Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Andy Johnson
Andrew Johnson (born February 10, 1981) is an English footballer playing in the position of striker. As of 2004, he currently stars for Crystal Palace F.C.
Andy Johnson began his footballing career at Birmingham F.C., but after only a few noteworthy appearances, he was sold to Crystal Palace in 2003 as the makeweight in a transfer deal for Clinton Morrison.
At Crystal Palace, Johnson was the top scorer in the English First Division (now the Football League Championship) in the 2003/2004 season, scoring 32 goals, helping Palace to reach the Playoffs from where they were promoted to the Premiership in 2004/2005.
In November 2004, he was the top English goalscorer in the Premiership, prompting calls for him to be selected for his nation. He got his first call-up against Holland on February 9 2005, replacing Wayne Rooney in the 61st minute. Bizarrely, however, England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson elected to play Palace's lone striker out of position on the right wing, where he gamely fought to impress, but was clearly out of position. Theories accounting for this obvious tactical blunder range from simple managerial inadequacy, to the rather Macchiavellian idea that in playing Johnson on the wing Eriksson was bowing to widespread pressure to see him play for England, without actually wanting to give him a chance to excel, himself favouring better established names like Real Madrid's Michael Owen. A more benign, although logically weaker explanation sees Eriksson value overall participation in international friendlies over specific performance.
Johnson's fans hope to see him represent his country in more propitious circumstances in the future.
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