Mark Allen has openly admitted that winning the World Snooker Championship remains the ultimate goal of his career, and a former Crucible winner believes he knows exactly how Allen can finally achieve it. Watching Allen’s dominant 4-0 victory over Ishpreet Singh Chadha at the Scottish Open, 1986 world champion Joe Johnson suggested the Northern Irishman is at his most dangerous when he plays with speed and attacking intent.
Johnson feels Allen has gradually adopted a more cautious, safety-first style in recent seasons, similar to Mark Selby’s grinding approach. While that shift helped Allen reach world No. 1 at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Johnson argues it could be limiting his chances at the Crucible. In his view, Allen should lean into his natural strengths by opening up the reds, dictating the tempo and forcing opponents to play on his terms.
Allen’s performance in Edinburgh backed up that argument. His opening match featured fluent breaks of 97, 74, 88 and 84 as he swept past Chadha, setting up a last-16 clash with Wang Yuchen. Despite a glittering career that includes 12 ranking titles and the 2018 Masters, the world crown remains the only major prize missing from his résumé.
Johnson, one of snooker’s most famous outsiders after his stunning 1986 Crucible triumph over Steve Davis, believes Allen has already proven his attacking pedigree. With five maximum breaks and hundreds of centuries to his name, Johnson insists Allen doesn’t need to outplay rivals in safety exchanges when everyone on tour is strong in that department.
Allen has previously said his career would feel incomplete without a world title, noting that players turn professional dreaming of lifting the trophy in Sheffield. While that ambition remains unfulfilled, he still believes he has what it takes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Northern Irish world champions Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor.
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