Liverpool FC - Brendan Rodgers Must Stop Persisting With Glen Johnson

Aside from the ethos of playing the ball out from the back, keeping possession and quick transition from defence into attack, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers usually likes specific characteristic traits in his full backs. During his days at Swansea, Angel Rangel would consistently make himself a nuisance (to opponents) further up the pitch, while Ben Davies would also provide support to Scott Sinclair on the left. Rodgers inherited Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique when he joined Liverpool in 2012, and injury permitting, has stuck with either (or both) of them whenever they have been available.Ai??Full backs are among the most important players in any squad managed by Brendan Rodgers; and Glen Johnson’s woeful run of form makes his position the one the that needs the most amount of attention.

Glen Johnson’s woeful run of form

Ever since his days at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, Glen Johnson has always been known better for his ability to attack rather than to defend. While it is always nice to see this in a modern full back, his penchant for wandering up the pitch and failing to track once possession is lost is what upsets supporters.

It is since late 2013 that his failings have been well documented to the point where not many people even want him at Anfield when he is playing well. Aimless runs up the right side of the pitch followed by failure to track back, losing the ball at inopportune moments, taking too long to release the ball when in attack has been a regular feature of his play once he returned from an enforced 4 week long layoff in October 2013. His languid style has made him look elegant in the past, but over the last 9 months, it has only fed the perception that he is lazy and “not up for it” anymore. His performance against Crystal Palace should have been the last straw for Brendan Rodgers, but it hasn’t.

There is a school of thought that suggests that the recent arrival of Javier Manquillo on loan from current Spanish champions is a much needed dose of competition. However, it would be foolish for Brendan Rodgers to continue to persist with Johnson given how bad his performances have been Ai??over the last season. Surely, providing competition cannot be the sole reason why Manquillo; especially given that he is highly rated within his home country.

For starters, the full back is 29 years old and will not turn into Franco Baresi over the next one year. Ai??Secondly, his decision making is not always spot-on, and a habit of making wrong decisions will not be magically erased from his game at this time. Third, any argument for keeping him in the starting 11 due to the fact that he is experienced, goes out of the window. It is staggering that he is one of three players in Liverpool’s squad who has won a Premier League winners medal before; but that experience was not of much help when goals were conceded on his own side at Crystal Palace, back in May.

Is Manquillo at Liverpool only to provide competition?

Javier Manquillo - Liverpool right back | Liverpool FC - Brendan Rodgers Must Stop Persisting With Glen Johnson — Javier Manquillo was second choice at Atletico; can he make the step up at Liverpool?

It has been suggested that Liverpool’s newest signing, former Atletico Madrid right back Javier Manquillo, has been brought in to the squad as competition for England’s first choice right back. But the level of performances Johnson has produced in recent months makes it easy for Javier Manquillo and even Jon Flanagan to top. So will Brendan Rodgers bite the bullet and replace Johnson altogether? Who does he replace him with?

Manquillo is quick, pacy and always on the lookout for a forward pass – qualities Brendan Rodgers likes in his full backs. He is sturdy enough in defence, aggressive enough to pressure wingers into mistakes, willing to make a tackle whenever required yet avoiding the temptation to dive in repeatedly. He may be inexperienced, but as mentioned earlier, Glen Johnson’s experience of winning the Premier League once before was not necessarily of any benefit. Manquillo is more direct than other full backs, often preferring to release the ball quickly rather than try and fashion his way out of tight situations.

Manquillo’s weaknesses, it seems, is his tendency to take bad decisions when on the ball. It is the very same complaint that is levelled against Glen Johnson himself. He also tends to leave his position in trying to make up for his own errors. The fact that he has 9 years on Glen Johnson, however, means he has age on his side; and Brendan Rodgers’ work with Jon Flanagan is evidence enough that he is capable of fine tuning the attacking instincts of players who can defend well enough. There is no shame in Manquillo being second choice to Juanfran Torres at the club level, but can he make the step up and convince Brendan Rodgers to choose him over Glen Johnson?

What about Jon Flanagan?

John Flanagan - Liverpool right back | Liverpool FC - Brendan Rodgers Must Stop Persisting With Glen Johnson — Flanagan has forced his way into Rodgers’ plans; can he stay in it?

Amongst the intrigue that surrounds Javier Manquillo’s arrival on loan into Anfield, Jon Flanagan is a viable alternative to Glen Johnson himself. Like Glen Johnson, he is also capable of playing on both wings. Unlike Johnson, he has earned the trust of his manager by putting in good performances on a consistent basis last season. He was the very reason Liverpool supporters were shielded from having to endure the sight of Aly Cissokho on the left.

The default opinion regarding Jon Flanagan’s place in the side is that he is good enough to be a strong squad player, yet not trusted enough by the manager as regards attacking play. Flanagan has played both full back positions, however, and tends to attack better on the left and be more defensive on the right, his performances both home and away against Tottenham Hotspur being a case in point.

Glen Johnson may be a tried and tested player who comes in with loads of experience, while Aly Cissokho had played in the UEFA Champions League on a regular basis with Lyon and Porto prior to joining Liverpool. Supporters may loath to trust a young player from the academy, but Flanagan has been proven to be better than the latter; so there is no reason why he cannot replace the former.

Javier Manquillo and Jon Flanagan are each capable of holding their own at right back for Liverpool, so going into the new season with just the two of them in the squad would require a lot less bravery than people think. The threat of injury is always there, and there is a chance of Liverpool being hit by a freakish injury crisis in the midst of their first Champions League outing in five seasons. But there would be no use in keeping a GBP 100,000 a week worth of wages on the bench just to cover for a rainy day. Flanagan and Manquillo aren’t playing for free, and Liverpool cannot afford to pay that much money to players in their squad just to have them on the bench.

19 year old Ryan McLaughlin has been impressive playing for Liverpool’s reserves despite his tender years, and Brendan Rodgers has already been brave enough to give Flanagan a chance even when supporters were afraid to do so, or throw fellow Academy scholar Brad Smith in as a substitute against Chelsea. This could be the year McLaughlin gets his first chance at playing for the senior team. All said and done, there is more than enough in reserve for Brendan Rodgers to replace Glen Johnson at right back. The question is whether he is willing to take that chance himself.

Liverpool FC – Brendan Rodgers Must Stop Persisting With Glen Johnson

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