john craig wrote:bigmick wrote:Whenever you go in and pay big money for a player who is largely unproven, it is by defintition a gamble. My "17 million" was really just to stir the waters up a bit, and to emphasise that I really think this kid has something. Obviously I'd rather get him for 10 or 12, but if Spurs are looking then we may have to go higher, and if we want him I think he has a chance of being worth it.
The two things to consider are firstly do we want him, and secondly is he worth what is being asked?
On the first question I really like Arbeloa. I do tend to like the solid pro's who do a job for you every week, I even like Kuyt in truth it's more those who try and stifle any sensible debate him from a football sense who do my head in. Arby is a solid a pro as you could get, and he is a good player too. Do we desperately need to replace him? No. Are there other spots in the team in more urgent need of surgery? Yes. So why then?
Well (little sigh here because I know which way this is going to go), because we play Dirk on the right side of midfield, and because that has a huge impact upon the flow of the team, the cohesion, the rhythm etc etc, we probably do need a footballing full back who can compensate. Arby would be peachy playing behind Ronaldo, but behind Kuyt there is a sense that we are effectively lending the bus parkers the keys to the wheel clamps which they have stationed down the right side. Kuyt is obviously going to play for the forseeable, so perhaps something has to give and unfortunately, it may be Arby.
Now Johnson, what are you paying top dollar for? Well I was talking aboutn Insua a few days back and said that I doubted he had the tools to become an absolute World beater, and that I felt he was more likely to be a solid full back. What I meant by that is that he hasn't shown me so far that he's likely to a Danny Alves, a Patrice Evra or a Martin Skyrtel (just kidding). He's doesn't look massively pacey or tricky, obviously isn't going to arrive back post and head it in, nor does he have the cultured implement of an Aurelio. Good solid little player he is though.
In the case of Johnson though, although he is unproven on the biggest stages, he has all the clubs in the bag. He has pace, power, skill, can shoot and is decent in the air. Clearly going forward he has enough going for him to cause absolutely anybody a problem, whilst he is easily a good enough athlete to be able to bmb up and down the line all day long. He has a triack, knocks a great ball in and looks to me to be making that transition from being a boy into a man. By that, I mean that when it kickjs off he is big enough and daft enough to be in there dragging players apart, and hard enough to say to their hard ones "fecking behave yourself". Think the transition for Rio Ferdinand from gangly centre half who was prone to mistakes, into a proiper big fella who can handle himself as he is now. It happens for fellas in their mid twenties, and Johnson looks to me like he has matured both as a footballer and a person.
I think in a good team (of which we are one) he will score goals. I think he will make goals, cause goals, win matches. I think against the bus parkers, when it's locked up at 1-0 he's good enough to occasionally kick the doors in and get you the three points, a little like Evra does for Man UItd occasionally. He'll get beyond the play, he'll link it up, and he'll make Kuyts contribution more than the sum of it's parts.
Defensively he's good enough. His pace and power gets him out of most tight spots, and he's decent in the air. People saying he's worth 8 million and the like are dreaming I think. We paid 7 million for Dossena, who while being a bad example because he's really not very good, was supposed to be an attacking fullback. Well comparing Dossena even if he was very good to Glen Johnson is like comparing a Spitfire to an F16. If we want him we'll have to pay big money for him, and my gues sis that whoever does is taking a gamble, but one which may pay off big style.
A lot of decent points Mick. But can he defend?
For my money he can't, and worryingly has mistakes in him. Do you think even 10-12 million is reasonable for a full back who is suspect at defending??
Good points both of you and i'd agree with most of it. great going forward, has definitely developed physically and could do a real job for us at home against the likes of Wigan, Hull, Bolton etc. Can he defend? Has he improved this aspect enough to play for a big club again? Hard to say and I don't think we'd get the answer until he arrived and played a few big games at the club.
The problem I would have with signing him is the timing, he's just signed a new contract, Pompey have a new owner with a big wallet and he's just had the best season of is career (Robbie Keane anyone?). Add all that up and you've got one hell of a transfer fee and then he looks a bit of a gamble. My feeling is we'd have to pay £13-15 million to get him. 12 months ago it would have been £5-6 million. We do it every year.
Not saying i wouldn't want him, I think he'd be a good signing, I watched a couple of games at Fratton this year and he looked very good (as did the young lad El Hadj on the left) but you can bet the club will have their pants pulled down to get him.
by 