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Dan wrote:Scouser_Dave wrote:Dan wrote:Scouser_Dave wrote:Dan wrote:
He doesn't cost us a 'shitload of goals' at right-back.
And if he really was that bad at defending, I'm pretty sure the likes of Mourinho, Benitez, Capello etc. would have noticed and tried to see if he would work further up field. He hasn't been tried there/hasn't remained there, which suggests he might be a damn sight better at RB than further up.
Benitez for a start is one of the best coaches in the world defensively, and he never had a problem playing Johnson there. Which says a lot for the ability of someone who can't defend.
The problem could fall with Johnson. If he doesn't feel comfortable playing further up the pitch then the manager isn't going to force him.
And yes Johnson does cost us alot of goals at right back. His timing defensively is piss poor for someone who has been playing in that position for such a long time. Even the last game he played he fucked up in that position and cost us. Just can't see why managers stick with him there when he is so out of there depth defensively.
Because he obviously isn't. Dalglish, Benitez, Capello, Mourinho (he was even reportedly interested in taking him to Real Madrid) all seem to think he is perfectly capable of playing well at RB. If he was truly as out of his depth defensively as you suggest, he wouldn't be here.
I've seen it with my own eyes DanWhen the defence haven't got his back he's all over the place. Look at that Arsenal game a few seasons back with that own goal or the Sunderland beach ball incident where he just stood there, cost us both games. When has Kelly made a mistake as big as those?
Are you actually serious? He scored an own goal? Big whoop. That happens. I bet you any amount of money Kelly has done that at some stage and will do again.
Secondly, what did you want him to do against Sunderland? The ball hit a fucking beach ball and deflected away from where everyone thought it was going. Did you want him to predict that the ball was going to deflect off the random ball that had been thrown onto the pitch? He was attempting to block the shot from Bent (or whoever it was) the fact it hit the beach ball was why it went in.
Plus, Johnson was played about 70+ games for us. Kelly has probably just passed 20. I'd say it's a bit unfair to compare who makes more mistakes considering there is a 50 game difference.
Doubt it, Kelly knows how to defend.
If Johnson was marking Bent more tightly then he wouldn't have go the shot off. If you look over the video again he left him in miles of space to get a shot off.
It isn't unfair to compare them because Johnson was fucking up in his first 20 games for us. Kelly has rarely put a foot wrong in his first 20.
