Reina, Johnson, Gerrard

[Gary25]

Reina - don't really see what he did wrong today?

Gerrard - in the first half. he was strolling around like a player who had just run his arse off for England on Wednesday. In the 2nd half, when we were losing, he started to play well and looking like he cared again.

Johnson - I actually agree that he's a poor defender NOW. But we're not really asking him to defend much in our new system. The little he does, one on ones inparticular, he doesn't do well anymore. He exposed on Wednesday for England and exposed today a few times. Compared to a player like Ashley Cole who provides a similar threat going forward but also seems to take pride in his defence work and not getting beaten like a dope, Johnson looks half-arsed when it comes to defending, like it's something someone else should be doing. It's a strange one, because I think he's always been like this but 2 years back, he looked a stone leaner and had better recovery pace so when a winger knocked it past him, he'd accelerate, recover and a block in. Maybe it's simply age catching up, but now, he seems a lot slower in doing this. And oppositions players, who aren't exceptionally fast seem to breeze past him and he barely recovers.

I appreciate he's better at right back, than left back, but it's the lack of pride or care, when he gets beaten that concerns me and pisses me off. Like Gerrard, i'd describe everything he does right now as "leisurely". That's until we're losing of course, when again like Stevie, he decides to actually start getting his arse into gear.

Special mentions to Borini and Shelvey in this thread.

Borini - Invisible.
Shelvey - I hear there's talent, but right now i'm not really seeing it. He gets into good positions, i'll give him that, but I don't see the skill/intelligence there to execute the final pass/shot. Frustrating player.

LOL he's Twenty fucking Eight mate, yes, 28. He's just never been a capable defender. He fails to do the basics which is evident on a regular basis.

 

[gene hughes]

I think Johnson has been excellent this season. Reina, on the other hand, has been our worst player and it's shocking he hasn't been dropped.

 

[Insignificance]

Gerrard pulled himself well into the game after a bad first half. Allen got lost in the second half instead....

Glen Johnsons effort to tackle on the goal is the worst involvement I have seen since forever... Allowing Podolski to slip in infront of him the game before cost us also. He is a decent defender, but the manager should rip him a new asshole for his lame efforts when we need him to stand up.

Reina? I don't know what happened. He is not hungry for this game it seems. He is just there cause thats what he usualy does on a saturday afternoon...

 

[mark1975]

I know he had a good attacking game, but to excuse the pathetic attempt of a tackle by saying his attacking ability more than made up for it pretty much epitomises his career with us. He cost us a goal, but let's all go on about how great an attacker he is, while lambasting any ideal that maybe, just maybe he's been in the wrong role for most of his career.

I just don't get the logic by some of the people defending him in this thread. His error played a big part in the goal, his errors do often play big parts in conceded goals, it might have been an alround fuck up, but he played his part and pointing out the parts of the game where he did the fundamental basics is missing the point. For every game of a few last ditch efforts to 'defend', he has at least one momentary lapse of concentration which every now and then proves costly. The debate I guess is whether we should have to take the rough with the smooth with him. We've got too many players that we have to live with a few gaping flaws with while their positive attributes continue to either get exaggerated or flatter to deceive.

 

[Fabio]

I think Johnson has been excellent this season. Reina, on the other hand, has been our worst player and it's shocking he hasn't been dropped.

Reina or Gerrard have been the poorest for me

 

[Jack D Rips]

What did Reina do wrong yesterday?

 

[Fabio]

What did Reina do wrong yesterday?

Nothing I saw. I'm talking over the season thus far

 

[Jack D Rips]

Ah. ok

 

[mark1975]

I think he could have done better for the goal, he seems a bit indecisive. That said, Johnson fucked up the tackle, Agger stepped out leaving a gaping hole and Skrtel fucked up the challenge when the ball came in. Shite again. Everytime they went forward yesterday my heart was in my mouth, not because they were any good, but because we looked jittery every time they got in the final third.

 

[juniormember]

Wonder if Downing was deemed not good enough at fullback in the end..