got inferior players and an inferior manager. Which translates to us being fucked for the top 4 on the basis of having a shit defence and no creativity out wide to feed our two world class (when on form and given service) forwards in Gerrard and Torres

[Trucker Paddy]

 

Six by february. dont know whether he added any after that.

 

Not saying he didn't but against who, because i do not remember him setting up 6 goals

[Juan Galonso]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but neither did Benitez. This 18m figure keeps getting banded around, but wasn't it only a valuation that was reached because of money we were still owed from the Crouch deal? He never actually paid 18m on Glen Johnson.

 

Yeah so the amount still come to 18m as we offset what they owed us it still goes down as an 18m transfer. We broke our transfer record a few times under Benitez. Skrtel, Dossena and Johnson.

[Iantn]

What did Insua do going forward? Dossena scored a couple of goals v United and Madrid and he is Roberto Carlos all of a sudden? Do you remember his performance against Hull a couple of years ago in particular? Aginst the great Bernard Mendy as well? It was as bad as anything Konchesky and even Insua served up. Konchesky gets skinned by the shit off a stick Aaron Lennon and Nani a few times in a game (he wasn't the first and he won't be the last) Insua got skinned by Jobi bloody McAnuff non-stop over two games a year ago and practically every other game last season.

 

Insua got assists. The style of play suited his game. It allowed him to press high up the pitch and use his decent ability to cross a ball.

 

Dossena weren't good enough nor am I liking him to Roberto Carlos although their defensive ability probably wasn't far off!

 

What I was meaning though was we used attacking full backs at the time to help push the opposition back and win the ball back early, it inevitably lead to them being caught out defensively but name me a quality attacking full back who doesn't get caught out a decent amount? They don't exist.

 

Also the point I was getting at was that Konchesky was bought to be a solid option. To help install the shape and defensive nous/setup that Hodgson wanted. Pretty much like his manager he failed to do the primary thing he was brought in to do.

 

If he was solid at back but average going forward etc he wouldn't be getting as much stick as he is. Granted all players make mistakes but he's made more than what we hoped for a supposed solid option.

 

I suppose it's similar to the argument around Mascherano. He did his primary duty in the side so well that it didn't matter as much to be that the other sides to his game weren't epically boss. Others argued otherwise and would prefer all round options in that role. But because he was that good in his first task he was allowed the benefit of the doubt regarding his other attributes.

[Phoenix]

Aston Villa at home

Wolves Home

Hull City home

Westham away

Bolton home (crosS from him)

[Code]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but neither did Benitez. This 18m figure keeps getting banded around, but wasn't it only a valuation that was reached because of money we were still owed from the Crouch deal? He never actually paid 18m on Glen Johnson.

 

Of course we paid £18M for him.

[Trucker Paddy]

Aston Villa at home

Wolves Home

Hull City home

Westham away

Bolton home (crosS from him)

 

Cheers mate i can't remember the goals, but let's be honest he's not good enough either was dossena and konchesky, Insua can't get a game for mid table galatasary, we haven't had a decent left back since Rob Jones was switched there for a season

[Joe Le Taxi]

Johnson is a luxury full-back who was about 12m too much, Skrtel is a liability who can't be trusted, Agger is a good footballer but a perma-crock, Aurelio ditto, Greek is good in the air but I would fancy my chances against him pace wise, Carragher while still a great leader is past his brilliant best, Konchesky is supposedly to some the worst player ever to wear the shirt. So where are these good defenders you speak of then?

 

 

Ace on Youtube and FM.

 

Believe.

[Guest PurpleNose]

We had the 3rd best defence in the league last season.

 

The only difference is Paul Konchesky and Roy Hodgson.

 

Correct.

[Guest PurpleNose]

 

Ace on Youtube and FM.

 

Believe.

 

 

 

These two are good as well.

 

 

Unfortunately, this one was the best of the lot.