Johnson

[DannyMan2006]

Its hard to believe that Ian Harte is the top scorer from full back in the prem.

Not really. He played a lot of games and was a dead ball specialist. Took every penalty and most free kicks for Leeds.

[Craig_H]

Craig, read the thread mate. It is about bigging up Johnson, not the game, but it also had a cheap shot at Lucas at the same time. IMO it is ****ing ridiculous!

IMO you're being oversensitive.

[rushscored4]

Interesting nickname for Johnson if you're a Wire fan like me!

Johnson's Nickname

[anfieldanfield]

Good player.

[red g]

In terms of the current England side I feel there are two spots in the starting eleven that are still up for grabs. One is the goalkeeping position and the other is at right-back. There is little to choose between the current crop of English goalkeepers so whoever has the best season at club level should be in a position to grab the position with both hands, so to speak.

Ben Foster has been given a massive chance in Edwin Van der Sar’s absence at Old Trafford and he hasn’t done badly but he certainly hasn’t been brilliant. He has been beaten a bit too easily for my liking a few times this season. So when the Dutchman returns to fitness, I’d expect Foster to return to number two which means he will struggle to get in Fabio Capello’s team.

For me, Blackburn’s Paul Robinson is just a squad keeper and not a number one so the contest will mainly between Portsmouth’s David James who is likely to face a pretty torrid season with all the big name departures from Fratton Park and West Ham’s Robert Green. To be honest there’s little to separate either keeper, so club form will play a big part in Capello’s decision making.


Capello may have claimed that Liverpool new boy Glen Johnson is one of the best right-backs in the world and I would agree with that in terms of his play going forward but defensively he’s still lacking. Johnson has got to defend far better as in the last few internationals the opposition have found space in behind him on numerous occasions. The England manager doesn’t seem like a man who picks full-backs mainly for their attacking qualities; Italians usually prefer their defenders to be defenders first and foremost. Johnson is not that type of player at the moment.

I have seen a lot of Johnson and although he has come on leaps and bounds since his Chelsea days he is still liable to defensive lapses. It’s no coincidence that the Liverpool defence has conceded more goals since he has joined the club as their rigid backline has been exposed due to Johnson’s suspect positional sense.

The saving grace for the player is that England are not exactly overloaded in the right-back department with Gary Neville struggling to regain his past form and a place in the Manchester United team and Man City’s Micah Richards a shadow of the player that burst onto the scene a couple of years ago.

http://community.footballpools.com/blog/2009/09/08/tony-cascarino-liverpool-new-boy-johnson-is-not-one-of-best-in-world/

Whats his problem with Johnson??? Cascarino is a cunt!!!

[Tee]

Clearly GJ needs to improve the defensive side of his game and he will get no better chance than under Rafa's tutiledge. He is such a threat going forward and I would not even be surprised to see him start some games this season playing RM.

[dww]

I'm not sure it isn't a case of the teams that use Johnson having to accept a different balance in their defense in the way that teams have in the past for the likes of Roberto Carlos. Johnson is strong, quick and good in the tackle but his propensity to get forward makes it more difficult for him to be in the right position at times. It also means that the CB and defensive midfielder have to change their game positionally.

Johnson seems to get caught out trying to be a more traditional style of defender - facing up one on one with an opposing winger. He will probably improve at this as he gets more experience (obvious example of this being Ashley Cole) but at the same time I think by organising the defensive unit slightly differently you can minimise the amount of times this happens.

To me our defensive frailties have come as much from the changes in the way our CBs and Mascherano are asked to play as from any inherent weaknesses in Johnson (and Insua actually) as fullbacks. At the minute Masherano seems too often sucked too deep and wide and Lucas too often seems to come back to cover the central space in front of the back four. The problem here being twofold - no out ball in the middle and the fact that we get used to this setup and when Lucas goes into more advanced areas we aren't set up behind to defend and are vulnerable on the counter.

[The_weatherman]

I'm not sure it isn't a case of the teams that use Johnson having to accept a different balance in their defense in the way that teams have in the past for the likes of Roberto Carlos. Johnson is strong, quick and good in the tackle but his propensity to get forward makes it more difficult for him to be in the right position at times. It also means that the CB and defensive midfielder have to change their game positionally.

Johnson seems to get caught out trying to be a more traditional style of defender - facing up one on one with an opposing winger. He will probably improve at this as he gets more experience (obvious example of this being Ashley Cole) but at the same time I think by organising the defensive unit slightly differently you can minimise the amount of times this happens.

To me our defensive frailties have come as much from the changes in the way our CBs and Mascherano are asked to play as from any inherent weaknesses in Johnson (and Insua actually) as fullbacks. At the minute Masherano seems too often sucked too deep and wide and Lucas too often seems to come back to cover the central space in front of the back four. The problem here being twofold - no out ball in the middle and the fact that we get used to this setup and when Lucas goes into more advanced areas we aren't set up behind to defend and are vulnerable on the counter.

Good point, I wonder if it would be better if only Mascherano would stay deep when the fullbacks go forward, but staying in the middle leaving the CB's to cover for the fullbacks to the sides and Mascher guarding their positions. Don't know if you get me.

I think England don't have the personel right now to play this way, Hargreaves should offer protection if he gets fit.

[dww]

I agree about England not having the ideal player, although I think Barry has the intelligence to do it - the problem is that he will be asked to play a different role for his club and it is a style of play that really does improve with experience. If I was Capello I would pick someone in the U21s and get Pearce to groom them for the role medium-long term. Even if such a player weren't to become firat choice they would be a huge asset to the squad.

I agree that Mascherano should stay deep but when the ball isn't in the air then I think he needs to be central. One of the CBs should be the ones covering wide players getting in behind for me. I wonder whether actually by the end of the season we might see Lucas as the deep midfielder with Aquilani ahead of him due to Maschers lack of aerial prowess (at least in some games).

Top team should to my mind be looking to defend with three players when they are on the attack. I worry that at the minute our back line is not mobile enough in the middle. Agger could be a really key player for us in that regard if fit.

[Craig_H]

Whats his problem with Johnson??? Cascarino is a cunt!!!

Why does he have to have a 'problem' with Johnson? Why is he a cunt?

Because he sees that Johnson isnt the best defensively?

He's telling it like it is.

[red g]

Why does he have to have a 'problem' with Johnson? Why is he a cunt?

Because he sees that Johnson isnt the best defensively?

He's telling it like it is.

I have read 3 or 4 pieces from Cascarino having a dig at Johnson.....not just for his defensive lapses but for him bottling it at chelsea and basically calling him a charlatan saying he doesnt know how he managed to blag a 17million move to liverpool on the strength of 1 good season.

I think he is a cnut for the same reason Merson is.....he spouts bollocks.

[The_weatherman]

I agree about England not having the ideal player, although I think Barry has the intelligence to do it - the problem is that he will be asked to play a different role for his club and it is a style of play that really does improve with experience. If I was Capello I would pick someone in the U21s and get Pearce to groom them for the role medium-long term. Even if such a player weren't to become firat choice they would be a huge asset to the squad.

I agree that Mascherano should stay deep but when the ball isn't in the air then I think he needs to be central. One of the CBs should be the ones covering wide players getting in behind for me. I wonder whether actually by the end of the season we might see Lucas as the deep midfielder with Aquilani ahead of him due to Maschers lack of aerial prowess (at least in some games).

Top team should to my mind be looking to defend with three players when they are on the attack. I worry that at the minute our back line is not mobile enough in the middle. Agger could be a really key player for us in that regard if fit.

That's my point actually, with Mascher sitting deep in a central position he can drop into the CB slot if needed or receive the ball, requires good movement from the defenders though and awareness. Maybe Capello should look to Cattermole and groom him in the role?

[Pacman]

Why does he have to have a 'problem' with Johnson? Why is he a cunt?

Because he sees that Johnson isnt the best defensively?

He's telling it like it is.

The comment about our defence is a load of ****e though.

It's lazy and incorrect. Johnson hasn't been at fault for any defensive lapses this season for Liverpool so why spout ****e about it?

[Ben_Itez]

We seem to be discussing our defensive frailties from open play, yet to my knowledge we havent actually conceded a goal from open play this season. Perhaps we should be discussing our deficiencies at defending set plays and our lack of height instead.

[Craig_H]

I have read 3 or 4 pieces from Cascarino having a dig at Johnson.....not just for his defensive lapses but for him bottling it at chelsea and basically calling him a charlatan saying he doesnt know how he managed to blag a 17million move to liverpool on the strength of 1 good season.

I think he is a cnut for the same reason Merson is.....he spouts bollocks.

Well paste those articles and call him a cunt based on them. Because in the article you pasted, he says nothing which makes him a cunt.

Seems like any pundit who criticises any aspect of any of our players or club, is a 'cunt'.