PORTSMOUTH'S GLEN JOHNSON TO ANFIELD?
SO, £17m for a full back?
And one from Portsmouth who is hardly a regular full international with 30+ international caps under his belt?
It seems a hell of a lot of money to pay.
As regular blog commenter Mr Skyner points out in my previous entry, I've been banging on about Liverpool nabbing a rampaging full back for months.
It's definitely a position we need to improve. Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea are served by Clichy/Sagna, Evra/Fabio twins and Ashley Cole.
The Reds are definitely a lesser attacking force with full backs who rarely pass over the halfway line.
But I'd be against an £17m Johnson for the following reasons.
- Liverpool don't seem to have much dough. So to spew £17m on a full back, ahead of what seem like greater priorities at right wing and centre forward seems skewed.
A spate of 0-0 draws cost us the league, and an inability to score against well-drilled defences.
A speedy right winger or potent striker to compliment Torres would better remedy that failing than a dashing full back.
- Is Johnson worth £17m? In this world of crazy transfer fees, even this seems inflated. Ok, he's 24, so he's got a good six years in him. But he's never proved it at the highest level and is only now threatening to break into the England side.
There are question marks over his attitude and ability to defend when the going gets tough.
He excelled in midweek against Andorra when every England goal seemed to originate from him, but it was Andorra for Gods sake.
Let's not get carried away by that 40 yard looping blockbuster which won him the Goal of the Season award for Porstmouth the season before last.
- I actually think our full backs have improved immeasurably. Ok, so The Doss is a dead duck and needs shifting.
But Insua looks a real find with decent pace, a nice left foot, a willingness to attack and cross and a wise defensive head on young shoulders.
I'd start him ahead of Aurelio who threatenes to be good, but is still a bit iffy for me with both fitness and form.
On the right, Arbeloa had a pretty good season. 7 out of 10 all the way. And crucially, he started to really get forward.
At Man City away it was his foray and cross for Torres that started the comeback and his finish at home to West Brom was a cracker.
All in all, he seemed a lot further up the pitch.
Arbeloa is hardly the world class option we need, but if he's valued at, let's say, £6/7m, are we really saying Johnson is £10m better than that?
Ok, so we're still owed £7m from the sale of Crouch, but we could still take that £7m and use it to bolster the attacking third.
Here's how the possible signing is being viewed in other rival quarters. Chelsea were also interested in signing the full back.
What's the consensus of opinion amongst you? Do we want Jonno for that price?
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I think he's a class buy and you'd hope it signifies Rafa's war chest is bigger than Jordan's! Because if he can spend £17m (effectively 10) on a right back he still needs another midfielder and striker to aygment his title also-rans into next season's champagne swillers come May.
He's certainly the type of player we've been crying out for but without doubt a lot of money to pay for a full back and maybe it'd sit better with people if he was just a 'decent addition' rather than being one of the most expensive signings in the history of the club. And let's not kid ourselves, it is £17 million we're spending regardless of the fact that Pompey still owe us £7 million from the Crouch deal, it's still our money whichever way you look at it. I suppose that sort of figure is to be expected though, especially now that the stakes have been raised so high with regards to transfer fees.
I've no doubt that Rafa's numbers add up and I'd like to think this signing isn't at the expense of bringing in a Villa or an Aguero type player. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if we do have another major signing up our sleeve. If you take into account an average budget of £20 million plus the Robbie Keane sale (essentially from last season's budget which we never had chance to re-spend) and the potential sales of Dossena, Arbeloa, Voronin and maybe Babel that's a fair whack. Even minus the Johnson transfer that's enough to find another Torres-level player and I definitely think that's how it should be spent rather than on 3 or 4 squad fillers.
Chris,
Yeah, I agree. £17m is too much.
I'd argue we need more than just another striker though.
We arent strong enough down the flanks...as bright as Riera was at times, and with Kuyt being admirable rather than stunning on the right, we need more dynamism there.
Kuyt's great to keep hold of, playing him centre forward or right mid, when it suits..he's the kind of player who can hit the ground running without too much time playing himself in...
I would like real pace on the right. Whether that be Lennon, a Wright Philips or someone else, it's needed.
A well drilled defence might shut out Gerrard and Torres in the middle areas, but when they've got real penetration coming from a flying right winger, plus an intermittent Riera, I would venture those 0-0 stalemates would be turned into 1-0 wins.
It just seems like far too much to have spent. Even if we'd paid £10m I think we'd be getting overcharged. OK so we might 'recoup' a big chunk of the money by selling Dossena, Arbeloa, Babel and Voronin but is he really any better that what we've got. I just don't think so although I'd love to be proved wrong. For that sort of money we should be buying the sort of player who turns us from also rans to champions I have a niggling feeling we've been had.
any debate planned on the usual fixture list carve up mate - no first day home game since 2003 with our mates up the road once again at Old T on the first day (not to mention the fact that this is mirrored on the last day - to paraphrase Jim Royal...random my arse!)
I think £17m is a lot of dough to spend too but I think we are simply witnessing the 'real politic' of transfer prices when you buy 'English'
on the plus side I do believe we`re getting a good lad that will push up the right and fill the void in terms of real width we have lacked over there.
regarding a forward, I dont believe Rafa is seeking a 'partner' for Torres so anyone hoping for a Villa or Aguerro will be disappointed. I think Rafa will seek a Torres 'clone' to act as understudy so as to keep this shape that allows Gerrard the free-er role in behind
Terry
Take your point about a striker but rightly or wrongly I think Rafa already feels he's got his Torres understudy in N'gog.
In that regard the signing of another understudy is pretty pointless because they either wouldn't be on the pitch or (considering the budget for such a player) wouldn't be good enough when they did have to step up.
I think the type of player we're more in need of is someone more flexible of Aguero's or Villa's style (and kwalitee) who are equipped to play both in behind or up top. Essentially better versions of Keane or Voronin.
As you say I think we'll be looking to our full backs to be providing the width which would allow us 3 (almost interchangeable) supporting attackers in behind Torres.
Gerrard and Benayoun are flexible enough to play in any '3' part of a 4-2-3-1 so there's nothing to stop a player like Kun
having the central role in behind.
That way you don't lose any of Gerrard's potency or link-up play with Torres whilst adding even more of a threat into our attacking play.
The Villa ship probably sailed a couple of years ago anyway but we definitely need someone of that ability.
if rafa considers Ngog as suitable back up then we truly are fooked. The lad's nowhere near Premiership first team standard.
i think rafa buying a top top striker probably depends on other big sales out of anfield, partic as it look like we are paying this ridiculous £17m for johnson.
basically, if we want a top striker, we have to sell one of our top three centre mids, as two up front means only two in cenyre mid, and we can't have a £0m plus centre mid permananetly on the bench.
so i wouldnt be surprised if mascher/alonso goes...
Why are we paying so much for a defender?!! for that price we could get a winger or a striker!
Hope Raga knows what he's doing in regards to Glen, time will tell, money problems? and we buy a defender!
Going to be a interesting next season!