David Johnson – the forgotten hero
13/07/05 | by Richard Freeman

Signed in 2000/01 for £3 million by David Platt, David Johnson had high expectations to live up to. Having helped drive Ipswich into the Premiership in the previous season with 22 goals, people believed he could do the same for Forest, even in the same season they signed him (at the time of Johnson’s arrival, we were merely points away from the play-offs). Unfortunately, this didn’t work out, as Johnson scored only two goals in the remainder of the season.

In 2001/02, Johnson’s first full season at the City Ground disappointed many, with only three goals. Paul Hart was also among the disappointed and eventually turned to loaning Johnson out to Sheffield Wednesday. In his time at Hillsborough, Johnson suddenly became more prolific, scoring two goals in just seven games, and he carried on this improvement later in the season when he was loaned out to Burnley, scoring five in eight.

Forest achieving a play-off place in 2002/03 was a great shock, and so was Johnson’s form, even though he was out injured for a short while. Finding an excellent strike partner in Marlon Harewood, he scored twenty-seven league goals and set up many others, propelling a cash-strapped and limited Forest squad into the lofty heights of sixth place.

But how did he achieve this remarkable feat? A sudden improvement of fitness perhaps? Or maybe hours of extra training? It seems strange how an average striker at best could suddenly improve so much to be the hero of Forest’s best season since relegation from the Premiership.

Johnson’s 2003/04 campaign began quite well, scoring a couple of goals in the opening weeks – until disaster struck. On a warm September afternoon, during Forest's game with Sheffield United, Johnson suffered a broken leg and didn’t re-emerge until the Spring. But by then it was a different Nottingham Forest.

The Reds had plunged into the relegation zone as their form dipped in the Autumn and Winter months, with the sale of strike partner Harewood in the process. Hart was dismissed after an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Coventry in early February and Joe Kinnear was promptly installed as manager. 

Under Kinnear, the remainder of the season showed a very resurgent Forest, only losing twice, and when Johnson returned, so did his old form – the icing on the cake was the goal that secured Forest’s First Division status and Johnson became a hero again.

Unfortunately, Johnson’s form was abysmal last season, scoring only six goals, and ultimately this indirectly resulted in Forest’s relegation. With Joe Kinnear laying the foundations for a hugely disappointing season, suddenly players became unfit, and even under Gary Megson, the manner in which Forest were careering into League One could not be halted. 

In recent days at the City Ground, the name David Johnson has carried a poor reputation; headlines have included disputes between Gary Megson, very poor form and the almost unforgivable drinking spree. One thing must be mentioned, however: Johnson averaged only 0.17 goals per game in 2001/02, and received another chance from Hart, but averaged 0.25 goals per game last season, and his career at Nottingham Forest is in jeopardy.

I believe that with a mix of motivation, fitness, and professionalism, Johnson could once again reach his brilliance of 2002/03 and,, combining this with Megson’s inspirational signings, Johnson could become the key man of Forest’s promotion push.

People often forget that this man was once Forest’s most important striker, and I believe that Megson should realise this, forget his differences with him and remove him from the transfer list. We could be in for a very different ride this season.