How Brendan Rodgers unlocked Alistair Johnston 2.0 as Celtic star heading for megabucks bracket of £25m stars
Alistair Johnston has always had the fight. But the finesse is now being added as his rapid career ascent continues working with Brendan Rodgers.
The manager took hold of a highly-talented young full-back in Kieran Tierney and turned him into a £25 million superstar. Rodgers appears to be taking Johnston along a similar path. Celtic chiefs entering into discussions with the impressive performer to lift the levels of his current deal coincide perfectly with the sparkling lift in his game.
From the minute he signed from MLS side Montreal, Johnston came across as a battler and a winner. A player of ice-hockey in his youth, he clearly relished the rough and tumble of that sport which had toughened him up and ensured he would never shirk a fight or a scrap from rink to field. Straight into a debut against Rangers at Ibrox, he didn’t take long to prove that.
Thundering into challenges, refusing to back down in any physical confrontations, Johnston quickly won his way into the hearts of the support. Ange Postecoglou had clearly secured a gem when he was replacing the outgoing Josip Juranovic.
Given the Croat’s popularity amongst the supporters and his ability to deliver in the big games, that was no easy task, yet Johnston sailed through the initial examination. He made strong contributions in the second-half of Postecoglou’s Treble-winning season and maintained many of his impressive traits upon the arrival of Rodgers.
However, there was one key area for growth. While Greg Taylor on the other side had mastered the art of making goals and scored the odd one himself, Johnston didn’t have the same numbers In a team which dominates possession and plays a system designed to have full-backs making a major contribution to damage opponents, the figures didn’t shimmer.
It had to be improved and, as the coaching methods of Rodgers seeped through the squad and the unit began to really get to grips with the gaffer’s plans, the increase in Johnston's offensive productivity was clear.
He got a first goal of the season against Ross County and began to add to his assist list on the way to the capture of the Double. There’s an intelligence about Johnston. He comes across brilliantly when he speaks, it is clear he is a thinker and he oozes positivity and belief.
It’s just the type of individual who can take the detailed instructions of a thorough manager like Rodgers and carry them out on match day. He's doing just that and, right now, it seems he’s headed to the next level.
Taylor’s confidence stepping into the middle of the park comes from a background of playing there as a youngster at Kilmarnock before he was moved position. His astute game-awareness allows him to flow seamlessly into central positions, while Johnston had been more noted for his path into the forward areas being around the outside of his winger.
That remains a trait, but the moves to run the inside channels and make things happen are adding a fresh dimension to his threat. Against St Mirren the timing was bang on as he exploited the space to step onto a Nicolas Kuhn return pass and smash a strike into the top corner for his first goal of the season.
In the Old Firm clash, he was at it again, seeing the area to hit as the ball was relayed back to Paulo Bernardo and attacking it to receive the delivery while the man who was supposed to be tracking him, Rabbi Matondo, was either unaware, unable or unwilling to go with him.
Johnston produced the craft to angle the pullback for Daizen Maeda, the Japanese did the rest and, effectively, the Derby was over as a contest from that moment onwards. He did the same soon after running off Ross McCausland to help fashion a glaring chance that Reo Hatate spurned.
Johnston’s tough, but he’s controlled. For all his biting tackles and forceful approach, he’s never had a red card in his Celtic career.
It’s measured aggression. In 51 appearances last term for club and country, he only got 10 bookings. That’s not a lot for a hard-tackling full-back. Johnston is now developing into the full package. Pace and power is being matched with panache.
Turning 26 in less than a month, he is approaching his peak years and the Canadian international is showing it on a weekly basis.
As Celtic prepare for another tilt at the Champions League, his first experiences of the competition and the lessons learned have been supplemented by an impressive string of shows for his country during the summer’s Copa America showpiece, where he faced the likes of Lionel Messi on his way to the semi-finals.
Naturally, the hamstring issue which forced him to withdraw from his country’s match against the United States last weekend caused concerns amongst the fans, which just underlines his importance.
Anthony Ralston, with two Scotland outings in the past week, is always an able deputy, but Johnston’s recent performances have marked him out as the main man.
Rodgers, as was shown with Tierney, is the perfect manager to develop a raiding full-back with tenacious defensive qualities and turn him into a top-quality star.
Johnston could soon be in the mega-money bracket and, as he plays a significant role in the way his team are performing. So far this season under Rodgers, his timing has been perfect and the same goes for Celtic's contract work to reward their Canadian star.