Celtic great Pat Bonner has put his faith in Mikey Johnston to turn his form around and become an effective part of the Ange Postecoglou revolution.
Johnston was hit with a blow in pre-season after Ange arrived after picking up a disappointing knock. However, he’s been fit for action since September, but has still struggled to take off. Mikey has been given 18 outings this term but only 4 starts, with just 1 assist to his name and 0 goals [Transfermarkt].
Johnston has also seen competition for his position increase over the month of January. The arrival of Daizen Maeda who can play on the left has been combined with the return to action of fan-favourite Jota. Even so, Mikey was given a 15-minute runout against Hibs last night as he showed some decent flashes but little end-product.
That’s the area of his game Bonner is desperate to see him improve. And as he talked up Mikey’s ability, he outlined his hopes that he can turn things around. Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Pat said: “The manager has said on a couple of occasions that it’s up to Mikey Johnston himself now. He’s going to be training every day with a group of quality players that play and train at a high tempo.
“Mikey can use that to get himself into a position where when he does step onto that pitch, whether it’s 20 minutes, half an hour, or 90 minutes, then he’s got to make an impact every single time. That’s the only way you’re going to influence the manager. He’s got to have a goal in him also. That’s the bit that Jota has, that Forrest has. He’s got to have a goal at the end of all of the good things he does on the ball.
“He’s a young player. Don’t write Mikey Johnston off because he’s got huge ability. Now is the time for him to kick on. He’s a young Scottish player that could be one for the future for the Scottish team too but he’s got to step up in the next couple of years. But I wouldn’t be writing him off anyway, because I think there’s enough ability there for him to make an impact.”
Mikey Johnston has a massive challenge on his hands at Celtic
Johnston’s situation at Celtic Park certainly isn’t getting any easier. The competition for place is as tough as it’s ever been since he initially broke through 4 years ago.
Injuries have certainly played a huge part in the halting of his progress of course. Remember, Mikey was out for almost a full year with ligament damage between 2020 and 2021. And that blow came at a time when he was making a genuine impact under Neil Lennon.
The winger is still only 22 of course. There is plenty of time for him to become a regular under Ange. He has a contract that ties him to the club until 2025 too. He isn’t going anywhere in the near future and it’s clear Postecoglou likes what he can bring.
The issue is that Mikey’s issue back in 2017 is the same as it is now – his end product. He gets into some wonderful areas through his quick feet and speed of thought. However, when he gets in behind the defence or into the penalty box, what happens next is usually too powder puff.
The integration of the 5-sub rule should prove to be a big help for Johnston moving forward. It will allow Ange the opportunity to give more players game-time and Johnston will easily fit into that bracket. That should lead to some more minutes and therefore more chances to stake his claim.
But the time is now for us all to stop talking about what Mikey can maybe do in the future. He needs to start producing now before the first-team squad really does pass him by.
In other news, Mark Warburton believes his young talent being linked with Celtic is “absolute nonsense”
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