Montreal Alouettes head coach Mike Sherman said after Friday’s loss to the BC Lions that he will have a conversation with Johnny Manziel regarding his public comments about frustration over not starting.

Sherman says he understands Manziel’s mindset but didn’t like the choice of words he used.

“I hope this organization haven’t lost faith in my ability to play and I still get a chance to come back and get a chance to be with the ones and play,” said Manziel, who returned to practice Thursday after missing three days with the flu. “That’s what I came up here to do and that’s what I want to do.”

Manziel said he thought the Alouettes would stick with him once he returned from injury after acquiring him from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats earlier this season.

“They traded half of an organization I feel like in terms of what they gave up to get me here,” he said. “I would think I would get a chance to come in and still play. That’s where maybe it’s a little bit lost on me.

“Missing the game because of the concussion and then not getting to play once I was back, it’s been frustrating for sure. Because I felt like there was a lot of hope and a lot of faith in me being the guy here and how quickly that’s changed in two weeks is tough.”

Manziel added that he would continue to support Antonio Pipkin and be the best teammate he can be, starting or not.

Meanwhile, Sherman did not name a starter for next week’s matchup. He said it would be difficult to evaluate Pipkin’s performance under centre because of protection issues the Als suffered from Friday night, but acknowledged Pipkin held onto the ball too long in some instances. Pipkin also threw two costly pick-sixes in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal for the Lions.

The Alouettes will go on the road to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 15.