The manager Roberto Mancini addresses first signs of
bigheadedness, believing his winger is not the finished article
Adam Johnson, the Manchester City winger, has been too easily
distracted by the trappings that can affect young players.
Photograph: Paul Harding/Action Images
Roberto Mancini has defended his
selective use of Adam Johnson and, breaking his usual rule of not
criticising his own players, questioned whether the
Manchester City winger has allowed the
praise he has received from breaking into the
England side to go to his head. While
Johnson has established himself on the left side of Fabio Capello's
team, the former Middlesbrough player has started only one of
City's past seven Premier League games, with Mancini preferring
David Silva, James Milner or Mario Balotelli.
Mancini, the City manager, has already felt compelled to address
what he perceives to be the first signs of bigheadedness affecting
Johnson earlier in the season, and the Italian was as critical of
him as he has been of any player during his 11 months in
Manchester. "England is like Italy, when a young player plays five
games very well all the newspapers say: 'Oh, this Adam Johnson is a
fantastic player.' But Adam is a young player, he doesn't
understand [the game] very well and he can improve a lot more if he
thinks more when he plays.
"He's a good player but he's only 22, he's played only 20 games
in the Premier League and it's impossible to think of him now as a
top player. He's a good guy, but when you are young and you read
the newspapers: 'I am the top, I am the top.' For this, he must
work, he must think, he must work for the team; not two dribbles,
two crosses. In a top team you need more. If you're doing only two
dribbles, you can't be the best player on the pitch. You must score
a goal, you must defend, you must help your team-mates. There is
more expected of him." That criticism is likely to sting Johnson
but Mancini believes the player is too easily distracted by some of
the trappings that can affect young players.
City's coaching staff were unimpressed by his reaction when he
was substituted in one match and he has done himself few favours by
being one of the players who ended up drinking into the early hours
at a student house party in St Andrews during a recent day off,
video footage of which was sold to the Sun and has led to a public
apology from Gareth Barry, who arranged the trip. "It's important
all the players must have good behaviour during the week because we
must prepare for every game very well," Mancini said. "He [Johnson]
must keep his feet on the floor and he must stay there. It's better
for him [not always starting him] if he wants to improve. He's a
good player, he has a fantastic talent but he is not a top player
at this moment. Maybe he can arrive at the top but the difficulty
is to stay there. Adam has a quality to go to the top and stay
there but he must improve."
Johnson has expressed his unhappiness at being left out. "I
wouldn't say I'm great with it. I want to be playing all the time
but I've got to get on with it. It's a little bit frustrating
because I started the season so well, my form was really good, but
I tend to find myself on the bench."