Time to unleash AJ?

[Andouble]

I thought he flattered to deceive last night. Great goal but drifted out of the game. He has so much talent so I expect more from him. That's not to say that he didn't play well. I still think he's better coming on from the bench in our more important games although a run in the team would give him the chance to prove otherwise.

I can't think of a winger that is involved for 90 minutes of a match.

 

[BusterPhillips]

Like many have said, he doesn't get into the game enough.

If it was me I wouldn't start him against WBA, I think Silva, Nasri and Milner are all better options than him.

For me Johnson is a player to play in the early stages in all the cups, start home games against lesser sides and then be purely an impact player the rest of the time as he just doesn't get into the game enough when he starts.

Still a valued member of the squad though, and we will need him throughout the remainder of the season.

I don't think he gets in the game much because he is stuck on the wing and players tend to retain the ball and pass to AJ when he's in a dangerous position

 

[brian the blue]

Like many have said, he doesn't get into the game enough.

If it was me I wouldn't start him against WBA, I think Silva, Nasri and Milner are all better options than him.

For me Johnson is a player to play in the early stages in all the cups, start home games against lesser sides and then be purely an impact player the rest of the time as he just doesn't get into the game enough when he starts.

Still a valued member of the squad though, and we will need him throughout the remainder of the season.

I don't think he gets in the game much because he is stuck on the wing and players tend to retain the ball and pass to AJ when he's in a dangerous position

Thats probably true, but in bigger games we can't afford to have a player that only gets hold of the ball in the final third and other than that just stands out wide. Milner, Silva and Nasri all offer a lot more than he does and that's why he doesn't get many starts.

 

[cheddar404]

I thought he flattered to deceive last night. Great goal but drifted out of the game. He has so much talent so I expect more from him. That's not to say that he didn't play well. I still think he's better coming on from the bench in our more important games although a run in the team would give him the chance to prove otherwise.

I can't think of a winger that is involved for 90 minutes of a match.

I can't think of any position that is involved for 90 minutes of a match. Different player and role but Milner doesn't drift out of the game as much.

 

[BusterPhillips]

I think Mancini is changing AJ's game from out-and-out winger to an inside forward, when he's done we'll have a much more rounded player who capable of playing centrally or out wide equally well.

 

[cheddar404]

I think Mancini is changing AJ's game from out-and-out winger to an inside forward, when he's done we'll have a much more rounded player who capable of playing centrally or out wide equally well.

True. He's getting better so I'm not really having a moan. He's work in progress I suppose and like you say, will be a much more rounded player. You can see flashes of how good he could be so you're always wanting more.

 

[pauljv92]

He's getting there.



Mancini hasn't finished moulding him just yet, he's got the skill, of that there's no doubt, it's up top where he needs the help and who better to sort that than Mancini?


When Roberto's finished with him he'll be a fantastic player.

Absolutely. Did you guys see the moment in the match, a short while after johnson's goal, when he helped out with the defence and mancini started shouting "Adam! Adam!" and then gave him a thumbs up? I liked that. It showed how much Bobby appreciates johnson taking aboard his advice and improving as a player. Every time I see johnson play, he is only getting better.

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

I am sure as a winger he is told not to just go at the full back everytime but to assess whether it's the "right" time and if not just pass and keep the ball moving.No point in just going for it if he is double marked as we are about keeping the ball rather than taking chances which are more likely to fail.

Seems to me it's working and he is getting better. Last night he got stuck on the left and I thought even more isolated than usual.Maybe just Mancini having a look to see how it worked but I reckon,as I think AJ does, that he is more effective from the right.

 

[City_Sean]

AJ has so much talent, he just seems to have lost the knack of running and taking defenders on, he seems to be a passenger most of the games he plays

 

[Tricky_Trev]

There's an important point that needs to be made here. I can understand those that say "he needs to get involved more," and the truth is - he wants to. But every time he drifts infield looking for the ball, Mancini bellows at him to stay out wide. Johnson's primary tactical purpose when on the field is to stretch the play. Even if he doesn't touch the ball for 10-15 minutes, as long as he has chalk on his boots and is occupying the opposing left back, he is creating little pockets of space in the centre for Silva, Nasri and Yaya. When Silva or Nasri are playing on the right, Bobby is happy for them to drift, as they are comfortable doing so. With Johnson it's different. There were many instances last night where Johnson was simply ignored in the build up of attacks, but in a wierd way, that means he's doing his job (creating space for the others to play). The beauty of him is that he can barely touch the ball, but still score a screamer.