Glen Johnson and Why?

Glen Johnson, looking at him doesn't strike you with confidence, he may be built like a strong powerful athlete with great fitness but looking beyond this an focusing on his skill with the ball he doesn't strike you as an incredible footballer.

However since the introduction of Brendan Rodgers and the Moneyball system favored by FSG who implemented this creation with the Boston Red Sox, Glen Johnson looks likely to retain his place. Looking at last seasons stats for Johnson presents an extremely surprising document, often he is focused on as being the weak link in many games this season when looking by numbers he is probably the strongest. People have said he is in the squad because he is doing something right but they don't know what, well here it is.

His passing qualities, he is no Xabi Alonso but he has still retained a very impressive 84.1% passing accuracy rate for last season alone. Martin Skrtel has bettered him on this statistic however by achieving over 90% but still Glen Johnson has proved he can pass a ball to a teammate, simple enough surely, but to what benefit or deal is this?
 Well last season Liverpool created countless chances with most coming from midfield and striker as you would expect but Glen Johnson pitched in with his fair share, by creating 28 chances just one less than Daniel Sturridge created. I won't ever hide my discontent for a player when i'm watching them and I will often wake up with the nightmare of Glen Johnson carrying the ball forward but to say I'm shocked at this statistic is an understatement. Along side this is the 38 fouls that he won last season this was more every player bar Suarez and Sterling, this statistic should not be underrated as he has created chances anonymously via free kicks or penalties. It seems looking at these statistics that he was an important part of the system used by Rodgers last year, his occasional bursts or chances created will have helped Liverpool win a number of matches.

His job role is a right back (or left back when Rodger's is feeling frisky) so how is his defending?


You often see Victor Bolasie running past Glen Johnson regardless of what team we are playing, but forgetting the Crystanbul moment or the humiliation of recent times. Glen Johnson isn't a half bad player on paper, his fouls conceded when he is actually keeping up with a player is at a respectable 23, this is probably average for a defender in Liverpool last term but in relevance to the now, Ballotelli has conceded 23 in this season already. Last season the majority of fouls conceded were by the players in Midfield and attack presumably down to the implementation of pressuring from the Brendan style of play (Cue Andy Tate).

 Out of all of the players when tallied on their clearances, Glen Johnson's was the least which in retrospect may be why his fouls conceded is so high as rather than clear he would be more likely to fall over. Skrtel tops the list with a jaw dropping 409 and he is already on 163 for this season, Johnson's total fell at the first hurdle with a measly 71 next Time Johnno when in doubt, get it out. Glen Johnson hasn't conceded any penalties in 2 seasons, he amassed 4 yellow cards and 0 red cards in this season and the last. His defending clearly isn't top quality but then again Liverpool's defence under Rodgers has never been top quality, Glen Johnson's attacking quality is demonstrated in the statistics but is it really what we need at this moment?

Some of these statistics shocked me, I never liked Glen Johnson I
thought he was lazy and that he was just running down his contract, but clearly he does have some qualities. Not all are of Cafu's standard or even Flanagan's standard but if you ever wonder why Glen Johnson is the squad these statistics argue that he deserves to be.

Liverpool's Number One Problem

Liverpool are currently struggling overall as a team, Liverpool don't even have a starting point to build from, by starting point I mean the first position read out from the team sheet. Simon Mignolet was bought with the idea that he was able to pass the ball out with his feet to start the attack and domination of possession.

 His first competitive game for Liverpool seemed to inspire fans to support him and back him and the transfer strategy of Brendan Rodger's. He saved a penalty in the match against Stoke to give Liverpool a 1- 0 victory, a clean sheet and a penalty save ensured instant success and support. Throughout last season Simon Mignolet's mistakes were just seen as him finding his feet at Liverpool as Pepe Reina who was loaned out to Napoli often made mistakes in his first season before becoming an established leader at the club and arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the premier league.

Mignolet's mistakes were often blamed on the non-closing down from the defenders or some other mistakes that left him in the clear, however a match that sums up his confidence as a whole and his abilities as a footballers was the 3-1 win against Leicester City. In the opening 20 minutes he passed the ball to no body in the centre of the football pitch despite being under no pressure what so ever and it resulted in what should of been a goal from Esteban Cambiasso who seemingly passed the ball just wide of the goal. His next error resulted in an own goal where the ball rebounded off the post and hit him and gave Leicester a one nil lead. Arguably a case of bad luck but the chance moments before nearly resulted in a goal for the Foxes

, Mignolet installs minimal confidence in his team as he leaves many gaps and always looks as if he is scared to command the ball. Almost as if he living in his own little shell on the goal line It may be worth pointing out that as a defence you will never play with major confidence if you don't believe in the man behind you, this may be what people like Glen Johnson and Lovren may be feeling . Paying 9 million for a keeper only for him to become the opposite of what you paid for is the script Rodger's new play Groundhog day.

The secondary keeper Brad Jones hasn't set the world a light during his brief appearances but hes always done a job, hes a lot more consistent for his cameo appearances than Mignolet is over numerous games. Brad Jones has been understudy for a embarrassing amount of time, under Pepe Reina and now Simon Mignolet (He may be wondering what he did bad in a past life to deserve this punishment). Brendan's decision to drop Mignolet for the United match and start Brad Jones was one that I thought shown the rest of the team he wasn't afraid of making big decisions if players aren't pulling their weight. Out of all three goalkeepers mentioned the best of them is no longer playing for the club, he is wasted at Bayern Munich under possibly the best goalkeeper in the world. Its clear Rodger's did not like Pepe, he wanted to implement his own style of keeper in goal and Reina did not fit the bill, however what Pepe gave and what Mignolet lacks is a commanding of the defence, Pepe would be screaming at his defence in synch with the leadership of Agger and Carragher.

Those three players would be the triangle of support in the defence to shoulder off most attacks. Mignolet seems very restrained in his personality and his punching and collecting of the ball needs vast improvements. Skrtel and Lovren dont inspire the team the way the Jamie Carragher's commitment did or how Daniel Agger desire always shown through. Skrtel and Lovren just remind me of two Sunday league defenders who just love to hurt the opposition, yet Skrtel was favoured over Agger despite Agger being a much better player with the ball and Lovren was bought with the intentions I think of being an instigator for the attack from the back by carrying the ball forward, he may do this occasionally but it would help a great deal if he could do any sort of defending first. Liverpool need a major haul in January starting with a new keeper that is proven, not a young keeper destined for the future even a loanee that can help soak up the opposition attack because Brad Jones despite his best efforts is not a top quality long term choice.

Mexico and current Malaga Keeper Guillermo Ochoa sent the biggest hint he is interested in Liverpool by following them on Twitter minutes after Simon Mignolet's postion at number one was thrown into question as it was announced Brad Jones would be starting. His performances at the world cup achieved huge merits and was named Man of the Match in two separate matches.Interpret that last statement whichever way you feel you need to, but I think it demonstrates how technology and social media (possibly even how blogs) have a  statement on where players may end up during transfer windows.

Winter Is here and the wolves are at Brendan's door

Pulling at straws here to think of a Reasons to be positive. A 3-0 defeat to one of our biggest rivals, miles off pace, worst league start for 50 years, an average team and the wolves are lurking. More and more people are calling for Rodger's head and I'm becoming one of them the formation he set out was disgusting against Manchester United, that these posts are becoming less and less formal. The inclusion of Glen Johnson in a makeshift centre back role proves to me a lack of awareness from Rodgers and a fear from him to drop him for some reason, why Sakho has turned into a ghost is a confusing point bought for £18 million plays a great world cup dropped since October, work that one out.
The man in his place, cost £3 million more and essentially handed Rooney and Van Persie the finishing touches to the match with a clearance that accumulated less than 5 years from his touch, why did Liverpool buy a defender that actually cannot defend and has proven this time and time again yet he still constantly gets put ahead of better centre backs?

Gerrard is not a fucking DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD PLAYER. everyone besides Rodgers (who seems to just be winding Liverpool fans up at this point by his defiance in his role) is the only person who disagrees, I don't even want to delve into this subject because its too much of an obvious fact and clear to see, that Lucas could be a job better defensively. The tactics in the opening 20 minutes of the defeat saw Liverpool thrusting the ball forward at every opportunity, realistically is Sterling had any end product about him he would of scored his first real chance or squared it for Lallana and then no goal would of been conceded at the other end of the field 25 seconds later.

The finishing from the whole team was woeful and Sterling by 60 minutes had 4 chances and 4 on target but were all saved by De Gea, not to be undone Ballotelli decided to add to De Gea's save count by passing it back to him on one occasion. His inclusion in the second half seemed to misshape the already baffling formation, however he became a focal point despite his limited movement and forced a great save from De Gea onto the cross bar although any goal at this point would of been a consolation none the less.

 Brad Jones didn't do to badly considering his zero appearance record this season. Handled the ball well and was never truly at whole fault for any of the goals possible his positioning wasn't the best for all three but his collection of the ball was far better then Mignolet's.

I think a very sad point about this match was that this was a poor united team, a team not even in high gear and they walked all over us for their three goals. we dominated possession for much of the match but our disjointed team was no match for their firepower. Rodgers set out his team wrong, and should hold his hands up and concede defeat, many players that featured were bystanders in this so called "Pub Match".
Claiming Liverpool were unlucky is just embarrassing I haven't seen
Brendan's post match comments because I'm sick of the same bullshit he excretes from his mouth about being unlucky and that his teams effort was high, none of this matters, the scoreline is the most important thing and partially down to his summer spending spree we have been humiliated 3-0 and caused his own position to be questioned even further.