Does Lone Star need Dulee?


By Wleh Bedell
bedellblessing@yahoo.com
+2316106293

Diminutive playmaker Dulee Johnson might have revived his career by signing a two year deal with middle of the table club Amazulu in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL). The 27 year old has had a troubling career ranging from rape allegation to drunkenness.

From Floda Boif to BK Hacken and then AIK Solna all of Sweden to Israeli side Meccabi Telavi and back to AIK, the next route would be De Graffschap in the Netherlands. Since being axed by the Dutch outfit, the playmaker was inactive for a lengthy spell before being signed on as a free agent by Amazulu who are coached by a certain Swedish Coach Roger Palgrem, mainly responsible for Dulee’s moving to his current destination.

At least the player was for the second time able to feature against Manchester United, in a pre season friendly in South Africa where he came on midway in the second half and showed some glimpses of his form with his incisive quick passing style and movement.

 Though the match ended 1-0 in favor of the Red Devils, courtesy of the Italian Federico Machida’s goal after latching onto a tee from want away Bulgarian striker Dimitir Berbatov, the tiny Liberian midfielder it can be recalled featured against Man United, mainly their reserve side in a friendly with Birmingham in a match he featured for the latter during his time there on trial. But, while Johnson might have resurrected his career the major question from a Liberian perspective is whether Lone Star needs him.

 In fairness the red, white and blue outfit lacks a playmaker, somewhere Dulee could fit as he is useful as a spearhead in midfield in a triangular form. With the senior national team operating with a double pivot in Alseny Keita and Theo Lewis Weeks where they sit in front the back four soaking the pressure, initiating the team’s build up play and dispossessing opponents in a shield role, a player like Dulee whose subtle moves, creative vision and intelligence in stabilizing things in the middle third as well as providing the final balls for the front men will be needed.

However, while no one will deny the fact that the lad has talent his not too good attitude relative to his discipline could be termed a reason the Lone Star might not need him. He is no doubt a trouble maker and his September, 2010 axing from the Lone Star along with two other controversial players Dioh Williams and Francis Doe after breaking camp is one reason calling back the former lower league side Liverpool man would be difficult.

There could however be one thing to smile about at least for those who have the player as their fan. The current set up of the team which has Henry Brown as technical director of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) and head coach of the Lone Star Kaetu Smith as the two men who coached Dulee and the rest of the lads on the Monrovia FC U-13, U-14 and U-15 squad that made in-roads in the Scandinavia look poised to call their top scorer in the three years competition which many criticize as the Liberian side virtually fielded over age players.

With Zah Krangar, also a member of that squad now playing as a playmaker on the Lone Star and Dioh Willliams serving as an embarrassment for the duo as he and Francis Doe were for the second time ‘expelled’ from the team, Dulee could be the next man in line to reunite with his two former coaches.