Interview with Glen Johnson

For two seasons in a row now, Liverpool have gone all-in for midfield targets in Tchouaméni and Bellingham and fell short. Do you think it was short-sighted to not consider other options that would have no doubt improved their midfield?

Well, no, it's good that they're targeting those type of players, for sure. But you can target anyone if it doesn't be successful or complete the deal, then it's a lot of hot air.

We all know how Liverpool do their business. They don't just go and buy the next biggest name or a name that other teams want, they have to fit their criteria. There's a lot of data behind that as well, which has worked well in the past, but sometimes that only gets you so far.

Yes, that might point out the next gem and they might get it right occasionally, which they do. But every now and then you're going to go for a player that ticks all those data boxes, that Man City want, or Bayern Munich want, or Real Madrid want.

And then sometimes you got to create, or sort of look outside the box, and decide do we really want him? And then sometimes you have to go the extra mile. You have to decide whether you really want to that person or not.

For all the talk of midfield issues, there have been some talks about the centre backs. Now, Gomez recently signed a five year deal and Matip's deal expires next summer and he's pushing 32. Do you think Klopp needs to allow one of them to leave in order to bring another centre back in? And if so, which one?

Yeah, I don't know. Well, maybe if you brought one in, one would have to go, but maybe you can keep them both.

I think Gomez, he's promised an awful lot for a long time. He's obviously struggled injury wise and his career has been a bit stop start and he probably hasn't reached the potential that we all think he's got.

So he should be looking to play more football, certainly get his career back up and running. And maybe for him to do that, he needs to do it somewhere else, possibly.

So, yeah, I do think they need to strengthen that area at the moment. But like I say, if you can get Joe Gomez fit and get some form into him, then you've already got the good player there already in your squad.

So Liverpool have been linked with the likes of Caicedo, Mount, Barrela and Mac Allister. What type of player do you think is most needed in terms of like a ball winner, a creative outlet or something like that?

Yeah, I'd say more creative.

Liverpool heavily relied on the front three or four over many years, which don't get me wrong, it's worked, but there's times in certain games when you need some more creativity and goals from midfield. Just for the odd day when two out of those three aren't firing, for example.

So I think there's been a lot of speculation with Mount. I know he suffered a little bit of injury as well, but for me I think he's the sort of guy that would really enjoy playing under Klopp.

I think he'd suit the lads that are already there and I think he could show that, give that fresher legs, the energy, and the creativity to support those front three and four.

How do you rate Stoke City's season so far and do you think they can challenge for promotion next season?

I haven't seen many of their games, to be honest. Obviously I've seen the table, but if I'm honest, I don't know that league very well.

But obviously you got Alex Neal there, that obviously knows the league ahead of a lot better than me. In that league, there's a lot of teams that are capable of going up every year. It's about the pretty similar standard. So for me it's always been the one that gets on a good run, gets on the ball early.

I know we're coming towards the end of season now, but whoever sort of starts well generally finds the most momentum. But at that level, most of the teams can beat each other, so it's hard to predict who's going to get promoted next year and who's not.

Do you think Stoke City can reestablish themselves in the Premier League under Alex Neal?

Well, it's not so much whether they can do it under Alex Neil or not, or whether he's the right man or the wrong man.

There's a big, big gap, as we've always said, between the Premier League and the Championship. Even from the bottom of the Premier League to the top of the Championship, there's a massive gap.

So it's not easy for any manager to get a team promoted and then establish them quickly in the Premier League. It's going to take an awful lot of time because let's face it, the players aren't that good enough now to compete mid-table in the Premier League.

So it's not just getting them out of the league, that's the first thing and then it's getting the players that are good enough to keep you there. So whoever does it, it's a tough job, but it's happened in the past.

So, yeah, as long as the club have got a good game plan and patience with the manager and get some more players in, then anything's possible.

And what about Portsmouth by comparison? How do you think they're doing so far?

I haven't really seen many of their games. Definitely don't know the league.

But yeah, in terms of where they were when I was with the clubs or whatever, they're miles away from that at the moment, both teams and clubs.

So I'd say you never know. If they can go on a good run, try and recruit some good players and make baby steps, then anything's possible.

How do you assess Liverpool's season as a whole and what you make of it?

I think it's just been a bit stop-start. You're almost waiting and waiting and waiting for them to go on this four, five, six game unbeaten run and it's just not happened.

They're putting a performance where you think they're back, they could go on a run, they've got a good few fixtures coming up and then, like, take the Man United game, for example.

They absolutely blew Man United away and you think, they've got a couple relatively easier fixtures on paper, but then they go and lose those games. They're so hot and cold.

But I think they've shown glimpses where they're Liverpool of old, but it's not been anywhere near frequent enough.

But like I say, I've said it many times, you expect them to go on a run, but I've said it so many times and they haven't. And obviously they're running out of games now.

So I think it's really important that they get the top four because of the names that you mentioned earlier that they're looking at and targeting, that's going to be a different conversation if they miss out on the top four.

So I really think for the progression of next year and even the year after, I think these last eight games are going to be the foundations for that.

What Liverpool players have impressed you the most this season and who's disappointed you the most?

I'd probably say Nunez has impressed me. There's a few, to be honest. I think there's probably been a couple of more by their standards, slightly more disappointing than good.

But I think Nunez is, like I said, that's what Liverpool have done so well over the years. They bought players that maybe didn't have the biggest name or biggest CV at the point of signing them, but they knew they was on the upward curve and they've delivered almost straight away.

So I think that's what Liverpool have done very well. And he's one of them. Certainly with Diaz as well. So, yes, I'd probably say Nunez was a big positive and I think he could be a great player for many years now. I think he's really enjoying a Premier League and he suits that sort of style.

Disappointments, I guess it's the obvious, I think Van Dyke is probably one that stands out. And that's only, again, credit to him because of how high he set the bar. So you know he's capable of doing it and he makes it look super easy when it's all going well.

But because he is calm and relaxed and usually in control when it's not going his way, it doesn't look great. So, yeah, I'd probably say he's a disappointment, but you don't become a bad player overnight.

So I think once he finds a bit of form, other players around him will start improving again, like we saw last season. I don't think it's a long term issue, I just think, for whatever reason, there's just a dip in form in a minute.

Do you think missing out on top four will brand the season a failure for Liverpool?

Yeah, I think it'd have to go down as a failure.

But again, just because they've been competing at the top and going deep in most tournaments for the last few years and people aren't expecting them to miss out on the top four before the season. You're thinking it's a given.

But it has been a strange season, with I know United are in there now, but they haven't hit their peak, Chelsea definitely haven't hit their peak, Arsenal are playing ten times better than anyone expected, so are Newcastle.

So it's been a bit of a weird season in terms of the so called big four or five, they just haven't been striking gold at the moment. Other than Arsenal or City, really.

So, yeah, it's been a bit of strange season, but I still think they've got a chance because I do think they're going to go on a three/four game run Liverpool, so I think if they do that, then they're going to have a serious chance of getting in the top four.

But to answer the question, I think if they don't, it will be a failure.

Virgil Van Dyke has struggled a bit this season. Do you think his best days are behind him or is this season just a bit of a blip?

Yeah, I think it's just a blip, to be honest.

I don't think you can go from so good, to his performances at the moment in three, four, five months. So, no, I don't think he's past it at all. And also in his defence, there's players around him that are also dipping in form.

So when they could all trust each other of Van Dyke winning the header or a fullback tucking in, you just knew when players are confident, you know, people are going to be in the right position. When people start questioning, is he going to be there, is he going to win it or whatever, then all of a sudden you're all second guessing your positions. So once you've got two or three people that are doing that, it's a collective dip in form.

So I don't think it's just him, I think there's probably three or four big players that were ten out of ten last season that are just slightly below par. So I think once they get a bit of form, find a bit of rhythm, then I expect them to bounce back.

Obviously, Jurgen Klopp's built up a massive amount of credit with the club, but if they miss out on top four this season and again next season, do you think he can avoid a sacking from the club?

Like I say, it's harsh because of what he's done, what he's done to the club and where he took them from to where they are now. Obviously he's done an amazing job. But there's no doubt about it at the minute, it's almost like he's starting again in terms of the rebuilding and where he needs to get the club back from.

But look, he's the man that did it before, so I have no doubt in him. If he was to miss out on top four, even if you take Klopp's name away, if he misses out two years in a row, then I think you come under big question marks.

But I don't think they will. I think if they miss out this season, you would make a calculated bet that they'd get in the top four next year, I'm sure. But certainly Klopp's got a tough job and he said himself at the moment he's not under pressure because of his past. If it was this result under a new manager, they'd probably be much more in the firing line.

But I say he's done it once, he could definitely do it again. I think we just need a lot more fresh faces that have the energy to live up to the expectation that he wants, because it's tough to maintain that effort and work rate with the same players over the course of six years.

You were eager for the club to sign Cody Gakpo ahead of Manchester United in January. How do you think he's been so far?

I think he's coming into it now more gradually, a little bit more and more. I think, fair play, he started a little bit slow, but that's fine, that can happen.

There's not many people that come from a different country or league and go to a club like Liverpool and hit the ground running on day one. That don't often happen, so you can't really criticise him for that.

But I think now he's showing slow progress, well, better progress now. And I think he's starting to look like the player that they thought they had signed. So, again, I think he'll go on to be a big player for Liverpool.

As a right back yourself, what do you make of Trent Alexander-Arnold's new role he's been playing in the last few games?

Yeah, obviously he's been playing well in that position.

I don't think you can find a role to suit one player. Trent is obviously a fantastic player, there's no doubt about that, but I think sometimes when you're trying to find a position for a player, that's kind of a bit awkward and it could dislodge some other players, for example.

So, look, he's definitely capable of doing this role that we've seen in the last few games, but I don't think it's a long term solution. But in certain games, against certain opposition, then it can definitely be a threat.

But there's going to be games when you're playing against better opposition and you're just not going to get away with some of the stuff they're getting away with.

Against Leeds, no disrespect to them, but Leeds are really, really struggling at the moment. They could have played any way they wanted and won that game. So, yes, it looked great, but can that happen against the top four/five? Maybe not, but it might not need to.

It might be a string to their bow that they can use against a team that's going to sit back and they're going to dominate possession. So I think it's a good weapon to have in the armoury, but I don't think it would be a regular position week in, week out.

Peter Crouch has previously spoken about how Jamie Callagher and Steven Gerrard were absolutely ruthless in training when new signings came on board. How did you find that experience?

Yeah, they can be, they could be.

To be fair, they was brilliant with me. I had a bit of a relationship with him, obviously, before I signed with the England days and obviously playing against them for years and things like that, so I kind of knew them. So although I was new when I signed, I kind of didn't feel that new because, like I say, I had a bit of relationship.

There's certainly been a few times when players sign and have got a good reputation and they will certainly test them. Whether it's firing in some horrible passes to see how they deal with it, giving them balls in positions when they probably don't want it and just testing them mentally and physically.

Not in a bad way. They wouldn't do it, not in a way to sort of bully people or anything like that. It would just be to sort of see if they're good enough for that level.

And most of the time the lads would survive the sort of test and then you all suddenly know you've signed a proper player, but there'd be some that fail the initial test, but then come good shortly after so it's just the way they are.

They want to make sure that they got all the best players around them and that's the way they sort of bedded people in.

You've played a big part in that Liverpool side that almost won the title in 2013/14. What was the dressing room atmosphere like in the run up to it?

As you can imagine, it's week in, week out we was like blowing teams away. So the emotion side of it was great. Everyone was in a good mood, all the staff was in a good mood. Training was great because everyone wants to be there.

It came easy. If you're winning, the whole thing's easy, because, like I said, everyone's happier, everyone wants to be there, everyone wants to work harder and everyone ultimately wants to be successful together.

So, yeah, when you're in that sort of running and you're trying to sort of ignore that you're top of the league and that you're winning every week, but of course you pay attention because you can't not, everyone rams it down your throat.

So, yeah, you enjoyed a ride. It's a shame we didn't get that final hurdle, but we certainly enjoyed the last six months of the season. And like I say, it's a shame, but it is what it is.

And Luis Suarez initially wanted to leave that summer and then went on to have arguably one of the greatest all-time Premier League seasons for a player. Having seen him in training, what would you put that season down to?

I don't think anything changed. I think Luis worked his socks off and what you saw on the pitch is how he trained. He was a winner, he wanted to win.

Players have chats with clubs that people don't hear about when they want to leave, and they might hear that Barcelona are interested and of course, that's going to prick people's ears up when you hear those sort of names. So people have those chats.

I think it's to his credit that, yes, he wanted to leave, but he didn't sulk and throw the toys out of pram or anything like that. Like you say, he bounced back and it was like one of the best seasonal performances that we've ever seen.

So I think that's credit to him and his personality. That right, he didn't get his own way. He didn't get what he wanted. But he's still going to be a pro and do what the club team needed him to do.

And he did that and some so I think it's credit to him. And I wouldn't have thought for a second that he would have done anything different, to be honest. Like I say, he just loves scoring goals, loves working hard and loves winning games.

And you were also part of the team that saw the transition from Rafa Benitez to Roy Hodgson. What do you think went wrong for Roy during his time managing Liverpool?

I think it's a bit tough to adapt.

When Roy come to Liverpool, we had a lot of top, top players and I think Roy's philosophy was what worked with him, with no disrespect to Fulham and Palace, you're working with different style of players and players with different talent.

So I think you try to use the same way of getting those guys to improve with all of a sudden some of the best players in the world and it just don't work.

And not just that, it's also the club were in a difficult situation with ownership and we sold arguably two of our best players and never replaced them. Or replaced them with players that weren't good enough. So all of a sudden, the team and the club quickly declined.

And that's what happens if top teams sell their best players and don't replace them. You're up against it. And then, like I say, I think the way Roy wanted us to play, the players were too good to do that and the players found it hard to adapt.

Chelsea's form has been absolutely shocking this year. What would you put it down to?

Possibly a lot of change, managers, loads of new faces, ownership, there's a lot of dust that needs to settle.

They're pretty much Liverpool back in that era that you were just talking about, in terms of the ownership, new faces, new managers, so they're going through a massive rebuild process as well.

And I'm sure the owners have got a plan in place, but I think they think about it like what Lamps done when he first came to the club, to be honest. He laid some foundations and never really got to the point to finish what they started building.

People forget all these young players that Lamps was bringing through. Tammy was scoring goals for fun. Mount came through. There's Reece James.

So there's all these players that Lamps had then coerced out of the youth team and started building the club and then obviously was sacked or whatever, and then other managers that don't know the club, like Lamps, will obviously want to come in and just win. And to do that, they're focused on the first team and that's great for one season or whatever, but then to compete over four or five years, the foundations have to be rock solid and I just feel at a minute at Chelsea they're not.

So I'm sure that'd be one of the things that the owners look for. Get a manager in that can sieve through the squad and get rid of some of the deadwood, if you like. They have to be patient, but over the next couple of years, then you expect them to bounce back because it's fantastic football club and they got some fantastic football players.

So you expect it to happen, it's just a matter of time.

Do you think the club were right to sack Graham Potter, given that they spoke so much in the media about needing to give him time?

Well, it does seem a bit silly. Everyone knows Graham Potter is obviously a fantastic football coach and obviously he will get good players playing good football, there's no doubt about that.

But we all knew he was never going to walk through the door like a wrecking ball and start winning instantly. His coaching styles take time and he needs time to bed into the players what he wants and how he wants to play.

So for the owners to know that at the start, to then be unhappy with it three, four months down the line don't really make any sense.

So I know that the appointment surprised a few people, but I think the sacking surprised them even more.

And what do you make of the appointment of Frank Lampard in the interim?

Well, I think it's a sensible option. Like I say, Lamps knows a club inside out. He's not going to need time to bed in, in that front because he's already a part of the furniture.

Of course, they haven't played well at all, but it's not his team. Whoever it is needed time to get them back. But there's only so many people that will take that seat as well at this period, because it's a tough job to take.

We all know what we expected, that the sackings, as regular as they have been in the last few years, you thought that might change with the new ownership, but they've carried through. If they're not careful, they're going to struggle to find a manager that's going to put their head on the guillotine, if you like.

I think they need to give Lamps patience. I'm sure they're working in the background on a long-term solution, but for the short term, I think it's a very sensible thing to do.

Who would you bring in permanently in the summer to steady the ship for Chelsea?

I don't know personnel, really, but ticking boxes I'd want it to be someone that really knows the Premier League, to be honest.

Maybe like Pochettino, maybe. Someone that knows the league, then has one massive box ticked because the Premier League is demanding. It's totally different to other leagues. I think the experience of that is key.

And also not only Premier League experience, but a manager that's worked with top players. Because it is a different way of coaching. It's a different way of dealing with people. Because ultimately, these good players, you need to make them happy. They're good players, and some of them, you're not going to teach an old dog new tricks.

So it's like working with what you got, getting the best out of what they've got already, rather than coaching them, so to speak, into better players that will come when they hit some form.

So like I say, I think it needs to be a manager that knows the Premier League and worked with top players.

Besides the manager, what else do you think needs to improve at Chelsea before they start competing again?

Well, like I said, I think it's the foundations.

It's probably the stuff that we don't see, the stuff around the club, the training ground. Not so much the facilities and things like that, but just in terms of putting them back into a club, obviously we only see the cherry on the top, which is the first team.

But I think it's like what Lamps was doing before, building the youth teams up, the foundations of all of that, that then drip feeds into the first team. And I think once it's a happy family again and people are behind them and the team's loving what they're doing, then that leaks into the first team.

And like I say, when, when these players are happy, they're going to perform. So I think it's more about building the stuff that we don't see. Whilst obviously, of course, they've got to train hard and 'course they need results now for sure.

But in the long term, for them to compete over the next three or four years, I think they need to work on all the stuff and settle everything down in the background.

West Ham have been languishing around the bottom of the table this year, are you surprised David Moyes has managed to keep his job in a season where twelve managers have been sacked?

Yes, in the sense of the way they've been playing and where they are in the league, but then no, because he's been in this situation many times and if anyone knows this or has experience of fighting relegation it's Moyesy.

Yeah, it's been a big shame season for them because they've been improving over the last two or three years. A couple of years before that it was looking good.

So you don't expect them to be in a relegation battle and I think if it is early in the season, then possibly I think he had more chance getting sacked probably three or four months ago, but now I think they need to stick with him, stick together. There's not long to go.

To be fair, they just come off the back of a couple of decent results as well. So I think they're going to be good enough to get out of it. And if they stay out of it, I think he'll get another chance next season, but I think he'd be up against it if they're in another relegation next season.

And you're one of the few players to have played for both West Ham and Millwall. What was the Millwall fans' reaction to you after getting loaned from their bitter rivals?

To be honest, they was brilliant. Literally, I couldn't fault them, to be honest.

Obviously, it was a risky move for me, I guess, in terms of being 17 or something like that, but I believed in myself at the time and I was just like, "you know what, if I perform well on a Saturday, they're going to like me, it's as simple as that. And if I play rubbish, they're not going to like me."

So I just kind of had to try and man up and deal with it, and I think the extra pressure sort of helped me. So obviously I only played ten games or so, but I played really well and they still tell me today that they was the making of me, so I think they was relatively happy.

Obviously, I didn't live too far away from there, and there was a couple of options, but at the time, my best mate from school, Ben May, played for Millwall, so he was really the easy decision.

I was thinking, you know what, we can go football together, enjoy it. That's what we dreamed of as kids, playing together as pros. That was kind of the easy part to make me go.

And then, yeah, I enjoyed the three months that I was there and luckily came back and it all went well. But like I say, it was risky because it easily could have gone the other way.

You won the FA Cup with Portsmouth back in 07/08. When you beat Manchester United in the 6th round, did you start to think it was yours to lose?

Yeah, like everyone early on in the tournaments, you're just thinking, get through round one, see what happens, just take each game as it comes. Obviously, we get United at Old Trafford, and of course they're big favourites.

But the thing is, our team weren't a Mickey Mouse team. We were hammering teams and finished 6th in the league. We had a powerful team. So although they was favourites, we weren't worried. We just knew if we stuck together and put in a performance, then we're good enough to nick a result.

So, yes, once we got through that round, obviously we had a little bit of luck... well, not really luck, they got a red card and obviously Sulley Muntari scored the pen with Rio in goal, so it would have been a shocker if he had missed that one.

But yeah you get a little bit of luck in these games and go through to the next round. I think it was Barnsley that went on a decent run and they done us a massive favour because I think they knocked out Arsenal and Chelsea or something like that. They knocked out two big teams, got to the semi, and then in the semi-final, all of a sudden, we was the best team in it.

So you have a little bit of luck with other results and things like that. And then I think when we got to the semis, we realised it's ours to lose. I think all three other teams were in the Championship.

Anything can happen in a one-off game, but we was rocking around 5th, 6th in the league, beating much better teams, so we was quietly confident. But you've obviously still got to go and get the job done.

How did it feel to win such a major trophy for a team that hasn't lifted it since the 1930s?

Yes, it's brilliant. Not many people expected us to win at the beginning, and fair enough, with all the big guns in there, you wouldn't expect that.

But, that's what you want as a pro. You want to win games, you want to compete at the top, you want to lift trophies, and whatever happens in your career or after, the medals and the accolades are what people can never take away from you.

So, yeah, I think at the start of season, there would have been a shock if we knew that was going to happen, but we knew it was capable of beating most teams and, like I say, we showed that in the league, so it wasn't a fluke and we had a really good season.

What was it like working under Harry Redknapp during those years at Portsmouth?

Yeah, it was brilliant. We all know Harry and see Harry now, and that's how he is. It's not fake, that's how he managed the team.

And one of the best things with Harry is he's very good at signing good players. He would just let players almost do what they want if they perform. So if players wanted an extra day off, if players wanted to sit out training or whatever, as long as you performed on Saturday or on match day, he would almost let you do what you want to do.

So he's very good at making people happy and he was very shrewd, obviously, signing good players that might have been slightly slipping down at their current clubs or whatever, but also still had a lot to give.

So he would just get a lot of good lads in a dressing room and just make everyone happy and then, when good players are happy, they perform and things happen.

He was quite famous for trying to get the old band back together, he re-signed Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjčar a few times, did he ever try and re-sign you?

When he went to Tottenham we had a few chats, but for whatever reason, it didn't happen. Obviously, I went to Liverpool, but yeah, that was probably the time he tried to resign me.

But, yeah, like you say, in terms of the band, I think no one signed Crouchy, Kranjčar or Defoe more than Harry.

After Arsenal has dropped all these points in their recent games, do you think it's advantage-City heading into the fixture at the Etihad?

I definitely think the pressure is on Arsenal more, yeah.

It's going to be a tough game and hopefully a fantastic game of football. Both teams have been flying, but, yeah, the last thing you want to do is drop four points in two games and play City. So the momentum is definitely with City.

Listen, it's going to be a massive game of football. But we say it all the time, whoever wins the league deserves to win the league. If Arsenal gets a result in this game, then they're going to deserve it.

It'd be a shame for them and Arsenal fans if they don't. They've looked good all season, which they have won games where they've been average by their standards, but they still won and showed winning mentality, it'd be tough for them to take if they fail or fall at the final hurdle.

But it's a massive test and if you want to win the league, you got to beat the best. So which way it's going to go, we don't know, but like I said, I think the momentum is in City's hands.

If Arsenal do lose the league to City, do you think it's fair to say they've bottled it after spending so much time at the top of the table?

It'd be harsh, but yes.

Like I say, when you win the league, you have to win games when you're not playing well, and that's what they've done. So far, so good.

They had a last couple of last-minute winners in games where you thought they would win comfortably, but they show good mentality to get the win, and that is a sign of champions.

So they was winning me over when they was winning those games, because when you're playing football well and things are going your way, it's easy to win football games in terms of that's when it's all green light and everything's hunky dory.

It's when you're backed against it and you're not playing that great and you dig out results, that's the hard bit. And they've done it really well so far, so they've shown that they can win games anyway, so I think it would be a case of slightly bottling it, if they don't get a positive result at City.

I don't think they got to win the game. I think they just can't get hammered and then they get a positive result, and then everything still they're still top of the table and they can kick on, and probably they'll be good enough to see it through.

But if they get a really bad result in terms of getting pumped, two or three nil, then the wheels could come off.

Obviously, City and Arsenal are going to end up first and second, whatever happens, but who else do you have is finishing in the top four at the end of the year?

I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's going to stay the way it is. I think United and Newcastle see it out.

I think it was the only Liverpool and City that scored more goals in Newcastle or something like that, I'm not sure. I think they've been quietly going about their business again. No one expected them to be this good this season, so I think everything's going in their favour at the moment.

They're sort of creeping under the radar, everyone's talking about City, Arsenal and Chelsea, Liverpool, who's going to get into the top four, but I think they could be the Dark Horse.

And I think out of the other big names, I think United are probably the one that have not reached their peak yet, but they're the most consistent out of the other big names, so I think it's going to stay the way it is.

But I hope I'm wrong, obviously!

It's becoming a little bit more obvious who the teams are who are in serious trouble of going down this year. Who do you think won't be here next year?

I think Southampton have looked like they're gone mentally for a while. It's a tough one because I think it's between four or five, really, this stage. They're all separated by one or two points and if either of them get two wins from now to the end of the season, that's massive.

So I think West Ham will get themselves out of it now. I think Leeds could be sucked into it.

I think Everton will probably do enough. I don't think they should be down there, to be honest. I think they've got better players than to be in this sort of league position. But after 30 games, the league position don't lie. So obviously, they have been nowhere near good enough.

I don't know, I think it's a tough one. I think you could ask five or six people and they could probably pick three different clubs. Most would probably agree Southampton, but the other two could be three or four. So I think it might be Leeds, Southampton and question mark on the third one.

Obviously, you played with an absolute wealth of managers over your career. Who would you say had the biggest impact on your career?

I'd probably say Harry, because it was more at the start of my career. Obviously, I knew Harry as a kid as well. So when I was a kid, I was obviously looking at their first team, watching them train and training with them every now and then. I think that what you do as a youth is probably what sets your foundations going forward.

So I think hemade me enjoy fighting at that level and enjoying what you're doing. Of course, I enjoyed everything, but I mean, in terms of falling in love with a game, which makes you then work that bit harder, because if you love what you're doing, you're going to work harder, that's just a fact.

So I think he sort of made it fun, let you enjoy it, but kicked you up the ass at the right times, don't get me wrong, but he let you enjoy it, show that the grass could be green and things like that.

And then, obviously, to play with him as a pro, he was the same. So I'd say for the amount of time I spent in my youth with him, I'd probably say he was more influential.

How did you find sort of transition from Harry Redknapp to Rafa Benitez, who's a lot more closed in his manner and a lot more focused on the tactical side of the game?

It's definitely different. It's completely different.

Rafa was a good man and a great manager, but he would deal with the team totally different to Harry.

Harry's all smile, laughs and high fives and whatever. Super chilled.

Whereas Rafa was like, bang. He was like almost like a school teacher. But the thing is, he got your attention because he was very good at doing it.

At that time, when you go to a top team like Liverpool, you're there to win. So it's not about having fun, it's about winning. So it's more like a job, so to speak. You're at the top team, you should be competing at the top. You're with the best players and now all of a sudden, it's about winning.

So he was very good in the sense of, when a good team was coming to town, he would always find a way that would set us up to give us the most advantage to win. And it'd be very regimented in training and a bit repetitive, but you would do it, and you'd love doing it, because you knew what you was doing would work.

So he would get your attention in the same effect, but a different way to how Harry would.

You've played over 300 games in your career. What are some games that stand out for you as the favourites that you played in?

You'd have to say finals or big games that can swing a title race.

Sometimes it's not always the game that you win 3-0 and comfortably. Sometimes it's the game when you're all putting your bodies on the line and you're sticking together and really go to war with something and grinding out results.

It sounds silly, but even now, what I miss now is like waking up on a Sunday morning with cuts over you and in pain because you feel like you've gone to battle with your teammates.

Of course, you'd like to win a final 2-0, 3-0, of course you would. But I think sometimes it's those games when maybe you haven't played well enough to win, but you dog it out, you get the win and you put in a real dogged performance.

But obviously, it is the finals, without doubt. Lifting trophies, lifting the Premier League, the other finals, they're the moments you never forget.

You've played with some incredible players. If you had to make a five-a-side team, out of all the players you played with, who were you going for?

Oh God, it's the hardest question ever...

I'd say... I'm already thinking there's going to be so many names left out.

I'm thinking... Stevie Gerard. Petr Cech. Probably go JT. Probably Suarez...

I've lost track. I've got one more...

I'd probably say Sebastián Verón, which would probably shock people, but this guy was a joke. He didn't really do it in matches, to be honest, but in training, he's one of the best players I've ever seen. Like, honestly, it was a joke. So probably say him.

But I'm already thinking about Robin, Drogba, Torres, Desailly, Ashley Cole. I could probably make three or four unbelievable five-a-side teams. So I've left a lot of big names out, but if that was my five-a-side team, I'd be happy.