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Who is the better right back?  

130 members have voted

  1. 1. Who is the better right back?

    • Kelly
      33
    • Johnson
      65
    • Nothing in it
      33


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Isn't it about time he was considered first choice right back ahead of Glen Johnson?

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but he seems, frankly, just better at it.

 

I've wondered a few times whether I was too soft on Kelly, Spearing too for that matter, because they are young, local lads; while being too hard on the likes of Johnson, Carroll, Downing, Henderson etc because they're easy targets - being English but not Scouse and incredibly expensive.

 

I'm starting to think that Kelly in particular though is just plain better than his direct competitor, Johnson.

 

Is he better, or am I just picking the Scouser ahead of the Londoner?

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I really like them both - for me, it's our strongest single position.

 

Wouldn't do any harm to see Johnson on the right side of midfield or Kelly in the centre of defence at some stage just to see what they offer there, particularly if our last few league games are dead rubbers.

 

Two quality footballers.

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I've bitched and moaned enough in the past about lack of squad depth so I think the situation we have at right back is a very good one to have.

 

I know there's lots of talk about Kelly at centre back in the long term but, and I say this with the qualifier that I haven't seen him play there at youth level so maybe not as qualified as others to comment on this, and I have said this before, but I almost think he'd be wasted there since the attacking side of his game at right back is good as well IMO. With full back being such a hard position to get right I'd like to think if he keeps up his progress we'd be foolish to play him anywhere else long-term (i.e. once he approaches his peak and Johnson is past his)

 

The lad now needs a lower shirt number as well.

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Good point, should he be number 1 right back?

 

No, he shouldn't, Glen is class, it's a position we don't need to this sort of competition, not when Kelly can be re-trained for another position such as centre back, or even left back.

 

He's a class act, a real class act, but let's use him properly and not give us two World Class options as right back, that makes no sense to me. I think of him as Bob, able to do a brilliant across all 4 defensive berths when necessary.

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Johnson at RM. Its glaringly obvious.

 

Its one of those things that should happen but probably never will even be tried.

I have no idea why this is.

On another note I dont think people realise just how important your fullbacks are. It is essentially, the most important position bar perhaps goalkeeper.

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Martin Kelly was destroyed defensively many times last night.

 

How many times did they destroy us down the left?

 

Also, I noticed a couple of times he was out of position and he stopped rather than scramble back.

 

Poor performance I thought.

 

Seriously?

 

I think Johnson is better by a small margin, but they are different right backs with strengths in different areas.

I see Kelly switching to CB in a couple of years time; he's very much in Carra's mould.

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In my opinion Johnson offers more guile going forward and has that extra bit of quality in attack, his 'defensive shortcomings' have been blown way out of proportion, he's no worse than any other attacking fullback when it comes to defending. He's the best English right-back.

 

Kelly is also turning into a really good player who will never let us down, but he's still learning. With Flanagan in the wings, it's a really strong position for us.

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