Lee Johnson (merged)

[Guest DR DICKNOSE]

Well it seems normal service is resumed..

Lee johnson is getting slated again after our first home game of the season..

agree he messed up for the goal today,and looked sloppy at times

but did anyone not notice our downturn in form towards the end of last season when LJ was absent?

to be honest today he didnt look match fit,especially in the last 20 mins when i reckon he should have been subbed.

but come on 2 games is too early to start on the chap!!!

[DavidNoble]

Well it seems normal service is resumed..

Lee johnson is getting slated again after our first home game of the season..

agree he messed up for the goal today,and looked sloppy at times

but did anyone not notice our downturn in form towards the end of last season when LJ was absent?

to be honest today he didnt look match fit,especially in the last 20 mins when i reckon he should have been subbed.

but come on 2 games is too early to start on the chap!!!

I think he is good and his fellow pros think he is good and i can remember steve coppell saying he was interested in him.

I personally think he is good but can do the odd annoying, irritating pass and then suddenly everyone hates him. But now without him we would definitely be quite stuck.

[BCAGFC]

LJ isn't a bad player but he isn't good/strong enough for a 442 formation.

If we played 433 (not like last season when it always turned into a 451) with 2 holding players and LJ as the creator then I would play him but in a 442 we possibly have better options/need to get someone in.

BCAGFC

[Bristol_Badger]

Well it seems normal service is resumed..

Lee johnson is getting slated again after our first home game of the season..

agree he messed up for the goal today,and looked sloppy at times

but did anyone not notice our downturn in form towards the end of last season when LJ was absent?

to be honest today he didnt look match fit,especially in the last 20 mins when i reckon he should have been subbed.

but come on 2 games is too early to start on the chap!!!

Lets be honest.....

I would like to see Williams in the middle but its not going to happen.

Ivan is not good enough to start.

Either buy a winger or a creative midfielder....simple really.

[Izza]

I see this as a bit like the Maynard situation regarding views on how well he played.

Maynards job is to score goals, which today he did. Many would say job done, others would say he didn't do much else ( not my view )

Johnsons job is to control midfield and be generally solid defensively, which was done apart from one mistake ( yes it was a big one ) and his second half suffered for it.

If an attaker misses an obvious chance it's mentioned but he still gets another chance.

If a player makes a mistake which gifts a goal he is hammered as he doesn't get another chance.

It appears an attakers job is far easier than any other player for these reasons.

I wouldn't be too hard on Lee Johnson but would like to see the silly errors erradicated.

[mozo]

Good player, but too quiet today, plus one howler leading up to their goal.

I thought Skuse was the pick of the central pairing, which I didn't expect to happen.

[Nibor]

He was crap today. Performances last season aren't really relevant for anyone.

[mozo]

That doesn't mean he won't be outstanding against Coventry.

[BITW]

He was crap today. Performances last season aren't really relevant for anyone.

To be fair I though he was OK in general up until his howler for their goal. I think that really shook his confidence and he was poor for the rest of the game.

Also anyone notice seconds before the fial whistle we had brooker and maynard in the box and instead of crossing first time he tried to take on the defender. Easy to criticise from a distance but that bugged me.

[Guest DR DICKNOSE]

He was crap today. Performances last season aren't really relevant for anyone.

agree with you on the performances last season bit,ive always been a critic of LJ but i do believe that when hes on his game he creates some good situations for us going forward,

he just has to stamp out these stupid errors that always seem to lead to us conceding a goal.

at the end of the day he aint going to be replaced so we just have to live with it!!!!!

[Nibor]

Thing is, I'm not a Lee Johnson detractor of habit.

He does a valuable job spreading the ball from defense and his set pieces are very important.

But today he offered nothing in open play really and against the backdrop of Carle being sold that stands out.

We need another quality central midfielder to challenge him.

[Red Zeppelin]

Firstly I think Elliot gives Johnson more license to roam going forward. As good as Skuse was today, and I thought he put in a really good shift, he isn't as dominant as Elliot at his peak, and perhaps Johnson has to compensate slightly defensively. But I also believe LJ has been putting in more tackles (in the Blackpool game certainly) and concentrating harder on retaining possession than last season (apart from today).

I also agree that his best position is in a 4-5-1 where we have a player specifically ahead of him for creativity e.g. Noble to lessen the burden.

It's a shame that his poor mistake cost us today. His confidence and game completely went after that, and I would imagine that will carry through to the next 2-3 games which will turn up the heat on his back even further.

[tin]

Enough said.

I get sick of these folk saying 'look at how we fared without him' in the last ten games of last season. But maybe, just maybe, that had more to do with League One players struggling to deal with the pressure at the top of the Championship than LJ's absense.

Today summed him up for exactly what he is. An absolute liability of the highest kind.

Yes, we should've taken numerous chances to forge a lead before and after Maynard's goal but you can't legislate for LJ's error at any level of football let alone the sharp end of the Championship.

Will action be taken? Will his place be under question or scruntuny?

Of course it won't. I've never seen such an assured player of his place. :noexpression:

[Ron]

It's posts like this that made me register rather than browse. Because something really needs to be said.

I do wonder whether all these people shouting and screaming at LJ after Paul Green scored earlier were doing the same about Nick Carle when he gave away a penalty in the, at the time, most crucial game of last season? Neither player gave a goal away, simply a gilt-edged chance, the only difference being in Johnson's case it was converted. Besides the mistake he had a decent game although faded in the second half, possibly as a side-effect of the uproar after Derby scored?

[Guest DR DICKNOSE]

I'm not a LJ fan but at the end of the day theres no point getting too worked up over it,

as long as GJ is in charge he will always be in the starting 11

who are we to knock our greatest manager of the last 30 years?

everyone seems to knock LJ when he makes a mistake but he does do good things as well!!

if marvin had played today we probably would have won the game&no one would be moaning..

keep the faith its 2 games in!!!

[collier]

It's posts like this that made me register rather than browse. Because something really needs to be said.

I do wonder whether all these people shouting and screaming at LJ after Paul Green scored earlier were doing the same about Nick Carle when he gave away a penalty in the, at the time, most crucial game of last season? Neither player gave a goal away, simply a gilt-edged chance, the only difference being in Johnson's case it was converted. Besides the mistake he had a decent game although faded in the second half, possibly as a side-effect of the uproar after Derby scored?

I don't get your point here mate. Carle last season was making a tackle trying to win the ball. Ok he mistimed it and gave away a pen instead. LJ today was actually in possession of the ball. Now instead of doing what most players would do at 1-0 up and lash the ball in any direction out of our box, I'm afraid LJ decided to overplay and make a pass. This resulted in us dropping 2 points. Why cant people just accept that LJ messed up big time and just move on. Everybody has their opinion but why are you trying to defend what he did today?? he cost us points end of. don't make up some half baked exscuse about something that happened last season just admit it and move on.

Imo LJ tries to hard to do his midfield job where ever he is on the pitch, by all means play little 1-2s and flicks and hollywood passes in the middle of the park but just don't ever do it in your own box please!!!

[Parfitt]

Lee johnson is a quality player and derserves his place in the starting 11. Yeah he made one mistake which cost us a goal but look what he did last season and today in the 1st half. Just becasue he made one mistake does not mean he is a liablility!!

[Ron]

I don't get your point here mate. Carle last season was making a tackle trying to win the ball. Ok he mistimed it and gave away a pen instead. LJ today was actually in possession of the ball. Now instead of doing what most players would do at 1-0 up and lash the ball in any direction out of our box, I'm afraid LJ decided to overplay and make a pass. This resulted in us dropping 2 points. Why cant people just accept that LJ messed up big time and just move on. Everybody has their opinion but why are you trying to defend what he did today?? he cost us points end of. don't make up some half baked exscuse about something that happened last season just admit it and move on.

I'm not trying to excuse Lee Johnson, I'm trying to understand why he can't be treated the same as another player simply and obviously because of his relations. Both Johnson and Carle were trying to work with the ball in their own area, Carle swung and missed at it and Johnson produced a poor clearance - both gave a great chance to the opposition, there is no defending either, and that is the point. Carle's rear end must be very sore from the amount of love he's received over the summer, whereas one mistake from Johnson in an otherwise good performance and down comes the guillotine. Again.

[si_aston]

Tin's obviously been on the apples but that doesn't mean he wasn't poor today.

I remember one lovely little touch to keep the play moving to the right in the first half but other than that it was a performance riddled with errors. If we've genuine ambitions of the playoffs, let alone automatic promotion, I don't think we can put up with such errors. The shot should have been saved, but it shouldn't have been a shot in the first place. Clearly I'm not a Championship footballer but the point has been made elsewhere that if he'd hoofed the ball out then Green wouldn't have been given a present.

Yes it's harsh to pick a player out for a single mistake which cost us a goal, and I recognise how fickle football is as much as the next man, but it wasn't just that single mistake today. If it isn't dropping deep and playing it 20 yards then it's a mistake more often than not I'm afraid.

[WTFiGO!?!]

he cost us points end of. don't make up some half baked exscuse about something that happened last season just admit it and move on.

Not like me to get involved in this sort of thing but Derby were well worthy of their point second half. end ##### of.

[Parfitt]

I'm not trying to excuse Lee Johnson, I'm trying to understand why he can't be treated the same as another player simply and obviously because of his relations. Both Johnson and Carle were trying to work with the ball in their own area, Carle swung and missed at it and Johnson produced a poor clearance - both gave a great chance to the opposition, there is no defending either, and that is the point. Carle's rear end must be very sore from the amount of love he's received over the summer, whereas one mistake from Johnson in an otherwise good performance and down comes the guillotine. Again.

Completely agree with you here, also Johnson has made it into the team on merit not because he is our manager's son!

[Parfitt]

LJ in the first half was sublime, passing, tackling and looking a great player. Best I have seen him in ages

Second half he was totally effing useless, not slightly, but by some margin. Liability, gave the ball away all ther time.

Take your choice. Williams was also pathetic in the second half, totally inept.

Personally, for his own sanity, LJ should move on, go to a club where his father is not present, better for him, better for everyone. He is a good player, no doubt, but as long as he is the bosses son, it will cloud our, his and the boss's judgement.

I don't think he should move on becasue that would be a huge dent in our midfield. He is argubally out best midfielder and he would be missed alot if he moved on.

[WTFiGO!?!]

LJ in the first half was sublime, passing, tackling and looking a great player. Best I have seen him in ages

Second half he was totally effing useless, not slightly, but by some margin. Liability, gave the ball away all ther time.

Take your choice. Williams was also pathetic in the second half, totally inept.

Personally, for his own sanity, LJ should move on, go to a club where his father is not present, better for him, better for everyone. He is a good player, no doubt, but as long as he is the bosses son, it will cloud our, his and the boss's judgement.

Mcalister? mcCombe? most likely Adebola I s'pose..... (How the bugger did Sproul get off so lightly...???)

Best signing would be this two left footed lad 'Scapegoat' on a free transfer from Rochdale on a 10 year deal..... to keep the cynics appeased..

I SWEAR TO ##### GOD

does my nut

[Red Zeppelin]

Drives me insane that people still bring nepotism into the equation - he left his own son out of the £60 million play-off final for goodness sake!

Yes he gave the ball away today, but Weale admits he should have saved it, and all of our players were giving it away at that point in the game.

The bottom line is we win, lose and draw together. We should all be backing LJ even more than before now, because a) he didn't give the ball away intentionally and b) he is playing in our shirt. Certain 'supporters' should stop trying to make him fail and instead aim to get the best out of him for the team.

[windmillhillred]

Some of the comments on here are so depressing, yet so utterly predictable. Johnson made an awful mistake, and he had a very, very poor second half. He should, for example, have got a cross in right at the end, and there were a number of misplaced passes. But he was bloody brilliant in the first half, as was Skuse, as was Williams.

The fact is that some 'fans' want him to fail. The nepotism stuff is absolute bullshit, particularly given the fact that he couldn't actually break back into the starting eleven at the tail end of the season on his return from injury. But, it seems, everyone wants a scapegoat and Johnson fits the bill. My particular favourite was the groans and abuse from the Dolman when Johnson got the ball in no space and disgracefully failed to beat four men.

Johnson's error clearly affected his game in the second half. Is that a good thing? Of course not, but it'a understandable, particularly given some of the rubbish he has to put up with. He's a quality player who contributes so much to our side.

[SuperCityFan]

Would have to Agree....lee Johnson is an immense player, look at how we missed him at the end of lasst season !!!!

[bcfc_4_life]

We seriously need to bring in another midfielder, Johnson had a shocker yesterday and it wasn't only that he was backing out of tackles all over the pitch which would be ok normally but he did it in the box just let a derby player through and they shot over, also i'd say we need to sign competition for left back to push mcallister as he has noone whos pushing him for his place. Competition can only be good but johnson and mcallister have none and we really need to strengthen in these areas as well as a new CB on loan or permanent transfer now we've lost ribs and boom boom

[QuedgeRed]

Criticism deserved after the performance yesterday.

Does this warrant him being singled out?

The team did not play well 2nd half, but it WAS his mistake that led to their goal and 2 points being dropped.

In discussions about his performance yesterday, any talk of previous perfomances is irrelevant really.

[red23]

I think LJ is a good player..but not good enough to be our sole creative midfielder (Bar possibly Noble although he's never played in CM anymore it seems). I'm more than happy for him to play regularly (especially if he could eradicate the errors) but i think we need an alternative creative CM, not least for cover for LJ.

I thought LJ was very poor yesterday...apart from the mistake that led to the goal, there were a few misplaced passes, where he took his man on rather than crossed in the last minute but what annoyed me most is the amount of times he was out of position from Caroll's drop kicks which left the ball to bounce to our CB which didnt help as we lost McCombe. I know LJ isn't tall (!) but he wins a suprising amount of headers and should have been back in CM to stop the ball bouncing.

Anyway, yesterday was a one off and I'm sure he'll be working his ar53 off in training this week to prepare for Coventry next week.

Also, i know McCallister is questioned alot, but did anyone else think he was very good yesterday?!

[Tunley Legend]

I can accept Lee Johnson making a mistake or three. Every player does that (example - Maynard missing an open goal last week). I can even take bouts of sloppy passing (although not the whole of the second half like yesterday) as long as his overall game was beneficial to the team. What I simply do not accept, and I don't care what the "he can do no wrong" crew think or say, is the pulling out of numerous tackles every week. It is just not on - totally unacceptable.

Yesterday, he pulled out of a tackle on the edge of our box and, with more composure, Derby should have scored from the situation. Had that been Wilson, Williams, Noble or any other squad player who pulled out there would be uproar on here but because it is LJ he is excused as tackling is apparently "not part of his game". There was another situation where he gave a three kick away twenty five yards from goal because he decided it would be better to handle the ball rather than go into a tackle and Weale had to make a decent save from Commons. So yesterday, due to one mistake (happens to everybody) and two situations where his bottle went (should happen to nobody) Johnson could easily have cost us three goals. It might be unpalatable to read but it did happen.

When I pay my £750 for two season tickets the one thing I want to see is total commitment from all. That should be a 100% given. Whether I feel a player has the ability or not is just a matter of opinion and, of course, I accept that GJ knows infinitely more about that than me. I cannot fault Johnson's "workrate or grass coverage" as some have stated on other threads but I do not accept that because he is weak in the tackle that he should actually pull out of them altogether. That is plain wrong. Even just getting some kind of foot in the tackle, even if you don't win it, can be the difference between a player having the ball in the perfect position to get a shot away or not (as per the Derby chance yesterday).

So, who are the people with the blinkered opinions just because of LJ's relationship with the manager? Is it the likes of me who are merely stating an honest opinion or is it people who fail to recognise he has any faults in his game whatsoever? I do take the point, though, that things are unlikely to change and it is pointless getting too worked up about it. Which is a shame because a quality centre midfield creative player (or Williams in the centre and a quality right winger) together with a dominant centre half would see us, if we remain relatively injury free, as near play off certainties in my opinion.