The Rumour Mill, Season 2011-12

City's Johnson linked again

19/05/2012 | Comments (38)
Yes, it's the Daily Star but this surely won't be the last time Everton are linked with Adam Johnson this summer.

The winger is apparently disillusioned with his first-team prospects at the Etihad Stadium — they'll only get worse if Eden Hazard joins City in the coming week — and that has "alerted Sunderland and Everton".

Johnson was snubbed by Roy Hodgson for Euro2012 and could be on the move before next season to improve his international chances.

His reported £70,000 a week wages could be a big stumbling block for Everton, as would the fee required to land a player the Blues were heavily rumoured to have tried to sign on loan in January.

Original Source: Daily Star

Comments

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David Hallwood
084   Posted 19/05/2012 at 00:37:39

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It's in the Daily Star so it must be right.
Mark Riding
085   Posted 19/05/2012 at 00:42:39

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Would be a scary thought if we could pull this one off..
Add Pieanaar on the left.. Johnson flying down the right.. Jelly banging them in from all angles...

Deep breaths...
Liam McGlone
086   Posted 19/05/2012 at 01:01:49

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I'm pretty sure it's possible, everyone thinks we don't have any money but we turned over something stupid like £30mil this season and more in the last! I'd have to agree with you though Mark, those three would do us wonders!
Kase Chow
088   Posted 19/05/2012 at 01:58:37

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There is NO way we can afford this. No way

:-(
Eric Myles
090   Posted 19/05/2012 at 02:27:06

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So the question is likely to be Johnson or Fellaini?
Mike Gaynes
091   Posted 19/05/2012 at 02:22:40

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This is my favorite ridiculous rumor... Johnson is one of my favorite non-Blues in the Prem, and I've never understood why he gets so little playing time at City.

The one slim chance it could happen would be in a trade. Inter is widely reported to be in for De Jong. If City starts to sniff around Fellaini as a replacement and Felli wants to go, those numbers could be made to match up.

Also theoretically possible: City loses Kolarov to Inter (also widely rumored) and comes after Baines. Don't know that even the loyal Bainesy could turn down that kind of money. Johnson would certainly ease the pain of that loss.
Sam Hoare
103   Posted 19/05/2012 at 07:45:29

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Would love Johnson but imagine the only way we could get him is on loan.

It concerns me that the richer teams around and below us may have a plethora of good players to target. Imagine if qpr start throwing some cash around and bought hoilett, pienaar and Johnson to supply Zamora and cisse....the board must work out some way to have us competing financially at least with the likes of qpr, Sunderland, Newcastle and stoke if we are not going to drop down the table.
Wayne Smyth
104   Posted 19/05/2012 at 07:56:14

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I read somewhere that Mancini is not happy with Johnson because he doesn't work/defend hard enough.

If that is true I see a significant risk in buying someone on high wages who Moyes is going to fall out with.
Derek Thomas
106   Posted 19/05/2012 at 08:09:18

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Rumoured to be on 70K, but that is in City Pounds as opposed to 'normal' money, sort of like Nigerian years in reverse. So you would think that even the normal brain dead footballer would realise that City wages are not the norm.

Does he want to really play week in week out ( have a word with Pienaar on that topic ) or is it just raking in the money.

It must be terrible to contemplate the abyss of poverty that a mere 40K-50K brings.
Nick Barnes
107   Posted 19/05/2012 at 08:24:00

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Why would he leave the League Champions with more medals to come to join Everton?? No chance.
Jimmy Stenn
108   Posted 19/05/2012 at 08:31:16

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Read this morning that Grant Holt has handed a transfer request in and Norwich have rejected it.

Apparently we are the team he wants to come to. Depending on the price (and if he actually leaves) I think he could be a very good signing.

He's an old school rough and tumble striker who would offer bot only a real physical presence, but also an excellent touch and a real eye for goal.

Although I would rather work on getting Hoilett and Diame in on frees, the idea of Holt and Jelavic combining is very appealing!
Peter Barry
109   Posted 19/05/2012 at 08:49:46

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@ Wayne Smyth # 104 well he'll not suit 'Mr TRACKBACK' - Davey Moyes then.
Matt Traynor
110   Posted 19/05/2012 at 09:15:38

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Jimmy #108 with our track record I wouldn't be surprised to see 31 year old Holt as a replacement for Jelavic, not partner.
Peter Davies
111   Posted 19/05/2012 at 09:08:32

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Surely to free up a bit of cash, as well as offloading fringe players, we go to the banks and say the only way to get their money back quickly is by lending us MORE money to out buy the likes of QPR, Stoke etc. We can point out Moysie's eye for a transfer bargin and how he can turn the money he gets into a higher league position. HIgher in the league equals more positional money at the end of season, more money from TV exposure, more money from cup runs, more money through the turnstiles. Therefore more money to pay off our overdraft. We must surely be one of the best bets for a good return on money invested over the coming season. Failing that can't big bad Bill just go for a pay-day loan?
Paul Ellam
112   Posted 19/05/2012 at 09:16:03

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Jimmy #108 ? where has Holt actually said he wants to join us? All I have seen is that he wants more cash, they've refused, so he has handed in a transfer request.

Regarding Johnson, I would take him on loan but I think we will struggle to get him permanently.
Kevin Hudson
113   Posted 19/05/2012 at 09:14:41

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"Mr Trackback's," defence was the third-best in the Premier League last season, Peter.

...Surpassed only by the two Manchester clubs.

(See: Method / madness, etc....)

As much as it kills you to see it, Moyes is a shrewd manager.

(See: Big picture, rather than selected defeats, etc...)

..So with all due respect..

Case. Fucking. Closed.
Dave Wilson
120   Posted 19/05/2012 at 09:54:14

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Not just the defence either Kev. when he was finally given a tiny percentage of the funds he was raising he bought very shrewdly too.

While multi million pound crowd pleasers like of Johnson, Berbatov, Defoe Sturridge were all being left out towards the end of the season for not tracking back,
Our boys were scoring for fun at the "Strikers Graveyard"
Anthony Fox
124   Posted 19/05/2012 at 10:30:34

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I bet Liverpool will go in for him!
Stephen Kenny
125   Posted 19/05/2012 at 10:28:17

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Dave, Kevin.

Both true. I was suprised by the defensive stat as we seemed to concede a lot of poor goals early on.

We scored 50 and only conceded 40. I think it's fair to say if we start anything like we finished we could score another ten and concede 10 less?

That would give us a goal difference of +30, something a Moyes side has never been near before.

That's only bettered by both Manchester clubs with Arsenal and Spurs both on +25.
Dick Fearon
127   Posted 19/05/2012 at 10:30:27

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We could swap Anichebe plus a mil for Holt. Now that Jelly has shown what a real striker can do I'm afraid it has queered Vic's Goodison pitch.
Richard Dodd
128   Posted 19/05/2012 at 10:49:34

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Can`t believe we could afford his money-or even half of it-but would settle for him and Pins always provide we can keep the rest of the squad intact.
Probability rating 2/10.
Brian Harrison
130   Posted 19/05/2012 at 11:21:59

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I cant believe that with all our financial problems we would be looking to add Holt to our squad. The guy is 31, so at best you might get 2 years out of him, plus I am sure Norwich would want decent money for him.

Also with trying to secure the return of Pienaar who is also the wrong side of 30, to sign 2 players over 30 for probably a combined fee of £10 million would border on madness.
Sam Hoare
131   Posted 19/05/2012 at 11:31:48

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Agree Brian. For a club in our situation re-sale value has to be a factor.
Paul David
135   Posted 19/05/2012 at 12:05:00

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Peter

We could spend £20m and it would probably be enough to move us up 1 or 2 places only,it would cost anything upwards of £50m to get us in the top 4 where the real money is.Spending our way out of trouble isnt the answer.
Matt Traynor
136   Posted 19/05/2012 at 12:15:17

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Brian, rest easy I think it's bollocks. Norwich surprised even themselves by staying up, so having banked the money, and with another year to go at least, I imagine half of their squad are in the queue for pay rises.
Norman Merrill
149   Posted 19/05/2012 at 13:01:26

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Type or paste your comment here. No txt-speak, please try to use proper grammar, all-lowercase posts are likely to be deleted
Dave Roberts
155   Posted 19/05/2012 at 13:33:41

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I agree entirely Norman.
Norman Merrill
160   Posted 19/05/2012 at 13:59:54

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Dave, I hope word for word?
Ian Bennett
162   Posted 19/05/2012 at 14:02:19

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Paul 135 - absolutely right. The banks have worked that out, and it works the other way. Sell the best players and we only drop a position or two.

The league is terrible. We went 2 games without a shot on target, we sold the star man, had no strikers, and still finished 7th. What oes it say about the rest of the league.
Paul David
164   Posted 19/05/2012 at 14:14:12

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Ian

I know,as much as we dont want to lose our best players i'd rather still have a team to watch in 10 years.Getting the club in the black should be our priority.
Ian Bennett
166   Posted 19/05/2012 at 14:23:59

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Paul agreed. I have had an argument with Eric, so it will be interesting to see where the finances are after last summers sales.

Being skint is rubbish. Paying for a training ground and loan interest, costs a new player every season. Compared to others. Whilst the old lady has been left behind in generating cash.
Eric Myles
168   Posted 19/05/2012 at 15:23:46

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Me Ian?

What argument was that?
Chris James
186   Posted 19/05/2012 at 16:45:02

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The Holt suggestion is nonsense I think, totally against Moyes transfer strategy - the only way it would work for him would be free or loan (neither going to happen) plus I'm not sure that's what we need either as we're trying to evolve into a football team.

Johnson on the other hand is definitely worth a shout - he'll definitely be on his way out of City in the summer either sale or loan as the Sheikh starts to show willing to UEFA in terms of chipping away at wage bill, and if the latter I think we might have a shot.

I can't see Johnson being high on the shortlist of Spurs, Liverpool, etc anyway and City won't want to loan to anyone who they see as a threat anyway.

So ultimately it'll come down to wages and £70K though high might not be impossible (Drenthe must have been on £40K+ and combined McFadden, Straq etc), then again maybe even £40-50K towards wages would do it?
Phil Walling
224   Posted 19/05/2012 at 20:04:03

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Moyes will never play two strikers except when all seems lost at 70mins. Talk of the Norwich man is therefore irelevant.

Johnson is a right poser, not popular with Manc players or supporters.

Early signings will be a goalkeeper and centre half no-one has heard of.
James Flynn
300   Posted 20/05/2012 at 00:40:16

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Spurs finished 13 points ahead of us. Why wouldn't £20 million have us challenging for 4th position? Or 3rd?

It took how many years for RVP to have his "breakout" season? Can he repeat this season's performance or is he even staying at Arsenal? Wenger dumped fucking Henry himself at about the same age. How's that worked out for the Gunners?

£20 mil would make all the difference to us. Our owners have the money. They HAVE the money.
Bjørn-Ivar Pedersen
310   Posted 20/05/2012 at 04:09:20

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Hi guys, I am new here... and to this topic I would say IF we can afford Johnson, so why not? But he will not be more than a fill-in til we get a quality player for his position. But his best side is that he can play both sides.
Michael Mulholland
313   Posted 20/05/2012 at 04:40:02

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I just watched the Newcastle match again (3rd time), people talk "Sell this, sell that..." Keep it together at least till January... then dissect what we can from it.

Even though it's hard to believe, but if we can squeeze at least another 10 points out of Jelly at the start of campaign... we're in for a shout.
Joel Jones
684   Posted 21/05/2012 at 15:52:24

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Agree with Micheal Mulholland here entirely.

Why disect everything we have been raving about for the past 5 months in order to bring in players. Nobody near our first 11 should be leaving for anything other than silly money.

In order to progress we need the current squad to be added to, not taken away from. We have a decent batch of kids coming through so if nobody comes in start introducing them slowly in order to eventually reduce the age of the squad. We played the second half of the season without a player who in February was a certainty to go the Euros with England, another lad who is 'the best talent in the country' according to Stuart Pearce and a winger and a forward who seem to be slowly adapting to the English game.

A clever use of the loan and free market and we shouldn't be that far away.
We droped points at home last season to Stoke, QPR, Bolton, Norwich, an in form and current Everton sqaud would be hard pressed to do that again (especially as Bolton arent around now), theres 10 points straight away!

Hypothetically it all seems well and good, and i have a bit of optimism at present that decent business will be done. If Pienaar is going to cost anything more than we sold him for i'd seriously consider putting tht money and wage packet towards Hoilett and let a tribunal settle it!!!

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