Andy Johnson, or: Rivaldo, the sequel
Posted by Ratbert in Bolton, Premiership, World Cup | 25 May 2006
Remember Rivaldo? A couple of seasons ago news leaked out that the Brazilian superstar, famed for hurting in all the wrong places he's hit, might, just might, be joining Bolton Wanderers. Really. The fans and media were dumbstruck with admiration at the audacious acquisition. Then, just when it looked as if the raisin-headed one was within our grasp, it all started to go 'Pete Tong.'
Other clubs started bidding. Celtic for one. Rivi's agent typically stepped in and began being nice to our friends in green north of the border instead of us. Quatar's oil rich sheik's starting sniffing too. Phil Gartside got the jitters. Neville Chamberlain-like, he stepped outside the Reebok and spoke of the "fax in his pocket" that was obviously so precious he couldn't pull it out from amid half a polo mint packet, petrol receipts and moths to show the world. Has he kept and framed it in his office? We'll never know.
Anyway, upshot was, that the intial excitement turned to concern and, after Rivaldo had been dangled outside every football club in creation with 'I'm free!' crayoned on his yellow shirt, boredom set in. Every Bolton fan wanted this sorry farrago ended. And eventually, the samba man slipped off to Greece. Olympaicos, I understand, not that I care that much.
Anyhoo, a similar scenario is rearing its ugly mug again. Whilst Andrew Johnson isn't exactly Rivaldo, he's a quick, pacy forward who would change the dimension of the team, hopefully away from Kevin Davies (please sell) and bring in the attacking flair and cutting edge we lacked much of last season. That is, if he were more proven in the top flight. So is £8.5m worth it? Can Bolton, for centuries the free transfer kings, really afford to blow most of the alleged transfer budget on an undeniably talented but not-quite-finished-article? Wigan seem to think he's worth the outlay. Whelan's promising to pay the whole lot in cash upfront, hence Crystal Palace snatching his hand off (we seem to be offering repayments of £10 a year via direct debit). The one fly in the ointment is whether Johnson wants to go to Wigan, and face it, who could blame him really. Will they throw a one bed terrace in Atherton in the mix?
But to be a bloke called Frank, I'm bored with the saga. The club have said nowt, and if there's only £11m in the pot, then £8m is a lot to lose in one fell swoop. I'd personally rather split the dosh between a good striker, midfielder and central defender or left back, with frees to fill up the squad spots. Def Johnson out, and lets get some good names in before it comes down to the usual last minute scrabble round, the day before the season starts.
