VMT

To all of that.

That tweet was from October. Norwich were s**t in October (and November!) - and Johnson's struggles epitomised those of the team. I think he gets particular stick at times because Norwich fans are more tolerant of 'luxury players', less tolerant of technically deficient workhorses, than most: which stands to reason at a club which at least tries to stroke it around and keep it on the deck.

When Johnson's at his worst - or more to the point, when he's being managed badly - he can't pass the bloody ball. He gives it away again and again. And (again, only when he's at his worst), you sit there rubbing your eyes and thinking "This guy played in the Premier League? For 3 years? WTF?"

But when he's at his best - when he's managed well - he quickly becomes a cult hero-type player. Not just lungbusting effort; but capable of moments of individual inspiration like last night. He's also easier to identify with than many footballers - and if you ask me, it was his post-match interview after Preston (admitting they'd wanted it more than us) which finally cooked Adams' goose. I'll always be thankful to him for that.

My favourite player? Tettey, by a distance. I think there's mounting evidence that he's as important to us as Yaya Toure is to Man City. He's the vital cog that makes the wheel turn.

Posted By: thebigfeller, Feb 25, 02:40:33