No Boro guarantee for Johnson

Under fire Boro boss Gareth Southgate may have put a spanner in the runaway wheels of the Watford bandwagon by recalling Adam Johnson but he won`t guarantee the flying winger a start at the Riverside.

Southgate`s odd quote on Boro`s official site will be in stark comparison to Aidy Boothroyd`s brilliant man management and motivation skills that drew the best out of ol` Jinky Johnson down at WD18

'I'm not bringing him back thinking he's going to start turning our season round for us, he's a young player and I don't want to put any pressure on him,' Southgate said.

Way to go Gareth…that`ll build the guy`s confidence (and all that after Sir Aidy said Johno was good enough to play for England)!!!!

Given that Middlesborough have also confirmed that their injury list has now shortened with Mido, Huth, Taylor, Arca and Andrew Taylor all returning to full training, the recall of in-form Johnson does seem odd if Southgate isn`t planning on letting the wing wizard dazzle on the higher stage.

Is Southgate gonna play 2 left wingers, cos here at VitalWatford we`ve never ever heard anyone at Boro talk about dropping Stuart Downing?

Even Assistant manager Malcolm Crosby, took time out from stating the bleeding obvious to let us know he too was unsure of the plan for the 20 year old winger…Southgate`s right hand man said 'We must remember that he has been playing in a league below…but he'll (Johnson) now be pushing for a place against Aston Villa, and although the final decision is with Gareth Southgate, I'd like to think he would be involved.'

Should the Boro management be stupid enough (and we really wouldn`t put it past them) not to include Johnson in the Villa squad, you will be the first to find out here at VitalWatford…