Right Wing

With Kelly now doing a fantastic job at right back and having young Flanno able to step up if need be is it not time to get Glen Johnson fit and push him further upfield.

The balance and pace that both Enrique and Downing possess out on the left strectches the opposition and a lot of our good play comes from down that side.

Now Kelly we know has pace and will bomb up and down the flank all day long aslong as his hammy's hold out, but when it comes to Kuyt you never really see him skinning his man for pace and thats not a slant on Dirk.

Just for me I think by pushing Johnson that little further upfield could possibly solve a problematic position without needing to spend a penny and allow us to put our money to use in other areas.

Thoughts ?

I totally agree, would love to see Johnson playing at right mid or right wing.

Bad idea ... We need a completely different type of a player for our right-sided attacking position ...

Bad idea ... We need a completely different type of a player for our right-sided attacking position ...

What or who would you suggest then?

What or who would you suggest then?

Someone like Eden Hazard, Lucas Moura or Xherdan Shaqiri ... Definitely not a converted full-back ...

We'd all love a Eden Hazard but the chances of bringing him in during the January transfer window will be pretty slim, I'd be all for giving Johnson the chance to make the right side his own until next summer and then have a look at the situation.

We'd all love a Eden Hazard but the chances of bringing him in during the January transfer window will be pretty slim, I'd be all for giving Johnson the chance to make the right side his own until next summer and then have a look at the situation.

If you'd like to make a better use of Johnson, I would suggest a different idea ... Watching Barca in recent weeks, I've noticed that Guardiola is experimenting with the 3-4-3 ... I know that we are not on the same level, but how about this ?

Downing/Bellamy - Carroll/Kuyt - Suarez/Maxi

Enrique/Aurelio - Lucas/Spearing - Gerrard/Adam - Johnson/Henderson

Agger/Wilson - Skrtel/Coates - Carragher/Kelly

Reina/Doni

Of course, when everyone is fit, and not in every game ...

I was brought up old skool, think everyone knows that and part of that up bringing was you don't change what's working. That's why players didn't have half as many injuries yesteryear despite tackling actually being allowed back then. They knew if they got injured it was a F***ing nightmare to try and get back into the side, especially a side that was doing well - which we usually were.

Last two matches I've seen us tw*t our two biggest rivals and should of had six points from them. Now Kuyt has played on the right wing for both matches, though against United he and Gerrard were interchanging a fair bit. So as far as I'm concerned, Kuyt stays on the right wing until it's not working.

However with Lucas' suspension it gives Kenny the option of just lashing Kuyt up top, Gerrard in the middle and a new right winger - potentially Johnson. Would rather it just be Spearing or Henderson into the middle of the park with Stevie and Charlie while Dirk continues down the right. But we'll have to see.

My stance on it though, is if everyone was available for the Norwich game - it wouldn't be changed.

Definitely not a converted full-back ...

Worked for Bale. Fabio da Silva impressed there too.


As for Johnson playing there, I'm all for giving him the chance there, at least him 'try-out' for the position, afterall we have already tried out Henderson, Kuyt, Gerrard and Downing there this season. I'm not entirely convinced that Johnson is the player we think he is (in this position). We look at Glen and see pace and straight away think he can beat a man with that pace he can, but there is much more to being a winger than having pace, there's trickery, great crossing ability..etc

If you notice how Johnson attacks,  he bombs down the right wing after the RW (usually Kuyt) has tucked inside with or without the ball leaving a large area of space ready to be exploited. Johnson then takes advantage of this, bursts onto the ball and this turn of acceleration allows him to go around a static full back and get a cross/pass in. Now if Johnson were to start at RW, he would be the static player with the ball at his feet in a tight area. Does Johnson possess the ability to create his own space with the ball at his feet and then get a cross in multiple times in each match. I'm not convinced that he can but am willing to give him a shot first. He is not the long term solution in my opinion.

Someone like Eden Hazard, Lucas Moura or Xherdan Shaqiri ... Definitely not a converted full-back ...

Funny enough, two of those players are not right wingers at their current club so we'd be converting them if they did transfer here.

Moura is an attacking midfield, that's why he's likened to Kaka.

Eden Hazard has been on left most of the time at Lille.

Gareth Bale was a converted full back, and he's one of the best wingers in the league, I know he's overrated by the media but he's still a quality player.

Glen Johnson has all the attributes to be a quality winger, pace, tricky, strength, decent final ball and he can use both feet.

I do feel that it should be worth trying him on the wing, with Kelly outing him out of the side in the right back position, it would be a fantastic chance to try him on the wing. If Bale can make the move with such ease, and improve as a player, then I don't see why Johnson can't. He's got all the attributes and abilities as a player to excel on the wings. Still surprised that we have never gave him a run of games on the wing.

Mac_Red; you said no to Johnson in the midfield because he's a converted FB? Then you put a formation where Jordan Henderson would be playing as a wing-back? What's the difference there? Much easier for Johnson to play in right midfield then Hendo to play as a right wing-back, no?

I said it in the GJ thread the other day. I would give it a go. In years past, I wasn't the biggest fan of the move because I felt that he was our best RB. Now? I think it's Kelly's position without a question, so why not give it a go? He has pace, some trickery and can put a cross in.

Funny enough, two of those players are not right wingers at their current club so we'd be converting them if they did transfer here.

That is why I have said:

We need a completely different type of a player for our right-sided attacking position ...

All of the players I have suggested are predominantly right-footed ... I don't see them as classic "out-and-out" right wingers ... More of right-sided attacking midfielders ... That way, we could provide the balance to Downing on the other side ...

Mac_Red; you said no to Johnson in the midfield because he's a converted FB? Then you put a formation where Jordan Henderson would be playing as a wing-back? What's the difference there? Much easier for Johnson to play in right midfield then Hendo to play as a right wing-back, no?

To be honest, I see Henderson as a central midfielder and a backup for Gerrard, but I've put him on the right wing-back backup position to avoid dropping Charlie Adam from the team ... We have enough arguments over Charlie Adam in his own thread ...

To be honest, I see Henderson as a central midfielder and a backup for Gerrard, but I've put him on the right wing-back backup position to avoid dropping Charlie Adam from the team ... We have enough arguments over Charlie Adam in his own thread ...

Fair enough - but that was my point. Johnson as a RM, makes a bit more sense than Hendo at RWB. I think we can agree on that.

Fair enough - but that was my point. Johnson as a RM, makes a bit more sense than Hendo at RWB. I think we can agree on that.

I think that Glen Johnson would be the perfect right wing-back in the 3-4-3 ... I am not so sure about him being as effective on the right wing in the 4-4-2 or in the 4-4-1-1 ... We will have to see him there to judge him ... Personally, I would prefer a far more technical player on our right sided attacking position, especially if we are playing the 4-4-2, or the 4-4-1-1 ...

I think that Glen Johnson would be the perfect right wing-back in the 3-4-3 ... I am not so sure about him being as effective on the right wing in the 4-4-2 or in the 4-4-1-1 ... We will have to see him there to judge him ... Personally, I would prefer a far more technical player on our right sided attacking position, especially if we are playing the 4-4-2, or the 4-4-1-1 ...

I would too, and I obviously think we should buy in the next 2 transfer windows to fit someone into our right side. But for now, an experiment of Johnson in the midfield might not be a bad idea. I've always been against it on this board, and made it clear. But I think now is the right time. I think he fits a 3-4-3 too, but I don't think the rest of our team exactly fits it.

It's deffo worth a shout, and it gives further options, i agree with DLS  in that you dont change for the sake of change, take next game up,Lucas is suspended so maybe have Gerrard and Adam sat in front of the back four, Downing and Kuyt on the flanks backed up Enrique and Kelly,with Suarez and Carroll up top,on the bench we will have Henderson, Bellamy, Spearing, Johnson as back up midfielders and wing men, without too much disruption to fluidity and maintaining a attacking consistency, Agger and Flanno could provide defensive cover and obviously Doni backing up Pepe....
       
                      Reina
   Kelly       Carra   Skrtle   Enrique
             Gerrard         Adam
    Kuyt                         Downing
              Carroll    Suarez

Bench; Doni, Agger, Flanno,Johnson,Spearing, Hendo, Bellamy

I think this would work.

I've actually always maintained that Glen Johnson should be given a go at RB. I remembered some of his dribbling in his first season and he was pretty good at it.

He is probably the closest we have to a RW in comparison to Kuyt or Maxi.

Needless to say, his defending isn't as sound as Kelly's, so as a RW option wouldn't be such a bad idea as he probably can also put a decent ball in.

I would too, and I obviously think we should buy in the next 2 transfer windows to fit someone into our right side. But for now, an experiment of Johnson in the midfield might not be a bad idea. I've always been against it on this board, and made it clear. But I think now is the right time. I think he fits a 3-4-3 too, but I don't think the rest of our team exactly fits it.

To be honest, I think that for the first time, we have all the right players for the 3-4-3 ... We have Johnson, Enrique, Aurelio, Robinson and Flanagan as quality wing-backs ... We have a very good selection of central defenders in Agger, Skrtel, Carragher, Coates, Kelly and Wilson ... We have quite a depth in central midfield with Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Adam, Spearing and Shelvey ... We have the attacking players in Suarez, Carroll, Downing, Kuyt, Maxi and Bellamy ... Basically, we have everything that is needed for a quality and successful 3-4-3 ...

I'd suggest 4-3-3 with downing drifting from right to left and gerrard sometimes going wide.

Not playing both a right and left winger.

I want to see this, @ home weaker teams will look at going wide and whipping the balls across, we would have a lot of width with this line up.

         Carroll    Suarez   
Bellamy                 Downing
              Gerrard
Enrique                  Johnson
        Agger Skrtel Carra
                 Pepe
   

I want to see this, @ home weaker teams will look at going wide and whipping the balls across, we would have a lot of width with this line up.

         Carroll    Suarez   
Bellamy                 Downing
              Gerrard
Enrique                  Johnson
        Agger Skrtel Carra
                 Pepe
   

That formation wouldn't work, we would get very overrun in midfield with Gerrard being so isolated.

I do agree that Johnson's strengths are in the offensive department, so I think he'd adjust well moving to the wing. Don't see a reason why not?

I don't think Johnson would be great at right wing. He's effective from the deeper full back position but I'm not sure how he'll do when he starts his runs further up the pitch, just don't see him having the acceleration like Bale to easily beat full backs, and his crossing isn't the best.

I'd use Gerrard out there for now, might not have the pace but he's clever and is the best crosser in the league by far.