The mancityfans.net football forum

sunshine wrote:Anyway, waffle over, I wanted to create a topic about what bobby said tonight about johnno ("adam can do better because he has everything, but sometimes, he forgets this") Wanted to know what everyone else thinks about this, personally, im 100% with him; I think johnno is a great talent (looked a bit unfit recently???) who does about 50 minutes normally and sits on his laurels a bit, he puts in a ew good spells during a game I think and then sits back a bit and thinks hes done enough. tonight was a bit different as he seemed a bit more determined, but, im with bobby, he can do better and just like hes done with magic mario, he should push him to improve and realise his potential.

wadya reckon ?

From a new member.

Bob has a strategy of managing AJ through the media - he's done it a lot this season. I think Bob watches AJ and sees two things, first and foremost is his potential, followed very closely by his tendancy to be complacent. Almost every interview with Bob where the journalist mentions AJ, Bob is challenging him to do more and play better, even after today where he scores one, assists one, and assists the assister for the third he gives him feedback on what he should still be working on.

I agree with Bob. Fantastic natural talent and rare eye for goal for an out and out winger. However he tends to drift in and out of the games with moments of pure magic followed by long spells of doing nothing. That would be good enough for (upper) midtable Premier League club but not good enough when you are playing with some of the best footballers world has to offer.

However if Robbie Manc didn't think he'd have talent to make it with us, he would have been out ages ago. Bob is obviously a manager who takes different approach with different players. Some need arm around their shoulder and some need kick up their backside. AJ obviously belongs to latter group. That's only one side though that clowns like Hughes see. When Dzeko for example was having shaky start to his Premier League career, I never once saw Mancini critizise him. But he seems like a pretty humble guy.

I often find myself getting really angry with AJ when he goes missing mid game. As Bob says, he is clearly capable of much more than he produces at the mo. Fans of other teams often slag us off for not playing him more, but they don't see him play ninety minutes. He always looks better on MOTD than he does in the flesh because they skim over him doing cock all for 60 minutes and only show the flash of brilliance that he produces. He seriously needs to up his work ethic.

I think last night is as good as johnson will get. I understand mancini's view on him and I agree.... If he's to be on the team sheet for big games then he needs to play like last night in pretty much every game.

I'm not sure it'll pan out that way. He's an excellent squad member to have but that won't be good enough for him long term I don't feel.

Is he 24 yet?

BobbyDazzler wrote:I often find myself getting really angry with AJ when he goes missing mid game. As Bob says, he is clearly capable of much more than he produces at the mo. Fans of other teams often slag us off for not playing him more, but they don't see him play ninety minutes. He always looks better on MOTD than he does in the flesh because they skim over him doing cock all for 60 minutes and only show the flash of brilliance that he produces. He seriously needs to up his work ethic.

I'd go with that.

Even in the Wolves game at the start of the second half I thought he'd been subbed.

50 minutes? Normally 10 but it may have been 15 last night.

Definitely disappears after his little spell. Not consciously I'm sure but something inside him relaxes and Bobby is quite right.

Very few things frustrate me more in football than a talented player who doesn't put the effort in.

Johnson could be a brilliant player if only he would stop cruising through games in 2nd gear. He is at a club with brilliant players and a fantastic coaching staff, if he can't bust a gut every-time he plays at a club like ours then he will never reach his full potential, nowhere near.

King Kev wrote:Very few things frustrate me more in football than a talented player who doesn't put the effort in.

Johnson could be a brilliant player if only he would stop cruising through games in 2nd gear. He is at a club with brilliant players and a fantastic coaching staff, if he can't bust a gut every-time he plays at a club like ours then he will never reach his full potential, nowhere near.

That.

I thought he seemed like a top bloke, but the more i watch him the more i think he's abit of a cock. He is good, but he thinks he's better. If he wants to come along for the ride he knows to grow up and learn to pass abit more when he has 3 defenders infront of him.

BobbyDazzler wrote:I often find myself getting really angry with AJ when he goes missing mid game. ...

and for the first half hour last night as well

Love him when we use him as an off-the-bench impact player. Probably because he puts in a shift to show why we should start him, but when we do - it's the same old AJ.

He seems a bit of a one trick pony at times but fuck me, that one trick always seems to work!

The simple fact is his style of play does not suit Mancini. Roberto likes one touch football from his front line and the full backs to work the wing, this is why Sweep, Bellers and AJ don't fit in to his team

sweenyuk wrote:The simple fact is his style of play does not suit Mancini. Roberto likes one touch football from his front line and the full backs to work the wing, this is why Sweep, Bellers and AJ don't fit in to his team

It would help if he played for 90 minutes instead of 10 or, in the case of Villareal, 0 minutes! I'm sure that wouldn't 'suit' many managers. Except 'Arry of course "I'd take 'im in a flash".

Slim wrote:

BobbyDazzler wrote:I often find myself getting really angry with AJ when he goes missing mid game. As Bob says, he is clearly capable of much more than he produces at the mo. Fans of other teams often slag us off for not playing him more, but they don't see him play ninety minutes. He always looks better on MOTD than he does in the flesh because they skim over him doing cock all for 60 minutes and only show the flash of brilliance that he produces. He seriously needs to up his work ethic.

I'd go with that.

Even in the Wolves game at the start of the second half I thought he'd been subbed.

Same here. I was quite surprised about 20 minutes into the second half to notice he was still on the pitch.

Can he fulfil his potential? Yes
Will he fulfil his potential? Doubtful

I reckon he will be a red dipper come next summer

Bob will just upgrade to someone who works hard for the team

I get so frustrated he could be a great but unless he knuckles down he will go in the Summer or next January as we need players who will concentrate and give it all for 90 mins

I don't think it's fair to say he doesn't put the effort in. It's fair to say he lets it slip occasionally but most of the time he does track back & do his best. Silva & Nasri are not there to track back every single time the oppo go forward. Bob is just trying to push AJ further, possibly so he can sometimes play him in the same team as those two, Barca style, without us getting turned over.

Was totally astounded that he was given MOM on sky last night.

I thought he had a shocking game just by virtue of being anonymous for much of the game. Some nice touches for the goals he was involved in, but that is not an excuse to disappear for the rest of the game. When he appeared at the bottom right of my tv screen running down the right wing about 25 minutes into the second half, I had honestly forgotten he was playing.

I think RM was bang on with what he was saying, although some in the pub just didnt get why he would openly "criticise" the player who had scored and set 2 up. My only thought was that those people just didnt understand football if they thought Johnno had a good game

Can't add to what has been said. Seems quite obvious that Mancini is really quite precise about how he deals with players and AJ he has criticised publicly from way back last season. There has to be a reason for that.. and i suspect that it may be that AJ doesn't listen too well... or take the critique seriously enough when private. Making it public gives AJ a very clear message he cannot avoid.

I was aware of some info coming out a while back now that Bob had in fact had some chats with AJ in training.. friendly, supportive arm around the shoulder type chats. So maybe there is a bit of the bad cop good cop thing going on too.. although from the same cop, ha ha.

Mancini clearly has a vision of what AJ could become. He must think he is worth the trouble and clearly he has the patience. I suppose the question is will AJ realise this like Micah has and start growing up.

The positives for AJ are that there would be no better place for him to keep plugging away and develop than at City under Bob.

Im_Spartacus wrote:Was totally astounded that he was given MOM on sky last night.

I thought he had a shocking game just by virtue of being anonymous for much of the game. Some nice touches for the goals he was involved in, but that is not an excuse to disappear for the rest of the game. When he appeared at the bottom right of my tv screen running down the right wing about 25 minutes into the second half, I had honestly forgotten he was playing.

I think RM was bang on with what he was saying, although some in the pub just didnt get why he would openly "criticise" the player who had scored and set 2 up. My only thought was that those people just didnt understand football if they thought Johnno had a good game

I'm amazed he's being criticised tbh. I thought he had his best game for City along with Nasri & was as good as anything Giggs produced when he won the POTY.