Mikey Johnston

Yeah it's pretty grim to be honest. Lazy

 

I agree

 

I agree with you. The problem was never his ability just his fitness.

 

Even fully fit (stop laughing) he is bang average at best. Hopefully this is his last season with us.

 

His ability is still the problem, he should never be anywhere near this team.

 

He’s had since 2017 to establish himself as a regular and has never managed it. If he wasn’t a home grown player he’d have been let go long ago. Can’t think of anyone else who’s had more than 5 years to prove themself.

 

Ralston

 

He at least went out on loans which allowed him to develop.

 

True but is that no what Johnstone just did? Was he no playing in portugal on loan just there?

 

Aye he did, eventually. I feel for Mikey as injuries have really hampered him, I just think it’ll be an incredible turnaround if he ever becomes a regular for us. Personally I don’t see it happening.

 

He's been given far too many chances here I'm sorry, even if he did start playing well he would get injured and be out for months. Should of been punted on injury record alone. Need to be ruthless with this squad

 

Punt

 

Mikey is an interesting one. I played him here [in my first spell] when he was 18 years of age and he’s now a 24 year-old man. He hasn’t quite had the run here as he would have liked. That’s also been because he’s not been fit enough, regularly enough. But he’s done very well in training since I’ve come in and that’s where I’m judging and measuring guys. If they are doing well in training and showing me they want to play then you’ve got to give them that opportunity. Mikey came in on Saturday and he was a wee bit hit-and-miss with things. But he was still looking to get at people and create something. He changed the dynamic of the team.




“It’s quite a big period for him because he wants to establish himself somewhere as a starter, whether that is going to be here or elsewhere. I think towards the end of the window there was maybe a rush and him feeling he needs to get out on loan, but at that stage, he hadn’t trained with the team. What I said to him was: ‘Stay to January and prove you can be fit and get yourself to a level where you can train every day, and then make yourself available. The last thing you need is to go out now – you’re not fit – and then you go and break down again. As much as you want to play, you have to be available to play, and you have to be able to train to play’. Thankfully, over these last couple of months, we’ve seen that. He’s not missed a day’s training. He’s finding that robustness and getting up to game speed. He’s earned his chance to come in and play, but it’s a big squad, and that’s what I’ve got to look at. But, certainly, he warranted the opportunity to come in and affect the game.”

 

Rodgers doing what he does best. Great man management.

 

Forrest didn’t score double figures in a season in all comps combined until his 9th season in the first team. That is abysmal for a Celtic winger.

 

What’s that got to do with MJ?

 

You asked what player got 5 years to prove themselves. I’d say Forrest got longer.

 

Mikey Johnston has scored 11 goals for Celtic. Forrest had scored that by the time he was 20. He was getting far more assists too. Forrest may not have proved himself but he'd given reasons why we should carry on giving chances. I don't think Johnston really has.

 

Since his caps with Ireland folk are suddenly rating the guy... he's 24, can't get a run in the team without being injured and even when fit, he's a bang average winger. but aye, he'll come good

 

I think Forrest was a very lucky boy to still be a Celtic player by the way Rodgers arrived here first time. However, when Rodgers come in, he got a tune out of Forrest and totally transformed his Celtic career. Funnily enough, Johnston is at a similar age just now as Forrest was back then. The fact Rodgers is saying he hadn’t missed a training session is a start. If he can maintain that, then I think he could add something at least domestically this season. He looked the most likely to create something when he come on at the weekend.