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Interesting article here on the impact that AJ has on the side.

The contrast between our goals for and point for record with AJ in the side compared to when we are without him is far greater than I would have thought. His return will prove to be vital I reckon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thefootballt ... nce_t.html

AJ is vital for the side; when he starts, he provides width but he can also cut inside and play the one-two with a teammate then finish the move, like he did yesterday, or just cut inside and shoot, or play a through ball; he's fast, although not almighty so, and the mix of all these qualities makes for an hell of an unpredictable player the opposition have to think about; this leaves Silva, Tevez, even Yaya with more time and space to be effective and increases the dangerousness of the whole side.

If he doesn't start he can still come on as a sub and change the game, which is what Mancini also said after the game, he's possibly the only player at the club who can come on and turn a game around.

fantastic player. probably my fave of the current squad. so glad he is back in the team, i just hope mancini continues to start him.

AJ will become early the best English football player of our times: end of!

Mancini made a statement after the game that Johnson was our only game changer. Though I don't fully agree with that, it does emphasise his importance to us.
It is important to note that it is not only when the ball is at his feet that he can exert a change on the game, but the fact he is merely on the pitch. Even without the ball, his possible potential changes the way defenses move and shape themselves.

Great asset & potentially great player who can transform the side but still, amongst all that, his delivery was mostly fucking useless. The only real quality crosses came from SWP once (& one from Kolarov 1st half). AJ put in one very good free kick from which Balotelli should have had a pen. We have to be much much better at that part of the game.

Compare our delivery from wide when completely unmarked & in space to that of Valencia & Giggs when marked & in no space & it shows another reason why rags are above us in the league.

He's a young copy of our old Italian talented strikers Bruno Conti and Claudio Sala. I'm sure Bobby Manc remember very well how the both played football respectively for Roma and Torino in the 70ies and in the 80ies!

Ted Hughes wrote:Great asset & potentially great player who can transform the side but still, amongst all that, his delivery was mostly fucking useless. The only real quality crosses came from SWP once (& one from Kolarov 1st half). AJ put in one very good free kick from which Balotelli should have had a pen. We have to be much much better at that part of the game.

Compare our delivery from wide when completely unmarked & in space to that of Valencia & Giggs when marked & in no space & it shows another reason why rags are above us in the league.

That's how I see it and saw it. I don't think he is fully fit again yet but he does have that something nobody else has in the squad.His value and impact was clear yesterday even though he had an average game and I also think he benefits from a top full back who can support and go beyond him and also threaten.That wasnt the case yesterday as Boyata's job was more sitting.

Can't see the same team for Liverpool but I hope AJ gets the nod and it's Mario who starts on the bench

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Great asset & potentially great player who can transform the side but still, amongst all that, his delivery was mostly fucking useless. The only real quality crosses came from SWP once (& one from Kolarov 1st half). AJ put in one very good free kick from which Balotelli should have had a pen. We have to be much much better at that part of the game.

Compare our delivery from wide when completely unmarked & in space to that of Valencia & Giggs when marked & in no space & it shows another reason why rags are above us in the league.

That's how I see it and saw it. I don't think he is fully fit again yet but he does have that something nobody else has in the squad.His value and impact was clear yesterday even though he had an average game and I also think he benefits from a top full back who can support and go beyond him and also threaten.That wasnt the case yesterday as Boyata's job was more sitting.

Can't see the same team for Liverpool but I hope AJ gets the nod and it's Mario who starts on the bench

I agree. Some people see the flashes of brilliance and ignore it 5 minutes later when he gives the ball away for bugger-all. Completely ignore it, thank fuck they aren't managing the side. There are games for AJ and games not for AJ, and Sunderland home is ideal. Scum away would not be.

He is a great 'game-changer' and that's why he is often to be found on the bench.

Cant see him being picked to start in the semi - after Fergie watched us yesterday it could be one of the most defensive games of all time - but he may just come on and win it!

AJ TO RIPS RAGS TO BITS.

Renato_CTID wrote:He's a young copy of our old Italian talented strikers Bruno Conti and Claudio Sala. I'm sure Bobby Manc remember very well how the both played football respectively for Roma and Torino in the 70ies and in the 80ies!

Hi Renato,

You're quite right; those were two tremendous players - wish we had a couple like those at City today.

Watch Mancini drop AJ for the Semi Final and play Barry or Milner instead again.

'Game Changer' can be a very negative way to look at it. If he starts, as yesterday, we can score a couple then the game doesn't need changing. Play him from the start, and win the game from the first minute.

JonnyAsh wrote:'Game Changer' can be a very negative way to look at it. If he starts, as yesterday, we can score a couple then the game doesn't need changing. Play him from the start, and win the game from the first minute.

He doesn't alwayt perform when he starts though; I agree with you on paper but some games are less adequate for him to start than yesterday's; on those occasions he can be a wonderful impact sub if needed though.

Johnson is one of the few players we have who is just capable of an absolute piece of magic to win a game. He's the type of the player who can do nothing for 80 minutes and come up with something special. He scares defenders because quite simply he runs at them and commits them. He needs to play every game.

And he's selfless, and he gives us balance on the right instead of using a striker or a central midfielder.

Doug and I talked about this when he got injured and saw the season unfolding back then. No surprise that AJ's selection forces the formation into something more attack minded and that we actually perform the way everyone knows we can but have failed to in SO SO long.

And for that reason, having spent half a billion quid, we should have more than one Johnson type player in the squad.

Ted Hughes wrote:And for that reason, having spent half a billion quid, we should have more than one Johnson type player in the squad.

Agreed. We need an out and out winger with bags and bags of pace who will stick to the byline and get a good delivery in. Someone in the mould of Petrov in his first season for us.