Glen Johnson

[little dave hedgehog]

Roberto Carlos: “My problem at Inter was Hodgson, Roy Hodgson. He wanted me to play as a forward when I’m a defender – I prefer to have space ahead of me to run into rather than be a winger already up there; for me it’s better to have 80 metres to play in than 20. I didn’t like the system or where Hodgson wanted me to play in it. He wanted me further up the pitch, sure, but stopped, still, rigid. The Copa America was coming up and I was playing at left-back for Brazil, so I wanted to play there for Inter too. I had to leave because I didn’t want to jeopardise my chances with the national team. If I couldn’t play the way I do I wouldn’t be able to play for Brazil. I spoke to Massimo Morratti [the Inter president] to see if he could sort things out and it soon became clear that the only solution was to leave.”

Hodgson when asked about this said: ''Pistone, better than Roberto Carlos'' YouTube - Maurizio Mosca cazzìa Roy Hodgson in diretta!

wtf is that video about?

[Craig_H]

I think for better or for worse once the ownership situation is sorted things will sort themselves out. Clearly some of our players only delayed their exits this summer as they were willing to give the board time to put us back where we belong.

If we get new owners who will take us forward then of course everyone is happy and we can go about building a strong team that can challenge for the top prizes again.

If we are stuck with Hicks then people will leave in the summer and we can go about getting players who will be happy to be here in the situation we will find ourselves in.

I think in Hodgson we have a manager who can work with average players and get them performing above their level. If the worst comes to the worst we'll be fine.

If we get new owners then they have the opportunity to give Roy a chance or get their own man in. It's not all doom and gloom.

What's your idea of fine?

[CJ]

if you look at leeds and their fall then actually just getting players who are happy doesnt work the cancer of the club needs to go swapping players for less good happy players wont do anything

[DannyMan2006]

Roberto Carlos: “My problem at Inter was Hodgson, Roy Hodgson. He wanted me to play as a forward when I’m a defender – I prefer to have space ahead of me to run into rather than be a winger already up there; for me it’s better to have 80 metres to play in than 20. I didn’t like the system or where Hodgson wanted me to play in it. He wanted me further up the pitch, sure, but stopped, still, rigid. The Copa America was coming up and I was playing at left-back for Brazil, so I wanted to play there for Inter too. I had to leave because I didn’t want to jeopardise my chances with the national team. If I couldn’t play the way I do I wouldn’t be able to play for Brazil. I spoke to Massimo Morratti [the Inter president] to see if he could sort things out and it soon became clear that the only solution was to leave.”

Hodgson when asked about this said: ''Pistone, better than Roberto Carlos'' YouTube - Maurizio Mosca cazzìa Roy Hodgson in diretta!

Roberto Carlos was a great full back. But he himself has said there what type of player he is. No point in having a player in the team who you feel doesn't fit the system you deploy.

Pistone is mocked I'm sure for his time at Everton but when at Inter he was a very competent defender. I don't know what Roy will ask Johnson to do, but I think there were quite a few on here who themselves said last season that Johnson should defend first and attack second.

[DannyMan2006]

What's your idea of fine?

Midtable obscurity.

It's not fine in Liverpool terms but it's not the end of the club either.

[DannyMan2006]

if you look at leeds and their fall then actually just getting players who are happy doesnt work the cancer of the club needs to go swapping players for less good happy players wont do anything

Leeds waited too long before cutting their losses. They had to sell, sell, sell and lost millions as they couldn't get players of the wage bill.

We have players on reasonable wages for their abilities and as such we'd have no problem finding buyers for the better players.

One story of Seth Johnson being told by his agent that if Risdale offered them 20k they'd accept as that was a great deal at the time for a player of his ability. Risdale came straight out and offered 40k. The Agent and Johnson struggled to keep a straight face. (the figures I don't remember but is was something daft).

[CJ]

im not talking about the money at leeds i am talking about how it engulfed the club howw they had to sell and get players of a lesser quality in

thats what we are doing to a lesser extent but that doesnt mean happy and then moving up the table for me.

[DannyMan2006]

im not talking about the money at leeds i am talking about how it engulfed the club howw they had to sell and get players of a lesser quality in

thats what we are doing to a lesser extent but that doesnt mean happy and then moving up the table for me.

Of course it doesn't, I'm not saying otherwise.

[rudedog]

Mascherano was good at covering for Johnson when got caught out of position last season - it might be that he isn't as comfortable now he no longer has this extra protection.

[CJ]

Of course it doesn't, I'm not saying otherwise.

sorry i thought you were saying that if we got rid of our players who arent happy but we replaced them with happier ones then we would improve.

its all depressing isnt it though

[Zapater]

I'm not sure if it's actually something tactical or just something being up with him, he seems lacklustre and hasn't played with the same energy he did last season. There were games last season that he played really well, and was a fantastic attacking outlet for us, he has just seemed clumsy and lacking a spring in his step which I hope will return to his game, even if his natural game is being marginalised by the manager.

I thought he was better yesterday, he wasn't very good for the duration but he showed a few signs he's more of himself, looked a lot better in possession and seemed a bit quicker. There have been times in the other games I just look at him looking like an amateur and just think "**** off Johnson with your stupid new haircut, you look like Medusa". But overall, yesterday he seemed to give a **** and as I said before was a little less clumsy.

He's too good of a player not to come good again sooner or later, and for me apart from the exceptionally woeful performances by some individuals it's difficult to point fingers for the majority because altogether we've been painful to watch this entire season and until we get sorted out as a unit we're going to have substandard individual performances.

[dww]

I thought he had a really good game yesterday. He needs to get used to how the defence works under Hodgson and then use that as a base to attack. I think simplifying his role defensively as seemed to have been done against United helps his overall game. Like Cole I think he performs best when the manager does all his thinking for him.

When the opportunity to burst forward was clear yesterday he took it, otherwise he was very disciplined. I think he is one of the few players in the squad I expect to benefit from having Roy as a manager in the long run.

[Fernandinho]

I think he performed much better in defence, people seemed to be saying in the match threads that Giggs continually got past him but I think that Giggs didn't give much the whole match other then trying to make himself a little space to cross, which were not successful. During the first half he was one of our few outlets, even the commentators realised that! I think he might be on the way up and and is adjusting to Roys tactics.

[McDermotX]

Poor game yesterday from Glen.....like most others in fairness.
Offensive side of the game was curtailed almost completely, but certainly wasn't helped by Maxi's complete uselessness to this Liverpool side. When he did get forward, he either was unwilling to get the ball in the box, or drifted inside a couple times to try and get a non-shot off.
Defensively.....while not directly responsible for any of the goals, I was not happy to see the geriatric and, despite what Sky would like you to believe, 'finished as a winger', Ryan Giggs easily getting by him 3 times....usually requiring Carra to move across to cover.
Very worrying to see, but in comparison to the train-wreck over the left side.............

[RedReet]

I thought he had a really good game yesterday. He needs to get used to how the defence works under Hodgson and then use that as a base to attack. I think simplifying his role defensively as seemed to have been done against United helps his overall game. Like Cole I think he performs best when the manager does all his thinking for him.

When the opportunity to burst forward was clear yesterday he took it, otherwise he was very disciplined. I think he is one of the few players in the squad I expect to benefit from having Roy as a manager in the long run.

I thought he played quite well too and am amazed at the criticism he is receiving once again (as he has done all season). I actually watched the match sober for once yesterday and specifically kept and eye on Johnson and his ‘terrible defending’. I can honestly only remember him letting a player past him twice, and bar that, I didn’t see anything wrong he did defensively, He wasn’t the usual potent threat in attack that we are used to, but as you said he got forward giving us an option, and although his crossing was a bit wayward, was involved in a few decent moves. I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to assessing a FB’s performance I struggle, as I don’t have the knowledge. Clearly it’s obvious when a player plays really well or really bad. When it comes to the finer details like when to tuck in narrow or when to stay out wide, or where their starting positions should be in certain situations, then I’m not always entirely sure myself and can’t confidentially argue if they are right or wrong (especially as I don’t know what they have been instructed do).

That’s only the second time I’ve watched Johnson closely this season, with the other being against Arsenal. As previously discussed, I thought he played very well that game and was more or less faultless defensively. He my well have been crap for all the forgettable games in-between and I was too drunk to realise, but personally he didn’t stand out to me as particularly poor or particularly good, certainly no worse than his other underperforming team mates. The team is a shambles at the minute and it’s a sorry state of affairs, but in my opinion Glen Johnson is the least of our worries.