O'Regan has commented on this subject in the last couple of games. He said we just look superior at the moment. He also mentioned our physicality compared to Sheff U and  MK. Is this down to Johnson ? He certainly helps without a doubt. There seems to be an air of confidence with him on the pitch which was definately lacking before he came back. Obviously MK and to an extent Sheff U both came back into the game against us but we are playing away from home to 2 so called title challengers. No one on here gets carried away when talking up Town but hopefully we are starting to do the right things and putting a stamp on games from the kick off. If we can carry on in this vein we'll be fine and as said above Loui DJ certainly helps the cause.

He's good.........simples

He just sits in front of the back 4 shielding them, wins the ball with great positioning rather than tackling and plays the simple ball. I don't expect him to beat a man and Bennett is more likely to score a goal but great at what he does.

Can't think of a player exactly like him but the likes of Batty, Makelele are what he models himself on.

Thanks booth I was bored so I thought I wud start a article about Johnson , no one seems botherd or interested tho wish I never botherd now disappointed in inter with his comment on it very lazy from him that was . Thanks johnny on your comment at least you try and he don't want town to win even . Are well know stars either . Might as well delete it .

No stars not know hehehe

being honest..most of the good things we are doing now is because kay has taken charge..

johnson is in his right position on the field rather than being made to sit on p clarks knee to protect him from people running at him..


the rest of the midfield can play with a bit more freedom because the full backs are up because the centre backs are up and there isnt this massive gap left between them..

slight change in personnel and with it, attitude has made the difference..johnson is a good player but looks better in our new "system" than our old one.. i suspect joey would look much better if he was playing now..

alan lee looks a better player alongside lee novak and vice versa...

maybe after 2 and a half years we have finally found a line up and system that will bring some success??

I hope so .

the other thing i have noticed is how much better a player Arfield is when played on the right, he seems to support Hunt better when he is out of position getting forward , but he also seems more willing to get into the box and support the strikers

So where does mcdermot fit into this team then?

He don't

mcdermott should be used at home as the forward central midfield player with johnson holding..

he is also a replacement for the wide players.

robinson/johnson away from home...ward on one side and arfield(who has staked his claim for the right side)..

basically pick who is playing well and stick with it knowing we have decent strength on the bench..

getting rid of 2 wingers and concentrating on playing recognised midfielders has done the trick, just as I was advocating weeks ago...hmm, clever me.


Keep reading LC, you'll pick up more tips as the season progresses, we'll see you through it mate.

Would I be right in saying..........................!

I take on board all that is said & try & piece things together, My opinion at the moment is as 38 has said, on more than one occasion I think, KAY is the man, hence my regular question of "Where & what now for Clarke ".

Re-Johnson Loui'
I think this change in attitude & effort has come about since Kay became captain, & 3 combinations have formed, which has had a knock on effect through the team.
KAY/McC Rely on & Trust each other, Kay is a far better footballer than Clarke, & it would seem a better captain too, Has McCombe more freedom along side Kay, ? To do & get on with what he does best, the ariel challenge.
Midfield puts up more questions, (We have the answer - JOHNSON) Seems like there are less sulkers & egos literally 'parading' around. ARFIELD now knows exactly what he wants to do & what is expected of him.
LEE/NOVAK, How long have I been championing FITNESS.
TOWN were not fit enough before, A leaner lighter A LEE (along with KAY) & being able to turn out as a starter on a regular basis is what he & we expected from day 1. (Why it took so long to become reality is another thread..) NOVAK & his trademark '100%' performances are just what a target man needs, Together 'They make a lovely couple'... along with the phase two option of Rhodes when Novak gets kernackered, He can now come on fresh, against tired defenders & 'poach' to his hearts content.

Now.
Has all this been worked out & put into place, OR.
All come about by accident ?
IMO, If Clarke hadn't have been injured, the defensive change would not have been made, & regardless of Johnsons return into the side, it has to be asked, would the midfield still have had to play way too deep to compensate for a Clarke/McCombe defensive pairing that clearly did not blend ?
So, Johnson Yes. great acquisition & vital part of the 'change'.
But for me, KAY is the Key.

And, Onto you boys !
Is the (verbal) Support going to improve along with the performances, The turn outs have never been in question, But being at the 'Pharm , you must admit, can be an awfully dull experience,

it would seem that the Kay McCombe partnership may have come about by accident because PC was dropped because of an injury

the other changes , I firmly believe if johnson had been fit at the beginning of the season he would have started.

as for the winger situation , Arfield got hi spot i believe because he came on as sub a few times and played well, very well in fact , whereas our out and out wingers have been somewhat inconsistent, Arfield earned a start and it would seem want to keep his place

Novak is fit and scoring goals , Lee had come off the bench a few times and really put himself about, it may have coincided with Rhodes international duty , but on the first game he was away LC played 4-5-1 with novak upfront so i'm not so sure it was an accident

My Bad, was in a bit of a hurry

Johnson has made a big difference in the last 2 matches but to say the sudden change in form is just down to him would be harsh on some other players.

Johnson does the simple things well and leaves the fancy stuff to others. He breaks up opposition moves by sitting in the space between defence and midfield which we had previously left open for around 12 months during his absence. Then when we go forward DJ always makes himself available just off of the man on the ball, which means we always have an easy ball on and can keep possession in good areas. He's a massive bonus and there's no doubting that he makes things tick in the middle of the park.

Scott Arfield has IMO been our best player in the last 2 matches, and his ability to play in a very difficult position has enabled us to look better defensively while playing with 2 strikers away from home. His work rate is fantastic and that has never been doubted, but now we're using his willingness to run to full effect while giving his something of a "free role" on the right hand side, covering in the middle when we defend and then offering an outlet when we go forward.

Tony Kay and Jamie McCombe both deserve equal credit for the solidness we have now found at the back. The captain gets to decide how we defend - Peter Clarke liked to sit on the 6 yard box and wait to make another last ditch bloke but Tony Kay actually gets us out early and stops the constant pressure on our goal. McCombe in my opinion has been the better of the 2 performance wise but Kay does the organizing which is critical for the rest of the team. His added pace in comparison to Clarke is a bonus as well.

town need to be one of the teams that i like to call "one timers".

simply put, it means you get once chance at a corner or a free kick to score.. if the ball is cleared then the side get themselves out and attack the second ball before the opposition get a chance to get it back in. we need to station players at the edge and just outside the box to effectively clear the ball , if we all mooch back into the box leaving one bloke or at times no one further up the field then the cleared ball just comes straight back in, effectively offering the opposition another go. we use to do this and wycombe can testify to being dicked on the break at least 4 times from their own corners at the galpharm..

it also means that the opposition cant overload the box as well..the more in the box the more chaos that can follow.. p clark loved it, i hate it...

Centre Midfield - the engine room.
Tommy Miller - the con-man masquerading as a midfielder.
Damien Johnson - class act at this level and now hopefully feels he owes Town for the rehab.
Result - Massive difference.

It's worked out ok my article after all thanks lads .

38,
A man on each post (full backs) to defend a corner,
Makes the goals 6 yards wide instead of 8.
Novak up on his own, with the two wingers 'almost' out by the halfway flags, "They" which ever team it might be, Will not flood our box,
The best way to defend the Alamo, is Attack those attacking you.
The modern game often seems to abandon space,
I liked your analysis of what seemed to be a P Clarke inspired tactic,
From what appears to have taken place since his injury,
It would seem the players are in full agreement with you & hated it too

I don't know how many goals we have now conceded from the area about 3 yards from the far post. Is this Bennett's fault ? (just asking).

jacko..
too many bodies in the box.. too many people who then ball watch.. pick up your man and make a challenge. if the initial ball goes nowhere near you just stay with your man..forget the ball.. just do your own job.. most of the time bennett couldnt get near the ball for the wall of bodies underneath it.. we got so deep at time against sheff utd the challenges were not made till the ball was about to go past our goalposts.. one slight touch from that distance and its a goal..
and bennett is coming out with about 40 or 50 stone in a big lump on the move heading straight towards him..
get em further out give bennett a chance, get em trying to head it in from further out..

I might have advocated a zonal marking system, rather than man for man, but having watched Arsenals zonal defence against blackburn, maybe not.

It is a problem with Town though, there seems to be a 'hole' in the defence at both posts really...maybe its the full backs not being tall enough, maybe we need a Mally Brown...whatever, we need to plug this hole.

Damian Johnson in 1 word - Quality.