Glen Johnson

[Exiled_red]

One of the problems with having attacking fullbacks is that they will get caught out of position, last season he did well but he had Lucas and Mascherano in particular to cover for him. Poulsen isn't good enough or intelligent enough to do what Mascherano did and help out the defence, by holding up play until men get back. The game just generally seems to pass Poulsen by. I think that replacing Mascherano with Poulsen has seen our defence suffer.

[danperkins]

I don't see how Johnson is fantastic at attacking at all. Anyone can get the ball and run up and down the line. But his distribution is utterly pathetic. Poor skills with his distribution and terrible awareness and decision making with the ball.

He can be but sadly apart from first 6 games at LFC he hasn't shown that, it is the best facet of his game.

[Rudo]

I don't see how Johnson is fantastic at attacking at all. Anyone can get the ball and run up and down the line. But his distribution is utterly pathetic. Poor skills with his distribution and terrible awareness and decision making with the ball.

No end product.

He's crap.

[DannyMan2006]

One of the problems with having attacking fullbacks is that they will get caught out of position, last season he did well but he had Lucas and Mascherano in particular to cover for him. Poulsen isn't good enough or intelligent enough to do what Mascherano did and help out the defence, by holding up play until men get back. The game just generally seems to pass Poulsen by. I think that replacing Mascherano with Poulsen has seen our defence suffer.

Great point.

[Rich]

How much of that difference is down to Roy though? Clearly not playing Agger is an active choice for example. He is trying to restrict Reina from playing as a sweeper - further exposing the likes of Carragher and Kyrgiakos who are not especially fast.

Glen Johnson is not a particularly good defender but he has some strong aspects to his game which might come to the fore in a better organised and balanced unit.

That's one of the worst aspects of all this. Not playing a high line with Reina sweeping up. Criminal.

[Mattshark]

With Carra a year younger, Agger is better form, Masch protecting the backline & Reina being simple outstanding.

Mate this crusade that Glen Johnson is a good defender has got to stop.

Yes, it was that simple,

[vlahka]

He's poor in all aspects. His defending is not that good, players constantly get passed him. His crossing is pretty bad to be honest. Over hits often. I'm not really sure what he's really good at. I can make a list of what he's bad at though.

[danperkins]

How much of that difference is down to Roy though? Clearly not playing Agger is an active choice for example. He is trying to restrict Reina from playing as a sweeper - further exposing the likes of Carragher and Kyrgiakos who are not especially fast.

Glen Johnson is not a particularly good defender but he has some strong aspects to his game which might come to the fore in a better organised and balanced unit.

Unfortunately for Roy everything is down to him as he is the manager of LFC and he is responsible for getting the best out of the players under him. Harsh truth, i said the same thing about Rafa last season and same applies to Roy.

Roy is trying to change things to the way he wants them, the danger in that is that players are use to playing a certain way and it can unsettle things, clearly it has. Carra is lagging for sure but still a great organiser, Agger hasn't played well in a long time but the fact he has been overlooked for Skrtel is insane. Johnson is just plainly, a **** defender. He has other attributes for sure but defending is not one of them, its positional sense that kills him.

At the end of the day, even if the players are hugely underperforming and are embarrassing themselves and the club, Roy is the man in charge and he must takes the brunt of the criticism, no excuses.

[GraciousGooner]

Didn't Benitez buy him? And don't you all love Benitez?

[Daniel 7]

Didn't Benitez buy him? And don't you all love Benitez?

**** off. Now's not the time.

[Shaggy]

Didn't Benitez buy him? And don't you all love Benitez?

Didn't Wenger buy Fabianski? And don't you all love Wenger?

[Kronenburg1892]

Didn't Benitez buy him? And don't you all love Benitez?

I don't think Johnson is crap, but I don't think he's a right back either.

Yes Rafa did buy him, but you also have to remember that Portsmouth owed us a crap load from buying Crouch. Not sure I would have payed £19m for him, but then I'm not sure how the payments were structured as to what the real price was.

[Mark79]

I was going to say Francis Jeffers!

[GraciousGooner]

Didn't Wenger buy Fabianski? And don't you all love Wenger?

Wenger's still with us. I wouldn't have a go at a new manager and the player when Wenger leaves and the new gaffer has to field him.

Big error from Rafa, but then there's a long list of those in the transfer list.

I think you'll be top 6 come December.

[Daniel 7]

The issue is more with the new role Johnson has had to develop to fit in with Hodgson's vision. Its concentrating more defensively, which isn't his strength. He was allowed more license to get forward with Rafa, and looked a better player for it.