Never will an three month loan deal for a departing Wolves player be greeted with such fervent cheer.
Roger Johnson, quite possibly the most vilified player to wear the shirt since…well…Jamie O’Hara, is swapping life as a Wolf for an Owl and he will hear the ‘toowit-toowooing’ all the way along the toll road from Wolverhampton.
Cutting a dejected figure outside Molineux after passing his medical was an ominous first impression back in 2011, but at least our Roj will look a damned sight happier to get the hell out of town than he was when he first arrived.
At precisely what point the relationship between skipper and club broke down is probably still up for debate, if we were forced to rake over old coals.
Most agree that being club captain was a mistake when signed by Mick McCarthy in the first place, while some will point to an alcoholic aberration just days after a quite bizarre performance in West Brom’s massacre at Molineux – the like of which I’d never seen before or since.
Roger’s crass goal celebrations in last season’s Bristol City false dawn only added fuel to the fire, not to mention his ‘Nuffin’ to do wiv me Guv’ antics as a substitute after ‘that’ Barnsley send-off at Oakwell.
I just saw another centre half with no discernible pace whatsoever, which could only ever end in bad news for a team bereft of the virtue since Joleon Lescott. Alongside Christophe Berra.
But before you all scream ‘who cares’ and scorn this blog forever more, is it worth exploring the possibility that Roger was marginally misunderstood from the moment he walked through the door?
According to a fan who met Johnson during a SportingBet supporter Q&A, the beanpole defender signed on the premise that three to four proven, Premier League operators would follow.
To have the armband foisted upon him as the club reneged on its promise might, at the very worst, felt like an elevation to ‘great white hope’ stature when he only wanted to get on with his football.
The same supporter referred to news of his drinking debacle being conveniently ‘leaked’ at the same time Terry Connor was appointed manager, as if donkey was being remoulded scapegoat?
No matter.
As an emblematic vision of Mick McCarthy’s wanton world, we can raise another beer.
We can only presume that Roger Johnson is doing likewise.
“To have the armband foisted upon him as the club reneged on its promise might, at the very worst, felt like an elevation to ‘great white hope’ stature when he only wanted to get on with his football.”
This argument you can only put forward for Johnson’s first year though – there ought to have been little pressure under Solbakken/that other guy in the Championship and you would have thought that a defender who was being backed to make the England squad would do a MUCH better job than he did! Even in the Premier League it was shown that he was either massively underperforming or had overachieved at Birmingham! It’s that especially which is why I personally am so frustrated with him – broken promises or not Roger Johnson ought to have been a much much better player than what we saw!
Interesting, I can certainly see the point you are making.
he’s been nothing short of abysmal, looked half hearted in what he has done, rumours of poor attitude and rifts behind the scenes but really he has only just been as bad as the rest of ‘them lot’.
He’s been made out to be scapegoat, but when you get bought for big money and are one of th highest earners if you don’t perform you are going to gt criticism and have to take the flak.
This move is best for both parties, anyway!
Totally agree . I do think this is a canny bit of business by Wolves though . He’s in the shop window , regardless of what percentage of wages Sheff W pay [if any ].
Perform well then perhaps they’ll want to sign him . If he gets injured then the insurance kicks in . Winners all round !
I still can’t blame him too much for the ‘dazed’ training turn up . God knows , I like a drink but it became excessive watching Wolves the last few years …
Having said all that , I can never remember a central defender being so one footed – an England prospect once ? Well , good luck to him , wrong man at the wrong club at the wrong time .
Shame it was us .
Notwithstanding his Dave Jones connection, I am shocked, amazed and perplexed that anyone would have him, even for just a 3-month try-out.
I just hope he stays away.
Good blog mate. Although most people will lambaste you for merely suggesting he was harshly treated at times, I would go even further.
These are my thoughts on the whole episode:
* On the playing side the weight of expectation was huge and he didn’t live up to it. Simply put, he wasn’t as good as everyone thought he was. That immediately created a problem for him.
* The other major issue was that he didn’t want to be at Wolves. Going on Sky Sports the night before he signed telling the world he had ‘no choice’ but to join us wasn’t a great start. Everyone gave him the benefit of the doubt though based on his supposed quality. When the quality wasn’t there, resentment began to set-in.
* Following a run of crap performances he was vocal after that 2-2 at home to Swansea. He spoke out (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2052616/Roger-Johnson-hits-Wolves-fans.html) when he should have just got on with it. Questioning the fans is never a good road to go down, whether or not you’re making a valid point, which perhaps he was if you read his comments.
* Making him captain was a mistake, I think everyone agrees with that. McCarthy stalwarts owned the dressing room and they didn’t like the change and it ripped the team apart. The downhill spiral ensued. But was this Roger’s fault? Probably not. He took more blame for this than perhaps he should have done. Scapegoat is a fair term to use.
* He went mental towards the end of the season of course with the drinking issue, squaring up to Hennessey and clapping the Wigan fans on the final day. Was this just a reaction to the pressure that had been building against him though? Probably. Should he have coped with it differently. Absolutely.
* On last season alone he was undoubtedly scapegoated. Performances weren’t great, but he was by no means the worst player. In fact, on most occasions he was probably our best defender. He also saved a few points with late goals. To me he looked like a man who just wanted the quiet life after the season before, but ultimately the fans wouldn’t forgive him, particularly with the team in decline.
* This is the right move for all parties. Wolves are better off without him and his career will no doubt benefit from a fresh start.
Agree with you Thomas and Ben.
He was the ‘big signing’ we craved after just staying up.
Too much responsibility was put on his shoulders.
There are plenty to blame for the position we are in.
Good luck to him.
There was a certain amount of ‘scapegoatism’ (yes, I think I have just invented that word). But I think it was less about his performances and more about his attitude.
No, he wasn’t the only below par player but in my eyes (bar maybe O’Hara) he cared the least. You knew that the likes of Henry and Ward, despite obvious shortcomings, really cared about the club and were as gutted as everyone else about what was happening. That was something you never saw from Johnson. He just didn’t care about anyone or anything other than Roger Johnson. That’s what the fans didn’t like and that’s why he had a rougher ride that everyone else. His attitude stank and the ill-feeling was exacerbated by the fact he had been captain.
It was made worse, also, by the fact he clearly didn’t get. He didn’t understand why or how much people hated him and that was shown when he didn’t understand why everyone wanted Big George’s shirt on the last day against Brighton and no one wanted his.
He’s not the worst player we’ve ever had. But in terms of attitude when the only player I can think of in my 15-20 year history of watching Wolves that I can compare him with in terms of his attitude is Temuri Ketsbaia, you know you’re in seriously bad company.
So, yes, maybe he was a bit of a scapegoat, but he brought a lot of that on himself.
Started well but quickly became undeserving of his team place. Was then always a problem having a much vaunted Captain on the field but frankly not worth his place. What went wrong we will probably never know but it went down hill fast and his attitude and antics just made things worse. For his own good the guy needs sorting out. Dave Jones might be the man to do it. I will not defend the guy in anyway but is another example of our past management to get the best out of people.
Bye Roger you will not be missed or mourned.
I just wonder though how much this loan is still costing us.
Isn’t hindsight wonderful, and aren’t we glad we cannot see into the future?
I distinctly remember, and I wasn’t the only one by a long way, writing about how I thought the signing was a brilliant bit of work, and if we signed no one else, then it was still a good transfer window….or words to that effect.
Boy did I get that one wrong!
We all thought the signing of O’Hara was a good deal….until we realized he had played out of his skin for a contract, and then reverted to the type which ‘Arry knew, and why he got rid.
My question is this:
We all thought Johnson was a good player, and we cant all be wrong, and O’Hara played well for a contract, then why the hell can they not re produce the same abilities when needed, i.e. every match?
It seems to me that they are obviously far too lazy, and arrogant, and therefore totally unneeded and unwanted at The Mol.
So, good riddance.
Once again, dear friends, no swear words in my ramblings!
You might want to print this out and frame it, coz it’s a rare piece of blogging from across the pond!!!
Upon signing R J ,I posted on a message-board ” What a brilliant signing,the guy is class “.So,Clive,you were not on your own. We all thought it was a piece of business. I suppose this makes all us like-minded souls as good as M Mc cos he thought Johnson was the canines’ testicles.
When Roger was signed, there seems to have been something rotten in the state of Wolves, for which he became the symbol on the field. Not only all the various rumours but actual events as well support this view. Roger can’t be blamed for a lot of the turmoil, like the huge mess made of the managerial appointments, but he does seem to have been a disruptive figure along with Karl Henry, and possibly Jamie O’Hara and Stephen Ward.
We can believe, now maybe Moxey and Morgan have engaged in some self-examination, Kevin Thelwell is Head of Football Development and Recruitment, and Kenny Jackett is Head Coach, that things have taken a turn for the better.
Perhaps, just as Johnson’s arrival seemed to symbolise the start of a period of turmoil at Wolves, his departure symbolises the end. We may have our doubts, but we can hope!
I spoke to someone at the ground after he had signed who told me he was asked directions by Johnson … In this manner ” how do I get out of this shithole ?” Well he s out now ! Good riddance , he s been rust to his club since he arrived
Roger who ?
He came, he saw but he did not conquer. He should have been the lion in the team but instead he looked more like Bambi. There were odd occasions when he did look like a decent centre half, but those glimpses were fleeting and rare.
P.S. – forgot to mention that he reminded me, in some ways, of that great white elephant known as Joe Gallagher we signed from Brum back in the early 80’s.
😉
Didn’t we also sign a full back – Kevin Ashley – from them who, likewise, also turned out to be a waste of both space and money ?
Yep, for £500,000, but to be fair to the lad he had injury problems, still he was not the best full back I ever saw !
🙂
Very few people look for positives after having a bad rash … most are just glad to be rid.
I never understood the fascination with RJ and Scott Dann who played as the central defensive partners that saw Birmingham City relegated. Since then, both of them have done nothing but reinforce their complete averageness in lower divisions. RJ has all the mobility of the tree in my front garden and half of its ball playing skills. Why anyone thought buying a player who couldn’t keep Brum in the top flight was a good idea always escaped me. If I was a Wednesday fan I would be worried.
I presume Wednesday must be paying a reasonable percentage of his wages, they wouldn’t expect to get any new player for free and i can’t see Moxey letting him go too cheaply.
So that’s another positive step in King Kenny’s impressive transformation of our club.
I’m hoping Johnson plays out of his skin and gets a permanent deal somewhere in the January window thereby freeing up some funds for another one or two good signings. He certainly won’t be missed.
Now then, just Mr. O’Hara and we’ve finished the job.
Good luck in the future Roger.
I hope you do enough to secure yourself a move away from Wolves and you are able to resurrect your career elsewhere.
You were no the only reason we have had the misfortune we’ve had over the last couple of years but you played your part in the saga and for that you need to be moved on.
He was too slow, only effective at Blues as they played soooo deep and that got the relegated in the end. IN interviews always came across as hungover /half asleep or had been out for a night on the tiles with Kyle Walker… tales of his arrogant attitude also disrupted the camp, several rows on the pitch as evidence. Good riddance. As disappointing a signing as Dave Thomas all those tears ago, another tipped at the time for the full England breakthrough and who achieved diddly.
I remember standing on the North Bank one cold, December, Friday night as we lost at home to Brighton, groaning quietly as Thomas yet again gave the ball away just outside our box and getting castigated by some tosser who told me to ‘get off his back – he’ll come good’. I have never felt so vindicated as when John Barnwell described signing Thomas as one of his biggest mistakes.
Dave Thomas was one of the fastest wingers around then, only trouble was he often forget the ball when he wizzed down the wing !
;-0
Sadly, reading these and other comments elsewhere about Roger Johnson, this person resembles an unreformed alcoholic, permanently sozzled. His ‘sleep walking’ on the pitch coupled with the odd angry flare-up confrontation with his own players all indicate this prognosis. I hope the loan to Sheffield Wednesday opens up a new and positive chapter in his career, but if the foregoing is correct nothing will change until he cuts the alcohol habit permanently.
Glad to see him out the door, even if only for a few months, hope he does play and they sign him! No the decline was not fully down to him but he certainly played a good part towards it. I agree with Clive in that on paper he looked a good player and should have put in far better performances in a Wolves shirt than we saw. Suspect he was pushed out the door by Brum for the ridiculous amount that we paid for him and didn’t really want to be here, that showed on the pitch.
Should never have been given the armband in the first place, things started to go pearshaped from then onwards.
I wish him well but hope he stays well away from us. Now to shift O’Hara!!!!
Im glad he has gone along with the others. No surprise o hara is still at the club as nobody wants him. Hopefully this will make ohara and johnson realise they are not very good footballers and their attitudes are even worse. Please someone come and get ohara asap. I will chip in the bus fare to get him away from our club
I recall Johnson was highly coveted when playing for Cardiff in the Championship, and was probably the best centre half in that league, and many fans were pissed off when Birmingham won the race for his signature.
What I still find unbelievable is that at Birmingham Johnson was protected by two holding midfielders, they hardly let any goals in and won most of their games by the odd goal. No wonder someone looking at the stats would say they must have a good defence, good central defenders.
Then along comes good old Mad Mick McCarthy, wants a decent centre half from a side that does concede many goals, forgetting that mad Mick`s way was two wingers and no holding midfielders, in fact getting overrun in midfield was one of the joys of watching Mick`s sides. Its no wonder Johnson floundered with Wolves, he was the wrong man for the job, without the two holding players he was used to, he had no protection and got caught out.
I suggest given Birmingham`s relegation and their financial crash, Johnson wasn`t too happy to be told he was going, when clearly he didn`t really want the move. Players are chattels to be bought and sold, by astute mangers or directors of football, of course wolves had neither of those – so we got him. Good riddance for me is a tad unkind, he may very well have to play against us next year, and in the right side with tactics that work for him, he`s a decent player.
Interesting perspective and quite possibly an accurate analysis. Let’s face it he is far from the only previously good player who’s been shit while playing for us.
Mark, I agree,Blues always played with two holding players in front of him.Iti is not true that Mick didn’t play any holding players though,that was Henry’s role.The other issue with Johnson is that by the time we signed him,other Premier clubs had worked out his weaknesses ,his lack of pace and slowness on the turn.I can recall opposiing teams getting their striker to pull Johnson out of the middle and then run him and making him turn. I think he did alright on the pitch last season,he is a Champoinship level player and will probably do well for Dave Jones. He was a poor signing by McCarthy ,but Mick did make some good signings and in winning promotion and keeping us in the Premier for 3 years he earned teh club over £150m.Fans should not forget that.Where on earth would we be right now without that parachute money ?
I also thought he was a good signing just what we wanted someone commanding and vocal,and he was for a while.i for one thought he would make a good skipper, big mistake.
The trouble with Johnson he thought he was better than he was and blamed everyone else for his own failings.
Good riddance I say,
If Gareth Bale has a kid, will he name it Batmo?
Interesting to hear that Johnson expected other signings to back him up. Maybe he thought that Mick was going for a deep defensive formation like Bham City’s league Cup winning team. Certainly his woeful lack of pace would be less of a problem in that kind of formation. A very sour episode in the life of a footballer. It will be interesting to see how he fares out in the world and if he has much left. Cant say the same of Ohara just yet, which gives me a sinking feeling, I think he might be harder to get rid of than tattoos……
Johnsons poor performances were a major factor as we went on a disastrous run and plummeted down the Premier league after a bright start. As often happens with players bought with a big fee and a big reputation we stuck with him. McCarthy was at his most stubborn anyway and seemed determined to have no plan B for any aspect of the team. Perhaps last season Johnson did salvage something from the wreckage but it was no more than finding a level of mediocrity and that was never going to be enough in the context of another relegation.
Who Cares…
No point dwelling on old wounds..
Get him out as fast as we can and move on.
Bad bit of business.. Mistake..
After the way this season has started we just need to keep looking forward…
Whats gone is now history.
We r all just upset we payed 4 million for such a donkey I was working with a Birmingham fan when we signed him and he said to me ” you brought the wrong one” how right he was . I’m just glad he has gone
My feelings on Johnson were summed up the night I sat next to him and Fletcher for the Millwall Carling cup game.
As newly appointed club captain he arrived 15 mins late, and proceeded rather than to watch and analyse the game, and offer encouragement to his team mates on the field but to pull out two mobile phones. One was used for a constant stream of online bets much to fletcher’s amusement, the other to text and exchange photos with a number of women again much to his team mates amusement.
All this rather than watch the game, at half time he went down ten mins early, came back up late and then left all together 15-20 mins before the end missing Guerdiora’s goal of the season.
When I asked him to sign my son’s programme, you’d think I’d asked to put pins in his eyes such was his enthusiasm.
I agree that Roger is not solely responsible for the downward spiral, however I am of the opinion as it appears is KJ that players should earn their keep, be proud to play for wolves and act in a manner that befits the club. Sadly this was obviously beyond mr Johnson, who blatantly didn’t give a toss from day one! Bye Bye Roger and Out!!
Cheerio cheerio cheerioooooo 😀
I for one wouldnt take Bens ‘defence’ of Roger Johnson to literally. I think the subtext here is a look at how the hierachy handled things off the pitch and most of us would agree it was far from good.
For those blaming McCarthy, remember it was moxey that ‘did the business’ agreeing price and wages and failing to include adequate relegation clauses.
Johnson’s problem wasn’t with his footballing skills. It was attitude like Joh.
I would like to see Jamie o hara given another chance to play for wolves .
Two weeks after relegation from the Championship I was on a flight from Malaga to Birmingham, 2 rows in front of me was Roger Johnson & Stephen Carr, they were on row 5, drinks trolley came round both had soft drinks, but when the perfume and aftershave trolley came round and got to Johnson & Carr that was it, the trolley was there for at least 20 mins nobody else got chance to purchase anything, it was then a guy just behind me loudly said ” WHY DO WOLVES FANS COMPLAIN ABOUT ROGER JOHNSON BEING A POOR DEFENDER, BUGGER ALL HAS GOT PAST HIM TODAY ” the look on Johnsons face was priceless.
Here’s my summation: glad to see the t055er leave. Saddened it’s Wednesday because do not want DJ to make a mistake, rather t055er went to a club like Leeds or another I despise! Fingers crossed though that t055er does well and gets a permanent move away. What a complete and utter nightmare he has been!