Bradley Johnson's Engine

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Just to please Morty and co who were attacking my one sided observation of dearest bradders'' traits, it would be nice to see where he came in distance covered ranks. I''m sure at one stage, he was almost picked for England because of it?

Oh and i just watched simeons promotion goal again, that ball from Fox was incredible, gets better every time i see it...

[Webbo118 0]

I am sure that we were all waiting for this. It could be said that one of our central midfielders who hasn''t played much this season lacks pace, can''t tackle, is no good in the air and contributes little when defending at set pieces. The majority of his passing, whilst maintaining possession of the ball, is either sideways or backwards. You could say that but I wouldn''t because it would be negative.

[The Great Wall Of Tettey 0]

The energy he offers us is vital in our team. The extra freedom hughton has given Howson the last few games ties in perfectly with the way Johnson plays. He''s never going to be the most creative, but his job is to break the play down and he does it perfectly.

I feel the reason he''s misplaced so many passes is because he''s trying to play creative balls in such a defensive set up, not his game atall.

A player of johnsons tackling and work rate is worth several million, if he could ping a ball across the pitch 90+ he would be 10s of millions!

For our position in the league he''s still vital and should have a place in our 11 next season, alongside Howson with some degree of freedom, or another creative midfielder.

[Redders Right Foot 22]

http://sport.uk.msn.com/football/premier-leagues-hardest-workers#image=7

according to MSN in jan of this year, Bradley johnson was #5 in the entire league for distance travelled

[The gut 0]

Would he have run so far if he didn''t keep giving the ball away ;-)

[Lavanche 0]

Johnson is great player to have in squad. I personaly migt rate players like Tettey a bit more, but if you watch what kind of players bigger teams buy there is always players like Johnson in their roster who doesnt give much more than his physical aspect for the game.

Van Bommel, Javi Garcia, Khedira etc.

They might have better passing % than Johnson, but compared to their price and surrounding players they all are equally poor with ball and still play or played huge part in their teams.

I hope we get a bit better deep playmaker for next season than we have now, but for me Johnson can at least play important part against top half teams like he did this year.

[ZLF 271]

I think surman was regularly the largest distance coverer in lamberts season too,  regularly for the whole league each weekend too.

 

Not sure how much of a boost this is - needs to be combined with being effective when you get to where you are running to...

 

[hogesar 9,611]

I like Surman. Shame he''s been out injured all season as i think when Pilks has been out he''d have provided better balance than Bennett on the left or switching snoddy over there.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

good find, although it would be better if it were on average, per 90 minutes.

[BOO 0]

Are other posters knocking BJ Jim, if they are then I am amazed.

As far as his passing is concerned , if that is a weakness it''s due in no small part to the way we have played for large parts of the season, very little movement off the ball and few options going forward, not easy to pick a good pass under those conditions!

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="Ricky"]As far as his passing is concerned , if that is a weakness it''s due in no small part to the way we have played for large parts of the season, very little movement off the ball and few options going forward, not easy to pick a good pass under those conditions![/quote]Funny how the other players in the midfield miraculously managed to pass a lot better though...Tettey 83.3%, Howson 80.7%, Pilks 80.6%, Snoddy 78.8%They all managed to pass the ball MUCH better than Johnson did, so I don''t think your case holds much water.The key point to the argument is that Johnson isn''t being selected on his dubious passing ability, it''s his other attributes that''s got him the gametime.Just a shame that Tettey has the exact same attributes if not better, but can actually pass a ball without giving it to the opposition...

[BOO 0]

What were the figures for Johnson Indy?

[Tumbleweed 106]

There has to come a point where passing ability is so poor you become a hindrance to the team because you create more danger than you prevent. I am not saying BJ is at this point, but passing is a fundamental skill in football and if you cannot do it to the level required it is a bit of an issue. The old-fashioned bruiser might work in some situations but it does soak up your forward momentum, so at Prem level it may be more useful away to Man U than home to Stoke. I am going to sound really harsh here and this may annoy many, but to me BJ is the sort of player who has been great for these 3 seasons but from whom we now really need to move away if we are to progress seriously. When we look to add quality to the team, this holding midfield position is an ideal example where the gains could be very significant, much more so than in some other positions.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

In a sense, Tumbleweed, I agree, but he''d still provide a great option as one of 4, but better quality is needed. If that doesn''t work, then revert back to dependable Johnno.

[Foghorn 0]

This obsession with statistics is going to make football as boring as cricket!

Passing statistics mean nothing, if all a player is doing is is knocking it 5 yards backwards, what matters is the effectiveness of the pass. Most of the the posters on here might manage a five yard pass, if there was no pressure on them, and percentage rates mean nothing - if you only pass the ball once in a game, you can end up with either 100% or 0%.

Let''s leave statistics for the cricketers.

(By the way, I think Bradley Johnson has been great this season - based on my gut feel!)

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="Foghorn"]

This obsession with statistics is going to make football as boring as cricket!

Passing statistics mean nothing, if all a player is doing is is knocking it 5 yards backwards, what matters is the effectiveness of the pass. Most of the the posters on here might manage a five yard pass, if there was no pressure on them, and percentage rates mean nothing - if you only pass the ball once in a game, you can end up with either 100% or 0%.

Let''s leave statistics for the cricketers.

(By the way, I think Bradley Johnson has been great this season - based on my gut feel!)

[/quote]

I think there are other people (slightly closer to the team) who might just have the same opinion. After all, he has been picked for every game.

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="Ricky"]What were the figures for Johnson Indy?[/quote]71.9%[quote user="Foghorn"]Passing statistics mean nothing, if all a player is doing is is knocking it 5 yards backwards, what matters is the effectiveness of the pass. Most of the the posters on here might manage a five yard pass, if there was no pressure on them, and percentage rates mean nothing - if you only pass the ball once in a game, you can end up with either 100% or 0%. [/quote]Oh ballcocks!I don''t get why it''s so hard for some of our fans to just admit that his passing isn''t very good, instead of coming up with nonsense excuses or arguments that don''t hold water.Johnson''s all-round game is what he''s been selected for this season and whether or not I prefer Tettey - clearly Hughton doesn''t at this stage, and instead clearly rates Johnson on what he brings to the team - energy, strength, midfield presence and bite, and a good attitude and great work rate. So what if he isn''t Pirlo in regards to his range of passing, it''s his OTHER attritbutes that''s won him plaudits - NOT his passing...Whether or not people like it, the stats reflect his overall passing ability, and in short range passing, he''s the worst midfielder in the team, and even on longer range passing he doesn''t come out on top of either of our other CM''s, but DOES beat Pilks and Snoddy.Johnson - 53.2%, Tettey - 67.5%, Howson - 62.2%, Snoddy - 42.2%, Pilks 26%!What we have to point out is that Johnson attempts far more long balls than anyone else in the outfield, despite both Howson and Tettey being much more like to complete a pass when they attempt it.To get the best out of Johnson you just need to sit him in midfield, tell him to handle his usual defensive duties with aplomb, but then demand that he gives the ball up to someone like Howson or Hoolahan etc, who can then do something productive with it.I''m not saying that Johnson hasn''t been good this season, he''s received a lot of praise and rightly so, but his passing ISN''T good, it''s the weakest aspect of his game and the reason why he''s playing for us instead of Man Utd etc.This is why I prefer Tettey as he offers pretty much everything Johnson does, but can pass better in the process, I think that now he''s been given a full season at this level, he''s more than likely going to take over from Johnson in the DM role this coming season, with Johnson being a more than adequate rotation option as cover.

[BOO 0]

Thanks for the figures Indy, I am not a huge fan of stats but do accept that there is some place for them in game analysis, and in looking at individual performance. Jonno''s stats don''t look miles out form the others but they do show an area of his game where he can improve. Thats the point isn''t it, passing is an area of his game that he needs to work on, a lot of it for me comes down to concentration, none of our players is anywhere near the finished article, but passing skills are something you can work on in training and if he does that then what a player we will have on our hands.

[Foghorn 0]

Don''t care what the statistics say, he''s worth his place in the team. After all, there''s lies, damned lies and statistics, to quote some bloke I can never remember.

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="Ricky"]What were the figures for Johnson Indy?[/quote]
71.9%

[quote user="Foghorn"]Passing statistics mean nothing, if all a player is doing is is knocking it 5 yards backwards, what matters is the effectiveness of the pass. Most of the the posters on here might manage a five yard pass, if there was no pressure on them, and percentage rates mean nothing - if you only pass the ball once in a game, you can end up with either 100% or 0%. [/quote]
Oh ballcocks!

I don''t get why it''s so hard for some of our fans to just admit that his passing isn''t very good, instead of coming up with nonsense excuses or arguments that don''t hold water.

Johnson''s all-round game is what he''s been selected for this season and whether or not I prefer Tettey - clearly Hughton doesn''t at this stage, and instead clearly rates Johnson on what he brings to the team - energy, strength, midfield presence and bite, and a good attitude and great work rate. So what if he isn''t Pirlo in regards to his range of passing, it''s his OTHER attritbutes that''s won him plaudits - NOT his passing...

Whether or not people like it, the stats reflect his overall passing ability, and in short range passing, he''s the worst midfielder in the team, and even on longer range passing he doesn''t come out on top of either of our other CM''s, but DOES beat Pilks and Snoddy.

Johnson - 53.2%, Tettey - 67.5%, Howson - 62.2%, Snoddy - 42.2%, Pilks 26%!

What we have to point out is that Johnson attempts far more long balls than anyone else in the outfield, despite both Howson and Tettey being much more like to complete a pass when they attempt it.

To get the best out of Johnson you just need to sit him in midfield, tell him to handle his usual defensive duties with aplomb, but then demand that he gives the ball up to someone like Howson or Hoolahan etc, who can then do something productive with it.

I''m not saying that Johnson hasn''t been good this season, he''s received a lot of praise and rightly so, but his passing ISN''T good, it''s the weakest aspect of his game and the reason why he''s playing for us instead of Man Utd etc.

This is why I prefer Tettey as he offers pretty much everything Johnson does, but can pass better in the process, I think that now he''s been given a full season at this level, he''s more than likely going to take over from Johnson in the DM role this coming season, with Johnson being a more than adequate rotation option as cover.
[/quote]

How do you know those figures are correct?

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="Webbo118"]How do you know those figures are correct?[/quote]Why would you think they''re not...

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="Webbo118"]How do you know those figures are correct?[/quote]Why would you think they''re not...[/quote]You have to feel sorry for the people who have to sit through games watching each player and recording every pass, and whether they are successful or not. Can''t be much fun. Is that what you do Indy?

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="lappinitup"]You have to feel sorry for the people who have to sit through games watching each player and recording every pass, and whether they are successful or not. Can''t be much fun. Is that what you do Indy?[/quote]Nope, they don''t call me Charles Reep [:D]I do however get damn frustrated when people decide to argue the toss about the validity of evidence purely because they don''t like the results...I wouldn''t mind, but some people seem to think that Johnson is as good as bloody Xavi at passing and it''s simply ridiculous!

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="Webbo118"]How do you know those figures are correct?[/quote]
Why would you think they''re not...

[/quote]

And why would you think they are? Do you believe everything you read?

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="lappinitup"]You have to feel sorry for the people who have to sit through games watching each player and recording every pass, and whether they are successful or not. Can''t be much fun. Is that what you do Indy?[/quote]
Nope, they don''t call me Charles Reep [:D]

I do however get damn frustrated when people decide to argue the toss about the validity of evidence purely because they don''t like the results...

I wouldn''t mind, but some people seem to think that Johnson is as good as bloody Xavi at passing and it''s simply ridiculous!
[/quote]

How do you know it''s evidence? If I made some figures up and posted them on here, would you believe them?

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="Webbo118"]How do you know it''s evidence? If I made some figures up and posted them on here, would you believe them?[/quote]Well they get their data from OPTA, so you''re either suggesting that OPTA are full of it, or that Whoscored take that data and then waste a load of time altering it to their liking - neither of which makes any sense, but what''s your reasoning behind not agreeing with it (beyond the fact that it shows Johnson''s passing ability up for what it is?)...

[lappinitup 629]

Bradley Johnson has been our most consistent player this season and has done exactly what he has been paid to do. He is also improving all the time and, out of our current midfielders, he is a certain starter next season too. We would have to part with an awful lot of money to find someone better.

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="Webbo118"]How do you know it''s evidence? If I made some figures up and posted them on here, would you believe them?[/quote]
Well they get their data from OPTA, so you''re either suggesting that OPTA are full of it, or that Whoscored take that data and then waste a load of time altering it to their liking - neither of which makes any sense, but what''s your reasoning behind not agreeing with it (beyond the fact that it shows Johnson''s passing ability up for what it is?)...
[/quote]

I''ve already told you that - are you suffering from memory loss? There are numerous questions I would ask; e.g. what''s the definition of a long pass?

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="Webbo118"]I''ve already told you that - are you suffering from memory loss?[/quote]No, but you appear to be suffering from a bad attitude...[quote]There are numerous questions I would ask; e.g. what''s the definition of a long pass?[/quote]Whilst I don''t have the ''official'' definition from OPTA regarding long or short passing, a generally accepted interpretation is that a short pass is one which is less than 10-15m in length. I''d personally see a long pass as one which is generally over 30m but may be slightly less depending on the situation/angle.The point being that whether it''s short or long passing - Johnson isn''t great at either...

[Phillip J Fry 0]

[quote user="lappinitup"]Bradley Johnson has been our most consistent player this season and has done exactly what he has been paid to do. He is also improving all the time and, out of our current midfielders, he is a certain starter next season too. We would have to part with an awful lot of money to find someone better.[/quote]

 I think you''re missing the point.  Indy Bones is saying that Bradley Johnson''s passing is weak for a player in his role, and that it needs to improve for him to reach the ''next level''. At no point has he claimed that Johnson was bad this year, or that he doesn''t deserve the praise and accolades he has received. I can''t understand why some people can''t acknowledge that Johnson is a limited passer. This doesn''t make him useless or bad, it merely highlights how good his other attributes are (energy, tackling, agression), and how important they have been this season.