[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=42886.msg1222676#msg1222676 date=1290512117]
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=42886.msg1222673#msg1222673 date=1290511319]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=42886.msg1222671#msg1222671 date=1290510630]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=42886.msg1222652#msg1222652 date=1290507872]
I really wish people would get this idea of Johnson at right wing out of their heads.
It's a nonsense theory based on fuck all.
[/quote]Its not based on fuck all. Its based on the fact he's a shit defender who is great at going forward. So take away one and rely more on the other. Im not saying it WILL work or anything, but what exactly is the harm in giving it a go.
[/quote]
The harm that's almost always done by putting a square peg in a round hole, however persuasive the reason for doing it may initially look. Folk keep quoting Bale as a comparison, but Bale played at least as much at LM as he did at LB before going to Tottenham. Magic on the other hand is very inexperienced further forward, having hardly played there in comparison with the number of times he's played at RB - for which there's likely to be very good reason. It's theoretically possible that all his managers so far may have read him wrong, but I highly doubt it.
[/quote]He's played as many times at RM for West Ham and Portsmouth as Bale did for Southampton. I didnt however make that comparison and im not even subscribing to it.
Its hardly a square peg, he's an attacking RB or old fashioned RWB who likes to play further up the pitch.
It hardly matters as it will likely never happen. If we had a RM who was pulling up trees or for that matter if Johnson was a rock solid RB then i wouldnt even suggest it. But there are plenty of examples of full backs eventually realising they are better in a more advanced position. If you dont agree then thats fine.
[/quote]
I didn't mean to be quite so vitriolic in my original post, so apologies for that.
Anyway, I just think the whole "he likes going forward to stick him at RW" argument is lazy and flawed for so many reasons. If he's not a great defender, fine - then work on that. He's not fucking awful at it for fucks sake; he's the England right-back and over time tweaks can be made to his game to make him more defensively minded. I've brought this up before, but when Ahsley Cole started out, he was a fucking rubbish left-back, and the same calls were made for Arsenal to play him on the left-wing, but Wenger resisted.
He was playing alongside Adams, Campbell, etc etc - Quality defenders that he could learn from. The same applies to Glenjo - he's got Carra there, Rio and Terry at international level - he can improve his defending, like Cole did, like Evra did at United (remember how brutal he was at the start of his United career? He used to be the traget opposing teams picked on).
Anyway, back to the right-wing bit. Glenjo hugs the touchline and plays 99% of the time up and down that wing. No problem with that, he's a fucking right-back, it's where he should be. If we were Stoke, or Newcastle, or the Republic of Ireland circa 1990 then great - his touchline-hugging, direct, get to the byline wing play would be great. We'd get crosses into the box, we'd get width, and Torres would have balls to attack in the air. But we don't play like that (Heh, I'm loathe to get into a debate about how we actually *do* play, cos we've got fuck all of a system, but regardless of that), fuck all teams in England or around Europe play like that. Right-wingers/right-midfielders/left-wingers (call them what you like) should not be stuck on the right-wing (or left, doesn't matter) for the entire game. It's their role in the modern game to come inside, lose their opponent, link closely with the central midfiel, get into the space between midfield and the forwards, link play, interchange positions, and genrally ensure that your team's play is less predicatbela nd one-dimensional. On top of all that, they've got to score goals. Some examples of good players in that role - Nasri, Nani, Dirk, Malouda, Barton, Young, etc etc. Billions of them. I have never seen any example of Glenjo being capable of playing that sort of role. If you want somebody up and down the wing, he'd be pretty good at it, but the modern day wide midfielder just doesn't play that role. Look at Meireles role for Torres' 2nd goal against Chelsea; drifiting inside from wide-right, winning the ball back in the centre 40 yards from goal and feeding Torres. Perfect example. I just don't see Glenjo doing that.
The other benefit of him at RB is that he has 5 yards of space in front of him when he first receives the ball. Most of his good work comes when he receives it on the halfway line and moves forward. He's got space to move into (albeit breifly) and he can take the opposition on, or link with Dirk or whomever. If he was stuck 10 yards further forward in your RM position, then he has Evra or whomever snapping at his ankles the second he receives it. No space to move into, and the ball gets shunted back to Carra or someone. Those 5 yards of space Glenjo gets from RB are vital, and when he was flying early last season - we revelled in giving him those 5 yards.
I'd far prefer to work on something that's fixable - like his defensive capabilities - and continue to let him maraud forward from right back where he's got the space, than try to shoe-horn him into a right-midfield role that I just don't think he's suited to at all.
