Liverpool FC Forum

Big Niall wrote:

haps wrote:What's wrong with this lad?  He's playing utter rubbish all season.  Total, utter rubbish.  £17m for him.  £20+ for Aqualani (remember him?), Keane, Meirelles, the list of big money flops goes on.  We got stitched on Johnson.  One good season with Portsmouth and we splashed out a fortune for a guy who can't defend.  I was totally fooled - thought we'd had a good one come in.  F**k me, I was wrong.

You should have listened to me. I said it was a krap purchase at the time and got slaughtered here for saying it. Sadly,  I am proved right again.

He cost us another goal today.

The owners are "insert swear word" but they gave 38m to the last guy to squander and now Roy is stuck with a squad of chumps (plus acqua in Italy)

bavlondon wrote:Yes I am. I think going forward he is one of the best in England, maybe Europe. You all know in the right system he creates plenty of chances. OK he isn't as good getting back but the rest of the defence is worse imo. Carra is getting on and Roy has managed to alienate probably our most promising CB - Agger, someone who Milan were after not so long ago. Instead he persits with Skrtel who really didn't cost much - 6Mil?

He never replaced Insua properly, so the defence is a bit weak already.

But the main reason Johnson is more exposed this season is because we have lost that grit in the centre of midfield. Lucas isn't the most reliable and his decision making at times when going in for tackles leaves much to be desired but at least when we had Mascherano playing we could breath slightly easier as we knew he wasn't afraid to get stuck in. So out goes Mascherano and in comes Poulsen who isn't a 1/4 of the player Mascherano is imo.

Combined with Lucas you have a much more exposed defence. That's why Johnson looks worse this season. I'm happy we bought him because I know once we get a new owner we will be able to get better players, and probably a new manager who will play the players we have to their strengths.

Big Niall wrote:

bavlondon wrote:Yes I am. I think going forward he is one of the best in England, maybe Europe. You all know in the right system he creates plenty of chances. OK he isn't as good getting back but the rest of the defence is worse imo. Carra is getting on and Roy has managed to alienate probably our most promising CB - Agger, someone who Milan were after not so long ago. Instead he persits with Skrtel who really didn't cost much - 6Mil?

He never replaced Insua properly, so the defence is a bit weak already.

But the main reason Johnson is more exposed this season is because we have lost that grit in the centre of midfield. Lucas isn't the most reliable and his decision making at times when going in for tackles leaves much to be desired but at least when we had Mascherano playing we could breath slightly easier as we knew he wasn't afraid to get stuck in. So out goes Mascherano and in comes Poulsen who isn't a 1/4 of the player Mascherano is imo.

Combined with Lucas you have a much more exposed defence. That's why Johnson looks worse this season. I'm happy we bought him because I know once we get a new owner we will be able to get better players, and probably a new manager who will play the players we have to their strengths.

Shouldn't a full back be able to defend?

Ashley Cole is good going forward but he can defend too.

I think he is uselss defensively and will cost us many goals.

bavlondon wrote:

Big Niall wrote:

bavlondon wrote:Yes I am. I think going forward he is one of the best in England, maybe Europe. You all know in the right system he creates plenty of chances. OK he isn't as good getting back but the rest of the defence is worse imo. Carra is getting on and Roy has managed to alienate probably our most promising CB - Agger, someone who Milan were after not so long ago. Instead he persits with Skrtel who really didn't cost much - 6Mil?

He never replaced Insua properly, so the defence is a bit weak already.

But the main reason Johnson is more exposed this season is because we have lost that grit in the centre of midfield. Lucas isn't the most reliable and his decision making at times when going in for tackles leaves much to be desired but at least when we had Mascherano playing we could breath slightly easier as we knew he wasn't afraid to get stuck in. So out goes Mascherano and in comes Poulsen who isn't a 1/4 of the player Mascherano is imo.

Combined with Lucas you have a much more exposed defence. That's why Johnson looks worse this season. I'm happy we bought him because I know once we get a new owner we will be able to get better players, and probably a new manager who will play the players we have to their strengths.

Shouldn't a full back be able to defend?

Ashley Cole is good going forward but he can defend too.

I think he is uselss defensively and will cost us many goals.

Whilst a players individual qualities are important, in a team 1 is only as good as the players he plays with. He isn't playing with enough quality players around him ie in defence and centre midfield.

Not to mention we don't press any more like we used to.

jacdaniel wrote:

Big Niall wrote:Anyone still happy that we spent so much of our budget on this guy?

Johnson is quite useless but its the current tactics that are making him look worse than he already is.

When Kuyt played RM he used to track back as well as get forward.  Now we don't play a RM at all.  We play Meirles as a RCM and Joe Cole as a LCM and neither offer the LB or RB any cover. 

The RB and LB are also expected to get forward and are our only attacking outlet on the flanks.

Solution?  Play wide players.

Big Niall wrote:

bavlondon wrote:

Big Niall wrote:

bavlondon wrote:Yes I am. I think going forward he is one of the best in England, maybe Europe. You all know in the right system he creates plenty of chances. OK he isn't as good getting back but the rest of the defence is worse imo. Carra is getting on and Roy has managed to alienate probably our most promising CB - Agger, someone who Milan were after not so long ago. Instead he persits with Skrtel who really didn't cost much - 6Mil?

He never replaced Insua properly, so the defence is a bit weak already.

But the main reason Johnson is more exposed this season is because we have lost that grit in the centre of midfield. Lucas isn't the most reliable and his decision making at times when going in for tackles leaves much to be desired but at least when we had Mascherano playing we could breath slightly easier as we knew he wasn't afraid to get stuck in. So out goes Mascherano and in comes Poulsen who isn't a 1/4 of the player Mascherano is imo.

Combined with Lucas you have a much more exposed defence. That's why Johnson looks worse this season. I'm happy we bought him because I know once we get a new owner we will be able to get better players, and probably a new manager who will play the players we have to their strengths.

Shouldn't a full back be able to defend?

Ashley Cole is good going forward but he can defend too.

I think he is uselss defensively and will cost us many goals.

Whilst a players individual qualities are important, in a team 1 is only as good as the players he plays with. He isn't playing with enough quality players around him ie in defence and centre midfield.

Not to mention we don't press any more like we used to.

I agree that defending a team work ethic, however - how does that explain Johnson not knowing where to stand for a cross? or explain the penalty he gave away? or his other mistakes?

So he isn't allowed to make mistakes? So Carra has never made a mistake in defence? Or Gerrard has never made a pass or missed a penalty?

Everyone makes mistakes and when confidence is low you tend to make more as you are that much more nervous of up. You lose confidence in yourself as well as in your team mates and mistakes start to creep in.

Sorry but it should be up to Roy to fix that now, in fact that was what he was brought in for - to 'restore moral in the players' and 'steady the ship'.