Bjorn Johnsen at Ulsan Hyundai (S. Korea)

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad' started by Jgco, Dec 29, 2012.

  1. Gacm32

    Gacm32 Member+

    Chelsea
    Switzerland
    Nov 28, 2010
    Geneva
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    Switzerland
    That's because not everything is in stats. I watched him when he played at Hearts, and even though he went through a dry spell in front of goal, he still created a lot of chances for himself and others.
     
  2. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    I can't help my OCD with stats. :p Emile Heskey had a poor goalscoring record, which is how everyone sees him despite his all around game (providing for assists and goalscoring opportunities for others).
     
  3. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This still seems like a move driven by money in both directions. AZ were willing to pay a substantial fee and Bjorn gets a raise.

    But competitively not a whole lot is gained. He has an outside chance to win league, but PSV and Ajax are going to be the faves as usual. He has a less clear shot at starting and succeeding personally. He was already entrenched at ADO. And I've seen Europa League brought up as an incentive. But they are only in qualifiers and already down 2 w/ no road goal. So they are up against it. He was in a similar situation at Litex and Hearts. Never got to play in a Europa League group stage.

    Should have looked for an alternative this window or waited for a better spot if it weren't available.
     
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  4. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    Just as a point of comparison; I kinda wish Jozy had moved to an Ajax or PSV when he left AZ. They wouldn't have offered as much as Sunderland, but had he gone there; so many different possibilities. He'd have had CL for sure.
     
  5. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    Maars goals are AZ?
     
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  6. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  7. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    "Bjorn Maars Johnsen rocks the AZ song."

    Yeah, so - quality is not my thing.
     
  8. KicksNgiggles

    KicksNgiggles Member

    Aug 18, 2016
    BHM
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  9. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    Can he outdo Jozy's success at the club?
     
  10. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
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  11. KicksNgiggles

    KicksNgiggles Member

    Aug 18, 2016
    BHM
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    :D
    I am assuming you've had brunost?
     
  12. Dunno if Bjorn plays, but the AZ match in the EL is to be seen on facebook
    Primeur: Europa League-wedstrijd AZ live op Facebook

    Voetballiefhebbers kunnen aanstaande donderdag een primeur beleven. AZ speelt dan de Europa Leaguewedstrijd tegen FC Kairat Almaty uit Kazachstan en die wedstrijd wordt door de club zelf live uitgezonden op het facebookaccount van de club.

    Nik Kok 31-07-18, 14:15 Laatste update: 01-08-18, 17:25

    Het is voor het eerst dat een Nederlandse club de eigen wedstrijd uitzendt via Facebook. Volgens algemeen directeur Robert Eenhoorn is dat misschien wel het begin van een nieuwe ontwikkeling. ,,Bij nieuwe ontwikkelingen staan we bij AZ graag vooraan. We zijn heel benieuwd of er veel belangstelling voor is.”
     
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  13. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    I have, actually, but in Iceland, oddly enough.
     
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  14. Keep fingers crossed AZ erases the difference and go over it. Then it will be show time to see if Bjorn can be as an annoyance to Euro league defenses as Jozy was.
     
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  15. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Bjorn is not in the 18, which isn't shocking since he just signed. So he's not going to have an influence whether Europa League football is going to be a perk of this transfer. If AZ don't overcome the 2+ goal deficit at home today he'll just be competing in the Eredivisie again, just with a better chance of winning the league (but still would be big dogs, 14/1 right now).
     
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  16. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    AZ lost 3-1 on aggregate. So no Europa League for Bjorn after all. I think the same thing happened at Hearts, getting ko'ed in the early playoff round b4 he could play post-signing. Actually the most Europa League he tasted was at Litex.

    So it'll just be Eredivisie for him again. Outside maybe an immediate salary bump, don't see the point of this move for him. Wish he would have transferred to another league if he was going to leave ADO. Hopefully he kills it and can transfer again in winter. He's a nomad. Never been anywhere for more than around a year.
     
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  17. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    Now that none of the Ered clubs gets a ticket direct to the group stage, we'll see how many they manage to put through the preliminaries.

    Last season they still had two going straight to the group stage, Noord (Champs) & Vitesse (Europa), but both finished last in their groups.

    None of the clubs that had to play to get there (Ajax, Utrecht, PSV) made it.
     
  18. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    My guess is, since ADO is not really known for big signings, all better Euro action was for much less than AZ offered. AZ is a great "stepping stone" club. Nothing at all bad about this move if he plays well. And North Holland is lovely, especially if you sail or like cheese and clogs.
     
  19. A cheesy penalty given against AZ after about 30 minutes ment AZ had to score 4 times.
     
  20. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think part of AZ being a stepping stone club as compared to ADO is the former typically houses better players that would warrant being bought. Bjorn had a historic season for ADO and led the league in non pk goals. Leading scorers in the previous season who played at worse clubs than AZ got transferred to La Liga and Serie A. That should get you a promotion, especially if he would have proven he wasn't a fluke, at a club where he had goodwill built up. At AZ he's going to get less leeway if he gets off to a slow start or slumps. The caveat if he plays and plays well are both there. He was proven in the ADO system.

    You're probably right that AZ came in with the highest bid. But there must have been others in better leagues, or ones there was higher upside like a good team in the Championship or 2. BL. I'd have told them to take those deals for a bit less, or I'm staying put. He does have a history of weird career choices. Namely I'm talking about the Litex Lovech one from Atletico CP and Hearts when he was on a free. ADO was the only one which I thought was favorable at the time. This is lateral.
     
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  21. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    Just going off memory, but I can't recall ADO sending a player to the Bund, EPL, Liga or Serie A in last half-dozen years. But I could easily be wrong. I don't follow them all that closely. But *generally* a single season Ered standout that's not at a top club or coming from a top national team goes through Ajax/PSV/Feynie/AZ or, to a lesser extent 'veen/utrecht/twente (back in the day)/vitesse

    Utrecht sent Haller to Bund last year, but they have been a "top" club for a few seasons now and Haller has been a very special player over 2 seasons. Vitesse sold Zhang to West Brom last year, but he was immediately loaned to Werder and got no game and now is loaned to ADO to be BMJ's replacement! lulz. Hercules sent Hoogma to Germany and Gosens to Serie A - but both for 1 million or more less.

    More common for "Under top 5" clubs is Feynie buying Larsson and St. Juste from 'veen for 3 and 4 mill respectively.

    Not saying it couldn't have happened (and had BMJ been able to go on a free I have no doubt he'd have gone to a top 4 league) but ADO have never seen money like that and I doubt anyone other league came close. Also telling the other big Ered clubs did not go in in any serious way. Means there are some doubts about the sell-on opportunities.
     
  22. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    I think maybe Jensen from Twente and Bacuna from Groningen were the only two "non-AZ/PSV/Feyn/Ajax/Utrecht" big 4 transfers this season.

    AZ sold their two starlets - Jahan and Weghorst. And AZ has as good a track record as anyone for selling to Europe (Jozy, Aronjo, for instance)

    Anyway, it's not like it never happens that a non-top 6 club sells to a big 4, but it's the exception. AZ, PSV, Ajax and Feynie are top sellers, I think, over past 5-10 years. If BMJ produces he'll get his shot.
     
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  23. The league top 3 are all provided for with the striker position (up till this moment in the transfer window), except AZ that sold theirs to the BuLi and EPL.
    Bjorn was an unknown player when Feyenoord needed a back up striker when Jorgensen was injured. We went for an ADO player, Kramer, who failed and Bjorn would have been a way better option.
    But unfortunately that's hindsight.
    I often last season wondered what our chances would have been for the title with him, as we during the absence of Jorgensen were pretty much toothless up front.
    I'm sure the management would have liked the money spent on Kramer to have gone to Bjorn last season.
     
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  24. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    Johnsen is a late bloomer, about to be 27 soon. There's a lot of natural skepticism with attacking players who don't show that well before turning 24.
     
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  25. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He showed well at 24 is just he did it in very low level leagues.
     
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