Liverpool sign Glen Johnson

REDS AGREE JOHNSON DEAL

Liverpool FC confirmed this evening that they had reached an agreement with Portsmouth Football Club and with Glen Johnson for the transfer of the player to Anfield.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N164842090622-1758.htm

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Good signing? yes or no? and why?

Well, we need a right back who can offer a more potent attacking threat, so he ticks that box. We also need to increase our english players quota, so he ticks that box.

Reality is, we won't know whether he's been a successful signing until we see him in action for us.

I'm pleased we have got him, and expect that he will improve our ability to break teams down who are stubborn through offering more width, and another attacking option when in possession in the final third.

is Glen Johnson a good boy?

Good signing, will bring for L'pool what Kuyt lacks and will improve their right side width and general their overall attacking play from that part of the pitch. Kuyt also will be a good cover for him on defensive end, so it has a chance to work well.
Only downside is that he still has his concentration lapses, so he will probably cost L'pool a few goals after a set pieces or a possession play from opposite sides.
Price is sick, but it's almost typical these days, so I'm don't think anyone should bother about it.

------------------------Reina-------------------------------

----Johnson--------Agger----------Skrtel-------------Aurellio-----------

------------------Mascherano--------Alonso----------------------------

----Kuyt------------------Gerrard-----------------Riera-------------------

----------------------------Torres------------------------------------------

Subs: Cavlieri, , Insua, Carra, Lucas, Benayoun, Ngog, ???

Would love the ?? to be Tuncay but doubt he'll come and sit on the bench for large parts of the season...

------------------------Reina-------------------------------

----Johnson--------Agger----------Skrtel-------------Aurellio-----------

------------------Lucas--------Plessis----------------------------

----Kuyt------------------Gerrard-----------------Riera-------------------

----------------------------N'Gog------------------------------------------

Kevin Perineum wrote:------------------------Reina-------------------------------

----Johnson--------Agger----------Skrtel-------------Aurellio-----------

------------------Lucas--------Plessis----------------------------

----Kuyt------------------Gerrard-----------------Riera-------------------

----------------------------N'Gog------------------------------------------

:grins:

Isn't Agger still going to Milan? Reina is a target for Barca don't forget

does this really require its own trend

Luis wrote:------------------------Reina-------------------------------

----Johnson--------Agger----------Skrtel-------------Aurellio-----------

------------------Mascherano--------Alonso----------------------------

----Kuyt------------------Gerrard-----------------Riera-------------------

----------------------------Torres------------------------------------------

Subs: Cavlieri, , Insua, Carra, Lucas, Benayoun, Ngog, ???

Would love the ?? to be Tuncay but doubt he'll come and sit on the bench for large parts of the season...

I didn't know this was possible.

Jaime wrote:

Luis wrote:------------------------Reina-------------------------------

----Johnson--------Agger----------Skrtel-------------Aurellio-----------

------------------Mascherano--------Alonso----------------------------

----Kuyt------------------Gerrard-----------------Riera-------------------

----------------------------Torres------------------------------------------

Subs: Cavlieri, , Insua, Carra, Lucas, Benayoun, Ngog, ???

Would love the ?? to be Tuncay but doubt he'll come and sit on the bench for large parts of the season...

I didn't know this was possible.

Luis means we won't bid for him

If we did of course he would be here in an instant

you can't complain now if you don't win the league, u got the player rafa wanted plus ronaldo is no longer at man utd.

Liverpool's net spend for the summer is currently 97 million pounds more than Man U's.



Working on a budget

Batman wrote:you can't complain now if you don't win the league, u got the player rafa wanted plus ronaldo is no longer at man utd.

I've not complained once Batmobile!

You accumulated the most points, you deserved to win the league. Despite us playing some far better football

Stimulus Package wrote:Liverpool's net spend for the summer is currently 97 million pounds more than Man U's.



Working on a budget

Manchester United are going to spend £115 m this summer

If you don't believe me, ask Lrd

Conspiracy Theorist wrote:

Jaime wrote:

Luis wrote:------------------------Reina-------------------------------

----Johnson--------Agger----------Skrtel-------------Aurellio-----------

------------------Mascherano--------Alonso----------------------------

----Kuyt------------------Gerrard-----------------Riera-------------------

----------------------------Torres------------------------------------------

Subs: Cavlieri, , Insua, Carra, Lucas, Benayoun, Ngog, ???

Would love the ?? to be Tuncay but doubt he'll come and sit on the bench for large parts of the season...

I didn't know this was possible.

Luis means we won't bid for him

If we did of course he would be here in an instant

Uhh...he said "Tuncay will come" not "Liverpool will bid for him" immediately following "I doubt".

Conspiracy Theorist wrote:

Stimulus Package wrote:Liverpool's net spend for the summer is currently 97 million pounds more than Man U's.



Working on a budget

Manchester United are going to spend £115 m this summer

If you don't believe me, ask Lrd

Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that won't the figure come the end of the summer. Lrd's probably right. I know it'd be a first, but he probably is.

Nice to see that we actually concluded a deal rather quickly, for our standards(no more Rick Parry to slow things up )

Helps out with the Home Grown Quota ruling by signing him.

Think he'll be a good signing for us for the point Stinger made.
Johnson's game will complement Kuyts perfectly and we will have an effective right side. He offers a genuine outlet down the right with pace and the ability to both score the odd goal + put in some decent crosses.
Can play RW too if need be.

That's one position sowed up. Hopefully a LW and back forward/striker next.... plus the remaining squad staying put too and we are set.

This has surely been discussed elsewhere at some point, but because no answer springs to the forefront of my mind, and because I don't want to wade through the Liverpool thread searching for an answer, I'll ask here - would you, Liverpool fans, be happy with the signings of Johnson and a backup for Torres alone? You don't feel you really need any other players?

My feeling is that Johnson is a good player who should complement Kuyt down your right hand side - and Kuyt deserves his place in your eleven because he scored really well last season and his pressing is so important to your play - and he has cost a lot of money, and I think £17 million is a little much to have paid for him, but given his age and his attacking inclination I don't think he's been hugely overpriced. Nevertheless, I wonder whether the money could have been better spent on a left-sided attacking player. I think your left hand side looks relatively weak; I'm not sure that an overlapping full-back is going to provide you with the extra creativity, with the extra dimension, that I do think you need. And could you do with some more backup for the two central/holding midfield positions; and what about at centre-back, now that Hyypia has departed?

Portsmouth still owed Liverpool £8 -9mn for Crouch so it's not really £17m, or so that's what I heard.

Bashmachkin wrote:This has surely been discussed elsewhere at some point, but because no answer springs to the forefront of my mind, and because I don't want to wade through the Liverpool thread searching for an answer, I'll ask here - would you, Liverpool fans, be happy with the signings of Johnson and a backup for Torres alone? You don't feel you really need any other players?

My feeling is that Johnson is a good player who should complement Kuyt down your right hand side - and Kuyt deserves his place in your eleven because he scored really well last season and his pressing is so important to your play - and he has cost a lot of money, and I think £17 million is a little much to have paid for him, but given his age and his attacking inclination I don't think he's been hugely overpriced. Nevertheless, I wonder whether the money could have been better spent on a left-sided attacking player. I think your left hand side looks relatively weak; I'm not sure that an overlapping full-back is going to provide you with the extra creativity, with the extra dimension, that I do think you need. And could you do with some more backup for the two central/holding midfield positions; and what about at centre-back, now that Hyypia has departed?

For me a better LW is priority. Then back-up striker, then back up CM. Carragher is rarely ever injured, so one of the youngsters can fill in if Agger or Skrtel gets injured.

In terms of left wing I'm not worried in the slightest. I have faith that Riera will have a really good season. The form he's been showing for Spain is exactly why I think he's a great player- composed, great on the ball and can cut inside well or equally take on the last defender and whip in a great ball. I'd like to see him score a few more though and he might need to work on his fitness levels because he looked a bit tired towards the end of the season IMO.

Benayoun can also play there although not as well as he does on the other side of midfield or in the hole but he's still better there then a lot other left wingers in the Premier league.

If we're going to sign another left winger then Babel has to go and he needs to be significantly better than Riera. Otherwise I'd rather we get a good forward who can come in and score goals if Torres is unavailable.

I don't see why Babel cannot be used as the 'back up' striker alongside N'Gog, he'll score goals i think that is certain, although his alround game will not be half as good as Torres.

That would allow us to sign one more attacking left / centre midfielder.

Football Genius wrote:I don't see why Babel cannot be used as the 'back up' striker alongside N'Gog, he'll score goals i think that is certain, although his alround game will not be half as good as Torres.

That would allow us to sign one more attacking left / centre midfielder.

Don't even rate Babel's finishing to be honest. I just don't see how he can benefit this team, doesn't even look interested half the time.

Are you saying you don't rate Riera's chances? funny how quickly people's opinions change. After about 10 games of the season people were hailing Riera as a great bit of business and I still stand by that.

TheCrazy58 wrote:Portsmouth still owed Liverpool £8 -9mn for Crouch so it's not really £17m, or so that's what I heard.

How many times.....they would have got that money in a year or so anyway jesus.

Peoples opinions change when a players form changes. He was quite good for us at the start of the season, but after that he got a bit average. If he can only stay in good form for the first 10 games of the season he's not good enough to be starting for a top club imo.

I think Riera is an excellent player for us, however we do need competition, a player who offers a little something different and of course cover or competition for a first team berth.

I entirely believe Riera is a good player for us and should stay, a little extra competition would keep him on his toes, and we'd have a viable alternative if we need to change the game or Riera is injured.

RW: Kuyt, Benayoun
LW: Riera, NEW PLAYER
Centre: Gerrard, Benayoun, Kuyt
Striker: Torres, Babel, N'Gog.

What left wingers would you go for? can't think of too many right now in all honesty. Stewart Downing would be a backwards step for example and he's the only left winger we've been linked with over the last year or so...

Downing is a non-starter for me, he is too similar to Riera with poorer technique and physical presence.

Silva would be ideal, however that looks unlikely...

Not sure who we could get because i'm not sure how much money we have or how much certain players would cost.

I'd like somebody who is perhaps a little more direct than Riera, some raw pace and the ability to interchange passes and positions.

These types of attributes come at a cost however. I'm sure Rafa has somebody in mind, we shall just have to wait and see.

I like Dossena as a left winger, if he weren't already at the club we'd all be desperate to sign him.

2nd choice would be Tosic.

Luis wrote:What left wingers would you go for? can't think of too many right now in all honesty. Stewart Downing would be a backwards step for example and he's the only left winger we've been linked Witselwith over the last year or so...

Left winger/forward or can play LW:

Robben
Zhirkov
Downing
Young
Silva
Pranjic - too late
Suárez
Witsel
Ben Arfa
Ederson
Jonas
Mancini
Reyes
Kranjcar
Turan
Rosina
McGeady
Di María