Liverpool FC Forum

[Leonmc0708]

I think it would make a MAJOR improvement to our ability going forward and breaking teams down, his movement is positive and clever and he is decent on the ball as well.
I would sacrifice some of the defensive stability for more offensive purpose personally.

MAjor ?

not nit picking but please quantify this for me. You reckon it would lead to five more goals ? Ten more goals or just better attacking play.

As far as I can see, going forward we are spot on.

City game the other day, it was defending that let us down. In fact two of the four we conceded this season where against City. A stronger right back (in Arbeloas position) maybe would have put the ball in row Z. A better wall would have prevented that free kick (or at least made it not so fuc.king easy for the lad to score !!).

If it aint broken, then dont fix it.

If you where telling me Dani Alves was the person to replace Arbeloa then I would listen to you, but Johnsen is no Dani Alves.

Another thing to consider, would he get into any other top four (hate that expression) side ?

Major meaning he would give us an overall far bigger threat and give Kuyt or whoever is wide right and outlet, Arbeloa doesnt do that often enough.
Its difficult to say how many goals it could create. Its more the effect it would have on the opposing team, its far easier to stop a team if the full backs are static and when the wide players get the ball there is no overlap, even if its ignored it puts the opposing full back in a very awkward position as more often than that the other teams midfielder has not tracked our full back.
I know you know all this by the way, and am genuinely surprised you dismiss more effective attacking full backs can have.
I think Johnson is better than Wes Brown personally who has been uniteds right back all season and no worse than Sagna either. Bosingwa he isnt.

I think you are basing alot of your opinion on him when he was at Chelsea.
Agreed he is still prone to getting caught out defensively but with our team we work that hard off the ball if we lose it i really think you could give him some freedom and we would benefit more attacking wise than the amount it would destabilise the defence.

According to Leon any player outside the top four clubs isn't worth talking about. You're wasting your time, you might aswell just agree that we'll conceed more goals and he'll offer us nothing going forward because Arbeloa is a great right back.

God forbid me to question you Stu, oh Holy Lord and All Powerful and Ever Seeing Masterful Player Rater, but I dont know if you had noticed, but as a rule the best players in this country play for the best teams, and the best teams are the top four.

Berbatov, KEane, Walcott, Ramsey, Joe Cole, Lampard, Ferdinand, Bridge, Rooney, Carrick, Tevez, Mascherano, Benayoun, Pennant, Finnan.

All the aove where signed by the big four from outside the big four, admitidly some more of a success than others.

[Bam]

Holy Lord and All Powerful and Ever Seeing Masterful Player Rater,

[GYBS]

Holy Lord and All Powerful and Ever Seeing Masterful Player Rater,

[Igor Zidane]

Quote Leon.

If it aint broken, then dont fix it.

I agree with that. Its funny how many of the 'anti-rotationalist's' carry on about keeping by and large an inform side, and telling Rafa to keep it that way rather than changing things around when there isnt the need to.

But now my commrades, well certainly some of them (anti-rotationalist's) are telling us that now we need new fullbacks. Okay there may come a time, January the most likely when Rafa may look at bringing in a new fullback. As it stands he cannot do this now, and can only go with the players he's got, but its not a situation thats causing alarm bells to ring. Certainly both fullbacks may seem weaker than any other position, but as Stu keeps on harping about to me ... "its a team game". At the moment those fullbacks, well certainly Arbeola is part of a team and a defensive unit that is doing rather well. It doesnt need urgently fixing because it isnt broken.

In saying that though, I seem to go against the grain of general opinion around here. Where I think Arbeloa is less defensively a liabilty than Aurelio and possibly Dossena. Arbeloa is doing a decent enough job there from where I'm sitting albeit 11,000 miles away. But never the less he isnt exposed as this weak link in the defence as some have suggested. IMO I'd say Aurelio is more prone to that, and he did have a shocker against Citeh IMO.

I think Rafa is finding LB more of problem than the RB, even though he may not have the options at RB as oppossed to LB to choose between. But if Arbeola was that bad in his opinion and was such a glaringly obvious liability Rafa at he worste could shuvCarra out there with either two of Hyypia, Agger and Skertel in the middle. But Rafa hasnt had to resort to this, which must tell you that he's pretty satisfied with Arbeloa as of which so am I.

At LB Rafa seems to go from one game to the next in either playing Dossena or Aurelio, I dont think he knows yet of which of the two should hold down the place. Its a dodgey position that possibly does run the risk of being 'broken'. And I'd suggest in playing Dossena in the home games at Anfield, against the likes of Wigan as IMO het gets forward more and looks much better at this, he does impose himself down that left flank, although some of his crosses have tended to hit row Z in the stands. If he can settle in, I'm hoping defensively he'll look better than Aurelio.

All in all, Arbeloa, Dossena even Aurelio are playing a part in a team thats on form and doing well, unbeaten this season. Why change that if its working ?

Agree 100% with that BM , the last thing we want now is to upset the apple cart. All sides have weaknesses and strengths ,even league winning sides . It's the team as a whole that counts and how it gels.

If it's a glaring problem by jan ,then we can possibly fix it then ,but until then there's no problem .

[stmichael]

Agree with Stu about Johnson, he was poor at Chelsea and defensively he still isnt the best but going forward he is a world apart from anything we have. His goal at Everton proved that when he showed superb movement in the final third.
He is decent in the air quick, strong and can beat a man at times.
Harry would probably ask a fortune if we enquired but he would be a top signing imo.

We need a defender at right back if we are going to employ Torres, Gerrard, KEane, Riera and Kuyt in that fluid front five. not a defensive liability, which is what Johnson is.

ITs great saying the defender does the attacking well, or scores goals but if he cant defend then whats the fuc.king point ?

Well Rafa wont always play that front five mate, he proved that against city away last weekend and will again quite alot i would guess.
Johnson can be a poor defender and would get exposed at times, but i wouldnt go as far as saying he is a liability.
Also he would get plenty of protection and cover from Kuyt who is the player that would likely be ahead of him.
An add onto that is the way we play, i am sure the way we press teams and the fact that we often have two holding players he would get even further cover if he were to get caught out of position.

It'll be interesting to see who plays left side against Chelsea in a couple of weeks. I say that because Bosingwa basically plays as a right winger every game. Whoever plays left back will be left seriously exposed if Riera plays as he's not going to track back or do any defending, same with Babel.

[Bam]

Riera plays as he's not going to track back or do any defending

I reckon Mike he did his fair share of tracking back against 'Citeh' some of it succesful some not, he conceded the free kick which lead to their goal.

[Redman in wales]

Agree with Stu about Johnson, he was poor at Chelsea and defensively he still isnt the best but going forward he is a world apart from anything we have. His goal at Everton proved that when he showed superb movement in the final third.
He is decent in the air quick, strong and can beat a man at times.
Harry would probably ask a fortune if we enquired but he would be a top signing imo.

We need a defender at right back if we are going to employ Torres, Gerrard, KEane, Riera and Kuyt in that fluid front five. not a defensive liability, which is what Johnson is.

ITs great saying the defender does the attacking well, or scores goals but if he cant defend then whats the fuc.king point ?

Well Rafa wont always play that front five mate, he proved that against city away last weekend and will again quite alot i would guess.
Johnson can be a poor defender and would get exposed at times, but i wouldnt go as far as saying he is a liability.
Also he would get plenty of protection and cover from Kuyt who is the player that would likely be ahead of him.
An add onto that is the way we play, i am sure the way we press teams and the fact that we often have two holding players he would get even further cover if he were to get caught out of position.

This season:

Team A Goals Conceded : 4

Team B Goals Conceded : 16

Guess which one Arbeloa plays for and which one Johnson plays for.

you really cant use argument.


Team C goals conceded : 12

Team D goals conceded : 6


Which team does Micah Richards play for and which one does Titus Bramble play for?

[stmichael]

Riera plays as he's not going to track back or do any defending

I reckon Mike he did his fair share of tracking back against 'Citeh' some of it succesful some not, he conceded the free kick which lead to their goal.

which is exactly why he shouldn't be defending.

[woof woof !]

It'll be interesting to see who plays left side against Chelsea in a couple of weeks. I say that because Bosingwa basically plays as a right winger every game. Whoever plays left back will be left seriously exposed if Riera plays as he's not going to track back or do any defending, same with Babel.

Possibly Dossena at LB and Aurelio at LM ?

[Owzat]

Riera plays as he's not going to track back or do any defending

I reckon Mike he did his fair share of tracking back against 'Citeh' some of it succesful some not, he conceded the free kick which lead to their goal.

which is exactly why he shouldn't be defending.

No finer example than Rooney vs Russia. fat frank has blamed himself and Gerrard, the goalkeeping gaffes and poor defending are what cost England, not fat frank and Stevie G. How were FF and SG involved in the back pass error by GN and Robinson? How were they involved in Rooney fouling the Russian and conceding a penalty? How were they involved in Carson's blunder for the Croatian goal in the final game?

[europian-kings]

It'll be interesting to see who plays left side against Chelsea in a couple of weeks. I say that because Bosingwa basically plays as a right winger every game. Whoever plays left back will be left seriously exposed if Riera plays as he's not going to track back or do any defending, same with Babel.

Possibly Dossena at LB and Aurelio at LM ?

play mad mash left centre mid 
he'd sort him out 

[stmichael]

i see dossena started for italy again.

[GYBS]

kept another clean sheet as well.

[Toffeehater]

How did he do ?

I like Dossena , i just think he needs time to adapt and get used to the premier league , he has shown good ability going forward as well and can pick out his man , Pin point cross to torres during the everton game which he scored only to be disallowed , wasn't a easy cross that and twice or 3 times this season the opposition keeper have had to push his crosses over the bar . Not easy coming from a slow pace league like italy and playing in such a fast one like the prem league .

[Jimmy the Weasel]

Riera plays as he's not going to track back or do any defending

I reckon Mike he did his fair share of tracking back against 'Citeh' some of it succesful some not, he conceded the free kick which lead to their goal.

He started well, tracking his man - but all too often as the half progressed he left Aurelio very exposed.

Both goals came from their right hand side, and I observed at the time that Riera, whilst providing our most likely option in attack, simply wasn't pulling his weight in terms of helping his full-back out.