Liverpool FC Forum

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

Your criticism of Johnson is way over the top.

[ethanr]

Your criticism of Johnson is way over the top.

I disagree 

He's always been a bit of a liability at fullback, and he seemed to get worse this year. He's supposed to offer his attacking ability, that's where his value is (which is why so many called for him to be pushed forward in the past). I'm not one to base too much on attacking stats for a defender, but he has twice as many assists as Cissokho in twice as many games (Aly did not start many of the games he played in). Enrique has the same amount of assists as him, and he only played in 8 games. He's our only defender that played somewhat consistently, and didn't score a goal (other than Toure and Aly, if you call that consistent).

I know we shouldn't just be looking at attacking stats, but he is supposed to be an attacking fullback, and yet he offers nothing going forward. We have also been the worst defensively in a very long time.

What it comes down to is he fails to get back efficiently, and it seems that 9 times out of 10, he dribbles until he loses the ball, or aims a completely useless ball into the box (which is not our strong suit considering our forward line is full of short Suarez and Sterling, and average sized Sturridge), not to mention we couldn't get the guy to even look like he cared to play for Liverpool until midway through the season.

Is it harsh? Yes absolutely, but I feel it's fair. He's been one of my favorite Liverpool players for a while now, and I've always watched him closely. I just didn't see anything to be happy about this year coming from him.

[Kenny Kan]

I've always been a fan of Johnson and couldn't believe the amount of criticism he got from fellow Reds. I have to say though he has been pretty ordinary more often than not over the course of season - with a sprinkling of good games here and there. But just lately (I don't know if it's the injury or what) but he looks more lethargic and short on pace as well. I don't know if getting rid of him is the right thing because he's always had ability but perhaps time has caught up with him, keeping him as a squad member raking in at 100,000 pounds a week is hardly what I'd call FSG policy. A decision Rodgers has to ponder in the summer.

We also need a new LB, Flanagan has done okay/well but isn't consistent enough and is the most dribbled past fullback in the league. Against Newcastle Sunday, he stunk the joint out with an awful display I think that's why he was hauled off - Johnson on the other didn't fair much better.

RB & LB need serious consideration this summer.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

I've always been a fan of Johnson and couldn't believe the amount of criticism he got from fellow Reds. I have to say though he has been pretty ordinary more often than not over the course of season - with a sprinkling of good games here and there. But just lately (I don't know if it's the injury or what) but he looks more lethargic and short on pace as well. I don't know if getting rid of him is the right thing because he's always had ability but perhaps time has caught up with him, keeping him as a squad member raking in at 100,000 pounds a week is hardly what I'd call FSG policy. A decision Rodgers has to ponder in the summer.

We also need a new LB, Flanagan has done okay/well but isn't consistent enough and is the most dribbled past fullback in the league. Against Newcastle Sunday, he stunk the joint out with an awful display I think that's why he was hauled off - Johnson on the other didn't fair much better.

RB & LB need serious consideration this summer.

Johnson started the season off well but then got injured against United at home (he was having a great game and got injured crashing into a last ditch tackle at the edge of our box, he went off to a standing ovation).
he was out for a good while and we missed him.
When he returned he was poor but Rodgers revealed that Johnson was playing through injury for the good of the team (so Brendan didn't have to pick Cissokho)
Johnson hasn't been great for large parts of this season but he's not the only one and at least he has the excuse of playing injured.
I think what galls me the most is when Johnson does okay but you get posters on here saying that was the worst performance they've ever seen in their lives etc.
Given his age, contract situation and wages it probably is the right time for him to move on but some of the criticism he receives is way over the top.

[wrighty (not mark!)]

Ok, so Glen Johnson hasn't had the best of seasons. As mentioned, he was playing through injury for the majority of it which tells me that his commitment is still there. For someone to say that he offers nothing going forward I find hard to believe. He's great on the ball but, yes, he does hold on to it for too long at times. Is that because nobody is making themselves available for the pass though?

What does my head in and this isn't just with regards to Johnson, is when someone influential on the boards or in the media lambast a player, the lesser knowledgeable fans will jump on the bandwagon to make themselves appear more esteemed.

This is the third time now in the premier league era where we have finished second. The prior two occasions, we completely bolloxed it up with the decisions made at board level and in the transfer market. Getting rid of players whom now have the invaluable experience of a title run in as well as european football is not how you build upon something. Keep Johnson, keep Lucas and those in the first team. At best, put some on the bench to strengthen it, but that's it'

Of course, just my opinion!

[damjan193]

I don't think that the criticism is over the top at all. Johnson has been horrible. When he tries to get past a player he slips, when he tries to pass it's the wrong one, and when he gets it wrong he doesn't track back and he's a f*cking fullback! He's a major reason why our defense has been so exposed. His age says that he won't be getting better and he doesn't deserve the wage that he's getting. Time to move on.

Don't think that there's a need for a new LB though, we still have Enrique and we have Flanagan as second choice. We just need a RB and maybe a CB.

[only me]

I don't think that the criticism is over the top at all. Johnson has been horrible. When he tries to get past a player he slips, when he tries to pass it's the wrong one, and when he gets it wrong he doesn't track back and he's a f*cking fullback! He's a major reason why our defense has been so exposed. His age says that he won't be getting better and he doesn't deserve the wage that he's getting. Time to move on.

Don't think that there's a need for a new LB though, we still have Enrique and we have Flanagan as second choice. We just need a RB and maybe a CB.

Glen has been terrible for years now ,he just managed to deceit everyone with an odd goal here and their ,can't understand why would people still stick to the lad.

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

Ok, so Glen Johnson hasn't had the best of seasons. As mentioned, he was playing through injury for the majority of it which tells me that his commitment is still there. For someone to say that he offers nothing going forward I find hard to believe. He's great on the ball but, yes, he does hold on to it for too long at times. Is that because nobody is making themselves available for the pass though?

What does my head in and this isn't just with regards to Johnson, is when someone influential on the boards or in the media lambast a player, the lesser knowledgeable fans will jump on the bandwagon to make themselves appear more esteemed.

This is the third time now in the premier league era where we have finished second. The prior two occasions, we completely bolloxed it up with the decisions made at board level and in the transfer market. Getting rid of players whom now have the invaluable experience of a title run in as well as european football is not how you build upon something. Keep Johnson, keep Lucas and those in the first team. At best, put some on the bench to strengthen it, but that's it'

Of course, just my opinion!

Every single run up field he makes provides the option to opt for a pass to either Suarez  ,Sturridge ,Sterling or even Coutinho ,and yet he invariably
panics and runs aimlessly into the oppositions defence losing the ball in the most contemptible and weak arsed manner imaginable.

Johnson is also beaten on the flank (when he's actually there, and not ambling back from another failed excursion up the pitch ) that he's supposedly providing
cover for with ridiculous ease by players who fail to make wikipedia let alone the regular squad.....In summation, he is possibly the biggest blot on our evolving
defence garnering any respect or indeed a modicum of cohesion whatsoever, and he leaves a hole in our back four wider than Danielle Lloyd.

Johnson is, for the most part , idle and disinterested ,and how he's made the England squad is a complete mystery which could only have involved a throw
cushion and fellatio.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

This stat was in today's Daily mirror -
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was in the team - 72.4%
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was out through injury - 55.6%

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

This stat was in today's Daily mirror -
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was in the team - 72.4%
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was out through injury - 55.6%

f*ck all to do with coincidence then ? More to do with the players ability to totally and irrefutably ( according to the mirror ) transform a
game with a swish of his magic boots. I'm so glad he's around to carry our dreams ,and not all fans like myself seemingly  judge a player
on what they see in terms of effort on the pitch...... rather the weight afforded by the stats.

Your an intelligent poster mate ,but you do yourself a disservice with your support of the player in question.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

This stat was in today's Daily mirror -
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was in the team - 72.4%
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was out through injury - 55.6%

f*ck all to do with coincidence then ? More to do with the players ability to totally and irrefutably ( according to the mirror ) transform a
game with a swish of his magic boots. I'm so glad he's around to carry our dreams ,and not all fans like myself seemingly  judge a player
on what they see in terms of effort on the pitch...... rather the weight afforded by the stats.

Your an intelligent poster mate ,but you do yourself a disservice with your support of the player in question.

I'm not saying he's had a good season mate, I'm just saying some of the vitriolic criticism of him is unwarranted, some people are saying he's the worst player ever to play for us and ridiculous shyte like that.
Is he honestly worse than Sean Dundee or Ivan Kozma?
He's been poor, but plenty of other players have had prolonged dips in form this season too and many of them weren't carrying a knock like Johnson.

[Stu the Red]

This stat was in today's Daily mirror -
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was in the team - 72.4%
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was out through injury - 55.6%

f*ck all to do with coincidence then ? More to do with the players ability to totally and irrefutably ( according to the mirror ) transform a
game with a swish of his magic boots. I'm so glad he's around to carry our dreams ,and not all fans like myself seemingly  judge a player
on what they see in terms of effort on the pitch...... rather the weight afforded by the stats.

Your an intelligent poster mate ,but you do yourself a disservice with your support of the player in question.

I'm not saying he's had a good season mate, I'm just saying some of the vitriolic criticism of him is unwarranted, some people are saying he's the worst player ever to play for us and ridiculous shyte like that.
Is he honestly worse than Sean Dundee or Ivan Kozma?
He's been poor, but plenty of other players have had prolonged dips in form this season too and many of them weren't carrying a knock like Johnson.

Sean Dundee and Kozma were not regulars for three years on £100,000 a week. Johnson has only ever had a decent amount of pace as an attribute. Nothing else. He's never set up goals or consistently scored goals and his use of the ball is absolutely criminal at best. He often slows attacks down and plays nothing passes time and time again and never learns from his mistakes, then has the all out cheek to call other people clueless who question some of the worst performances we've ever seen from a Liverpool full back.

The pace he once had is lost, he can't stop a cross, he can't tackle, pass and his control of a ball at times is embarrassing for a pro footballer.

To be quite honest, the sooner he's gone the better, Flannagan for me is not a great player, however, I'd take him over Johnson every day of the week as for me, Glenn is at best a disgrace.

[ycsatbjywtbiastkamb]

I'm sorry Stu but the criticism the likes of 'only me' gives him is over the top.
He hasn't had a good season but he's nowhere near as bad as people are making out.

[only me]

I'm sorry Stu but the criticism the likes of 'only me' gives him is over the top.
He hasn't had a good season but he's nowhere near as bad as people are making out.

Put my semantic aside ,Johnson had much more then ONE bad season ,his performance was never the minimum quality we expect (I expect) a starting RB for LFC. He was inconsistent from the first minute and it just got worse. I can understand why he captures people imagination ,as he is fast ,can dribble and shoot the ball ,but reality is stronger then any hope. He was poor for many years and many games.

[maypaxvobiscum]

This stat was in today's Daily mirror -
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was in the team - 72.4%
Our win percentage this season when Johnson was out through injury - 55.6%

Did they mention who the opponents were and what competition was it in? Did they mention who else was injured when Johnson was out?