AJ

[Welton Toffee]

He is a good player.

I hate summer for all this football [Poor language removed], everyone seems to forget who is actually any good. AJ is good and I'd be gutted if he left. Quality player and £9m in today's market won't get us a better player imo.

 

[TX Bill]

AJ is not worth 9m i would snatch west hams hand off if they offered that.
He doesn't score enough
He doesn't set enough up
He can't control a ball
He can't hold the ball up
He can't take defenders on
and recently ive witnessed him being out paced.

Apart from that he tries hard.

I've recently noticed that as well.

Hmmmm....

 

[TX Tiburon]

I think it might be a good idea to move him given the right price. It could be good for both AJ and the club. He has been blacklisted by at least 2 of the sky4 and can't buy a penalty in the premiership. For crying out loud, he even had a goal pulled back on the most proposerous of offsides calls.

I submit that he will not get his fair shake as long as he continues to wear blue (well maybe in uefa) and that a change of venue could possibly give him a clean slate and rid the club of a player who will not be allowed to play to his value. Win-win, if we get the right bid.

 

[kenada_blue]

Christ, it was only last season when he made the RS defence look like a joke and being a goodison hero by banging a last minute winner against Arsenal.

Now people want rid. Fickle times.

 

[Welton Toffee]

Christ, it was only last season when he made the RS defence look like a joke and being a goodison hero by banging a last minute winner against Arsenal.

Now people want rid. Fickle times.

Exactly mate, glad I'm not the only one who's not lost their f***ing marbles

 

[Gazdalf]

Christ, it was only last season when he made the RS defence look like a joke and being a goodison hero by banging a last minute winner against Arsenal.

Now people want rid. Fickle times.

Well said that man. /applaud

 

[ToxtethBlue]

AJ for me is an average player. Ever since his purple patch at the start of last season he has flattered to decieve. Some decent games yes but alot of innefective ones. If someone offered 9 million then we could put that towards a more effective striker and progress. Thats what football is about progression.

I don't see the point in keeping a squad player who we could get 9 million for. Thats is alot of money for someone who isn't guaranteed a place in the team.

People have talked and talked about lack of service but how exactly do you serve for him? Do you give it to his feet? No because he's got a dire touch. Do you knock it up to his head? No because he's small and not good in the air. There isn't a specific way to create for Johnson.

Realistically you'd be looking to hit it into space for him but the amount of times he fails to read passes or gets out paced by fairly quick defenders is shocking. The Arsenal game summed it up for me. We played some good football at the Emirates and there was four and five occasions where Johnson had sprints offs with Gallas and Song. Only once did he get away from them. On the other ocassions he was outpaced by fairly quick defenders.

He's a very hard player to create for. Only Fernandes seems able to do it as he can spot a through ball. I'd rather have someone who is a little less one dimensional and can do more than run around like a headless chicken.

There's nothing fickle about it. I just want a better player and if we could be 9 million in we'd be able to get a replacement in.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Christ, it was only last season when he made the RS defence look like a joke and being a goodison hero by banging a last minute winner against Arsenal.

Now people want rid. Fickle times.

Well said.

The short memories of some people.

If he was to go, i'd be well pissed if it was for less than £10m.

 

[TX Bill]

I don't want him to go either but I've gotta say that Toxteth Blue makes some very good points in his post above.

I'd say keep him but if we get something in excess of 10M for him, then sell him and "improve" the position.

There, how's that for sitting the fence?

 

[kenada_blue]

AJ for me is an average player. Ever since his purple patch at the start of last season he has flattered to decieve. Some decent games yes but alot of innefective ones. If someone offered 9 million then we could put that towards a more effective striker and progress. Thats what football is about progression.

I don't see the point in keeping a squad player who we could get 9 million for. Thats is alot of money for someone who isn't guaranteed a place in the team.

People have talked and talked about lack of service but how exactly do you serve for him? Do you give it to his feet? No because he's got a dire touch. Do you knock it up to his head? No because he's small and not good in the air. There isn't a specific way to create for Johnson.

Realistically you'd be looking to hit it into space for him but the amount of times he fails to read passes or gets out paced by fairly quick defenders is shocking. The Arsenal game summed it up for me. We played some good football at the Emirates and there was four and five occasions where Johnson had sprints offs with Gallas and Song. Only once did he get away from them. On the other ocassions he was outpaced by fairly quick defenders.

He's a very hard player to create for. Only Fernandes seems able to do it as he can spot a through ball. I'd rather have someone who is a little less one dimensional and can do more than run around like a headless chicken.

There's nothing fickle about it. I just want a better player and if we could be 9 million in we'd be able to get a replacement in.

But for 9-10 mill I cant think of a striker who would tear the arse of Gallas and Song for that price - they're world class, and young, defenders.

Michael Owen and Defoe are pish poor in the air, get muscled out and arent very keen on the feet but can get into the space and score which is what Johnson can do, and he's in the same mould (maybe not better but that's an opinion).

Like I said, we've only got Pienaar and Areta than can pull out a pass from the arse - we get midfielder better or equal as them they'd be able to set up any one running into the box.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

But for 9-10 mill I cant think of a striker who would tear the arse of Gallas and Song for that price - they're world class, and young, defenders.

Michael Owen and Defoe are pish poor in the air, get muscled out and arent very keen on the feet but can get into the space and score which is what Johnson can do, and he's in the same mould (maybe not better but that's an opinion).

Like I said, we've only got Pienaar and Areta than can pull out a pass from the arse - we get midfielder better or equal as them they'd be able to set up any one running into the box.

Owen and Defoe are technically alot better than Johnson. They have better touches and actually keep hold of it. They haven't got Thierry Henry technical abillity by any means but there capable in this area. One thing I noticed about Owen at Goodison is he rarely gives the ball away.

Johnson has a poor touch. As bad as Victor's and Victor is only 19 and still developing. If a pass is made to him at pace it just seems to bounce off his foot, he chases the ball and is innefective because his back is towards goal.

Owen and Defoe are also natural finishers. They don't need many chances to score goals. Johnson isn't clinical. They also have more intelligent movement in my opinion. Defoe doesn't have many creative midfielders behind him. Only Kranjar has an eye for a pass yet Defoe reads far more through balls than Johnson. Owen is excellent at reading a through ball despite losing alot of pace.

If we sold him for 9-10 million we could put that towards anything we want. The "world class midfielder" that everyone's going on about or a replacement striker.

Don't get me wrong I'm not desperate for him to leave but if the right offer came in and we had enough time to get a replacement I'd get rid.

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

At this time I see Vic or Vaughny leaving before AJ unless family issues creep in like Cars did. I'm having a laugh at 8 million wouldn't consider less than 10 for him if we did have to sell. My main comfort is Davey saying last year we are a buying team now not a selling one. Slow wins the race as notied by many on this site.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Owen and Defoe are also natural finishers. They don't need many chances to score goals. Johnson isn't clinical. They also have more intelligent movement in my opinion. Defoe doesn't have many creative midfielders behind him. Only Kranjar has an eye for a pass yet Defoe reads far more through balls than Johnson. Owen is excellent at reading a through ball despite losing alot of pace.

See Brann 6-1. You dont get much more clinical.

Also, from his last full season compared with Yakubu in same year (optastats)

Yakubu

Appearences: 37
Minutes On Pitch: 3,170
Goals: 12
Mins per goal: 264
Shots On Target 35
Shots Off Target 52
Shooting Accuracy 40%
Chance Conversion: 14%
Dribble Completion 33%
Fouls 87
Offside 37

Johnson

Appearences: 32
Minutes On Pitch: 2,717
Goals: 11
Mins per goal: 247
Shots On Target 30
Shots Off Target 22
Shooting Accuracy 58%
Chance Conversion: 21%
Dribble Completion 38%
Fouls 20
Offside 27

 

[ToxtethBlue]

See Brann 6-1. You dont get much more clinical.

Also, from his last full season compared with Yakubu in same year (optastats)

Yakubu

Appearences: 37
Minutes On Pitch: 3,170
Goals: 12
Mins per goal: 264
Shots On Target 35
Shots Off Target 52
Shooting Accuracy 40%
Chance Conversion: 14%
Dribble Completion 33%
Fouls 87
Offside 37

Johnson

Appearences: 32
Minutes On Pitch: 2,717
Goals: 11
Mins per goal: 247
Shots On Target 30
Shots Off Target 22
Shooting Accuracy 58%
Chance Conversion: 21%
Dribble Completion 38%
Fouls 20
Offside 27

It does amuse me that you seem to think Johnson is even of Yakubu's level. Yakubu is different class to Johnson in every area bar running around like a headless chicken.

The stats are very unfair in my opinion. Yakubu had Boro's midfield behind him and was playing for a team battling against relagation. Johnson had the likes of Arteta, Osman, Cahill and Fernandes behind him and was playing for a "top 6" team. You also fail to mention that Yakubu scored more than Johnson last season. Yakubu had an average season by his own standards and still managed 16 goals to Johnson's 12.

The fact that Yakubu had 87 chances at Boro whereas Johnson 52 at Everton proves how much more an effective striker he is. His movement is better, he gets into better positions and he's a much more intelligent player. He doesn't need good midfielders around him to have chances on goal and he doesn't have to be created for in a specific way.

The stats are also hard to make out because Yakubu is more likely to have pot shots from outside the box. They are counted as "chances". I think even you will agree Yakubu is more likely to have a dig from outside of the box.

So really if we where being fair we'd be judging them both on there Everton career alone as really thats what matters. Yakubu at Boro and AJ at Palace doesn't interest me. Look at the stats in there Everton careers and compare. Yakubu has scored 21 goals in 36 games whereas Johnson has scored 22 goals in 64 games. Yakubu's record is alot better than Johnson's despite playing alot less games.

For me Johnson isn't clinical nor is he intelligent. His goalscoring over the past two seasons is decent at best. We could sell him and get a much more effective striker in. Personally I'm hoping James Vaughan gets himself fit. If he does then he'll get infront of Johnson. I have no doubts that.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I am not comparing him to Yakubu, I am just dismissing your idea that Johnson is [Poor language removed].

22 goals in 64 games isn't a record to be sneered at. To me, thats 'clinical' enough.