CONFIRMED Marvin Johnson

[PaddysMad]

Must be signing Assombalonga then.

 

[Eric Cartman]

Be as wary as you like, all I ask is an open mind and a modicum of trust in a superb Manager.

Look further up. I am.

I’m just not expecting much at the same time.

 

[CoatesyBlade]

Many might have seen this and these videos can be misleading but can see why he cost Boro 2.5m. Has some pace and a decent left peg from these clips. Very direct, proper winger. Not sure if he'll be good enough defensively if he comes in at LWB but certainly looks promising whatever.

Anyone else think he looked better coming in off the right? ‍ Haha

 

[FTPE]

£2.5m a year ago?
Must have something about him.

 

[Broomhall Blade]

I will reserve judgement until i have seen him play a few times for the Blades.

 

[LSF]

I'll never understand why folk get so hung up what other fans think.
I mean, out of all the people involved in the transfer of a footballer, the fans as the onlookers, probably, nay definitely, know the least.

 

[Roygbiv]

I will reserve judgement until i have seen him play a few times for the Blades.

Mental idea

 

[FriethBlade]

My main hope is that CW thinks he's good enough to immediately improve the first 11 and he's pretty much straight into the starting line up. Same goes for any striker we sign.

 

[Mouth of the South]

I should think he couldn’t dislodge Friend considering he’s a winger and Friend a left back.

Do you really think CW will play him as a left winger? He was signed by Boro as a left back, where he played the majority of his games for Oxford. Good that he's versatile but given that Utd haven't played with wingers for 2 years I'd expect him to compete with/replace Stevens at LWB and drop into left back if Utd ever revert to a back 4 in games.

 

[SteveBlade]

Straight in at LWB.

Worst case scenario is he's a fast and athletic bastard who can't defend, and has no end product. Which is better than a slow and unathletic bastard who is a questionable defender and who also has no end product.

 

[Eric Cartman]

Do you really think CW will play him as a left winger? He was signed by Boro as a left back, where he played the majority of his games for Oxford. Good that he's versatile but given that Utd haven't played with wingers for 2 years I'd expect him to compete with/replace Stevens at LWB and drop into left back if Utd ever revert to a back 4 in games.

You said he couldn’t dislodge Friend, they’re different positions...
And I assure you he might have played a few games at LB but he was mainly a winger for Oxford

This is nothing to do with what he’s signed here for

 

[Roygbiv]

Straight in at LWB.

Worst case scenario is he's a fast and athletic bastard who can't defend, and has no end product. Which is better than a slow and unathletic bastard who is a questionable defender and who also has no end product.

When you put it like that.....

 

[Rob86]

Maybe also worth checking Oxford supporters' view of him - quite different I would expect.

Not expecting a glowing reference from M'boro as they won't have seen the best of him - he struggled to dislodge Friend from the team and had limited opportunities although I'm still surprised they let him go.

Whilst he's played up front previously, he'll have been bought (in Jan) as an upgrade to Stevens and Lafferty - if Saturday didn't convince CW it is required, nothing ever will.

I’d add to that that they’ve just come out the Prem and expect to win the Championship. We just want a player that can cross the ball who’s got pace !

 

[Keef Chedwyn]

He's whiter than I expected tbh.

 

[blademark]

Look further up. I am.

I’m just not expecting much at the same time.

Fair enough bud.

 

[Booker4]

Straight in at LWB.

Worst case scenario is he's a fast and athletic bastard who can't defend, and has no end product. Which is better than a slow and unathletic bastard who is a questionable defender and who also has no end product.

Taken from the Boro website:

Primarily a left-sided winger, the 26-year-old can play anywhere across the forward line, while he has also been utilised as a left-back. In just over 200 recorded career appearances to date, Marvin has notched up 35 goals and 41 assists.

As you say I reckon Wilder will use him at LWB and he'll certainly add some creativity on the left.

 

[Eric Cartman]

He admits himself here he can’t defend. And he’s a winger. But the fact he’s been deployed there means he MUST have learned some defensive skills and hopefully we can enhance those further.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/sport/1...9_m_enjoying_left_back_role_at_Oxford_United/

 

[FredZeppelin]

.

 

[Ricky]

I don't give a shit what the Boro fans think. They weren't the right club for him. The majority of his time there, Pulis was the manager. The guy who generally plays rigid, defensive football with centre backs at full back. Not the place Johnson would excel. And he didn't get a regular run of games.

On top of that, they're judging him as a winger. He won't be playing as a winger here. He'll be at LWB. Different positions, different demands. Attacking as a winger is very different to attacking as a wing back. Wing backs will often have more space, and that will suit a quick, direct type like Johnson.

 

[Eric Cartman]

I don't give a shit what the Boro fans think. They weren't the right club for him. The majority of his time there, Pulis was the manager. The guy who generally plays rigid, defensive football with centre backs at full back. Not the place Johnson would excel. And he didn't get a regular run of games.

On top of that, they're judging him as a winger. He won't be playing as a winger here. He'll be at LWB. Different positions, different demands. Attacking as a winger is very different to attacking as a wing back. Wing backs will often have more space, and that will suit a quick, direct type like Johnson.

I don’t disagree but I’m not going to start getting excited either.

 

[Mouth of the South]

Must have been a different Marvin Johnson I watched regularly play left back for Oxford then as you obviously know better.

 

[Fanny magnet]

I'm convinced that this could be a key signing for us ,not particularly because of the person we are signing but the position he's filling

Our side has been absolutely crying out for some threat from either flank ,the two current full backs seem to get the vast majority of chances to create or score particularly in tight games v good sides and the lack of composure is startling ( although baldock is improving in this aspect and might benefit from someone showing him the way
Plus o'Connell has seemingly lost confidence in us retainng possession or creating chances when he joins the attacks and seems more reluctant to get forward now

 

[Eric Cartman]

Must have been a different Marvin Johnson I watched regularly play left back for Oxford then as you obviously know better.

I’d like to think he knows better, you know, himself.

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

This could be with a view of changing our formation and not being one dimensional in all games.

If we’re getting over run or if we feel a team could over run us then this signing allows us to go 4-4-2 with Woodburn on the right, fleck/ Norwood, Johnson on the left.

 

[SteveBlade]

Taken from the Boro website:

Primarily a left-sided winger, the 26-year-old can play anywhere across the forward line, while he has also been utilised as a left-back. In just over 200 recorded career appearances to date, Marvin has notched up 35 goals and 41 assists.

As you say I reckon Wilder will use him at LWB and he'll certainly add some creativity on the left.

Sounds like there might be a bit of an end product there then! Those stats aren't bad at all.

A bit of a threat on that side of the pitch will improve us massively. Even if he's not brilliant defensively, JOC or our deeper midfielder will naturally cover when our LWB is out of position, or under pressure.

Very exciting signing, and I bet we're all feeling a lot better than we were early last week. The weaknesses in our side seem to be really getting addressed.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

 

[Ricky]

I don’t disagree but I’m not going to start getting excited either.

I'm fairly excited by this one. I'll just be glad to see some actual pace and attacking ability at wing back.

I've said for a long time that upgrading the wing backs would transform the team more than anything else. If you only have one wide player on either side, they need to be good, they need to be productive.

There may be issues with him defensively, but he won't have to play every game. Stevens won't be redundant.

 

[SUFC Guy]

I'll never understand why folk get so hung up what other fans think.
I mean, out of all the people involved in the transfer of a footballer, the fans as the onlookers, probably, nay definitely, know the least.

Absolutely spot on. How would we have rated Coutts under twatkins if fans from another club asked us about him?

 

[blademark]

I'm fairly excited by this one. I'll just be glad to see some actual pace and attacking ability at wing back.

I've said for a long time that upgrading the wing backs would transform the team more than anything else. If you only have one wide player on either side, they need to be good, they need to be productive.

There may be issues with him defensively, but he won't have to play every game. Stevens won't be redundant.

With you on this. Assuming he signs and plays LWB, he could also cause Baldock to improve indirectly.

 

[Jon Bon II]

Throw enough shit at the wall and some of it is bound to stick.

Said Bobby Sands once....