Pelle’s discovery flies in face of huge money game

(Photo by Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images)

As ever it’s been a summer where the backside has been torn out of every move – or lack of them – made in the transfer window.

The Fornals arrival – after all the acclamation – was quickly replaced by the Gomez stuff with the moans and groans quickly replacing the young Spaniard’s arrival.

In comes Seb Haller and all is more than well except for some moans about money being needed to buy at left back.

And I’m quite realistic in admitting that I was among them!

ENTER BEN JOHNSON!

Now before anyone tells me to calm down, to give the boy time and not put pressure on him, the point of this piece is not to discuss whether he will start in the first team.

It’s to explain that in a world dominated by huge signings, Manel Pellegrini has been true to his word and long term philosophy of giving youth its chance and ensuring that he is bang on top of what’s going on at every level .

Everybody knew/knows there may be a problem at left back and that in Pablo Zabaeta, a fine defender who is in his last season of PL football, we need another option at right back.

Johnson has quickly shown in pre-season that whilst he favours his right side he can also perform with excellence on the left – what a find!

This manager is on top of everything and has given himself the opportunity of putting the teenager under serious examination in each of the games so far.

Whether the boy gets the shout at the start of the season is a question which doesn’t need answering at this point although if he doesn’t he is only probably one injury away from doing so.

He has repaid the manager’s confidence in him big time in the early games and looked perfectly capable in his time on the pitch at the Etihad last season.

Like Declan before him he is clearly a discovery – a two footed defender who is going to save us a lot of money in the transfer market.

After the talent drought at the academy over the pre-Rice years we now have  him, Diangana and the boy Johnson rubbing shoulders with the big money elite of the club and resurrecting the ‘academy of football’ tag which was ours for so many years.

These boys are all products of the Terry Westley years and we all owe the man a big vote of thanks after he arrived in the daunting shadow of legend Tony Carr.

But centrally the acclamation goes to Manuel Pellegrini who clearly has his finger on the pulse of everything that’s happening at our great club.

In times when huge money dominates the game his achievement in this area must not be under-estimated.

PROPER MANAGER!