As posted by Filho:
Eddie johnson has the tools, but i get annoyed at how timid a player he is. He plays like he is afraid to make a mistake and chickens out of confrontations against defenders when his best options is to try to get a step on the player and take a shot. I watched him in his appearances in the Copa America and the Gold Cup and too often he had half a step on his marker and then stopped and tried to backtrack when he had room to go on a run and try a shot or bring in a cross...and i don't mean trying to take on the whole defense. I mean one man who he already get a beat on. You get the feeling that a coach who believes in him and gives him license to be a little selfish could take him to the next level. But he plays with no drive. He looks unambitious for a striker of his talent. Hopefully Hodgson could get him out of his shell
I seem to remember you making a similar comment a few months back and I cyah disagree. Ah really endorse the comments in bold.
I would only supplement your comment to say ... I believe the US coaching staff believe in him, but are/were aware of his "tendency" ... sometimes you let players work out these kinks through playing.
Specifically, EJ may benefit more from the advice/insight of a very experienced player with whom he shares the position even moreso than from from the confidence of a mgr.
My observation of some of those matches in which he was tentative is that I also noticed the team (as a unit) struggled to attain a rhythm ... he seemed unable to make defining plays breaking out of this pattern ... something that has been known to happen to many players when there is opportunistic rather than consistent, decisive movement of the ball forward.
