Adam Johnson terrorises Jamie Carragher

[Im_Spartacus]

I think we will see Johnson on the left next season. I think Mancini only switched him as he didnt have much faith in our right wingers and wanted to play Bellamy and Johnson.

I disagree, when he and swp played he stuck swp on the left.

Madness.

spot on, it seems very much in vogue in continental football to have wingers the wrong way round. No doubt a lot of that is because in Europe, they dont necessarily play the "get to the byeline, cross it to the big feller" type game on the whole, and to be fair, not many do that any more in the PL, and there aren't many old school type centre forwards to get on the end of these crosses we advocate (although I thought Adebayor would have been one as he got plenty with his head for Arsenal)

Its a shit tactic though, designed to narrow the pitch and it paid off once - vs Sunderland, although arguably had he been played in the correct position, we may not have been behind in the first place. If Mancini wants the pitch narrowing, chop 5 yards of each fucking side rather than play silly buggers with good quality wingers.

[Ted Hughes]

I think we will see Johnson on the left next season. I think Mancini only switched him as he didnt have much faith in our right wingers and wanted to play Bellamy and Johnson.

I disagree, when he and swp played he stuck swp on the left.

Madness.

spot on, it seems very much in vogue in continental football to have wingers the wrong way round. No doubt a lot of that is because in Europe, they dont necessarily play the "get to the byeline, cross it to the big feller" type game on the whole, and to be fair, not many do that any more in the PL, and there aren't many old school type centre forwards to get on the end of these crosses we advocate (although I thought Adebayor would have been one as he got plenty with his head for Arsenal)

Its a shit tactic though, designed to narrow the pitch and it paid off once - vs Sunderland, although arguably had he been played in the correct position, we may not have been behind in the first place. If Mancini wants the pitch narrowing, chop 5 yards of each fucking side rather than play silly buggers with good quality wingers.

I don't mind it as a tactical variation, in fact I think it's good but starting every game like that is stupid imo. It would be much easier to just practice getting dangerous balls into the box, low & high, like the rags do & not hit the 1st man/overhit them so often. The rags ALWAYS get a percentage of balls in, both sides of the fullback & they also swithch sides & do what we're doing as well. They get the simple stuff right first though. Their strikers make the runs BECAUSE they know the ball's probably coming. When the 2 meet, they score. Ours expect the ball won't come & aren't there on the odd occasion when it does.

Anyway good luck with England Johnno, you deserve it. Make us proud.

[brite blu sky]

i think it is too early to say what the longer term use of AJ will be by Mancini.. i realise the evidence so far is that he seems to want him stuck on the right.. and that collaborates with Bob being continental and following the fashion, but Bob might have had other reasons for that ultimately. Mancini will have studied videos of him before and after we brought AJ to City, so he will know what he is capable of on the left im sure.
We will have to wait and see what happens when he has got more of the players he wants and sets things up as he wants. My own feeling is he will swap the wingers about during games and campaigns, reading between the lines of both Mancini's comments, together with what appears to be a trend in the modern game for versatility all over the pitch.. but particularly the front 6 players. Trying to get Milner is another indication of this approach in my view.

[BobKowalski]

i think it is too early to say what the longer term use of AJ will be by Mancini.. i realise the evidence so far is that he seems to want him stuck on the right.. and that collaborates with Bob being continental and following the fashion, but Bob might have had other reasons for that ultimately. Mancini will have studied videos of him before and after we brought AJ to City, so he will know what he is capable of on the left im sure.
We will have to wait and see what happens when he has got more of the players he wants and sets things up as he wants. My own feeling is he will swap the wingers about during games and campaigns, reading between the lines of both Mancini's comments, together with what appears to be a trend in the modern game for versatility all over the pitch.. but particularly the front 6 players. Trying to get Milner is another indication of this approach in my view.

Agreed. Versatility and attitude/mindset is what Mancini (and Marwood it seems) is all about so I think there will be more wing swapping but the default position will be AJ on the right which is the current orthodoxy in Europe as it poses a more direct threat as evidenced by Robben's performances with Bayern this season.

[the_georgian_genius]

Robben, Messi, Ronaldo, Duff, Ribery, Bellamy, Henry, Arshavin, Ronaldinho - all players who have played/play on the opposite side to their prefered foot.

It's dead simple init - Get Johnson on the left, run to the byeline, cross it in, header, goal? If only it was.

[Fish111]

Horses for courses, square pegs in square holes an all that. Imo a right footed winger should play on the right wing, once he's past his marker you are guarenteed to get the best delivery from his favoured foot. Every left-back will show a right footed winger, playing on the left, the byeline to ensure his weaker foot is providing the cross.

[Im_Spartacus]

Robben, Messi, Ronaldo, Duff, Ribery, Bellamy, Henry, Arshavin, Ronaldinho - all players who have played/play on the opposite side to their prefered foot.

It's dead simple init - Get Johnson on the left, run to the byeline, cross it in, header, goal? If only it was.

No of course its not that simple, but for example, Henry, Messi, Ronaldinho, Tranny etc were all in that position because they cut inside and sent 25 yard screamers in the net with great regularity. Jonno has done it once.

Our tactic is to slow the game down by making the player come inside, and the pass is invariably a square one to the CM or a shit cross that gets us nowhere. Of course there are exceptions, and as Ted says the variety is a good weapon from time to time, but its all a bit predictable.

Getting down your favoured wing with skill (no doubt our wingers have that) and swinging a cross out towards the penalty spot creates havoc in the defence, do it often enough in a game, with enough quality, allied to players who know the ball is coming, with a midfielder joining late, and you will score plenty.

[Goataldo]

I've no probelm with switching wingers to their 'wrong' side they're on form and it works, it just gets annoying when we persist with it and it isn't working. Nowt wrong with giving defenders twice as much to think about, as long as the wingers have the nous to cope with it too. All too often they looked pissed off and out of position. Bellamy can play on teh left but he's a quality centre forward and with him there and AJ on the right, it just doesn't balance nice like.

I reckon Johnson could be great in the World Cup playing on the left, seems to take things in his stride. Hope so.

[Blueboylewis]

Would be great to see him get a call up for England and if he impresses in training which he has been doing apprently then he must have a good chance as long as he can be consitant and keep it up!

[Dameerto]

I think he's been on the right to teach him some versatility - all our wide men have played on their 'unnatural' sides at some point. I think this will be a big feature of our formation for the coming season, players who can adapt to a switched/changed formation when the Don calls it.

[aaron bond]

I would be absolutely over the moon if Johnson made the final squad.

I was delighted just when I heard how brilliant he was in the first training session. He really has a natural talent that England have been crying out for.

If he was with since last summer he definitely would be in the squad. Capello should take a chance on him.

[brite blu sky]

I think he's been on the right to teach him some versatility - all our wide men have played on their 'unnatural' sides at some point. I think this will be a big feature of our formation for the coming season, players who can adapt to a switched/changed formation when the Don calls it.

i'm going with that.. ultimately he is the eventual replacement for Bellers..
The club are searching out players with versatility and maybe when they got AJ he turned out to be better than they had expected.. especially in not being fazed by the 'step up'. So in a way where he might of been expected to interchange with Bellers he turned out to be better than what we had available on the right.. so he got used there.. in addition to fulfilling the aim of gearing player up for versatility.. which is fine to do in training like everything else, it is doing it in matches that really counts.

that thinking might be a load of bull but it is just a thought.. next season might make it clearer, but with Bellemy on the left it may well carry on the same

[blootoof]

ADAM HAS BEEN BREATHTAKING

ADAM JOHNSON began the season staring at trips to places like Doncaster, Plymouth and Watford.
The way he has lit up the England training camp at the foot of the Austrian Alps, he will end it in Rustenburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

For the Manchester City winger has been THE shining light of this week's sessions as Fabio Capello puts the finishing touches to his World Cup preparations.

The tiny village of Irdning may be among the most picturesque this country can offer, and life certainly goes by at a much slower pace than back home.

But not in Johnson's world it doesn't. Or, indeed, that of the other hopefuls fighting to make Capello's final 23-man squad, named on Tuesday.

Yet while the likes of Theo Walcott and Joe Cole have toiled at times over the past two days at the ATV Arena where England have set up camp, former Middlesbrough ace Johnson has been outstanding.

The end-of-session 11-a-side game on Thursday was not exactly played at breakneck pace, but that did not stop Johnson from producing some delightful touches.

And when it came to the penalty practice - Johnson was out of this world, burying three kicks right in the corner which left David James without a prayer.

Yesterday's lighter, hour-long workout was largely based around finishing, with players peppering all three keepers with shots from the edge of the box and beyond.

Once again Johnson took the breath away with his first two finishes, whipped into the corner.

[BlueMoonAwoken]

Its hard to make the papers by just doing well in training so he must really be shining!

[Chad]

Can't understand why he isn't starting tomorrow, especially since Lennon or Walcott will be playing on the left.

[blootoof]

I think it was Matt Le Tissier that said - he reckons Johnson's on the plane, and the reason he aint gettin much time is that Capello wants him as a surprise package? He obviously knows what he's capable of if these trainin reports are true.

EDIT: (that said - he reckons) <-- does that make sense?

[carl_feedthegoat]

I think it was Matt Le Tissier that said - he reckons Johnson's on the plane, and the reason he aint gettin much time is that Capello wants him as a surprise package? He obviously knows what he's capable of if these trainin reports are true.

EDIT: (that said - he reckons) <-- does that make sense?

I agree mate......makes sense to me.

[blues-clues]

Not one of the papers I read today thinks that Johnson has made it. If he was fringe I cannot understand why he didnt make the squad at all against Japan. Just for instance I dont understand giving SWP a chance but not AJ never mind some of those other crocks.... I mean AJ is not a forward but why waste a trial space on Heskey FFS?

Capello was quoted (in the Times today I think) as saying he has the same 23 in mind as he has had for some time (22 plus Barry if fit enough anyway). That would seem to suggest AJ is not going. Its a shame if it is the case because he can certainly add a dimension that otherwise might be lacking. If Joe Cole plays at his best then probably he is a better option than AJ but Cole has been so patchy this season I think I would be tempted to go with our man.

Answers tomorrow I guess.

[edge275]

I think it would be absolutely criminal not to take Johnson. If I was Capello I'd have him in the first team no danger.

To be honest I also think it would be a joke not to take Darren Bent. The guy scored 24 goals in the league alone last season for a fairly poor team. What more does he have to do?