Sheffield Wednesday legend Carlton Palmer has slammed manager Xisco Munoz for not registering Marvin Johnson in the club’s final squad list for the Championship.
Johnson is into his third permanent season with the Owls and offered a huge helping hand last season as Darren Moore’s side earned promotion back to the Championship in dramatic fashion. The experienced and versatile winger made 41 appearances last term in England’s third tier.
After Wednesday leapt back into the Championship, the club activated a one-year extension clause in the 32-year-old’s contract, keeping him at Hillsborough until the end of the 2023/24 season.
However, manager Moore stepped down from his post just a few weeks later by mutual consent, with the former Watford boss Xisco Munoz taking the reins. Johnson fell out of favour at the Yorkshire club under the new head coach, leaving the player in limbo about his future.
Johnson garnered late interest in the transfer window from League One outfit Derby County, according to Derbyshire Live, but a move never materialised and now the former Middlesbrough man has been left out of Sheffield Wednesday’s registered squad for Championship.
Club legend Carlton Palmer told Football League World that he believes Munoz has made a mistake by omitting Johnson from the final squad list [quotes via FLW]:
“I’m a little bit surprised by this. Johnson played 41 games last season when the Owls were promoted, 39 games the season before when they reached the play-offs, he’s played over 100 league games at Championship level so he’s very, very experienced.
“Managers make their decisions and they live or die by them – I actually think this decision is a mistake given Marvin’s versatility.”
Writer’s View
The decision certainly looks cruel but Munoz left Johnson out of the squad in order to leave space for another free-agent signing which could benefit the team in the long run.
However, Palmer is fair with his assessment. Johnson can play as a wingback and a winger, meaning he offers versatility for the head coach when a formation change is needed, something Munoz doesn’t have anymore.
It’s a shame that Johnson couldn’t get a late move to Derby before the transfer window closed but only time will tell whether Munoz’s decision will come back to bite him in the backside.
