March 3 2006

Andy Johnson

There are still CPFC supporters who think Andrew Johnson should make this summer's World Cup squad. Sadly, Jamesey disagrees.

Footballers, like the rest of us, make crucial career decisions in their lives.

Let's, for a moment, cast aside our personal loyalties to AJ and the tremendous work he has done for this club, and just look at the situation in the cold light of day.

In our 2004-05 season in the Premiership, AJ was outstanding and despite our customary struggles to stay the top echelon, he managed, at various points in our campaign, to be the top-scoring English-born striker in the elite.

To do that was an achievement of great quality and to do it for a club that was always a favourite for the drop even more so.

However, all that is water under the bridge and the crucial decision for AJ came after our relegation in the summer of 05.

I don't know why Andrew decided to stay at Palace and, although much talk has been made of "loyalty" to this club, that quality is not something that springs to the fore in footballers usually

Loyalty is usually a prerequisite of we supporters, and managers and players tend to go where their careers and bank balances are best served.

There seem to be two possibilities. Either AJ believed that CPFC could bounce back up again sharpish (which, of course, could still happen). Or our chairman, Simon Jordan, increased his wage packet to such a degree that it could never have been matched by a Premiership bidder.

Andrew made the wrong decision. He should have moved to a Premiership berth, however lowly, to keep him in contention for an England position.

In the modern game, players outside the Premiership do not get picked, for the obvious reason that they are not up against top defenders or strikers week in, week out. And to play international football successfully, that is what is required.

Sorry, AJ. Even if you scored 15 hat-tricks in a row, it would not mean a World Cup place.

If you play in the second tier, you get secondary consideration.

Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com