West Brom: Reservation on Celtic deal for Mikey Johnston, weakness could be used against him
Mikey Johnston being “so one-footed” is a potential cause for concern if West Brom are looking to buy the on-loan winger from Celtic, according to Adrian Goldberg.
The journalist spoke on The Liquidator podcast (3 March) to say he was “thrilled” by the Irishman’s progress since his January arrival from the SPFL, but fears defenders may work out a way to limit his effectiveness in the same way they once did with Ishmael Miller.
Johnston has scored three times in seven appearances and been a crucial part of the line-up for Carlos Corberan, but had struggled to get into Brendan Rodgers’ side in Glasgow prior to the move.
Goldberg said (19m 10s): “You do have to look at him in the harshest light and say that he is very one-footed.
“Remember when Ishmael Miller absolutely terrorised defences for a relatively short period of time? He looked magnificent for Albion, but canny defenders knew that if you pushed Miller onto his right foot he would not be as devastating as he could be, undoubtedly, with his left foot.
“Mikey Johnston is so right-footed that I wonder if better defenders, or even defenders at this level once they’ve got the measure of him, will start to use that against him.
“So that would be my reservation. Probably at 24 he’s not going to suddenly become a two-footed player, but you can always learn and work on other aspects of your game. He does go outside players on his left, it’s not as though he always cuts in, but he doesn’t shoot or cross on his left and that’s where Tom Fellows, as a genuinely two-footed winger, perhaps has one up on him.
“But at the same time he has got a devastating strike.”
West Brom stand-out to be sussed out by Championship defenders?
There has to be a valid reason why Johnston was struggling to regularly force his way into the Celtic team but is on fire for the Baggies in the Championship.
But whether he has improved outside the pressurised environment of the Old Firm and the Scottish title race, or whether defenders in England aren’t used to him yet will only become clear in time.
Whether there is long enough between now and the end of the season for West Brom to make a confident decision on which it is will be the key factor, but it can’t be argued that he hasn’t so far been outstanding under Corberan.
It isn’t guaranteed that Celtic will be open to letting him go permanently in the summer either way, although an Albion promotion would surely give them the financial ability to convince the Hoops.
Like Miller, Grady Diangana has been highlighted as another player who thrived on loan at The Hawthorns but has ultimately struggled to reach the same levels after signing permanently, so there is a risk to any subsequent deal.
For now Johnston’s goals and threat down the left is helping the Baggies stay firmly in contention for a play off spot which is exactly what he was brought in for, so it is difficult to critique him too heavily at this stage when he has so far proven a major success in the short term.
In other West Brom news, Shilen Patel issued a “massive” reaction after what he saw from the Albion players.
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