What does Adam Johnson actually do?

[PeterParker]

Imho he played well in the first half, but then O"Neill saw that and in the second half he annihilated him. I was almost certain that he will do that. Bob ask him to do the same, while Martin ask the left back to do a man to man marking at him, so Adam was absolutely out of the game.
The instructions that Bob gave him and that we all saw were a little to late.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Needs to badly, badly work on that right foot. Defending against him you just need to show him outside. Even if he beats you on the outside he's onto his weaker right. Call me old fashioned but I still think playing left footers should play on the left.

[sandman]

Adam Johnson makes a few assists/goals every 10 appearances and it is enough to satisfy the simple idiots that fail to see the fact that he is no better than he was when he signed two years ago.

It is time for him to move on I feel.

His few assists and goals has been pretty excellent this season though & he should have at least one more assist from that game imo

Its still not enough though, he is no better than SWP.

[Flixton Blue]

He is far superior to S.W.P,I can't believe what I'm reading!

[JamieMCFC]

Mancini is getting it badly wrong if he is shouting at AJ to get out wide. He's hugely left footed and getting wider down the right necessitates the use of the right foot to cross. He has to cut in. This is what happens when you play people on the opposite wing. It may be fashionable at the moment, but if you want a winger, let him play on the wing he prefers.

Is the left the wing he prefers or the wing fans prefer to see him on?

[Renato_CTID]

An excellent talented left foot player who could only play on the right: this is my own opinion about AJ. But I'm so frustrated with his actual performances, why? Because he's miles far to become a champion. I hate his lazy approach to modern football!

[Nige]

Aj has clear technical ability but this season he has lost either his physical fitness or his confidence, maybe a touch of both?

He hardly ever beats a man any more which was one of his strengths last season.

Mancini wants him wide right so he drags their fullback out and keeps him busy when the ball is elsewhere. Aj's issue with those instructions is a lack of keeping the defender busy thus looking like a waste of space to us. The fullback could sit on his arse and read a book while AJ lingers around where mancini pointed about 10 minutes earlier. The full back should be dizzy trying to watch Aj moving in & out, faking runs etc. This is where playing him on the right should be a real positive.

All that said, when he gets the ball I still get a sense of excitement and hope that something positive will develop. With Nasri on the other hand I usually end up with my head in my hands as he takes 6 touches and carries the ball into a blind alley or just follows Sergio or Silva around negating space.

[Blue Since 76]

Aj has clear technical ability but this season he has lost either his physical fitness or his confidence, maybe a touch of both?

He hardly ever beats a man any more which was one of his strengths last season.

Mancini wants him wide right so he drags their fullback out and keeps him busy when the ball is elsewhere. Aj's issue with those instructions is a lack of keeping the defender busy thus looking like a waste of space to us. The fullback could sit on his arse and read a book while AJ lingers around where mancini pointed about 10 minutes earlier. The full back should be dizzy trying to watch Aj moving in & out, faking runs etc. This is where playing him on the right should be a real positive.

All that said, when he gets the ball I still get a sense of excitement and hope that something positive will develop. With Nasri on the other hand I usually end up with my head in my hands as he takes 6 touches and carries the ball into a blind alley or just follows Sergio or Silva around negating space.

He hasn't had physical fitness since he arrived. Initially I thought it was Boro not getting him fit enough but it's clear that either he's not naturally fit or isn't putting the effort in in training (which I doubt he'd get away with)

As a result he's an impact player. If we'd brought him on yesterday he'd probably have won the game for us. But play him from the start and he's finished after 60 minutes and he tires more quickly than the full back so you don't get much from him

If he was foreign, the press would never mention him. But because he's English it's as if we're ruining his career

[Alioune DVToure]

[highlight]I would be very surprised to see him feature again under Mancini[/highlight] because he must be running out of patience with him. Johnson whinges in press, Mancini gives Johnson said chance. Johnson wastes chance.....repeat......again and again

He has one ability that nobody can take away from him though which goes in his favour, and that is that he is English. I fear that alone may keep him at the club.

Mancini just gave him a new contract - five years I think.

[blues2win]

I thought he played very well in the first half and then faded. A wonderful burst and pass to Yaya in the first half which was totally wasted springs to mind. Personally I'd like to see a really pacy young right winger with a decent cross on him to bring on if our possession game isn't working. That's my main criticism of us going forward; not enough pace.

Nasri was largely useless but one great trap of a fizzing ball followed by a decent shot was cleared off the line. Let's face it without being anywhere near our best we had the chances to win comfortably. Sunderland were very lucky yesterday. They deserved nothing for a shamelessly unadventurous display at home.

[Blue2]

Johnsons problem is a lack of pace, for a winger that is critical. He just isn't good enough at the moment, whether he can improve remians to be seen, but he is no better now than when we signed him.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Agree with Ted here. He's not a winger- simple as.
He needs to play with a free role, a bit like Silva because he has wonderful technique and natural ability.

[gillie]

Agree with Ted here. He's not a winger- simple as.
He needs to play with a free role, a bit like Silva because he has wonderful technique and natural ability.

I think he would lose posession much more in a free role and possibly in more dangerous areas of the pitch for counter attacking teams.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

To Johnson's credit, he's one of the only players who will actually take a fucking shot on. When teams play so deep we can't play all these nice little passes.

[Jon London]

Absolute corker of a shot to beat Reina and make it 4 - damn woodwork (has someone painted too many coats of emulsion on the woodwork the last three games?)

[usedtothespin]

Great player to come in off the bench. Not proven that he deserves to start. Could do much better and that's a shame, still he's on our bench while I look at the starting Dippers like Downing and Kuijt hahahahaha they are poor.

[zuricity]

hit the post, poor bugger . on another night that would have gone in.

[freshie]

Finish really well

[sandman]

Spent 22 minutes on the pitch, had one shot off target and did nothing else at all.

[Im_Spartacus]

Not sure what his role was supposed to be, but he didnt attack and he didnt defend. I even thought it was Gaz Baz who had the shot which hit the post, as minutes later I remarked in surprise that he was actually on the pitch