Johnstone Hits Back

[baggieal]

Johnstone says - “! should save everything according to some”.

No my son, not everything - BUT you should try diving for almost everything - come off your line for almost everything and give far more confidence to those in front of you for almost everything.

Perhaps if you studied the goals leaked and put your hands up on occasions - you could eliminate a very defensive response on Twitter to your obvious errors!

In Johnstone - we don’t trust!

[Baggiemadguern]

Hardest position to play. Every error is under a microscope. At this point he needs specialist training, and support. Goalkeepers do not become bad over night. They can lose confidence and that is when they need their confidence restoring. That should start with the managers and back room staff, the players should also be part of the process. If a goalkeeper does not respond and it need be, then replace them if there is a better option. Either way keep working on them to get their confidence back it will happen. People are not machines, none of us know what is happening in personal life either.

I recall Peter Smcheicel having an absolute stinker of a first half of the season at Man U. I honestly thought that was it, but he came back to form, possibly the best form of his career and was brilliant for them onwards.

[Baggiemadguern]

I should have added, that for the Reading goal, the defenders were slow to pick up the goal scorer and in Johnstone’s defence, he may have been unsighted when the shot was taken.

[Leicesterbaggie]

As I've posted before, I also have concerns regarding Johnstone, but in his defence I don't understand how fans could criticise him for Reading's goal on Wednesday. Firstly, it was a superb shot and secondly, as in previous seasons, our defenders backed off giving him the opportunity to shoot. Yes, he needs to work on certain aspects of his game but let's not crucify the lad unfairly.

[Albionic68]

Please excuse the ramble but Sam Johnstone’s been something of an enigma for me thus far.

He clearly wasn’t helped by last season’s insistence on playing out to centre backs unsuited to the role of possession based football. When keeping it simple his distribution was fine. Conversely, when passing wide to Gibbs, Phillips and Holgate the ball often sailed over their heads and out of play. Again I’d suggest this was more to do with the system than choice or technique as he had to spray wide diagonals to beat the opposition’s press. Even Brunt’s ‘wand’ doesn’t find our players every time so expecting our keeper to consistently find the perfect pass when under pressure was wildly optimistic.

He made more saves than any other keeper in the Championship last season. In truth I think that says more about the high risk strategy of stretching play at every opportunity than it did for him though. His positioning was often questionable and he was laden footed. Whether that was down to him or the speed at which our moves broke down is open to conjecture. But all too often these factors combined and he was slow going to ground. For me he conceded more than he should with several shots seeming to pass through him. At other times he pulled out absolute worldies he had no right to.

Clearly there are inconsistencies to his game as there were with Ben Foster at a similar age (26). I don’t hold him wholly responsible for any of the goals he’s conceded this season. Could he have got down to the one at Forest if ‘on his toes’ rather than being flat footed? Yes. Equally the Forest player should’ve been tracked by ours. Bartley shouldn’t have turned his back on the ball and jumped to leave a trailing leg for the deflection which ultimately beat Johnstone either. Just close the space down, very sloppy ‘defending’ on Kyle’s part.

Millwall should never have had a corner in the build up to the wide ball which eventually came in for their goal. My only criticisms here are when the ball came over it was never Johnstone’s to win. It was too far out and swirling in the wind. For me he should have held his position and the defence should have dealt with it as in the circumstances I feel it was their responsibility. I still have no idea what HRK and Bartley were thinking or doing.

As for Reading’s goal Phillips and Sawyers failed to track Ejaria’s run. Livermore was the only midfield player to react but had too much ground to make up; it really should have been dealt with by those mentioned. Ejaria had all the time in the world to pick his spot. Could Sam have reacted quicker as the ball flew toward goal? Given the power and accuracy of the shot I don’t think so.

For me Sam Johnstone looks trimmer and generally sharper this season. Given easier options his distribution is more consistent too. Although not his most enthusiastic advocate last season I acknowledge it was very testing for a whole host of reasons. I’ve seen improvements in positioning and footwork and despite the odd spat with Gibbs and Bartley he’s looked more confident and less ruffled this season too. Hopefully he’ll continue to improve his communications and see us concede less than last season, but this will only happen with greater collective concentration and application.

It’ll also be unlikely if ‘supporters’ get on his back.

[baggieal]

Please excuse the ramble but Sam Johnstone’s been something of an enigma for me thus far.

He clearly wasn’t helped by last season’s insistence on playing out to centre backs unsuited to the role of possession based football. When keeping it simple his distribution was fine. Conversely, when passing wide to Gibbs, Phillips and Holgate the ball often sailed over their heads and out of play. Again I’d suggest this was more to do with the system than choice or technique as he had to spray wide diagonals to beat the opposition’s press. Even Brunt’s ‘wand’ doesn’t find our players every time so expecting our keeper to consistently find the perfect pass when under pressure was wildly optimistic.

He made more saves than any other keeper in the Championship last season. In truth I think that says more about the high risk strategy of stretching play at every opportunity than it did for him though. His positioning was often questionable and he was laden footed. Whether that was down to him or the speed at which our moves broke down is open to conjecture. But all too often these factors combined and he was slow going to ground. For me he conceded more than he should with several shots seeming to pass through him. At other times he pulled out absolute worldies he had no right to.

Clearly there are inconsistencies to his game as there were with Ben Foster at a similar age (26). I don’t hold him wholly responsible for any of the goals he’s conceded this season. Could he have got down to the one at Forest if ‘on his toes’ rather than being flat footed? Yes. Equally the Forest player should’ve been tracked by ours. Bartley shouldn’t have turned his back on the ball and jumped to leave a trailing leg for the deflection which ultimately beat Johnstone either. Just close the space down, very sloppy ‘defending’ on Kyle’s part.

Millwall should never have had a corner in the build up to the wide ball which eventually came in for their goal. My only criticisms here are when the ball came over it was never Johnstone’s to win. It was too far out and swirling in the wind. For me he should have held his position and the defence should have dealt with it as in the circumstances I feel it was their responsibility. I still have no idea what HRK and Bartley were thinking or doing.

As for Reading’s goal Phillips and Sawyers failed to track Ejaria’s run. Livermore was the only midfield player to react but had too much ground to make up; it really should have been dealt with by those mentioned. Ejaria had all the time in the world to pick his spot. Could Sam have reacted quicker as the ball flew toward goal? Given the power and accuracy of the shot I don’t think so.

For me Sam Johnstone looks trimmer and generally sharper this season. Given easier options his distribution is more consistent too. Although not his most enthusiastic advocate last season I acknowledge it was very testing for a whole host of reasons. I’ve seen improvements in positioning and footwork and despite the odd spat with Gibbs and Bartley he’s looked more confident and less ruffled this season too. Hopefully he’ll continue to improve his communications and see us concede less than last season, but this will only happen with greater collective concentration and application.

It’ll also be unlikely if ‘supporters’ get on his back.

Good points but Johnstone looks edgy every time the ball comes into the box. In my opinion he should have reacted quicker for the Forest goal and was arguing with Gibbs prior to the corner for the Millwall goal so lost focus and should have done better with the cross.

I agree the defenders should have taken out the Reading player but whilst not Johnstone’s fault - he seems often like a statue with his movement.

Again my opinion but think he’s the worst keeper I have seen in a long time and it’s time for Bond to be given a chance.

I wish I was flustered or agitated with people on my back at work on 30 grand a week!! Did dums.......

[mickd1961]

All good points well made 68 but I’ll make one glaring point.

Stay off Twitter and SoooShall Meeedya if you’re living in a “glass house” or possess a thin skin.

Both apply to Johnstone.

I wonder what Paul Crichton is up to these days!?

[Albionic68]

1. Good points but Johnstone looks edgy every time the ball comes into the box.

2. In my opinion he should have reacted quicker for the Forest goal......

3. .... arguing with Gibbs prior to the corner for the Millwall goal so lost focus and should have done better with the cross.

4. I agree the defenders should have taken out the Reading player......

5. ...... but whilst not Johnstone’s fault - he seems often like a statue with his movement.

6. Again my opinion but think he’s the worst keeper I have seen in a long time and it’s time for Bond to be given a chance.

7. I wish I was flustered or agitated with people on my back at work on 30 grand a week!! Did dums.......

Fair enough, however:

1. Wild exaggeration and he’s caught or punched many a cross. If you’ve not witnessed this then your eyes must have been closed in blind panic .

2. Yes as acknowledged he could have got down quicker. Equally the player should’ve been tracked from deep as stated. Further to this if Bartley does his job correctly there’s no shot and more to the point no deflection to take the shot beyond Johnstone. A shot he had covered before admittedly reacting too slow to.

3. Rowing with Gibbs may have affected his focus, but rowing with Gibbs didn’t affect the flight of the ball. It was a decent ball in which the wind took further out of his way. The only thing he could have done better with on the cross was to hold his position and not go for it at all as previously stated. His defenders should’ve done the rest.

4. No they shouldn’t. Taking him out would have led to a free kick in a dangerous position. They should have closed him down, denied him possession of the ball and the time and space to pick his spot.

5. There are undoubtedly times when Johnstone is slow to react but in this instance Ejaria smashed the ball past him with precision and power, it happens.

6. Ben Foster was the best and most consistent goalkeeper I have seen down the Albion and he’d be a hard act for most goalkeepers to follow. Ben was our number one for seven consecutive Prem’ seasons but if you think back to when he was the same age as Sam (his Manchester United era) many questioned him technically. We haven’t even had another regular first team goalkeeper for you to compare Johnstone to since Scott Carson.

Scott made repeated shot stop howlers. Not only that but he dropped crosses for fun without even being challenged, so I’m dubious as to whether he was a better keeper overall when with us than Sam is now. Prior to that we’re looking at Dean Kiely, a sound shot stopper who hated crosses more than Dracula. Bond’s a good shot stopper too and I like the look of him, but if you want someone to command the box then I’m not sure Bond’s your man. I’d stick with Johnstone – for now at least.

7. You really shouldn’t worry about it Al’, I doubt you’d command a fee for someone to get on your back in the first place chap .

See you at Boro', provided they don't move the kick off .

[mickd1961]

Joe Hart was such an obvious choice for us.

[baggieal]

Joe Hart was such an obvious choice for us.

I would definitely have gone with Hart over Johnstone too.

I do worry about it - that’s Johnstone in goal as for me - he’s a liability but again my opinion. Not just the goals conceded in the points above but the basics - positioning and quick reactions.

Yes definitely see you at Boro. What about Leeds?