9 Mar 2015

Confirmed: 'Outstanding' star in transfer 'talks' to quit Liverpool and sign for an overseas club

In November, multiple reports claimed that Liverpool had offered Glen Johnson a new two-year deal worth £60k-a-week to stay at Anfield. Nice work if you can get it, but Johnson - allegedly on £120k-a-week - was reportedly 'reluctant' to accept the deal, and with contract talks at an impasse, he's now made it clear that he's actively considering leaving the club at the end of the season.

When asked today about his future, Johnson confirmed that there are currently 'no talks' ongoing with Liverpool, and revealed that he's currently in talks with overseas clubs. He told The Guardian:

"There are talks. It would be great for the kids to go abroad but I am not thinking about yet as we have two months left here and I’ll think about it after that. We will have to wait and see.”

On one level, it's good that the club is trying to reduce the wage bill, but the key question is why offer Johnson a new deal at all?

* Johnson is - and always has been - a defensive liability, and these days, he offers next-to-nothing as an attacking force.

* His overall performance has incrementally regressed over the last couple of years, and this season, he's barely making an impact in his primary defensive role. For example, Johnson has completed only 16 successful tackles all season, which is barely one per game. Is that worth £60k a week?

* Rodgers signed Manquillo and Moreno over the summer, so Johnson is not even needed at Anfield anymore.

* Roma are reportedly willing to match Johnson's ridiculous £120k a week wages, so why not just let him leave already?

Alas, Rodgers seems to rate Johnson highly, and he confirmed this in a recent interview, when he told reporters:

"We want to keep Glen here, and we feel that he has still got good years ahead of him. He's one of the best full-backs in the world. His [contract] will be a priority for us, especially if he continues in the form that he's in".

The fact that Rodgers genuinely believes that Johnson is 'outstanding' and 'one of the best full-backs in the world' says it all, really, and seriously calls into question his judgement on players.

Rodgers may rate Johnson, but LFC fans clearly do not share the same enthusiasm. I recently conducted a site poll asking fans whether Liverpool should keep or sell Johnson:

* 17450 (approx) people voted.
* A whopping 84% of participants voted for LFC to dump Johnson.

The good news is that £10m-rated Johnson is apparently 'reluctant' to accept Liverpool's current offer, which suggests that - like Rodgers - he has inflated view of his ability to make a difference for Liverpool FC.

On a related note: why is Johnson 'reluctant' to accept a deal that will pay him £6.2m over two years? Once again, greed reigns supreme, and if he really had any affection for LFC, he'd accept the deal and be grateful for it.

Author:


35 comments:

  1. He really is just goddamn useless. In our formation, he is now useless, I mean at least Brad Jones is a backup, Johnson is just a pile of wank really/

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  2. How do you know it's greed? Is there a chance he knows he's unlikely to get much gametime and doesn't want to finish his career on the bench?

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  3. Dunno about Johnson being greedy what about Henderson?

    He has been given too much praise lately and it has gone to his head, He has been offered a new contracr which is probably more a week than I will earn in several years and yet it is not enough. Where is his loyalty? We've given him nothing but love from day one and this is how he repays us, He is just a greedy,out of touch, pampered little so and so. ;-)

    There I've got that off my chest now I am going back to the 1950s

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  4. It's like he's playing on the moon he's so slow

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  5. I notice it's less than Coutinho and Sterlings reported deals... pay the bloke atleast as much as those two, he's easily worth the same.. Talk of loyalty baffles me, do you think LFC are worried about loyalty when they low ball the players with their first offers.. It's got nothing to do with greed or loyalty, it's about people getting paid what they can while they can... Much like any other person in any other walk of live... We all want to secure our futures, and we can't resent any player for trying to get a fair share of the pie... They have short careers fraught with injury worries, and families to consider.... I have no issue with a player getting the best deal they can... Ultimately the club will either pay them because they believe their worth it, or they won't, why get bent ou of shape about what is essentially, just a business deal...

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  6. Yep you know that and I know that but I still feel another article is on the way....

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  7. Try and bit my lip when I see it....Hendo knows he's going to be a Liverpool hall of Fame name in a few years.. He knows LFC is the best place for him...

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  8. LFC U21s just beat Everton, now joint top of the league with 1 game in hand. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS :D

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  9. Looks like LFC set their price and stuck to it. Good to see.

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  10. If Rodgers rated him that highly he'd be playing regularly

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  11. Ironically, the moon is probably where most LFC fans would like to see him play next.

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  12. He'd have to compete with The Clangers for a game

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  13. Clangers is his middle name

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  14. Di Maria just got sent off for diving then tugging the refs shirt. Hilarious

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  15. I give Glen Johnson credit for being willing to move overseas.British players get stuck in the comfort zone of PL football.A small percentage of British players challenge themselves in other leagues.
    Johnson's level has dropped off considerably over the last couple of seasons.Some players age like wine.Unfortunately GJ has aged like milk but looking back at his Liverpool career, i think he's been a decent player for us.
    It will good to get his huge weekly 100k+ wage off our books.Whoever he signs for, I wish him the best.

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  16. and they would have renewed his contract with that ridiculous amount in wages.

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  17. Hopefully the Tim Sherwwod/new manager effect won't be a factor.I watched them play West Brom.Both teams looked like garbage.
    Saying that if Villa watched us play Blackburn, they won't feel it's mission impossible.

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  18. Worth every penny

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  19. Well he nearly scored on Sunday ....... in his own goal !
    World class my ass.

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  20. Got to get by Blackburn first !

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  21. I'M NOT SURE WHAT PEOPLE ON HERE ARE ON ABOUT?!! Glen played great against Blackburn, similar to most of his performances this season. The thing I like about Glen is he always blocks crosses and never lets them get by him. He nowadays always beats his man and hardly runs directly into them. His passes consistently reach his teammates and he has in no way any similarities to Lovren I that department. Glen evokes confidence and is especially sound in his positioning, again something that he and Lovren have in common. He still offers plenty going foward also might I add and his attacks never reach a dead end. He displayed his air tight defending mostly last season and carried it through to this season where we shipped a reasonable amount of goals for a team challenging for a title. £120,000 a week is a reasonable amount for (as BR correctly puts it) a world class player of his age, expertise and ability and I can't wait for him to sign another long term contract. YNWA

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  22. Stan It would be ever interesting if you could put those figures (wages ) on the table

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  23. I really think you need to adjust your interpretation of Rodger's comments. He'd tell us that the stodgy burger he had for lunch was "outstanding" if asked. Let's instead say that what he really means is that Johnson is a "good" player that the club would like to keep around to fill the squad.


    I don't see Johnson as a liability and he has great experience. I'm thoroughly convinced that he's a bit of a scapegoat for team defensive problems and that fans have just got it into their heads that he's not very good any more. I don't see that Manquillo or Flanagan are noticeably better. Liverpool have had worse.

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  24. Goodbye Glen thank you for your service now dont let the door smack your ar#e on the way out.

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  25. Old news this, everyone knows he is going. Next?

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  26. Henderson is going to be Liverpool Captain next year, he deserves and should be paid more than 80k per week. The new TV money will more than pay for an increased contract for our future Captain.

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  27. Sterling offered £100,000p/w... Coutinho said to be £80,000p/w... and Hendo £70,000p/w... Don't quote me on them figures, but they are the figures I read recently...

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  28. Ha ha. Class.
    Don't let the door hit you on the way out Glen..

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  29. That's why they call it contract negotiations. Henderson hasn't refused because he wants to leave but because he thinks he should earn more. I can't see much wrong with that apart from the fact that football players make too much money anyway. FSG won't offer the maximum they're willing to give right away either. That's how the game is played.

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  30. Cheers mate ha ha.

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  31. Glad I'm not the only one who feels that Johnson is a bit of a scapegoat.

    Not saying he's been at his best since he returned from that injury sustained by his piledriving tackle against the sc*m, but he's shouldered some unfair flak.

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  32. Johnson better than flano? My arse😖. Johnson is too slow, he will be lining up a pass inside his own box (like a 9months pregnant woman ) and loses it in the process..

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  33. Don't be fooled by performance against rovers mate, their game plan is to defend and hit us on break, i would say our defense isn't tested, even the little chance they did have they almost scored..Johnson is "horrible"

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