Alistair Johnston

Think he's been solid since he came in and today was another solid performance. Not as flashy as JJ, but feel he'll grow into the inverted role soon enough.

 

No better than Ralston for me. Let's be brutally honest - he's not looking as good as we were hoping he would.

 

Based on what, one game? He's been superb for the other 4 appearances.

 

Superb is hugely overdoing it.

Based on his performances so far, I'm not seeing the player others are.

 

I even think he was very good today. Never got bullied, defended well, moved into good positions ans slipped Kyogo in with a lovely ball first half.

Think some of the reactions have been way over the top.

 

Spot on.

People need to get over this rampaging full back idea.
It's not the managers style and never has been. He wants full backs to move infield and get involved in the bulid up. His whole style of play is based on creating space for the wide players to get into 1v1s.
That is why Johnston was signed, bcoz he plays the way the manager wants his full backs to play.
Taylor has been praised to the hilt all season (rightly so imo) and I don't think he's beat an opposition full back since we signed him.

 

Defends well, offers little going forward.

Him and bernabei look like very expensive players for what they offer.

Tony and Taylor look better, and 6-7M spend across them both, arguably to be rotation at best, looks on the high side.

 

Jesus wept, the boy has played a handful of games. And looked pretty decent in they games as well by the way. Today was probably his worst game, but even at that, he was solid defensively. He just didn’t do a great deal going forward.

 

Folk forget he’s been here about a month lol … he’s been defensively solid for me and i’m sure the attacking side will come the more he gets used to the system and teammates etc

 

At least let the bhoy get in the door before slagging him. He’s done nothing wrong in a defensive perspective and looks comfortable on the ball. It’s a new system for him so give the guy a break.

 

I like him. Good player.

 

I really like him tbh. I think he's actually grand going forward but at times there's * all point whipping in a ball when teans camp so deep and we've a tiny forward line, recycling the ball for an opening makes more sense naw? He's a proper athlete and solid imo, no real complaints so far for me. It'll come in the attacking sense.

 

4 clean sheets in a row now for him. 5 for the team. We were struggling to keep them before the break, he’s a solid defender. Comfortable with the ball at his feet and only going to improve.

 

We’ve conceded 1 goal from open play in 5 games with him in the team thats a pretty good stat and shows he’s made the defence better?

 

He's similar to Juranovic I think, both safe and tidy on the ball and better at defending than overlapping or creating. Where as Ralston is less of a defender but is better at overlapping and crossing and more creative with his passing

The way we play we don't really "like" the full-backs overlapping or getting into the box anyway, we like them coming inside and moving around off the ball covering for the centre-mids defensively and just being part of the passing and moving and it works really well for the team.

Main difference would be Juranovic could run with the ball or did it a bit more anyway. Not really seen Johnston go on a run, might not be his style or might not be doing it yet, took Maeda about 10 month before he started running with the ball for us lol

 

Thank * you're not the manager then. Otherwise Giakoumakis, Taylor and Mooy wouldn't have made the first team if you're basing off early appearances.

And yes, superb. He's been in 2 Team of The Weeks now.

 

Superb is more than a stretch. Fine yes, but no way superb.

Arguably Jota was superb today. Mooy had a superb cross. Johnston arguably did his job.

But, also unarguably was very disappointing going forwards.

 

Wouldn't agree that we don't like the full backs overlapping.

Given we won probably close to 5/6 games last year from FBs overlapping I'd say we really do like that sort of move.

 

It's amazing how one "poor" performance can turn you into a whipping boy for the rest of your career regardless of what you do. Starfelt being prime example. Only at Celtic lol