Bristol City boss Johnson vows to buy British
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson says he is no longer prepared to gamble on signing overseas players.
His comments come on the day Alvaro Saborio finally admitted defeat in his bid to carve out a career for himself in the Championship and returned home to his native Costa Rica.
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Gary Johnson
Signed on loan from Swiss First Division club FC Sion last August, the 27-year-old striker never settled and was left out of the squad altogether for recent games against Sheffield United and Leicester City.
His loan deal with City was yesterday terminated by mutual consent and the Costa Rica international has also cut his ties in Switzerland in order to return home and be near his family.
Johnson, whose record in the transfer market has been criticised in some quarters, admitted he is ready to abandon his policy of recruiting foreign players with no previous experience of the Championship, after watching Tamas Vasko, Peter Styvar and Saborio struggle to come to terms with the English game.
Hungarian international Vasko was signed on loan from Ujpest, but failed to impress and returned to eastern Europe after one season, while Slovakian forward Styver struggled to establish himself, after joining City from MSK Zilina in January last year, and was farmed out on loan to Grek club Skoda Xanthi in the summer.
Saborio became Johnson's latest overseas recruit when he arrived at Ashton Gate earlier this season but, despite looking the part on his debut at Coventry in September, the Costa Rica striker struggled to adapt to the demands of the Championship and scored just twice in 21 appearances.
Johnson defended his decision to go down the overseas route but conceded that, in future, he will not risk signing foreign players with little or no experience of the English second tier.
He said: "You cannot make a blanket statement that all foreigners tend to struggle, that's not true. They are all decent players and internationals and, at their levels in their countries, they are good players.
"You take a bit of a chance when you bring a foreign player in. I've had a chat with the chairman and it's a chance we won't be taking again.
"Whether it's the application to the Championship or whether they can handle the pressures of the league and how many games we play, I don't know. It could be home-sickness, of course.
"Whatever it is, it's cost us two players this year and we'll learn from it and move on."
Saborio will take a complete break from football for the rest of this season, but reports on the other side of the Atlantic suggest his agent is already trying to line up a potential deal with a Major League Soccer side in the United States.
Johnson revealed: "Alvaro has had problems at home and it's been so bad for him, that he has asked to cancel his deal here and end his time with Sion as well.
"I don't know what his situation is with his family, but it certainly affected his training and he lost his form.
"He became a shadow of himself and, if you are not mentally up for the Championship, then it stands out like a sore thumb. It must be a big problem to cut your career short and return home."
Styvar also struggled to establish himself in Greece, where he has made just four appearances this term, and has now returned to his native Slovakia to play for Spartak Trnava after his loan deal with Xanthi was cancelled by mutual consent. He remains under contract with Bristol City until the end of next season, having signed a two-and-a-half year deal when he first arrived in January last year.
Johnson confirmed: "Peter struggled being away from Slovakia and that's why we allowed him to go out on loan. But he struggled in Greece, too, and has now returned to his home country."
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by Glenn, Backwell
Friday, February 19 2010, 9:28AM
“Correct Dave.
Keith said that - because of our location - it was impossible to loan players from Premiership clubs based in London.
Total folly given that when the interview was conducted Yeovil Town had three Tottenham players on loan, all of which were making an impact.
Perhaps the truth is none of these clubs want to lend their rising stars to Gary as they know his record of developing youth players is abysmal.”
by DAVE MASSEY, LONDON
Thursday, February 18 2010, 9:46PM
“didn't i read a few weeks back that keith millen said we couldn't get (british) players from london clubs to come here - amazing when you see them at clubs in the north and midlands though. didn't i also read that city were 'known internationally' - so how come we end up with so many duds. all the players mentioned by readers have been CONSISTENTLY missed out on by the useless scouting at the club. it's that ''scouting'' that has resulted in players being bought from overseas. and how come it is that there's this obsession with buying players from scotland when the standard of football and players there is abysmal. it's bad, bad, bad. in business with ''performances'' like this the club/business would be bankrupt!”
by Jason, Bristol
Thursday, February 18 2010, 7:21PM
“URGENT: Gary,and Steve,Pompey have asked the FA for permission to sell player's outside off the transfer window,GO TO IT LADS.”
by Clay Davis, Baltimore
Thursday, February 18 2010, 5:58PM
“Hypocricy Dolman Bob, sweet unfetted hypocricy. Its called a pseudonym, something that you are also using, mnuuhhh.
Stop your crying and whinging Bob and start getting behind the team. You are either blind or deluded if you could not see the improvements clearly obvious to the sane of mind last weekend.
Doubtless you will be happy to raise your glass if we win but first to moan if we lose.
Fickle fans. Who needs 'em.
Finally, Dave of Henbury, listen sonny jim, rather than come on this site and scribe juvenile, abusive nonsense why dont you post a point of view for the rational among us to dissect and give the sensible readers all a good laugh.”
by Andy, Bristol
Thursday, February 18 2010, 5:49PM
“I agree with some of your comments Dolman Bob but I find your 'junior' reference to Lee Johnson childish and unnecessary, to me it just undermines all of your feedback.”
by fan of 4 4 2, bedminster
Thursday, February 18 2010, 5:48PM
“Maynard is a good striker but he needs assists and a partner.
For assists i recon George Boyd from peterborough who has 9 assists (also 9 goals) (4th best in league) for the bottom team in the championship (city's best is hartley with just 5).Or city could steal some league one players like Jon-paul mcgovern (10 assists), gary roberts (9 assists), andrew welsh (9 assists) or deon burton (9 assists). These players are at Swindon, Huddersfield, Yeovol and Charlton repectivly.
As for a strike partner, i suggest Gary Hooper of Scunthorpe who has 10 goals at a club at a similar level to city, city would be quite likely to tempt him away from a small team like scunthorpe. In league 1 i suggest Lambert (19 goals), Billy Paynter (16 goals), Lee Barnard (15 goals), Jordan Rhodes (14 goals) or Deon Burton (13 goals) (as mentioned above, also got assists in him too). They play for Southampton, Swindon, Southend, huddersfield and charlton respectivly. I also like the look of Chris Iwelumo. He is a good target man (as good if not better than adebola).
Please tell me what you think, any other players for goals and assists. Someone else could give names of new defenders and maybe a new GK (Gerken may be a good shot stopper but has poor control of his area and his back 4 (note the words 'back 4' gary, not 5)”
by david, henbury
Thursday, February 18 2010, 5:23PM
“Yes dead right Bob makes you wonder about idiots like Clay and Anal.One you dig out the ground and the other you stick in the ground,tis Half Term tho.”
by Groundhog Day, U S A
Thursday, February 18 2010, 5:11PM
“We all had a good laugh at Analyst what a plonker,sounds like he's been on skid row to long,and a supporter of the Johnson clan and not Bristol City.Johnson will always be his own enemy while he incorporates JNR and leave out Guys like Hartley. Sno was wasted on the wing,and sadly this team has to revolve around JNR who can pass but can't tackle or head a ball.Mr Lansdown won't be happy if we fail in the next two or three games he won't want relegation not with the new stadium.Johson won't change,a good striker and a winger,and not all these idiotic formations fans have told him this all season.The jokings over and the window is shut.”
by dolman bob, bristol
Thursday, February 18 2010, 5:05PM
“'Clay Davies' is trying to imply that i "live outside of reality"?! - this coming from an individual who is pretending that he is a character from an American TV show.
do you have any idea just how daft you have made yourself look, 'Clay'.
i swear some of these new fans got the first bus up from yeovil to bristol when Gary Johnson became our manager.
wise up - at this rate we will be relegated in May, knee deep in serious debt. If there is any part of you who cares one bit about the long-term future of BCFC you will stop swallowing these excuses and start demanding the sacking of the people who have created this expensive mess.”
by Clay Davis, Baltimore
Thursday, February 18 2010, 4:24PM
“Analyst, give it up my friend. It's like trying to teach Swahili to a chimpanzee. Some people live outside reality, don't see the bigger picture and generally just don't get it.
It is much easier to make a sweeping generalisation to support your point of view when the facts get in the way.
Sheeeeeeeeid.”