Andy Johnson

[The Equalizer]

I've seen a few comments on here today about young Mr Johnson. Few people can doubt that he had a good game and he brings a lot to the side, I also thought he had a very good game yesterday.

However, has anyone noticed what he takes away from the side?

By having a pairing of AJ and Zamora up front you've instantly crippled the best striker in our squad. It harks back to a couple of seasons ago before AJ's injury. All of a sudden, BZ is up there catching the balls that are sent his way from midfield on to his chest, making a quick turn and then laying the ball of to AJ who at that points does little or nothing with it.
The same could be said for Dempsey today too. Every time he got possession he had to lay it off to AJ for his brilliance to shine, only to see it wasted.

When AJ wasn't playing both Dempsey and Zamora were our two highest scoring players. All of a sudden both of their games seem to have been hamstrung. My advice: play Dembele instead of AJ up front with BZ and watch the goals start flowing.

[mattiesafer]

I've seen a few comments on here today about young Mr Johnson. Few people can doubt that he had a good game and he brings a lot to the side, I also thought he had a very good game yesterday.

However, has anyone noticed what he takes away from the side?

By having a pairing of AJ and Zamora up front you've instantly crippled the best striker in our squad. It harks back to a couple of seasons ago before AJ's injury. All of a sudden, BZ is up there catching the balls that are sent his way from midfield on to his chest, making a quick turn and then laying the ball of to AJ who at that points does little or nothing with it.
The same could be said for Dempsey today too. Every time he got possession he had to lay it off to AJ for his brilliance to shine, only to see it wasted.

When AJ wasn't playing both Dempsey and Zamora were our two highest scoring players. All of a sudden both of their games seem to have been hamstrung. My advice: play Dembele instead of AJ up front with BZ and watch the goals start flowing.

That might be the plan.  Dembele is still recovering, but given Jol's love for him when he first signed I doubt very much that he views Dembele as a sub.

[zzamora]

Agreed totally with this, dembele has height,skill and speed, whilst johnson has speed.dembele any day.

Oh and sidders.

[fulhamben]

I've seen a few comments on here today about young Mr Johnson. Few people can doubt that he had a good game and he brings a lot to the side, I also thought he had a very good game yesterday.

However, has anyone noticed what he takes away from the side?

By having a pairing of AJ and Zamora up front you've instantly crippled the best striker in our squad. It harks back to a couple of seasons ago before AJ's injury. All of a sudden, BZ is up there catching the balls that are sent his way from midfield on to his chest, making a quick turn and then laying the ball of to AJ who at that points does little or nothing with it.
The same could be said for Dempsey today too. Every time he got possession he had to lay it off to AJ for his brilliance to shine, only to see it wasted.

When AJ wasn't playing both Dempsey and Zamora were our two highest scoring players. All of a sudden both of their games seem to have been hamstrung. My advice: play Dembele instead of AJ up front with BZ and watch the goals start flowing.

id still play aj at up top. dembele is not a striker and proved last year that he is not a striker, his box play isnt very good. cant score and doesnt seem to even get in many good positions. he would better suit us in midfield

[HatterDon]

There's no doubting that Dembele is a brilliantly talented young man with geat pace and technical skill. There's also no doubting that, most of the time, he seems to be playing counter to the general flow of his team. I'm not sure why this is, but he seems more prone than most to (a) dribble himself into a box of defenders when teammates are well placed and (b) to delay his passes to a teammate until the receiver is well covered.

He certainly is not a central striker. He's a good goal-scoring winger, but using him as the apex or axis of our attack is not our best option.

[mattiesafer]

There's no doubting that Dembele is a brilliantly talented young man with geat pace and technical skill. There's also no doubting that, most of the time, he seems to be playing counter to the general flow of his team. I'm not sure why this is, but he seems more prone than most to (a) dribble himself into a box of defenders when teammates are well placed and (b) to delay his passes to a teammate until the receiver is well covered.

He certainly is not a central striker. He's a good goal-scoring winger, but using him as the apex or axis of our attack is not our best option.

I thought we looked quite sharp at the beginning of last season when we were playing Dembele and Bobby up front (Dembele sitting behind a bit) with Dempsey out on the left.  At least in my memory (don't know if the statistics bear it out) we were quite an exciting team with that lineup...

[AlFayedsChequebook]

Personally, I would have Dempsey playing off Zamora in a free attacking midfield role. He proved last season that he could play as a striker, and this would allow us to utilise Duff and Dembele as wingers/inside forwards.

AJ can be useful, but he too often stops attacks and rarely initiates them.

[White Noise]

Dembele/Zamora works in some circumstances but I think it is mostly toothless. I prefer the suggestion above of Dempsey behind Zamora and Dembele out wide.

We were properly outnumbered in midfield yesterday and I think our midfield will provide better service in far more games this season.

Bizzarely Andy Johnson will be our top scorer this season!

[MJG]

Dembele/Zamora works in some circumstances but I think it is mostly toothless. I prefer the suggestion above of Dempsey behind Zamora and Dembele out wide.

We were properly outnumbered in midfield yesterday and I think our midfield will provide better service in far more games this season.

Bizzarely Andy Johnson will be our top scorer this season!

AJ top scorer, now that does worry me...if its lge goals only what's he going to have...six if lucky.
Now im not having a go at how he's played, he works hard but is that enough now days.

[Willard]

I agree with the Zamora plus Dempsey attack and having Dembele wide and coming in. I think AJ would be best used as an impact sub for the last 15 to 20 minutes to run at a tired defence.

[Tom]

I agree with the Zamora plus Dempsey attack and having Dembele wide and coming in. I think AJ would be best used as an impact sub for the last 15 to 20 minutes to run at a tired defence.

100% agree with what we have right now.

[ImperialWhite]

After seeing Rooney's new barnet after his hair transplant over the summer, MOTD2 consider other players who might consider the treatment.