Johnson clearly wants to play. How unwell he felt before kick-off (compared to how unwell he felt after being substituted) is anyone's guess. But your post here seems to suggest that you are either directing your criticism towards the wrong person, or insinuating that Johnson feeling unwell is fabrication. If the former, then surely you should be directing your criticism towards O'Neill for selecting Johnson, as opposed to criticising Johnson for wanting to play even though he wasn't feeling 100%. Johnson doesn't pick the team after all. If the latter, then considering that a lot of Sunderland players didn't play well yesterday, why single out Johnson and make an excuse for him but not for them?
Good and fair comments Ripleys cat. I have no doubt we will see some fantastic stuff from Johnson. He's had a stumbling start with injury and illness but I've no doubt he'll come good. I'm looking forward to seeing him hit form. I understand NMG's frustrations as our season start seems to be the same, stumbling and not hitting form, our best players not firing either.. We will get better too! Here's hoping the Mags game is a turning point!
It's the excuses I'm getting sick off. He didn't play well because he was injured, well, he shouldn't play if he is injured. Sessengon is not match fit, wtfck is that about 6 games into the season. He's played 6 games and been training. I'm not buying that he is not match fit by now. These people are supposed to be professional footballers, it's their job, if they not fit then get fit, they get paid enough. The most frustrating thing is is that we see the so called 'lesser' teams like Wigan, WBA, really having a go and playing some good stuff win or lose. Our 'attacks' against were so pedestrian and slow any team would have kept a clean sheet against us. O'Neill has to sort things out and quickly. We have the Mags next lose that (yet again) the confidence will take a nose dive and we could well be sucked into a long hard relegation battle. I don't buy this 'too good to go down' bullshit.
Well let's sack Martin O'Neill then - Is this another of your punts at a player who once watched Newcastle as a boy? If he wasn't feeling well would you rather Johnson said "Not well boss - I don't want to play" or "Boss I don't feel well but I'll give 100% for as long as I can" - Until AJ went off we looked OK down the right and they got nothing down there Now what's McClean's excuse - he was woefully bad on Saturday - but he's Irish and never watched the mags did he so I guess you won't have anything against him. Some of your recent posts have been pretty good NMG but this is ****ing ridiculous - let's slate a player because he wants to play even though he's ill. I buy this "Too good to go down" mainly because we're nowhere near as bad as Soton, Reading, Norwich, Villa etc. and we have a much better manager in charge - just hope he gives McClean a kick up the arse in the near future
It's the excuses I'm getting sick off. He didn't play well because he was injured, well, he shouldn't play if he is injured. Sessengon is not match fit, wtfck is that about 6 games into the season. He's played 6 games and been training. I'm not buying that he is not match fit by now. These people are supposed to be professional footballers, it's their job, if they not fit then get fit, they get paid enough. The most frustrating thing is is that we see the so called 'lesser' teams like Wigan, WBA, really having a go and playing some good stuff win or lose. Our 'attacks' against were so pedestrian and slow any team would have kept a clean sheet against us. O'Neill has to sort things out and quickly. We have the Mags next lose that (yet again) the confidence will take a nose dive and we could well be sucked into a long hard relegation battle. I don't buy this 'too good to go down' bull****. nmg can you breath under water ? go and prove it now **** off...
If MoN were to leave, or be sacked before his time, we'd be ****ed as a club IMO and I might just call it a day too. He is the best chance we have of actually realising our potential but that doesnt mean he is above criticism either. Saturday was total rubbish and deserved to be slated. However, today is Monday and we move on towards the next game now after the international break with full support and enthusiasm. Now who is that against again?
Bold bit - completely right Cest - but he admitted we were poor and deserved to be beaten - but it doesn't help when you arfe effectively playing with 10 men (or less) - McClean might as well have got sent off as he was absolutly terrible - worse than he has been. Colback had possibly one of his worst games I've seen for us - may have put a lot of tackles in but there was no drive about him - He can't do the midfield leader role like Cattermole
Marcus, decision day about McClean is coming in the next couple of weeks. If he can get himself up and going in the derby game (and personally I cant see us changing tact that much in this game) and Sess, Johnson etc get on their game too then JM will come through this. However, another no show against the filth and its curtains for the lad imo. He will need a long period on the sidelines to 'rediscover' his form before he came back imo. I dont think it would be a bad thing either. After all, this is only his first full season at this level and he needs supporting.
Said about 3 weeks ago we should have dropped him because of his form or lack of it still stand by that he needs a spell out of the team to sort himself out. Yes the whole team were utter dross on Saturday however, the most worrying thing for me was that City weren't much cop either (by their standards) and yet they still put 3 past us. We were outplayed by a below par team no disrespect to City but, I have seen them play 10 times better than that. Big decisions for MON before the derby no changes and we will get beat and, FFS get a plan B as with 4 minutes gone on Saturday we were chasing the game, something we as a team can't do with the tactics employed.
They scored one goal from open play and really didn;'t have many more clear cut chances - the 2 free-kicks - What the **** is 5' 6" colback doing inthe wall - also why isn't he jumping instead of standing on tip-toes (I don't blame him for being in the wall bet I do blame him for not jumping - Kolarov probably said to Balotelli "I'm going to stick this over that little ginger one's head"!) and the 3rd goal was deflected but (IMO) keeper should've done better - the one pure bit of quality was the cross and finish for Aguero's goal and, had it finished 1-0 we'd probably all be saying different things - such as "OK so we didn;t play well but only 1-0 against the champions isn't a bad result" - biggest thing is we missed Cattermole. He drove us on twice against City last season and we missed that drive and determination in midfield - hope Bardsley is fit for the mags game so we can put Gardner in midfield (and if not then Vaughan needs to be there for me!)
Where are Cattermole's critics now? I think the level of the last two performances without him have answered those people.
I still maintain if someone is unwell you don't play him. Johnson has never convinced me either when at City or now when he has a good game I will come back on here and apologize but so far he has been absolutely rubbish. On Saturday Mclean, Colback and Johnson and Sessengon were all woeful. We need to see more vs Newcastle or we will lose to them yet again. It's not really O'neill's fault that Bruce has left him so much dross but the tactics we employ are just so dull and negative.
