Alistair Johnston

Not closing down crosses, and I might be totally wrong here, but I think it’s a Rodgers thing. It’s a very Premiership style of defending as well, stand off not close down and put hands behind the back so handball isn’t a possibility. It’s something that’s happened a lot this season as that, from guys that weren’t last season. It was something that we done BR’s first time round here as well.

AJ has been at fault more goals than our fans pick out at him, both this season and last, and as much as I don’t want to call for a pile on to players in our team he’s had an easy ride of it because he’s very likeable and wears his heart on his sleeve. But the standing off letting crosses in stuff, it’s something from Rodgers first stint and watching Premier League teams that actually fries my brain and I overly focus on it because of that. Stop the crosses but, first and foremost.

 

Can see the debate for it being a thing that Rodgers has asked, but at same time, it's not overly an issue on the left is it? (Genuine question, something I've not picked up).

What I have noticed and is on my mind now, he was stand off when Yang was to blame for the Huns 3rd goal against us.
Instead of going to help/close down the space Matundo was eventually going to use, he just stood in no man's land.

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Second one is maybe about standing off, first one he's just MIA.

 

Maeda being on the left usually it’s not usually a situation we see, it’s one on ones. Most times when we see an overload in the box, and a cross that can be pressed being allowed to come in it’s the other side because it’s aimed towards the back post with a big guy on Taylor.

Taylor the way he defends as well very rarely allows the space needing to come out and close down a winger, he’s generally wide and close to them already. And then there’s the back up of Calmac, who is a lot more natural at covering in LB. It’s not something that happens a lot on that side allowing the opportunity of needing to come out and press the winger from crossing.

Matondo goal Yang’s been slaughtered for, and he done * but it’s AJ’s fault hands down for me. For one, * a very easy clearance, then ran back covering nothing tucked in the middle of the box.

Yang doing everything the same, if AJ steps forward 3 yards, he can’t cut into the middle onto his right. Yang was covering his position, against their winger not even tracking a fullback, and he left him one on one, doing nothing tucked in. He * the clearance and then hid. Don’t think intentionally it’s not his character that but in reality, that’s what it was, and it’s left Yang on his own covering - poorly, and hung out to dry.

 

I’ll need to have another look, but was he standing in the middle tucked in with CB’s but not covering * all instead? It’s a habit he has. One I can’t remember last season, so I’m hoping it’s just he’s adjusting to not needing to help the RCB next to him, because CCV’s back. Rest of the season it’s been a reel of oddities like Phillips, Nawrocki and Lagerbielke

 

How I saw that goal as well

Hard to be so harsh in Yang, an all out attacking and young winger in that situation, when the guy who's meant to be defending is tucked away out of sight.
As you say, not AJ character so again not to be too harsh, but is what it is

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When he stood up for that penalty I thought we'd * it. Fair play though. Balls of steel to stand up and take a penalty as a defender and put it away with ease. Our next penalty taker? The celtic tav?

 

Aye. Within a yard of CCV, is how I saw it when I rewatched last night.

 

Think if AJ stepped out and covered the space he cut into, he’d be getting praise rather than slaughtered. He was standing off, something I don’t like but it’s very common defending from the best teams in the game as well, I think it’s * but I’m just a dafty on my couch and a spare ticket sometimes

He’d covered the possibility of knocking it to the touchline without losing it, we had plenty guys in the centre, somebody else should be stepping out covering the cut in. And that was AJ. I feel like I’m picking on AJ, I really like him, but there’s been more than a few that I’ve been unimpressed with his defending. And it’s all against the Huns, they will stick in my head, so don’t know if there’s ones that go unnoticed and that’s what he does.

 

I hate this comparison so much, but when my Hun cousins used to shout for Lee Wallace to be first choice for Scotland, ahead of Tierney emerging or Robertson, the thing I always pointed out and they had no argument back was aye he can look awrite when it’s going his way - under pressure he tucks into the box next to a CB ‘covering’ but really just abandoning his wing, and then shouts at those round him when the wings wide open and gets exploited.


AJ reminds me of that sometimes. And I really like him, he’s not always like that, sometimes he’s a * warrior and leader and steps up. But it goes unnoticed a lot he can be terrifying defensively, the times he’s not excellent

 

Not good enough going forward, with the odd exception, and has a bit of the Starfelt brain fart in him. He's not a big game player either, to link with one of your other posts.

 

Pathetic attempt at closing down crosses. Puts the rest of the defence under unnecessary pressure which Taylor and Scales can't handle.

Class penalty though.

 

Fair play, not something I picked up on from Rodgers’ first stint tbh.

 

Went missing today. When involved was really poor.

 

He’s been poor all season imo

 

I can't really remember much of his contribution today, but the first half of this season it looked like he was still gradually recovering from the surgery he had last summer. I thought his performances improved a lot from January onwards.

 

I thought they only improved for maybe 3 games then back to looking poor. I like him he gives 100% and he’s a physical lad but very one dimensional this season, slows a lot of attacks I think and is looking off it defensively lately aswell I think. Need him to sharpen up big time for last few games

 

Think he's been OK recently in the 2nd half but last couple of gsmes iffy as *. Him and Kuhn were * today.