ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Michael Johnson, ex-Blue

Apparently Liverpool have launched a £12 million bid for Michael Johnson of City. I see he was on Everton's books in the 2003-04 season in Gary Ablett's Under-17s, with 17 appearances and 4 goals. Does anyone know the circumstances of his leaving? Anyone see him play back then?

From the City matches I have seen, he has looked absolute class. He is somewhat slight, so perhaps he physically matured late in his teens. Pity... I think our midfield would have been transformed if he was wearing a darker blue shirt.
Will Leaf, USA Posted 15/04/2008 at 08:24:07

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Connor Rohrer
1 Posted 15/04/2008 at 14:26:50

He’s a good player. Not the finished article but getting there. He’s very much in the Gerrard mould. Alot of power and drive about him and decent technically too. I think he lacks Gerrard’s bite in the tackle though.

One of the better young English midfielders coming through. Not as good as some of the City fans would tell you but a good up and coming player.

I don’t know why the shite are going in for him. Surely they’ve got enough centre midfielders. Lucas, Alonso, Gerrard and Masherano. Unless Alonso’s and he’s his replacement but there completely different players. If Liverpool need anything its wingers.

Not sure why we let him go. I know he had a stint at one of the Dutch clubs academies. PSV or Feeynoord I think and then moved onto City.

I’d take him but I doubt he’d come and 12 million is alot of money for someone who’s very unproven.

Erik Dols
2 Posted 15/04/2008 at 14:33:13

Isn’t it so that with every transfer the teams that the player played for before he became 24 years old, these teams get a certain percentage? I thought it was 5% in total counting from 15 years old to 24 years old. How long has the lad played for us? Could be somewhere in the hundreds of thousands we would receive then, but I’m not sure about this rule at all. Could be for international transfers only.

I would like to see him back at Eveton though, decent midfield player. But as Connor says £12 million is somewhat over the top.

He played for Feyenoord before joining Man City according to wikipedia BTW.

Dan McKie
3 Posted 15/04/2008 at 14:45:52

Cant see City letting him go anyway, Sven rates him extremely highly by the looks of things and it ain't like they need the cash!

Dave Flinton
4 Posted 15/04/2008 at 14:55:35

Dan

It doesn?t matter what Sven thinks. He's a gonner at the end of the season!

Johnson would be perfect for us, if a little out our price range for youngsters. If only we?d kept certain players when they were younger......

Tim Keen
5 Posted 15/04/2008 at 16:25:52

He was with us for a while and with Feyenoord.

His dad gave him a year at each club as they regarded them as the best around at bringing players through. He then left the choice to the player who joined City as they had a really good set of players in his age group.

Nick Entwistle
6 Posted 16/04/2008 at 11:12:39

Isn’t Ablett at Liverpool now? Hmmm very sinister. Though perhaps they wern’t thinking City would now be owned by a zillionaire.