Glen Johnson Exclusive Interview with OLBG

Reaction to Real Madrid

Glen Johnson gives his views on Liverpool's first leg against Real Madrid as well as the current state of Chelsea and West Ham

What did you make of the game on Tuesday?

It was a high quality Champions League game in terms of personnel and players. Liverpool came out of the blocks and Real Madrid took a bit of time to start. Once they got into the game, they were in a different league.  A 2-0 lead was very flattering to Liverpool. It was down to a Courtois mistake and Liverpool coming fast and hard at Madrid, but it wasn't really justified. Although I wasn’t expecting them to score five.

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Is it the end for Klopp at this point?

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s time is not over. Liverpool could have easily gotten something out of the game. It boiled down to 3 or 4 big errors and errors always lead to goals. If you didn't watch the game, you would think they had been absolutely battered. But I do think they showed glimpses of the Liverpool of old. The difference was in the second half. Liverpool couldn’t really get a hand in the game. They are still a good team and if you sack Klopp who do you bring in?

What are you predicting for the second leg?

The Bernabeu is a tough place to go and score goals.  It’s not looking good to have to score four goals to qualify. It is highly unlikely, but at the same time, that could play an advantage because they can go there with no pressure and enjoy the game as much as they can. If they repeat their quick goal-scoring that they did at Anfield then it could be game on. However, it is unrealistic.

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Based on this performance, how do you think it reflects on their Top 4 chances?

The Premier League is a different competition altogether. They came into the Real Madrid game in decent form and started this game very well. They did run into a bigger, better team and they're not going to play teams like Madrid every week in the Premier League, so as long as they can overcome the loss and carry on the league form then they will be very close to achieving the top 4 spot.

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Do you think Cody Gakpo is starting to show why Liverpool splashed out on him?

Cody Gakpo is starting to settle well at Liverpool. I certainly think those goals a few weeks ago helped him settle because before that, he wasn’t taking to the Premier league too quickly. There were a few moments in the game last night where he looked brilliant. So I think he's going to settle in now and really kick on at Liverpool.

Does that game reinforce the need for new signings, do you think? 

After the Real Madrid game, we need at least three or four more players that would last us at least four years. Some of the current players don’t have that long left. They do need a couple of experienced players that have ‘done it all.’’ But at the same time, there are still a lot of world class players. They just lack confidence and form at the moment. So I think a couple of big signings might prick their ears again, and get everyone firing.

John Henry says the club is not for sale but is open to investment. Given this season, do you think that’s essential?

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I think the club should be open to selling. It's just a matter of the right offer, but if they don’t want to sell, that is great. They've been fantastic owners. If they're not comfortable putting their own amount of money, or FSG’s money, then taking investments is obviously very sensible and clever. So as long as the club get the players they need, they should be fine.

Liverpool are among favourites for Declan Rice. Do you think he’d also be good enough for Real Madrid?

Declan Rice would be good for Real Madrid. In those big teams it is easy to play. If Declan went there, he would definitely thrive there.  Real Madrid have the standard and players to support him. He would also suit a team like Liverpool.

Where does Stefan Bajetic rank among the best young players you’ve seen at Liverpool in recent years?

Stefan Bajcetic hasn’t played many games to consider him one of the best young players you've ever seen, but he's certainly a fantastic footballer. He's not the most athletic but his attributes and football brain are very good technically.  I'm not saying he's slow but he's a kid so he's going to fill out and get stronger and probably get a bit quicker as well. He is a fantastic prospect and I am happy with what we have seen so far.

Was it too early to play him in such a grand fixture?

It wasn’t risky to play Bajcetic at all. If you didn’t know his age, you would have probably only said that he only made one mistake. For the second goal, he got caught on the ball in midfield. To be fair, as there were other players around him,  he's not the last man so he's allowed to take some risks. Maybe his confidence allowed him to take the extra touch, but the best players in the world will pounce on that and punish you. He just got it wrong in terms of how he tried to do it. So no, I wouldn't blame him for that or anything. I think he had a fantastic game.

What is your prediction for the Crystal Palace game?

The saying goes that ‘’good teams don’t lose twice in a row.’’  Crystal Palace will not roll over but they are certainly not Real Madrid.  I expect Liverpool to bounce back and come out flying like they did against Madrid. They should get an early goal and carry the momentum to a positive result.

Jamie Carragher recently slated Virgil Van Dijk after yesterday’s performance and said he would take his place in the squad. Do you agree?

In terms of Van Dijk’s performance, there's no two ways about it, he is not the Van Dijk we know and love. It was by far his worst defensive performance. Madrid looked dangerous almost every time they moved forward. So I wouldn't say it was an embarrassing Liverpool performance because Madrid can do that to anyone. It was nowhere near their peak or near to what they're capable of. They just look a little bit disjointed at the minute and I think there's a few players that made mistakes. If you're not your best against these teams, you get found out.

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Do you think you would get into Liverpool's current squad?

In my prime, I would get into this current Liverpool squad. No one's playing at their standard or peak. The scoreline makes us have this conversation but there were a lot of players on the pitch performing under par. For whatever reason, it's just not working.

Chelsea

Is Graham Potter still the manager to bring this squad together?

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Graham Potter is still the manager to bring this Chelsea side together, he was never going to be the kind of manager that came in like a wrecking ball. It's going to take time for players to get behind his philosophy and the owners knew that when they appointed him. As long as Chelsea stick with Potter's plan, then they will come good but if they wanted an instant reaction, they signed the wrong manager.

Who do you think will be better suited to manage Chelsea?

Graham Potter is still learning and this is his first season with top-quality players and playing in the Champions League. Potter deserves time and I don't think it's a case of who is a better option right now. If Chelsea wanted a manager to walk through the door and be firing straight away, they signed the wrong manager.

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Should Chelsea forget about Champions League football this season?

You can never forget about or give up on the Champions League, it has to be a goal. The top four will be a big challenge from Chelsea's position, but you can't give up the Champions League, they have to take each game as it comes and try to reach the top four as well as progress through the tournament.

How much has Joao Felix impressed you since his Chelsea debut? Should they push to sign him, even if he breaks the record set by Enzo Fernandez?

Joao Felix has always been a top-class footballer, the question was always 'how would he be able to deal with the Premier League?'. Felix is great technically and has a brilliant tactical mind. He can be a huge player, but there's a massive price tag on him so people will be keeping an eye on him every week. Felix has performed well in his last couple of appearances, despite his red card.

Enzo seems to gather a lot of praise at the moment, has he already established himself as an essential player? Ahead of Mason Mount, even?

While Enzo Fernandez is playing well, it will be hard for him not to play in this Chelsea team.  People say English players don't get a chance, but they do get a chance, players like Mason Mount have to step up to the challenge and raise their game when better players are signed in their position.

Did Chelsea buy into the hype of Mykahilo Murdryk? Is he worth it?

At this point, no Chelsea signing has been worth signing because no player can justify their high value in just two months of playing for the team. They all could be, they all have attributes and quality to give, but no one can justify Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk's price tag because they have not played enough yet. I expect them to settle and kick on, and they will probably justify their price tags.

With reports that Thomas Tuchel could return to PSG, did Todd Boehly get it wrong with his sacking?

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Todd Boehly won't have made a mistake in sacking Thomas Tuchel if Graham Potter gets the Chelsea team firing. Everyone knows Tuchel is a great manager, but the Chelsea owners came in with a plan, they had a plan and they wanted Potter in. Even if Tuchel becomes the next PSG manager and does really well, Boehly won't think he made a mistake in sacking him because he did not want him for their next four or five-year project.

Mason Mount seems to be on his way out of Chelsea and is being closely monitored by Liverpool? Could Mount revive himself at Anfield?

Mason Mount could definitely revive his career at Liverpool. He still has a chance at Chelsea too, the bigger players need to raise the game. The door is not shut on his Chelsea career yet, but if he played at Liverpool, they would bite their arm off to get him and Mount could probably do the same to play for Liverpool.

Jose Mourinho has been looked at to possibly return to Chelsea? Would this be a wise choice from Chelsea if they sack potter?

Jose Mourinho would walk through the door and get all the players' attention and they would be close to winning the league within three years. But Mourinho would not be sticking around in five years time, so it all depends on what the Chelsea owner's project is. If they want success instantly, then Mourinho is their man, but if they want to compete for the next 10 years, then Graham Potter is your man.

What is your prediction for the Tottenham game?

Tottenham are a tough team to predict, one day they look like a title-challenging team then the next week they look like a totally different team. Chelsea will be looking at Son Heung-Min and hoping he's not back scoring goals again, otherwise they will be in trouble. If I had to bet on it, I would have no clue who to go for, it's an unpredictable game.

West Ham

Will Still (Reims manager) has expressed his desire to manage West Ham. Should the Hammers make way for Europe’s youngest manager ?

I don't know much about Will Still, I'm always reluctant to change managers at his point in the season. West Ham are struggling and there is no other manager in the league that has been in that situation and survived more than David Moyes has. I would rather stick with someone who has been in this situation before rather than West Ham panicking and appoint an inexperienced manager in this position. 

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What are your thoughts on Michail Antonio’s form as of late?

Michail Antonio always works hard but his form has not been great for some time now. The problem with a player like Antonio, even when his form is good, he's still not a natural goalscorer and won't give you loads of goals. When he's out of form, he can run around and draw some fouls, but that's not good enough in the Premier League. For a struggling team, you have to give more.

Is it Moyes time to go after West Ham fell into the relegation zone after the Weekend?

It's tough to say because West Ham are in that position for a reason, but I do think West Ham have the firepower to get away from the relegation zone, even though I've been saying that for weeks. Last week against Tottenham, it felt like it was the worst performance I've ever seen West Ham produce. At the minute, the players need to sort themselves out, it's not about David Moyes. The players need more confidence to play and I don't think any other manager would give them that confidence. Once the players perform, then we can look at Moyes.

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Who would be a valuable replacement for him if his sacking happens?

If David Moyes gets sacked, then it's because West Ham are in the relegation zone. They'll need a manager who can prepare them for the Championship or a manager who can get them out of trouble. I'd go for a young manager who is fearless in that situation, someone with new and fresh ideas. It's hard because it depends when Moyes would be sacked and the timing of it. Moyes has not been sacked yet, so I'm not sure who that would be just yet.

If Rice does leave - who should West Ham look into buying to replace him and possibly rebuild the squad?

Let's face it, West Ham need about six players or maybe more. They're in this position because the players have not been good enough. People will say West Ham have been unlucky, but the league table does not lie, they've played enough games for it not to be just a coincidence. West Ham need six Premier League-proven players to set the foundation for next season.

What is your prediction for the Nottingham Forest game?

Nottingham Forest a dangerous game for West Ham. No disrespect to Forest, but these games are the ones West Ham have to win. Forest are not an established Premier League team yet and West Ham need to take advantage of that by winning the game. Whether West Ham are good enough to, I'm not sure.

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