Glen Johnson Interview: Ex-England Star On Liverpool, Chelsea And West Ham

Midnite spoke to former Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham defender Glen Johnson, who has reflected on the Reds’ shock defeat to Bournemouth and now looks ahead to the daunting task of attempting a comeback against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The 38-year-old believes Chelsea are on the up and fans should not be so quick to criticise Graham Potter.

Johnson also believes the assist for Mykhailo Mudryk will allow him to contribute towards more goals from now on.

Here’s the interview with Glen Johnson in full:

What did you make of the loss against Bournemouth after beating Man Utd 7-0?

It sums up Liverpool's season at the moment. Many times in the past when teams are not at their best, they need their rivals to pull out the best of them and really try and turn things around. They realised against United that they had to dig deep as they were not in great form and that's where these crazy score-lines come from.

Now they come up against Bournemouth thinking they will beat them quite comfortably and have gone into cruise control. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that in the Premier League. If Liverpool want the Top 4, they cannot be so good one week and then so bad the next.

Liverpool have a near-impossible task ahead of them in Real Madrid. What is your prediction?

It’s a super uphill battle and I don't think Liverpool can come back against Real Madrid. However, I didn't think they could come back against Barcelona, so anything is possible. Every bit of luck needs to fall their way, but in football anything is possible.

Would Liverpool going through against Real Madrid be a bigger achievement than the famous 4-0 win over Barcelona?

This potential comeback from Liverpool will be bigger than the one against Barcelona, simply because at the time of the Barcelona game, people believed that Liverpool were good enough to win that game whereas now, it is clear that right now they aren't good enough to comeback against Real Madrid at this moment.

Liverpool have a tough start to April with games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. How do you see those games panning out?

Liverpool have a tough April. Usually you will talk about these 3 games as title contenders - not really a top-four race. If Liverpool want to get into the top four they will need to win at least 2 of those games.

Fulham's Joao Palhinha has been targeted by both Manchester United and Liverpool. Is this a good pursuit?

Joao Palhinha has been looking great Fulham. He has been a key part of Fulham's great form at the moment. A lot of the big clubs can benefit from such a technical player and from what I have seen so far, I like him. We may have this wrong but there is a reason why the big clubs are looking at him.

Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are obviously still favoured targets but you will be spending less than a quarter of the money for Palhinha than Rice or Bellingham. There is obviously more hype around them because they are English and super young. He could be a cheaper option if Bellingham doesn't come.

What do you think of Virgil van Djik’s performance against Bournemouth, do you think he's past the peak of his powers?

Virgil Van Dijk's performance against Bournemouth was by far one of his worst performances but he is definitely not past his peak. We all know that he is very relaxed and controlled on the ball, but that is easy to do when the club is doing so well. However, when they are not, it looks bad because it looks like he doesn't care - which is not true.

Now is the time for him to dig deep, rough a few people up and show there is another side to him. When you have these dips as a player, you have to work your socks off to get back to regular form. Although he is often relaxed and composed, people need to see that there is a different side to him, showing that he wants to get back to his best.

What are your thoughts on Roberto Firmino leaving in the summer? Can he be considered a club legend?

Roberto Firmino will be a huge loss for Liverpool. The players will think he is a club legend because he is the sort of player that anyone would love to play with. But in the eyes of the fans, in order to be a legend, you must be up there amongst the top goalscorers - which he isn't.

Other players have got a lot more goals because of him but that is something that only the players will appreciate. Firmino's experience will also be missed, as he has been there through the highs and lows and knows the club inside and out. He will definitely be remembered as a legend by the players of Liverpool.

Do you think Liverpool should look at CB options in light of VVD’s dip in form, if so who?

Liverpool shouldn't rush to the market because one of their top players isn't having a great season. That will make matters worse and his form can easily change. He is a top player and professional, a great centre back who will bounce back eventually. It won't happen overnight.

Would Fikayo Tomori be a CB option for Liverpool?

I like Fikayo Tomori. He is young and athletic and has been in the Premier League before. I like him as a squad player - not as a replacement for Virgil Van Dijk. He is one of the athletes that will suit the Premier League.

RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol is another name being linked with Liverpool. Would that be a good signing?

Josko Gvardiol impressed everyone at the World Cup, which is a great box to tick, but you still need a question mark against his name as the World Cup was only about 7 or so games. He looked like a big and strong defender and he is also very young.

The question is whether he will be able to do it in the Premier League, though there have been a lot of players who are like that and have gone on to be successful.

AC Milan have reportedly offered Naby Keita a way out of Anfield. Is it time he moved on?

It is time Naby Keita moved on. Keita should be banging on the door to be playing every single week, but he certainly has not started as frequently as he should be. I'm sure he has the desire to play week in week out, so I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves in the summer.

#Can you see Liverpool within the top four at the end of the season given Spurs’ form?

Liverpool are only six points away from the top four with around 10 games to go, so there are still a lot of points to get for them to do so. Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham have been unpredictable this season - even United at times.

It is going to be a tough one as two of those teams are going to be left out. It's not that I'm confident that they will make it but as mentioned before, the three games at the beginning of April will send them on the right path or the wrong path. It will definitely affect their confidence, if they lose. Right now - everyone has a question mark.

How much are Liverpool missing Luis Diaz?

Luis Diaz is certainly missed at Liverpool at the moment. He hit the ground running and often produced for Liverpool when it looked like next to nothing was going to happen in certain games. They definitely miss him and any top team will miss one of their best players. It is a matter of if and when for Diaz as his return could determine Liverpool's Top 4 place. When players are seeing another top player coming back into the fold - it does give them a boost, so I would say yes they are.

Potter’s Chelsea are currently picking up a good run in form as of late. Is the team finally gelling together?

A few weeks ago, Everyone wanted Graham Potter gone. Chelsea are finding a little bit of form, but they still have a long way to go. A few good performances doesn't warrant anyone getting a band together for them, they should be winning these types of games against the likes of Leicester. Yes, they are doing well, but we should expect for them to kick on against other big teams as well.

Who would you rather have in your team right now? Martin Odegaard or Enzo Fernandes?

I would rather have Odegaard right now over Enzo Fernandez. Odegaard is the type of player that when the team is doing as well as Arsenal is - he looks amazing. One could ask if he could do the same for a club that is 12th place and struggling for a string of form. However at the moment, he doesn't need to and he is the one.

Mykhailo Mudryk finally got his first assist over the weekend - is he starting to find his feet at Chelsea?

Mykhailo Mudryk has a big reputation on his back and that assist will give him confidence to go for greater things. It is expected from Mudryk though. When you spend that much money on a player, they have to be creating chances in order for the team to score and naturally that will lead to assists and goals. Hopefully this can give him the confidence to go on ahead and produce more of that for Chelsea.

Do you see Chelsea going all the way in the Champions League?

I don't think Chelsea will win the Champions League but stranger things have happened.

Could it help Chelsea that they can’t compete for any other silverware this season?

The fact that Chelsea aren't competing for any more silverware other than the Champions League could give them a boost in terms of less games being played, but knowing Chelsea they will have their eyes on both the Top 4 and Champions League. Champions League nights come down to one off games. I would be less surprised if Chelsea go deeper in the Champions League than if Chelsea were to finish in the top 4 - as the latter takes consistency to achieve

Kai Havertz continues to be used as a striker this season, should Chelsea stick with him or enter the market again?

Chelsea are a better side when Kai Havertz isn't the striker. I only say that because he is better when he has good players around him. He is intelligent and sees the gaps. He can stay calm in tight areas. He is a better player when he is in that Number 10 role and has more freedom to do what he wants to do. Chelsea are more powerful and structured when he is not the striker.

What does this mean for current Inter Milan loanee Romelu Lukaku?

Chelsea would love to give Romelu Lukaku another chance. Depending on how he is in pre-season will make Chelsea's mind up. They spent a lot of money on him, he has the talent but it didn't work during his last spell at Chelsea. They will judge his future on how fit he looks and how keen he is to be at Chelsea as he has been outspoken on not wanting to be at Chelsea in the past. It all depends on if he wants to be there and if the fans want him.

West Ham narrowly climbed out of the relegation zone. Will they stay up?

West Ham will stay up, but then they often scare me! As soon as they get a good result, we feel that they can carry on the momentum and then they just lose again. There are teams that are a lot worse than West Ham, but they need points on the board.

David Moyes baffled fans by putting Maxwel Cornet up front instead of £40m striker Gianluca Scamacca. What did you think of that?

Scamacca may be nursing an injury, and I can only imagine that Moyes is protecting him from something or hasn't liked what he has seen in training. From the outside it doesn't make sense.

Is Scamacca becoming another Sebastian Haller for West Ham, who simply doesn’t suit their style of play?

I hope Scamacca does not become another Sebastian Haller because he has shown good glimpses at West Ham and certainly more than Haller has done. I still think he can be that force for West Ham and be that good striker that West Ham have not had in a while in terms of a technical finisher.

It's definitely not clicking, but when your team struggles it is often hard for a striker because they won't have as much possession or create as many chances which is frustrating. I think he is a good player who needs to find a way to fit into the team and perhaps sacrifice some of his time on the pitch, because it's no good him scoring and the team loses. He should do everything possible to help his team win.

Declan Rice is reportedly very interested in joining Arsenal in the summer. Have the Gunners pulled ahead as the most desired option?

Arsenal are definitely leading the race to sign Rice. If you would have said nine months ago that Arsenal would sign him, I would probably be laughing! Arsenal have looked the real deal, they have won matches that they definitely would have lost last season and it's a fantastic club that is going in the right direction. They have definitely earned the right to put their hat in the ring amongst the many other teams chasing him. If he ends up at Arsenal, I would be a bit surprised but they have definitely given themselves a chance.

If not - where would he be better suited?

Declan Rice will be more suited at Chelsea. If he goes to Arsenal or Real Madrid he would have a lot of players already pushing up and he wouldn't need to go up as much as he does now. He will be limited within his position and play with a handbrake on.

Whereas at Chelsea - he would be more free to do what he wants. If he has some of the best players in the world in front of him - his only role would be to win the ball and get it moving quickly, whereas at this point in time, Chelsea need him to get involved.

Is it time West Ham look for a new manager following this season? If so, who?

A change in manager will not help West Ham going forward. Moyes has been in this position more than most managers. It will be a case of sticking together and working hard and working with the materials that they have got to escape the relegation zone.

Jamie Redknapp has suggested Martin Odegaard has overtaken Kevin De Bruyne as the Premier League’s best midfielder. Do you agree?

In recent weeks I would pick Odegaard over De Bruyne - but not overall or in general. If you asked me if I would have Odegaard or De Bruyne in my team I am definitely going with De Bruyne. However in terms of form, Odegaard is looking like one of the best Premier League midfielders at the moment, but you can't just bypass someone like Kevin De Bruyne over a couple of months.

Did Casemiro deserve the red card against Southampton?

With regard to the recent rules of the game Casemiro deserved the red card, Though as a former player, I would say no he didn't deserve it. You can stop any tackle and freeze and it would look bad. Yes he has caught him, but football is a contact sport, you are going to get caught at some point. It also depends on what you are doing at the time of the tackle and it is clear that he is pulling away from the tackle. He has maybe judged the tackle wrong but to give him a red is harsh.

With the Brazilian out for four games, do Man Utd risk falling out of the top-four?

Casemiro has been key for Manchester United in the last couple of weeks, but if Manchester United are in trouble over one player missing then they are nowhere near a Top 4 club. They will miss him for sure, but should have enough firepower to hold until he is back.

Could Man Utd’s 7-0 loss to Liverpool be difficult to come back from?

The 7-0 loss will definitely be a scar that the players will never forget, but the game is already done and dusted. They bounced back in the Europa league and then fell off the mark again recently. It is not a wound that they can't fix, but you learn more from football from the bad times than the good. They are just another team out of form at the moment alongside teams like Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool. Other teams are also improving in the league, and can easily overtake you if you are not on your game this season. It is not just about the top teams anymore. If a team has a good enough plan to execute, anyone can win.

Arteta has said that a returning Gabriel Jesus will have to Fight for his place at Arsenal again. Given Trossard’s recent form, who starts?

I agree with Arteta to be honest. Arsenal are currently top of the league and they can't afford to put him back in the squad straight away because he is fit. I do love Gabriel Jesus and Arsenal will be much better now that he is back for sure. At the moment, you can't fix something that is not broken, he has to make Arteta pick him.

Everything is going well for Arsenal at the moment and you cannot fix what isn't broken and lose the dynamic in the process. You have to stick to the plan and put him back in when the time is right.

It won't be long as he is a hard worker. As long as he is fit and anywhere near where he was, he gets straight back into the team. I don't think you can just say because he is fit he can come back to the team. He has to work his socks off for the next 10 days or so in training and demand a place.