Eagle Eddie Ready To Flutter If Not Soar Yet…

Cardiff City’s USA International Eddie Johnson suffered at the hands of Bluebirds fans following his loan move from Fulham. A multi-million pound signing, big things were expected from the striker reportedly picking up close to £18k in wages per week from Cardiff City FC.


However, his debut was nothing short of disasterous when he put up a limp showing against local rivals Swansea City. It was a truly inept performance and he was withdrawn at half time. Several more disappointments followed and Johnson had been restricted to substitutes appearances.


Now though, he is in the starting line-up through necessity after injuries to regular strikeforce Bothroyd and McCormack. There were some small signs of improvement prior to that but the more he plays – the better Johnson looks.


A substitute appearance in the defeat at Wolves was a turning point for me. There were groans when McCormack limped off to be replaced by Eddie – some fans felt ex-Bluebird visiting veterans Chris Pike and Jeff Hemmerman were better options! However, Eddie won a header within seconds of coming on and continued to win his aerial battles.


A decent showing at QPR was followed by another good performance against Crystal Palace. He badly needs a goal to lift confidence but Johnson is very adept in the air. Although not tall, he has an excellent leap and good timing – winning plenty of flick-ons but also playing into good areas for Chopra to chase.


Hauled down for a last minute penalty, Johnson didnt take the kick but was praised for his performance by manager, players and fans. The supporters are coming to like Eddie for his work-rate and ever-improving contributions. What started out as ironic cheers are becoming real support for a likeable player. Whilst there is plenty left to prove, and a long way to go to justify the wage – the signs are that Eddie Johnson could be a good player for Cardiff City.