Adam Johnson's Borrowed Time

[KolarovsLeftPeg]

I can't now see why anyone would have any remained faith in Adam Johnson.
He's not had a performance that could even be stated as 'good' for over a year.

This isn't knee-jerk, it's been going on for a very long time, and tonight was yet another example.

He's got talent, we've all seen it, but he looks lazy, effortless and generally he's done nothing for a very long time in a blue shirt. The occasional goal when a game is sealed doesn't quite cut it either. He needs to improve massively and we need to sign a winger that will actually cross the ball and take men on, before Johnson no longer does either.

I WISH we could have that lad we signed 2 years ago who literally couldn't wait to take 2 or 3 men on, the lad who won penalties because no-one could see which way he was going, but he's disappeared. Stephen Ireland syndrome.

 

[Blue Haze]

After seeing what he did today, wouldn't surprise me if we sell him in the summer.

He hasn't played well for a while now and Mancini rarely picks him.

 

[KolarovsLeftPeg]

After seeing what he did today, wouldn't surprise me if we sell him in the summer.

He hasn't played well for a while now and Mancini rarely picks him.

The thing is, he has got game time recently, and he's not come close to impressing me in one of those games. He just looks uninterested and lazy these days, static for almost every minute he's on the pitch.

 

[Joga Bonito]

He is superb off the bench, great dribbler and a wicked shot

 

[KolarovsLeftPeg]

He is superb off the bench, great dribbler and a wicked shot

I disagree, but for the sake of the point I'll go with it.

There's not really any point in him being here if he's only going to ever perform from the bench, some days we're gonna need wingers to start and cause trouble and he can't do it. As for your point, I would say superb is an overstatement, he has his moments from the bench but plenty of times he's come on and been as anonymous as he is when he starts.

 

[CityCTID]

Get rid

 

[DannyBoy2890]

I've stuck up for him a few times.
But recently, he has really frustrated me.
I remember when we signed him, he looked like a world beater. Everytime he got the ball he looked like doing something magic with it.
But i think every full back has sussed him and how he plays.
I'm not slagging him off. But I don't think he is good enough for where we want to be and what we want to achieve.
We definitely need two out and out wide players with pace.
Playing nasri, silva and milner as wingers proves that. Stevie wonder could tell you that they are central midfield players and wasted on the wings.
Our only out and out winger is johnson, who's far too one footed for my liking, has zero pace for beating fullbacks, and has a pathetic attitude.
That's just my opinion anyway.

 

[Love_Each_Day]

These days he usually only plays at home against the 'lesser' teams and even then he rarely has much of an impact, not sure it's worth keeping a player who isn't trusted away from home or in the big games.

 

[blueprint]

I've stuck up for him a few times.
But recently, he has really frustrated me.
I remember when we signed him, he looked like a world beater. Everytime he got the ball he looked like doing something magic with it.
But i think every full back has sussed him and how he plays.
I'm not slagging him off. But I don't think he is good enough for where we want to be and what we want to achieve.
We definitely need two out and out wide players with pace.
Playing nasri, silva and milner as wingers proves that. Stevie wonder could tell you that they are central midfield players and wasted on the wings.
Our only out and out winger is johnson, who's far too one footed for my liking, has zero pace for beating fullbacks, and has a pathetic attitude.
That's just my opinion anyway.

You can't beat the whole defense when they are double or triple teaming on you all the time.
AJ believes in his own hype that he can and that his magic will follow.
Common sense dictate that its at times like these that he should mix it up i.e cross or pass it off.
Only problem is he is left footed. He got to develop his right foot to equip himself with a 'repertoire of kicks' not just tricks. Until then he is just a one trick pony.

BTW Drogba was like that until one of the Chelsea coaches helped him to develop his left foot to become a deadly 2 footed striker.

 

[Yaya_Tony]

Our only out and out winger is johnson.

I was saying similar earlier on, because it is true, he is the only option as a proper winger.

But he wouldn't be here if he wasn't good enough, so I disagree with the rest of your post. IMHO he does have pace, that he turns on at times and doesn't overuse. It's OK for a winger to be slower than normal in games, as when the pace does come the defenders don't expect it and the winger gets past them. Johnson can cross well, and my only complaint is Mancini keeps playing him on the right. For a left footer, that doesn't make sense to me. But then again I am not paid the big bucks to manage a football club.

Mancini knows AJ can improve, and encourages him to do so, the rest is up to Adam himself, but his natural skill is plainly apparent. Give him more time, I say. He is relatively young, still, and will up his game to be more of a key player, given he is unique in our squad at the moment.

Obviously there is a limit to how far this will go, and he won't get this kind of leeway forever, but for now I think we need him, and if the gaffer thinks he will improve and is required in the squad, then that should be good enough for us fans. As a football player, he has a lot of merit.