CHRIS CADDEN has subscribed to the theory that one man can make a team by insisting that if Marvin Johnson remains a Motherwell player it will considerably enhance their chances of a successful season.
Oxford United, with ambitions to continue their rise up the divisions in England having won promotion to League One last season, approached the Steelmen last week about the 25-year-old attacker.
Motherwell value the player in excess of £1million and that would appear to be too rich for Oxford’s blood. However, other clubs are monitoring the situation and Mark McGhee has already stated that he believes Johnson can play at English Championship level.
Four goals in four matches is a mightily impressive start to the season – his header on Saturday proving to be the difference – but it is his overall play that impresses Cadden.
He said: “Keeping him is massive. You can see he’s a phenomenal talent. He’s quick, has a cracking left foot, can play with his right and is big and strong. He also works his socks off.
“I heard the gaffer’s interview saying he could easily play in the Championship and I think so as well.
“He gets in about things, pushes people about and is just a very good player. Hopefully we can keep hold of him as he’ll be a key part to this season.
“In a tight league one player like him can make a big difference to where you finish. Marvin can change games and as you saw with his header on Saturday he can score all sorts of goals too.
“I’ve learned from the way he goes about things on the training ground. You might think he’s one of these guys going around thinking ‘there’s bids coming in for me’ but in every training session he puts everything in and works really hard.”
Johnson is flourishing in the line of three behind Scott MacDonald where Cadden and Lionel Ainsworth are also highly effective in what is an interchangeable system.
It was Ainsworth who put the Steelmen ahead with a wonderful lob in 40 minutes then Johnson powered n a fantastic header from Cadden’s cross a minute into the second half.
McGhee’s men should have gone on to win comfortably, but Martin Smith made it a nervous finish when he headed home for Killie nine minutes from time.
Centre back Miles Addison believes the way Killie stuck at it has shown the fans that the new-look team is ready for the challenges ahead after a miserable Betfred Cup campaign.
He said: “I think technically the group has gone way above last season but know-how is only going to come with games.
“There’s a bit more pace and power about our attack and the way we go forwards. I think it will come good, hopefully sooner rather than later.
“Maybe before people had a few doubts. The way we finished, we could easily have got something from the game. If we had no-one would have walked away and been surprised.
“That said, I don’t think we’re a unit at the minute. Whatever goes on in front of us with formations, the staff can deal with that.
“But as a back four we’re always going to stay a four and I think we need a lot more work on the training field to develop relationships.”
Killie, who had manager Lee Clark sent to the stand for allegedly swearing at fourth official Gavin Ross, felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the final minute when Ben Heneghan seemed to bring down Soulemayne Coulibaly.
Addison added:” Everyone has had a look at it again. I think it’s a stonewall penalty and the ref has got it wrong. The way we played we deserved something from the game.
“I don’t want us to be blaming the ref for not getting anything but it was an error. A penalty gets us back in the game.”
In a similar vein to Cadden’s assertions on Johnson, Addison is thrilled that Kilmarnock have rejected overtures from Charlton and others for the services of striker Josh Magennis.
The striker now looks like staying at Rugby Park unless a more lucrative offer comes in from another English club.
He said: “I’m delighted. Being selfish I want him here for the season. think he deserves a move on the back of the Euros and what he did here last season but if that’s not gone through then brilliant.”
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