Adam Johnson, 20, is growing increasingly frustrated with life at Middlesbrough, according to the club’s assistant manager, Malcolm Crosby.
The winger has made just three starts all season, and was replaced on two of those occasions. He has spent time on loan at Championship side Watford, where he played 12 times and scored five times, before being recalled by Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate.
His presence within the side is constantly difficult to accommodate, with in-form Stewart Downing ahead of him on the left-hand side of midfield.
However, Johnson has also been told he cannot leave Teesside for a loan spell either, as Middlesbrough may have to call upon him at any given moment.
Crosby told the Evening Gazette, ‘The hard thing at the moment is that he’s not getting games, and what he needs is experience.’
‘We understand that but unfortunately we are not in a position to say ‘you can go out on loan’ because of the position we are in the league.’
‘So it’s a catch 22 situation at the moment,’ he added.
The youngster, who has progressed through the ranks at The Riverside, is expected to demand serious discussions with Southgate at the end of the season, to talk about where his future lies.
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Good to see he wants to play football, send him to a Premiership or Championship team on loan next season
I like him very much, but currently he can’t play because of Downing, who has been great since signing his new contract(I wonder why 😉 ). Adam isn’t a player to be sent on loan, he has the required quality to play in the Premiership, but we must find his place in the squad. Probably as a right winger and O’Neil moving in the centre? We can still send him on loan to a promotion chasing team in the Championship until the end of the season once we are safe.
With O’Neil banned for the next 2 games (for picking up 10 yellow cards) he could get his chance. Depending on whether the gaffer chooses him or Tuncay on the right
I would like to see him on the right-side of midfield. But why is Crosby leaking such personal stories to the Gazette anyway?
Send him to a championship team like we do.
Chelsea, A Youth System? Pah!
It’s a shame Boro 01 because we have exciting prospects at our youth academy but they don’t get the chance to play in the first team.
Well that was the case with Middlesbrough before, however Southgate has bravely stepped in, shipped out the dead wood who really didn’t want to play for the club (Yakubu, Viduka, Woodgate et al) and let the youngsters strut their stuff.
And that’s why I respect him a lot. I think it’s down to the manager to involve youngsters in the first team. At Chelsea, Jose wasn’t that kind of manager and Avram isn’t as well. Credit to Southgate for doing this! You have’ve given young local lads the chance to shine!
In a couple of years’ time, I would guess that we’ll have quite a few lads in the England side as well. That’s if you lot, or any of the other Big Four, haven’t stolen them away.
We’ll steel some and leave some! 😉 I can see Cattermole and Wheater playing for England very soon.
Cattermole isn’t ready yet, but Wheater is very, very close to getting there 🙂
Catts is a booking waiting to happen everytime he plays. He needs to learn how to keep his discipline to a decent standard by watching George.
I think Cattermole needs to establish a regular starting place with Middlesbrough first, but as Wheater showed that can all materialise relatively speedily.