If you hadn’t been paying attention to Middlesbrough last season or the first half of the current campaign in the Championship – and let’s face it – most people don’t pay much attention to Middlesbrough – you won’t have seen how good Adam Johnson is.
A graduate of Middlesbrough’s fantastic youth academy, many Boro people have thought for many years now that Johnson is the very best players the club has ever produced.
Indeed, when Martin O’Neill bought what outsiders thought was the club’s greatest asset in Stewart Downing, there are plenty who thought he bought the wrong winger. This will be proved in the second half of this season as Johnson lights up the Premier League.
Downing is mentally fragile. He disappears for long periods as anyone who saw Villa’s dreadful game against Spurs at the weekend can attest. That was a typical performance. He will throw one of those in every three or four matches. He manages to become almost entirely invisible, only reappearing when substituted.
While he has some pace, he’s not lightening quick. His greatest asset is his crossing but frankly, you wouldn’t want to bet anything valuable on him delivering regularly. It was only being left footed that got him in the England squad.
Johnson on the other hand has genuine pace. He has better close control, he has vision and better still, scores goals – 11 in 24 in the Championship this season. When Downing was the main man at Boro, he seemed to be held back. Her went out on loan to Watford and did really well. But Downing was always in front of him when he returned. As soon as Downing was sold, he really came into his own.
He now seems a confident lad who won’t hide the way Downing does. All of this was immediately on display last night in Manchester City’s game against Bolton where he as easily man of the match. He can beat defenders and draw fouls. He’s got a good shot on him and can drift right and left.
A couple of seasons ago he was a skinny, lightweight kid and was too easy to knock off the ball. Now he has grown into a broader, stronger man and looks the part. His only real weakness is he’s very left-footed, if he can do something other than stand on his right foot, then he’ll be the finished article.
If you’re looking for a dark horse to go to the World Cup, look no further than Adam Johnson. Capello has already singled him out as being ‘very, very good’ and a left-footed player is always an asset for any squad looking for balance.
With Walcott as busted flush, Lennon injured, Shaun Wright-Philips too small and too inconsistent, come May, Johnson might look like the answer to both the right and left side of midfield. There’s always one man who breaks out of the ranks before a World Cup, I’m putting my money on it being him.
I’ve been very impressed with Johnson his first two games with Man City. When he came on against Hull the team immediately looked more dangerous. Yesterday I thought he was fantastic.
He brings and fire and passion to the team that outside of Bellamy and Tevez seems to be sorely lacking. I feel somewhat bad for Petrov, because assuming Johnson doesn’t become complacent or starts getting shut down I just don’t see Petrov bring more to the team than Johnson.
I almost can’t wait for the future with Adam Johnson, Michael Johnson (assuming he doesn’t keep getting injured), and Vladimir Weiss.
Boro fan here. Think you need to do bit more research. He’s played right wing for us before and his right isn’t just for standing on (see his free kick against Doncaster, couple of games back). Well done anyway, the boy should do well for you.
I’m a boro fan and I think both Downing and Johnson are fantastic. It’s a pity they had to leave but I wish them both well. I think the writer is being very harsh on Downing and is heaping praise on Johnson after what sounds like seeing him in only 2 matches. Yes he is skillful and pacey and scored goals this season in the championship. But he has yet to prove consistency in the premier league. Downing did it for us week in week out for for 3-4 years running and had a good season of scoring himself the year before we got relegated (ie before we had a useless team around him) scoring ten league goals that season. Johnson can be brilliant but he has gone missing in a lot of our home games this season where we have had to try and battle the opposition – he is not up for that at all. But man city have far better players than we do and they will probably be good enough to do that part for him (vieira and de jong for example) and leave him to dazzle everyone with his skills. I hope he does make the world cup – it will still be a proud moment for boro to see one of their own there.
The caption for the above pic should read, “Welcome Adam Johnson….to the bench.”
Decent enough appraisal of possibly the best young talent in the game.
At my beloved Boro the belief is that Jinky will become a true super-star and he is the nearest i have ever seen to the great Eddie Gray the old leeds & Sweaty Sock legend.
When the lad is on fire he is unplayable and I believe he will be a revelation not only in an England shirt BUt also in the Champions League ‘cos Citeh will get there.
What a load of bollocks this article is. Johnson is a Johnny big balls and nothing else. He’ll fall over his feet more than he’ll jink past a man, and he’ll fade away in your reserves.
No way any ‘Boro fan thinks he’s the best we’ve produced. As you said, clearly you don’t pay much attention to what Middlesbrough are up to.
You only think Downing is a poor player if you’re too busy playing along with popular misinformed opinion. That aside, Johnson and Downing are radically different players. There is no comparison other than the fact that they are both left footed.
To add to that, he’s a Championship player. That’s why he’s started looking like the polished turd he is. He only upped his game for a move, and he is not mentally strong. When Downing was ahead of him he was guilty of falling on his backside and getting flustered because he was so distressed by all the pressure on him.