Dunno much about the finances but I'd say he'd still be worth £4/5 million next season especially if Martinez gets the best out of him. If you deduct half of his wages that's around what, £25/30k a week ...... that's another million-ish. Our problem is that we've no idea what his real attitude is within the club ....... if it stinks 'get rid' is my opinion. He's always had the talent to be playing in Brazil this month but sometimes he seems to lose heart in himself.
No chance we will loan him to anyone. Either he will be sold for 10 million or so or he'll keep putting in 1 in 3 good efforts for us for another two years. By the way, that's the best you could ever hope for from a mid table winger. My opinion is to keep at all costs - he's fringe England ffs, what better could we realistically get?
You could be right Smug, nothing would surprise me about our beloved club. Thinking about it again, if the decision is Poyet's and for purely football reasons, I find it exciting that he has such clear goals and views about his side that he is prepared to get rid of our top scorer (premier) last season. I look forward to the start of the season with even more anticipation than normal.
I wonder how much of this has to do with a certain omission from the England squad? Everton ate a much more fashionable club and he'd likely get his place at the national side playing for them. That may be his thoughts too. Hope it's bullshit though
His performances this season on the pitch have been too inconsistent, underachieved for me especially as we paid 10mil.. apart from a jan bpl award he's been too quiet and yes i'm aware of his 8 assists.. aware of his floating in & out of games too..
I. Personally don't think there's any coincidence in his drop in form coming just after his omission from the England squad at the expense of payers like Townsend. He was the best winger in the league fir at least 6 week's leading up to the England squad and he doesn't get a look in. Townsend, Cleverley, ox. None of them were playing consistently as well as Johnson and they got picked. And this is why I detest our national team and will cheer every goal against them
Must admit, I am sat on the fence on this one. Absolutely gutted if he left on loan as that is Mr Short potentially telling the fans that we don't have any money and we need him off the salary bill in order to strengthen the team any further. If we were to get 10 million for him then I wouldn't be too bothered to see him go (too inconsistent for me). He seems to be a confidence player rather than a roll your sleeves up and get on with it player, and playing for a club like ours - all will not always go to plan on the pitch so he is likely to play well in patches. I think 10 million wisely invested along with his salary spend could be really beneficial to our club. Whether it would be wisely invested is the question I would worry about.........
Aye, keep an eye on Aussie mate! will prob get flogged lol but who knows? who was the last in a SAFC Shirt (apart from johnson) to play for england? bent?
No idea because I've no knowledge of 'his real attitude is within the club' or anyone else's tbh, none of us do and that's flaw with our opinions. For all we know 'canny lad, hard working, Jozy' is an absolute bastard at the club and is just taking the piss & the money. AJ might be the most committed, Sunderland mad teetotaller and is doing everything he can to contribute to the team spirit.
I couldn't make up a more ridiculous story if I tried Why would we loan our top goal scorer last season out? Without getting money to replace him. 100% BS
Aye and we got a world record loan fee of £6m, Everton will not pay near that for a loan In any case, Johnson has played some of the best football of his career under Gus. No way would he want to leave, and we should have no motivation to loan him to anyone. He was our most productive player last year, we'd be foolish to get rid of him
All I'm saying is that finance plays a huge part in our club these days just as it did with Gyan. If Poyet wants to bring in new players and is unable to shift the likes of Graham the club may be making compromises. I'd hate AJ to leave without having one great season as I think he's capable of it. But I'd also hate to see a season of him sleepwalking through games and running his contract down while we waste another year. I don't care who they are we need everyone at the club to be 100% up for the battle.
We'll be able to shift Graham on loan again, if not permanently. AJ is a key part of the system Poyet was playing to the end of last season, we don't have anyone else currently at the club that could play that role. If we did bring someone in who could, then things could change. But I don't see why we'd do that, when AJ had a decent season last year and there are more pressing gaps in the side. The only way I would see AJ parting is if we received a bid around the level of what we paid for him. Otherwise there is no benefit. If we loaned him out we'd have to buy someone new to fill that position, and if we sold for a cut down fee we'd have to pay quite a lot to get someone of AJ's quality.
I agree with absolutely everything you say mate, it's all perfectly logical. And that's my problem I've seen so many weird things happening that nowt surprises me. It started with Darren Bent tbh ....... there was a player people wouldn't touch with a bargepole because of one 'wisecrack'. He came here, scored for fun, lapped up the acclaim, played for England then went to Aston ****ing Villa to murder his career. That was the point I promised to stop expecting anything logical.
Sell him to finance Mutch and Borini?? AJ on his day is superb, but he does not have those days often enough for me.
