Hodgson: Johnson has not performed

[taliesin08]

Can't we just fuck this gobshite manager right off.

[TheResonator]

So, just out of interest, which of our players at the moment are playing at their best? Soto maybe, Lucas in the last couple of weeks [exc. Wigan], Spearing's been good when he's played...

 

This criticism could be levelled at any number of players on our books right now. It's telling that whilst Torres's criticism has been met with 'we know what he's capable of; he's struggled for fitness; he'll get back to top gear' Johnson, with the same set of issues, is being hung out to dry.

 

Stevie hasn't hit top form, nor have Carra, Skrtel, Meireles, Cole, Kuyt, Jovanovic, Shelvey - even Reina's made a couple of errors. Where's the criticism for them?

 

Nowhere, and rightly so: but there shouldn't be any for Johnson either, at least not from the manager. Not a culture I want to see at the club to be honest.

[zico]

It doesn't help that Johnson is not suited for Hodgson ball either...

 

In a high up the pitch pressure system, he is more involved in attack and not so exposed in defense...

 

The fact that our "peanutt head" of our so-called manager decides to play to his and half our teams weakness, is a disgrace....

 

Johnson is much less a problem than Hodgson!

[Code]

Apart from Johnson`s obvious lack of defending ability, his problem is the amount we wasted on him as there are loads of right backs out there who are at the same level or better that we could get for probably 1/3 of his price and even cheaper.

 

Which again means we could have used the money left on an attacking player.

 

The summer of Johnson and Aquilani outshines even the summer of Keane and Dossena when it comes to wasting money.

 

Even worse, still we have a thread on this front page where people want the man behind this utter madness to come back.

 

Amazing really.

[ZonkoVille77]

Johnson is never going to be any more than a luxury player. A player to bring on against 'weaker teams', at home, when winning 2-0. He can't defend for love nor money and his attitude stinks.

 

Biggest waste of money in a long time even eclipsing the Keane debacle and the epitome of Rafa's ego in his last 2 years at the helm.

 

Any money offered for him in Jan should be snapped up.

[ngogswilly]

If Johnson goes we'll need to try and get a right back from somewhere. As good as Kelly is progressing I wouldn't be a 100% confident with only him and Carragher available to play there.

[MLB]

Kyrgiakos and Kelly are the ONLY players at the club right now who I would describe being in good form. Lucas had a few good games then reverted back to shite. Gerrard is trying but is nowhere near his best. The rest are poor to average at best.

[Guest San Don]

tbh Johnson is good going onward but anyone who thinks he can defend doesnt watch him closely. his defending hasnt been great and someone needed to tell him.

 

Dunno if the manager used the arm around him approach or not though.

[Flying Pig]

One of the positives from the Wigan match is that Johnson never played. The guy is never a defender, he is more suited to the wing/possibly midfield.

[Abs]

One of the positives from the Wigan match is that Johnson never played. The guy is never a defender, he is more suited to the wing/possibly midfield.

 

As a neutral, Nzogbia vs Johnson would be fine to watch

[paddyberger15]

As much as Johnson was a vastly overrated and overpriced signing, does this stupid, old fucking buffoon never get tired of the sound of his own voice?

The reason most of the players are looking devoid of confidence and ability currently is down to you Hodgson, as YOU don't know what the fuck you are doing.

The quicker the end of the season comes without us being relegated and the quicker you fuck off back into obscurity the better.

I'd gladly fuck Hodgson AND Johnson off. Today if possible on both counts. One is an 8m player we paid 18m for and the other is stupid fucking old tosser that we paid 2m compensation for and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the club.

Fuck them both.

[Royal Family]

So Hogdson gets grief on here for the 'arm round the shoulder approach'. Then he gets grief for publicly challenging one of our underperforming players, whose bad attitude is notorious?

 

Some would say it's actually a sign of a GOOD man manager that he has different approaches for different players. He's undoubtedly tried the arm round the approach tactic with Johnson, but if he doesn't listen to that advice, then Roy is quite right to challenge him in public: he is trying to shake Johnson out of his lethargy.

 

I fully agree the's manager's not a long-term answer for us, but at the same time some posters on here are putting prejudice before reason, and taking issue with everything he does or says, and that's very sad. As i say, he can't be both too close and too distant from the players, can he now?

 

Like the goat man, I do fear that this is going to continue regardless of who the manager is.

[Royal Family]

The reason most of the players are looking devoid of confidence and ability currently is down to you Hodgson, as YOU don't know what the fuck you are doing.

 

Then how do you account for the fact that Johnson has been abject since last October, at least, for both club and country? I'd date it back to that Arsenal own goal. It's too simple to just blame the man who inherited him four months ago.

[Kurt]

I just wish Roy Hogdson could keep his mouth shut for at least a couple of hours. I wonder if he tried to go one day without speaking the amount of bollocks that he does, would that make his head explode?

 

Everytime he open his mouth he just makes me want him gone even more. Roy, you are a much bigger problem at Liverpool FC that Glen Johnson ever will be, or even Christian Poulsen for that matter.

[paddyberger15]

Then how do you account for the fact that Johnson has been abject since last October, at least, for both club and country? I'd date it back to that Arsenal own goal. It's too simple to just blame the man who inherited him four months ago.

 

Notice how I said playerS as in plural?

Glen Johnson is a slipshod player who is utterly undependable and he can go any time he wants as far as I'm concerned. I'm not defending him. I don't know what his attitude is like from personal experience, but I suspect that it is entirely cuntish.

Someone offers us around 8m, he can fucking go anytime he likes.

[MLB]

I just wish Roy Hogdson could keep his mouth shut for at least a couple of hours. I wonder if he tried to go one day without speaking the amount of bollocks that he does, would that make his head explode?

 

Everytime he open his mouth he just makes me want him gone even more. Roy, you are a much bigger problem at Liverpool FC that Glen Johnson ever will be, or even Christian Poulsen for that matter.

 

 

Well put and I would have to agree. I know there is a tendency for people to pick apart everything he says looking for a reason to rip him, but he has truly made a rod for his own back. There is barely a day goes by without him spouting some kind of utter shite in the press. Can he not just shut up for a bit? And then fuck off?

[redfromtubebar]

It's never right for a manager to go public on a player like that, at least to the extent that Hodgson has here, and to come a few days after publicly defending Poulsen for even worse performances, makes it jaw dropping.

 

Johnson was overpriced and will never be the best at defending but he's nowhere near as bad as some of you lot are making out. Arbeloa, I remember, was hammered by plenty on here for not being Cafu (or Johnson?) at going forward but, once you get an attacking right back, you now want Carra Mk 2 instead.

 

I wouldn't shed too many tears if Johnson left as I believe there are better right backs out there, his predecessor for example, but lets remember to have a bit of perspective shall we?

[Phoenix]

I must be the only who rates him........get him back to form and he is one of the best right backs in the country.

[redsoxs]

I'm sick to dead of Hodgson talking are game & players down, ultimately its his responsibility to get the best out of the players, if he can't do that... then he should just fuck off.

 

Thanks for losing millions on Johnson, one of the best attacking RB's in the country.

[Red Phoenix]

Just put him on the wing for fucks sake. Sheesh.

[Red Nick]

So Hogdson gets grief on here for the 'arm round the shoulder approach'. Then he gets grief for publicly challenging one of our underperforming players, whose bad attitude is notorious?

 

Some would say it's actually a sign of a GOOD man manager that he has different approaches for different players. He's undoubtedly tried the arm round the approach tactic with Johnson, but if he doesn't listen to that advice, then Roy is quite right to challenge him in public: he is trying to shake Johnson out of his lethargy.

 

I fully agree the's manager's not a long-term answer for us, but at the same time some posters on here are putting prejudice before reason, and taking issue with everything he does or says, and that's very sad. As i say, he can't be both too close and too distant from the players, can he now?

 

Like the goat man, I do fear that this is going to continue regardless of who the manager is.

 

The difference is good managers dont crticise there players in public. Cant remember Fergie, Mourinho or Wenger doing so. Always stand up for there players in public.

 

Hodgson is quite simply a joke of a manager not of the required class and style to manager our great club and thats before you even debate his Coaching abillities

[Red Nick]

I don't think anyone can seriously suggest Johnson's attitude and performances have been up to scratch. Anywhere near it. He played in plenty of flat back fours in his career, and has shown he could make a success of it. It's not all Hodgson's fault Johnson is not performing. I believe this is the final straw for Johnson. There will have been plenty of one-on-one chats before this.

 

 

All agreed but misses the main point that a good manager wouldnt have dealt with the issue in this way

[Chairman Meow]

I wouldn't be all that disappointed if Johnson left the club.

 

However I don't have any great faith that whoever was brought in would be any good if Hodgson was responsible for signing them.

 

Although Kelly is obviously doing well he is still young and its possible that he will have a dip in form at some point so if Johnson was to go I think we would need someone but can't really think of anyone who we would be able to sign of decent quality in January.

 

Personally I think attitude aside the issue with Johnson is partly related to the lack of balance in the side, Chelsea get attacking fullbacks because they have Essien and co to fill in, we lost that with Masch going. I actually think part of the issue with our centre halfs looking poor in the early part of this season is because of the big gaping space in the defence left when Johnson goes forward. If we had a central midfielder who dropped in or we played 5 at the back with attacking full backs it wouldn't matter so much as we would still have cover. Johnson alone isn't the whole issue as the squad in itself is basically a mismatch at the moment.

 

Numerous times Carra has been exposed with two players on him and doesn't have the pace to deal with it I'll agree he is now on the downward slope but still think he could do a job even if it isn't week in week out, even if he was ultra pacey with two on one inevitably he is going to lose out the majority of the time as would pretty much any other centre half in that position. I know it isn't exactly the popular view at the moment but I don't think Carra has actually done too badly at right back, yes it's not his natural position but I don't think it's any surprise we have looked better defensively with Carra and Kelly at right back.

 

As things stand much as I don't want Hodgson as manager we lack in a lot of areas some of which is his fault and some previous owners/manager. The way we set up against Chelsea is about the best we have I would say excepting Aurelio being made out of matchsticks and Soto being injured for that one. We don't have the defensive mid i.e. someone like Masch or the quantity/quality of centre halfs to play with attacking fullbacks at the moment. Or put simply, unless he is played at right midfield (and I have my doubts how good he would actually be there) then I don't think we have the players in the side to accommodate him.

 

All that aside and even with me not being a fan of Johnson the manager shouldn't be coming out with shit like that in public. Someone made reference to the fact Ferguson wouldn't do it and it's about the only thing I could say Fergie has in terms of a redeeming feature, 99.9% of the time he will defend his players in public.

[Guest davelfc]

All I see in my mind when I read anything by Hodgson is him standing there with his hand outstretched pointing away from himself saying "It's all his fault"

 

Nobody would disagree that Johnson has been poor, but so has the manager. Pot/Black?

 

Is it true 'I'm a celebrity' have asked for copies of Hodgson's Press Conferences for the challenges? They think the contestants will find them hard to swallow too.

[Flying Pig]

As a neutral, Nzogbia vs Johnson would be fine to watch

 

As a LFC fan it would be scarey. N'Zogbia is a great player who I would welcome here.