Glen Johnson spoke to Compare.bet yesterday ahead of the opening day of the 2023-24 Premier League season. The ex-Liverpool, Chelsea, West Ham and England defender discussed Chelsea’s transfer strategy and his expectation for the Blues under Mauricio Pochettino, as well as his thoughts on Liverpool’s new-look midfield, where he sees Trent Alexander-Arnold’s best position and why he sees West Ham being embroiled in a relegation battle.
- Last year at Chelsea was a ‘car crash’
- Letting Mount go to a rival is ‘crazy’
- Johnson’s warning to Chelsea over Caicedo price
- ‘I don’t think you can blame Henderson for leaving’
- Trent shouldn’t be a full-time midfielder
- West Ham could be in relegation trouble
MB: What are your expectations of Poch going into the season?
GJ: I’m quite excited about Chelsea under Poch to be honest. You know the dressing room is going to like him. I think his biggest problem will be settling down the squad as there’s been a lot of movement both in and out, but I think things are looking good at Chelsea at the moment. So long as a few of those new players can hit the ground running, then I certainly think they have the manager in position to push them as far as he can and I think there’s a lot to be excited about at Chelsea.
MB: Nkunku, Jackson, Disasi, Ugochukwu, Sanchez – Chelsea have continued their strategy of buying young players with high potential – what do you make of the window so far?
GJ: There’s been a lot of transactions but it’s fair to say they needed it. I don’t usually like to see so much change in one window but they did need to do it. You can tell by the age of the players they’re signing that they are building for the future, but that’s not to say some of these players can’t put in some great performances and break through sooner than expected. There’s obviously a lot of time being put into the next three or four years, so it’s nice to see the club looks like it has some sort of strategy. Last year it looked like a car crash. The players coming in look exciting and although they’ve let go of some big players that I think they probably shouldn’t have, they’ve had a very good window.
MB: A lot of fans have voiced their anger about Mason Mount being allowed to leave for a direct rival. What do you think about this?
GJ: I think letting Mount go is a bit crazy to be honest. I don’t know what the relationship is between him and the club, whether he really wanted to leave or the club wanted him to go. But from an outside perspective, to let one of your best players go to a direct rival that is going to be challenging you for the same sort of positions in the table is a bit crazy. Obviously they got decent money for him but in this day and age it’s not like they got lights out money. If the deal was double what United paid Chelsea could at least say ‘well at least we got a fortune for him and we can move on’, but I just think it’s a little bit mad. He will definitely improve United and weaken Chelsea in the short term but at the same time, they couldn’t afford to let him go on a free next year.
MB: Gusto at RB has impressed in pre season, Chelsea still feel light in midfield with Caicedo dragging on. Could James play there, he played unbelievably there as a youngster on loan at Wigan.
GJ: I think Reece James in central midfield is definitely an option for Chelsea. Gusto has looked decent and comfortable at right-back in pre-season and if he performs like that over the course of a season then you have a fantastic option and it could open up a spot for James in midfield. With the amount of games Chelsea will play, it’s not a matter of James or Gusto, it’ll be both. I think Reece James is one of the best all-round footballers out there. He’s quick and powerful, he can battle as well as being technically gifted. He can do the lot. I think there will be certain games where it will suit him to sit in midfield for sure, which opens up Gusto to play at right-back. It’s always good to have versatile players that can play in multiple positions, it gives the manager options, which is useful for any squad to have.
MB: As I said, the Caicedo deal keeps dragging on. What do you think the best course of action with that deal is and do you think the reported fee of 100m for Caicedo could be a bit high?
GJ: Caicedo is obviously a good player but it’s starting to look a little expensive. It’s typical, Brighton know they’re only going to get one opportunity to sell him, so obviously they’re going to try and wait for the best deal possible and maybe hope for another big club to come in with an offer to push the price up. I think if Chelsea were getting Caicedo for £75 million I’d say it was a great deal, but if you’re spending £100 million plus, then you’re spending £30 million more than you should have done.
MB: Sterling hasn’t hit the heights since his move, loads of young attacking players. Do you think he starts?
GJ: I think Raheem Sterling still has an awful lot to give. Unfortunately no one gets time and patience in this game anymore, but he can still offer so much to Chelsea. He started really well last year but petered out a bit but for me, if I’m the manager i’m putting him in to start from the first game and I’m saying to him: ‘I’m giving you a lifeline here and if you perform you’ll be playing every week, but if you don’t i’ll have to leave you out.’ Raheem’s been around for long enough now that he is man enough to have those kind of honest conversations. He needs to pull his finger out and get back to the level he’s capable of because he’s a fantastic player and he should be starting week in, week out.
MB: Thoughts on Nkunku injury?
GJ: It’s always a shame when someone gets injured and there’s always someone who gets injured in pre-season. There’s obviously never a good time to get injured but when you’re a young guy who’s just joined a new club it’s really tough. It couldn’t be a worse time for Nkunku to get injured but hopefully he can get fit soon and bounce back. It’s obviously a tough one for Chelsea as they’ve just spent a lot of money on him and would have been hoping to use him early in the season and now he’s not going to be around for a few months. They’ll have to go back to the drawing board and try and get by while he’s out and then hopefully when he gets back he can settle in quick and perform.
MB: What are your expectations for the season for Chelsea, can you see them getting back in contention for Top 4 or is this more of a rebuilding year?
GJ: It sounds strange to say that Chelsea aren’t a top four challenging team, but I think they are a team going through so much transition at the moment that they may struggle to get there. I do think they are going to compete and improve on last year. They still have a really good squad and the players they’ve signed look like really good talents and I’m sure two or three of those will out-perform expectations. Whether they have the squad that is gelled together and can perform consistently over the course of the season to finish in the top four, it’s probably a season too early. If it’s not this season, it’ll probably be next year. They’ve bought a lot of players with no Premier League experience and it takes some time to adjust. They will go up against some teams with a lot of experience and a lot of ability. I think they probably have had a bit too much transition and not enough experience to challenge for top four this season, but definitely will next season.
MB: What are you expecting from Chelsea v Liverpool this weekend? Could be a great opportunity for both teams to lay down a marker.
GJ: For the first time in years, this Premier League season is really, really hard to predict. I honestly don’t know what to expect from the Chelsea Liverpool game this weekend. Recently, Liverpool have been the stronger side and would probably expect to win this but both struggled by their own high standards last year and have gone through a lot of changes this summer. Both have brought a lot of new players in and let a lot of the old guard go, so we’re going to see a completely new Chelsea and Liverpool this season. Both teams will be really keen to lay a glove on the other and start the season well and it’ll probably come down to which team’s new young players can perform the best because right now they’re probably on a par with each other.
MB: There was some controversy around Jordan Henderson leaving – what do you make of the situation?
GJ: To be honest, I don’t think you can blame Henderson for leaving. He’s been a great servant to Liverpool for many years and has been around the block a few times now. He’s won just about everything you can win at club level and he’s not getting any younger, so when somebody offers you that kind of money at that age, it’s very hard to turn that down. I’d have a different opinion on it if he was 21 and hadn’t achieved anything in the game then I’d be a bit upset but I don’t think you can blame him.
MB: With Fabinho, Henderson and Keita all leaving and Szobozlai and Mac Allister joining, with Lavia looking like he’s coming in too, do you worry that Liverpool may take some time to gel with an entirely new midfield and did you ever have that experience as a player seeing a whole new midfield join in one window?
GJ: It’s going to take time for Liverpool’s new midfield to gel for sure. I never experienced an entirely new midfield joining at the start of the season in my career, maybe two players max but never all three and even that took some time to adjust. I’d be concerned that not all signings work all the time, that’s just a fact. So one of them might not perform and all of a sudden you’re having the same issues you had last year. It’s so important for the midfield to be the core of the team and be settled, certainly at a top team. They’re obviously good players but it’s a huge risk for three new players to gel together. They will need a lot of luck for that to work straight away.
MB: What do you make of the Lavia links? He showed flashes last year but he’s still very young – tough job to replace Fabinho who’s been such a great servant for so long.
GJ: Lavia is a young kid who’s still learning the game and his job would be to replace Fabinho who’s been around forever and been so vital to how Klopp wants to play at Liverpool. It wouldn’t be a direct replacement and you would have to give this kid some time. It’s hard to expect Lavia to dominate the midfield straight away at his age for such a big club. What you’d love to see is him sitting on the bench sometimes and learning from players like Fabinho or Henderson, but he wouldn’t have that luxury and would have to start straight away, and would be under huge pressure to perform, as he wouldn’t have much time at all to learn.
MB: Should Trent be playing RB or CM full-time moving forward?
GJ: I don’t think Trent can be a full time midfielder, no. I think it suits certain games and certain times they want to play a certain way. And he’s certainly good enough to do it, I just don’t think it will be a good enough solution when you’re playing against good sides. They’d break it down too easily. Ultimately I think he’s a very good right back. Everyone always thinks he can play in midfield but you have to be good on the ball everywhere and you have to have been able to do that for many many years. So people get excited when someone really performs well and they want to move them around. But it’s like no, just let them be the best in their position. But like I say, certainly with certain fixtures, it would be similar to what we said about Reece James. I think it’s a good solution against some teams but I’d be confident that 90% of the time he’s going to play at right back.
MB: Trent inverted role, can it work against the best teams or will it leave too much of a gap as we saw in the pre-season game vs Bayern with Gnabry causing problems down the Liverpool right?
GJ: No, I don’t think the inverted role can work against the top teams because against the other good teams you’re going to be going toe to toe. It’s ok for Trent to let a winger that’s not the best player in the world, say. He won’t think it’s a problem and knows that he’ll catch them anyway. But you aren’t going to catch Gnabry if he gets a start on you and players like that. So, it’s ok because you get away with it against the weaker players but the better players will exploit it. They’re going to play the game and can’t wait for you to go inside. Then they’re going to have a good enough game plan with good enough players who will execute it and expose any holes that you leave. And he’s not quick enough to recover if he’s out of position. So no, against the big teams I don’t think it’ll work at all but against a third of the premier league I think it’ll be a good option.
MB: Liverpool still feel light in that RB role, Milner helped fill in last season but has now moved on. Do you think it is an area they need to strengthen? Any obvious candidates?
GJ: Yeah well the one that always gets me is Gomez. I like him a lot and I think he could be the perfect option. But he just needs to stay fit. I don’t know what’s going on with him at pre-season but if he can stay fit, he’s a good option for me. But at the same time he needs to kick on as well because I’ve been saying that for years now. He needs to look at how he trains or just do something that helps him stay fit. Then you’ve got good cover there. When Trent needs to play in midfield or even play them both at the same time or give Trent a rest but he just needs to stay fit.
MB: With Henderson and Milner departing, as well as Firmino, the squad has lost some of its more experienced members and leaders. Virgil van Dijk has been appointed captain and Trent as vice-captain. What do you think of their leadership ability
GJ: I think they would be two guys who lead by performance and example. They’re not going to be the guys who run around screaming and shouting and grabbing people by the scruff of the neck. They’re not those sort of guys. If they’re on top of their game, we’ve seen both of them control football matches and do it looking very easy. That will make their players around them relax, see that their captains are in control and not panicking. That’s a good form of captaincy but I do think every now and then when things aren’t going your way you need to roll your sleeves up and get a reaction from their team. So as long as they can do that on the days they aren’t playing so well then I think they’re going to be fine.
MB: Could West Ham be in relegation trouble if they don’t improve their side soon?
GJ: Absolutely they could be in relegation trouble. The squad wasn’t good enough last year, and now it’s worse. It’s a no brainer, they’ve lost their best player, they’ve lost the only technical striker they had. It doesn’t look good. They need to be clever and go after experienced players who may not totally excite the fans, but have been in the Premier League for years and people who know the game and gradually improve the squad. They’re not going to sign a superstar, we know that. If they can be shrewd with a few deals, they can be fine. But right now, the squad is worse than last year, and last year they were in trouble.
MB: It seems Harry Maguire is on his way to West Ham. Is he a good signing to bolster the defence and can he revive his career as well?
GJ: Yeah it could work out as a good deal for both. He needs to get back on the horse and show that he’s an international player. If West Ham is the platform for him to do that, then happy days. Whether people like Harry or not as a player, he’d certainly improve the West Ham defence. As long as the final figures aren’t too expensive, I’d give it the greenlight.
MB: Another player linked to West Ham from United is Scott Mctominay – would he be a good signing?
GJ: He’s a tidy footballer and that’s probably escalated by the fact he plays for United and he’s got fantastic players around him. It’d be interesting to see if that remains if he’s at a slightly lesser team. It’s a deal that shouldn’t cost too much, he’s been in the Premier League and would improve that West Ham team. It won’t excite the fans, but they’ll understand he’s there to do a job and with two or three other signings around him, all of a sudden that midfield looks like a different beast.
MB: Now that Rice has gone, West Ham only have two CMs in the squad – Soucek and Downes – which is almost unprecedented, especially for a team playing European football, who do you think they should be looking for in that position?
GJ: It’s impossible to go into a long season with just Downes and Soucek as proper centre-midfielders. They will bring in more players, they wouldn’t be able to play just those two every week together. They just need to look at shrewd deals. Players who have been around the league for a long time, who maybe didn’t play as much football last year as they wanted or are coming towards the end of their career. Players who can give another good two or three years, then you start buying a few youngsters. But right now they need players who can keep them in the league.
MB: If Antonio leaves, then Danny Ings and Divin Mubama will be their only options upfront, who should West Ham be looking at?
GJ: West Ham are definitely going to need some help up front this season. Ings I really like, but I think he’s much better with a support man who can occupy the other defenders. He’s a great finisher but not someone who’s going to create his own chances by dribbling past a man. The problem is, it’s so tough to find a striker in this market because everyone costs so much money and goalscorers are hard to come by. If you’re a 15-20 goal a season striker, you’re probably not joining West Ham who could potentially be in a relegation battle. They might have to take a risk on a more experienced striker who maybe hasn’t done it at a really high level in recent years.
MB: Do you think Edson Alvarez would be an adequate replacement for Rice?
GJ: I like him, but I think they’d need two or three Edson Alvarez’s to change that dressing room. They’ve lost a big player and a big character with Declan and I don’t think it’s fair to ask anyone to replace him, that’s just not going to happen. But if you’ve got Alvarez who can play centre-back or in midfield with a signing like McTominay, the squad is already drastically improved. If you can sign both of them and bring in two or three more, the starting eleven looks better than six of the other Premier League sides. But right now it doesn’t.
MB: Reports from this morning that Paqueta could be off to City for over £70 million – the last thing that West Ham fans would want to hear right now isn’t it?
GJ: It’s absolutely the last thing that West Ham fans want right now with the season starting so soon, but the kind of money that’s being talked about would definitely soften the blow. It’s one of those where the player’s going to want to go, and for £70 to £80 million, West Ham kind of have to do it. With that money they will be able to improve in multiple positions but they will have to do it quick.
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