Topic: Glen Johnson...

[-Sad Fuck-]

...is and, never will be, a right midfielder.

He's a right back, end of.

[Festy]

No...he is and always was a right midfielder. 

[downtown]

world class player.

the most under-rated in our current team

[nocturnalvin]

but why

[nicholasanthony]

And I love him just the way he is.

[olllie]

And I love the old Glen Johnson thread.. Just the way it is

[Alonso_The_Assassin]

world class player.

the most under-rated in our current team

Disagree. Very questionable defender, IMO.

[jooneyisdagod]

Disagree. Very questionable defender, IMO.

Best RB in the world according to most, Maicon just got ripped to shreds over two games by Gareth Bale.  Point is, these attacking right backs are luxury players.   And our team is just not good enough to accommodate them.  Inter are and even they occasionally have games where they can't protect their RB enough by attacking. 

However, I do agree.  He may not be world class. 

[downtown]

Disagree. Very questionable defender, IMO.

so are Maicon, Alves, and Ramos.

[Alonso_The_Assassin]

Very true, downtown. That's why I'd have Arbeloa any given day of the week.

[Discipline]

Should put him as a RM. Who knows, he could be the next Bale. One can only hope. 

[JM10]

Supporters have always wanted to turn attacking full backs into wingers, without ever fully understanding the way that players like Johnson play. Recently an interview with the great Roberto Carlos was put upon this website. In this, he criticized Roy for trying to turn him into a winger. He stated that the reason he left Inter for Real was basically Roy and his shite tactics. It worried me, and still does. If Roy can't utilize the great Roberto Carlos, what chance does Glen Johnson stand? Especially when our own supporters are trying to turn him into something he is not.

Attacking full backs enjoy having acres of space in front of them when they receive the ball, instead of immediately being one-on-one with the full back. There is a huge difference, and it allows full backs to play in a completely different style to wingers. Players like Johnson and Ashley Cole are most effective when their wingers tuck inside and occupy the fullback, leaving great space to attack and take advantage of. This also requires a pacy Dm to be able to cover them, much like Mascherano did here.

This is completely different from traditional wing play, yet many Liverpool fans still call for Johnson to occupy the RW position despite no previous experience of playing in that position, and only having Carragher as a senior alternative at RB.

It seems a bit mental really, for me we will be a much better team with GJ at right back. Hell, it might even lead to Carra being left out.

[downtown]

Very true, downtown. That's why I'd have Arbeloa any given day of the week.

Arby got his fair share of beatings too as RB. Not to mention allowing countless crosses to come and his hideous performances in LFC 4-4 Arshavin.
he is a decent player, but a top team needs an attacking fullback. Johnson is one, but we ain't a top team now so Glen looks poor playing for us.


that said, Lahm is the most balanced FB, followed by Sagna (very good defending, sometime great offensively but can't cross to save his life)

Alves still the best for me, but Glen is surely top 5

[BIGdavalad]

Being played in a system which is set up completely wrong for his style of play. He's not a fantastic defender, but he's not as bad as some people make out. If he was played in a system like Rafa began with last season where the full backs are encouraged to attack and a pacy defensive mid covers for them when they do then he's outstanding, as he was when we had a decent start to the season (a couple of disappointing defeats aside) last season.

As it is though, we're playing on the edge of our own six yard box in order to accomodate players who shouldn't really be first team regulars anymore and the defensive midfielder for much of that time has been a geriatric who couldn't outpace continental drift, never mind getting across to challenge pacy wingers.

[BIGdavalad]

Should put him as a RM. Who knows, he could be the next Bale. One can only hope. 

A good attacking full back doesn't neccessarily make a good winger. Roberto Carlos' comments about Hodgson should make that perfectly clear.

[Mad Men]

No...he is and always was a right midfielder. 

[Mad Men]

world class player.

the most under-rated in our current team

You clearly forgot the mistakes he has made at the back, his inability to focus on marking players and on ensuring he is on the right side of them when trying to cut crosses out in the box right?

[Spectre]

Have to say , I liked the lad but he's been nothing but disappointing this season. We've looked much better whenever we've played without him , doesn't matter if its Carra or Kelly.

Whether it's down to Roy's coaching/Tactics or a rapid decline in form, I have no idea. I won't be shedding many tears if he misses the next few of our games.

[LFC Jim]

I dont see much of a difference between him and Bale so you never know.

[Gee, Stevie]

I hate that so often the automatic response to an attacking right-back that gets caught out of position or is made to look bad by a winger or three is to say he should play in midfield with less defensive responsibilities.

An attacking full-back (if that's what you want to call Johnson) is there to contribute to attack.  He is also there to defend.  Other than a striker or a winger in poor defensive teams, everyone has defensive responsibilities.  In a good team everyone defends and sticks to a plan.

There are many reasons why we're playing poorly at the moment, but the fact that we sit back so deep in our own half and invite pressure means we are so far back in the pitch when we get the ball that we serioudly struggle (just looking long for an 'out' ball far too often for my liking).  The teams that make the most our of a good attacking full-back are the ones that can hold on to the ball in midfield, keep possession, keep the ball moving from one side of the pitch to the other.  We're hopeless at this this season.

Also remember that many people made definitive statements about Bale's ability and are now looking silly.  So there is a small part of me that can see Johnson tearing teams apart on the right flank like Bale has been doing this season and a bit towards the end of last season for Spurs.  But that doesn't make Johnson a midfielder.

[Alf]

Looks a different player in an England shirt to a Liverpool one.

[BazC]

A world class team would have him at right back. Portsmouth, however, used to play him as a wingers sometimes.

[Spectre]

A world class team would have him at right back. Portsmouth, however, used to play him as a wingers sometimes.

A world class team wouldn't have him at all , mate.  He is our player but let's have some objectivity here.

[liamobrien]

We play too deep for him to be effective at RB IMO. And thats becasue we lack pace at CB and in CM (Lucas, Poulsen, Kyrgiakos, Carra and Skrtel arent really going to win many races).

Another reason is that we play with no width.. sometimes you can see Cole and Maxi very close to each other but it doesnt really give Glen much hope beause we are already defending far too deep for him to get 'up there'. Kuyt doesnt really solve the problem because, for all his running, he doesnt have any pace either.

[liamobrien]

I hate that so often the automatic response to an attacking right-back that gets caught out of position or is made to look bad by a winger or three is to say he should play in midfield with less defensive responsibilities.

An attacking full-back (if that's what you want to call Johnson) is there to contribute to attack.  He is also there to defend.  Other than a striker or a winger in poor defensive teams, everyone has defensive responsibilities.  In a good team everyone defends and sticks to a plan.

There are many reasons why we're playing poorly at the moment, but the fact that we sit back so deep in our own half and invite pressure means we are so far back in the pitch when we get the ball that we serioudly struggle (just looking long for an 'out' ball far too often for my liking).  The teams that make the most our of a good attacking full-back are the ones that can hold on to the ball in midfield, keep possession, keep the ball moving from one side of the pitch to the other.  We're hopeless at this this season.

Also remember that many people made definitive statements about Bale's ability and are now looking silly.  So there is a small part of me that can see Johnson tearing teams apart on the right flank like Bale has been doing this season and a bit towards the end of last season for Spurs.  But that doesn't make Johnson a midfielder.

Is this not more of an argument against the likes of Lucas and Poulsen?? If so I agree. Decent players but thats not enough. Stevie in the centre for EVERY game is the only solution. We desperately lack class at CM which invites so many problems. When Stevie dropped to CM against Bolton and Ngog came on we moved 10 years up the pitch, held onto the ball, gave Fernando some support and scored the goal. We looked dangerous. I think if we added some width from Johnson at right mid (Cole kinda drifting left/centre) we would have found it even earier to stretch them and others.

We need to get back to basics. Pace, width and control in the right areas of the pitch.

[Spectre]

We play too deep for him to be effective at RB IMO. And thats becasue we lack pace at CB and in CM (Lucas, Poulsen, Kyrgiakos, Carra and Skrtel arent really going to win many races).

Another reason is that we play with no width.. sometimes you can see Cole and Maxi very close to each other but it doesnt really give Glen much hope beause we are already defending far too deep for him to get 'up there'. Kuyt doesnt really solve the problem because, for all his running, he doesnt have any pace either.

You cannot change the whole team to accommodate the deficiencies of one player , mate. If he cannot adjust to the new tactics(The Tactics merit a separate discussion and one we've had too often), he was not so good to begin with.

The fact that we've looked and played better without him says a lot and although the reasons for our playing better are open to debate , you cannot deny that the other two players filling him have done better than him.

[wah00ey]

world class player.

the most under-rated in our current team

Certainly not World Class defensively...

[wah00ey]

I dont see much of a difference between him and Bale so you never know.

Bale looks a yard quicker to me, particularly when in full flight.

What they do have in common is the constant playing with their hair thing...

[lamonti]

My point is right, without a hint of explanation, end of.

[downtown]

You cannot change the whole team to accommodate the deficiencies of one player , mate. If he cannot adjust to the new tactics(The Tactics merit a separate discussion and one we've had too often), he was not so good to begin with.

The fact that we've looked and played better without him says a lot and although the reasons for our playing better are open to debate , you cannot deny that the other two players filling him have done better than him.

we've looked better without him ? lol

we've looked better without Poulsen, and Skrtel-Soto at the back. Johnson ain't the reason we've looked slightly better. We missed him so badly against Everton when we had some good spell of possession in second half. We would have created more scoring opportunities with him against Blackburn.

Johnson is world class, but just been off-form. I rarely ever over-rate players, but Glen is criminally under-rated.
He is absolutely dominant when played in the right system (the system world class teams play), but since we ain't a WC team, he looks bad. Play Dani Alves in our team and he'd look as poor as Glen. He had his bad moments and his biggest issue is lack of confidence at times which cause in lack of concentration (which is an issue for a lot of top footballers too), but he is a top top player, with amazing talent and ability. He's shown it numerous times that he can dominate the right flank being a RB, beat opposition fullbacks left and right, take shots, cross the ball, make key interception some great tackling which all go unnoticed.

He just needs a goal, or a few positive results for the team to get going again.


bottom line is, Carra and Kelly ain't 1/10th of the player Johnson is when playing RB.

form is temporary, class is permanent.

[Spectre]

You cannot change the whole team to accommodate the deficiencies of one player , mate. If he cannot adjust to the new tactics(The Tactics merit a separate discussion and one we've had too often), he was not so good to begin with.

form is temporary, class is permanent.

At this moment in time , I'd take good form over 'class' which hasn't revealed itself in some time. We need points.

[downtown]

^^
Torres is finding it hard to adjust to new tactics too......yea let's sell him 


people have forgotten what an absolute monster Johnson was last year (IN A STRUGGLING TEAM) exception of 4-5 games.

3 goals, 6 assists in a struggling team despite being injured half the time.

Arbeloa in 2008-9 season. 1 goal, 2 assists in a ramping team, playing 90% of the games.


'nuff said

[Spectre]

^^
Torres is finding it hard to adjust to new tactics too......yea let's sell him 


people have forgotten what an absolute monster Johnson was last year (IN A STRUGGLING TEAM) exception of 4-5 games.

3 goals, 6 assists in a struggling team despite being injured half the time.

Arbeloa in 2008-9 season. 1 goal, 2 assists in a ramping team, playing 90% of the games.


'nuff said

Do you fucking read posts or randomly see a line or two and latch onto it like a leech?  Where did I mention that he needs to be "sold" for fucks sake???
He needs to be rested till he rediscover's his form or/and adapts to our new tactics. We simply cannot afford to 'carry' players in our team with the no of points we have.

[beardsley4ever]

I dont see much of a difference between him and Bale so you never know.

Must admit that I couldn't help but think the same thing last night.  Bale looks world-class at LW, but has been a LB all his career (as far as I know). 

[Endoe]

great player, he's not a RW, needs a better CB partner

[redjed1]

He seems to play well when the rest of the team are playing well. When the team is not playing well (i.e. this season, so far) it usually results in us defending deeper and the highlight then falls on his defensive ability.

So for GJ to play better, move the back 4 up the pitch a bit, but then the lack of pace at centreback would be exposed. A catch 22 situation? Or maybe a situation for Roy to address on the training pitch.

Either get some pace at CB, or play a more defensively inclined full back. Roy seems inclined to defend deep and hoof, whereas our more cultured players would rather play the ball out of defence and keep possession. I know which football I have been used to watching at LFC.

[Shark Sandwich]

When we initially signed Johnson I thought the prospect of the partnership he and Kuyt could form would be a match made in heaven. A very attack minded RB with doubts over his defensive capabilities and an insustrial RM who isn't scared to track back.

Bar the first few months of last season this has never really materialised.

[charlie farley]

...is and, never will be, a right midfielder.

He's a right back, end of.

Nope! He's a lot better going forward than defending.... IMHO ...... and a few thousand others 

[downtown]

Nope! He's a lot better going forward than defending.... IMHO ...... and a few thousand others 

again, so are Maicon, Alves, and Ramos and RC.

yet, surprisingly, they all play as Fullbacks 

[charlie farley]

again, so are Maicon, Alves, and Ramos and RC.

yet, surprisingly, they all play as Fullbacks 

Lol
But they have a bit more in their "defensive locker" than our Glen.... I would just like to see him further up the pitch, with cover in behind him. Equals less grey hairs and longer finger nails