And he is keeping his fingers crossed that the crashing left foot drive from outside the box nudged two managers born in Italy.
“Obviously I’m disappointed I haven’t played as many games as I would like, everyone wants to play games,” he said after the match.
“But I think that was my fifth Premier League goal so it’s all I can keep doing, scoring goals and getting goals and playing well, then hopefully force my way in.
“The players we have, it’s packed in areas, obviously the manager rotates certain players around, but I have to keep working hard and keep trying to play.
“When I found out I was starting against Stoke I was happy and I don’t mind the rotation system as long as it is fair, hopefully that’s going to continue. I understand I’m at a massive club and I am happy with that.”
Johnson admitted that gaining a place in Fabio Capello’s Euro Championships squad is on his agenda and he knows he has to keep impressing when he gets the chance. He is hoping for more action against West Brom and Sunderland.
“It’s on the back of my mind because Fabio Capello, likes players that play every week, that’s a major thing for me to try and go there after missing out on the World Cup, I want to play in these major tournaments, I need to keep trying to play well and think about it when the time comes,” said the winger.
“I wouldn’t say I’m worried but I would be gutted if I didn’t go, I haven’t been in the squad under Capello only when I’m injured, to miss out after playing quite a big part in the campaign, it would be disappointing not to go, obviously there is a lot of competition and people playing well week in week out, so I just want to try and play week in and week out and have a place on that plane.”
Despite the frustration at times former Middlesbrough man Johnson says he has no issues with Mancini or his style of management.
“He criticises as well as praising I’ve never had a problem, I’m not the sort of lad to let things bother me like that, I take it on board, I mean obviously in training he sees me working on my game every day,” he noted.
“Since I’ve come to City everything has changed, I have played for England, and won a medal. Last season’s FA Cup win and the league finish spoke for themselves it just shows what a great job the manager has done.
He has got us playing the way he wants. World class players know how to play with each other, everybody is on the same wavelength
...Adam Johnson
That common purpose includes having the skill and mental strength to bounce back from setbacks.
“Obviously we got caught up a little in the table after the game against Chelsea and people came back into the race, but we beat Arsenal and Stoke. We forgot about the defeat, got on with it and won our next two games,” he concluded.
