Ruining Football Part 84 - The Times & Johnno

[Blue Since 76]

From the times. Apparently it's the Sheik's fault that Johnno has been "hindered by a niggling abdominal injury" or in other words, hasn't been able to train for 2 years. It's also his fault that Ned has been squeezed out - neatly ignoring all the games last season and the fact he's currently injured. As for Hart, how many other 21 year old keepers are playing at the top of the PL? Hardly the end of his career is it.

Matt Hughes

The sight of a rather portly Michael Johnson almost rolling onto the pitch for the final minute of Manchester City’s 3-1 win over West Ham United on Monday night served as a reminder that the club’s new-found wealth also has its downside, even allowing for their outstanding start to the season. Johnson, after all, was the shining jewel in City’s youth academy, who as a teenager two years ago played a starring role in a shock win over Manchester United and appeared destined for great things.

Arsene Wenger paid Johnson the ultimate compliment the summer before last by giving serious consideration to signing him for Arsenal, but on his first Premier League appearance for 13 months against West Ham he resembled Richard Dunne’s older, less well conditioned brother. After being hailed as a bright young thing under Sven-Goran Eriksson the 21-year-old has started just three Premier League matches since Sheihk Mansour’s takeover last summer.

Johnson has been hindrered by a niggling abdominal injury that troubled him last season and has not helped himself with a reputedly poor attitude that appears to have caused his excess bulk. However, he deserves some sympathy as a victim of the club’s new ambitions.

With a Champions League place in their sights this season City have no time spare on developing their own players and have instead chosen to follow Chelsea’s route by signing established superstars such as Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez. Johnson is not the only one to have suffered, with the likes of Joe Hart and Nedum Onuoha also squeezed out, even if they have yet to console themselves by consuming additional calories. It was the same at Chelsea a few years ago, and it can be no coincidence that the club have not produced a single player for the first time since the arrival of Roman Abramovich.

City should enjoy their new enhanced status while it lasts, but be wary of ignoring the future.

[The Man In Blue]

the sheik should buy all these turgid shitrags and bulldoze the lot of them. how they can get away with publishing such drivel is beyond me.

fuck the lot of them, we know the truth. we know why johnno's been out - after all, its us who have been supporting the blues for years, not these cat litter tray liner journo's who didn't give a fuck about us till we got took over.

[CityGer]

That is one of the most unfair, ill informed pieces of journalism I have read. Talk about pandering to the masses, there really isn't an ounce of truth in any part of that piece. He really should have done his homework better.

I'm not the type, as I don't have the time, but we really should be writing to this fool and pointing out what a cunt he is.

[ronk]

hahahahahahahahaha.

[Fish111]

There is not a single shread of truth in any of that peice whatsoever, what a crock of shit that lazy fucker has wrote. Cock.

[Ted Hughes]

I put a comment on that but so far it's not come up on the Times' site. Why not just write about a young player re-starting his career? Why all the nastiness? Pathetic piece of snidey lazy arsed crap.

[Goataldo]

I don't think you're being entirely fair to Matt Hughes: if you read the entire article, he doesn't just slag City off, he manages to squeeze in a lovely bit of simpering to wards Michael Owen's England's credentials for the upcioming World Cup as well. So really it's a well balanced piece. Piece of what though? Hmmmm....

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/ ... tions.html

I particularly love the way there's an option to post a reaction at the bottom of the page, with the disclaimer; 'Comments are moderated, and will not appear on this weblog until the author has approved them.'

Something tells me he wouldn't publish any of the replies me, or any else here would have for him the ignorant cretin.

[13021J]

What a frustrating article. Sure our academy guys are going to find it harder to breakthrough now we have a stronger squad, but why blame the Sheikh for Johnson's troubles? HAving at least 7 academy graduates around the first team should be applauded. Unfortunately I fear this is waht we have to put up with if we're going to challenge the 'Sky 4'. Aaaaarrrrggghhh!

[Crossie]

I also commented, saying he has a responsibility as a jorno to get his facts right b4 writing shit

[ronk]

I also commented, saying he has a responsibility as a jorno to get his facts right b4 writing shit

Why bother? He checked his facts, then deliberately misread them.

[10.Goater_Legend]

Okay weel just ignore the fact that since Shiekh Mansour took the Club over the likes of,

Richards
Onuoha
Ireland
Wright-Phillips
Evans
Sturridge
Weiss
Johnson

have all been in/around the first team picture.

What a stupid article.

[Somerset Blue]

What a load of old shite.

[Kiss_The_Goat]

Pathetic excuse for journalism.

[Florida Blue]

the sheik should buy all these turgid shitrags and bulldoze the lot of them. how they can get away with publishing such drivel is beyond me. fuck the lot of them, we know the truth. we know why johnno's been out - after all, its us who have been supporting the blues for years, not these cat litter tray liner journo's who didn't give a fuck about us till we got took over.

You mean just like Berlusconi? Brilliant!!

[MaineRoadMemories]

It seems that today journalist talk as much crap in the blogs as possible in order to generate a response from fans. No doubt it will be one of the most read pages on the sports section so everyone will think its a good job all round at Times HQ.

I long for days of proper journalism where they'd go out and interview people and give us an insight into how football is run and use the privelage they have to educate others not in their position.

Now its all shock jock writing to provoke an instant reaction and its a real shame.

[Ted Hughes]

It seems that today journalist talk as much crap in the blogs as possible in order to generate a response from fans. No doubt it will be one of the most read pages on the sports section so everyone will think its a good job all round at Times HQ.

I long for days of proper journalism where they'd go out and interview people and give us an insight into how football is run and use the privelage they have to educate others not in their position.

Now its all shock jock writing to provoke an instant reaction and its a real shame.

What I don't understand though is that when someone writes a decent, well thought out piece about City, plenty of us read it just the same & we can accept fair criticism etc but we appreciate it as a reasonable opinion. We still read it though, so they still get the hits, yet so many of them seem to write this wind up nonsense. It's as if a lot of them are actually writing their pieces on City to appeal to rag readers & others who bare a grudge rather than being truthful.

[ronk]

It's as if a lot of them are actually writing their pieces on City to appeal to rag readers & others who bare a grudge rather than being truthful.

Of course.

If it's badly written, it's a decent indicator of who the target market is.

[Dameerto]

Lazy journalism - he needs to stop using tabloids as reference material.