Glen Johnson Exclusive Interview with WDW Bingo - Part 2

Glen Johnson is a former professional footballer who played for Liverpool, Chelsea, West Ham, Portsmouth, Stoke City and others.

Glen spoke exclusively to WDW Bingo for the second time on the 13th of January 2026, providing updated thoughts and opinions on his former teams and the current Premier League season.

Click here to read our first interview with Glen from the end of last season.

Question: Liverpool seem to be picking up a bit of form now. What do you think changed to spark this over the past month or so? Do you think they will close the gap to Villa and City by the end of the season?

Glen Johnson: “Liverpool have definitely become more consistent in their performances over the past month or so, and you can see that in their results. I’m not sure if it is enough to become title contenders again at the moment, but it’s a good start. The players seem to be going back to basics, and that’s meant a few players have picked up some form.

“Liverpool are unbeaten in their last ten games across all competitions, which is good to see and a step in the right direction. However, there have been a lot of draws, particularly in the Premier League, and if you want to win the league, drawing to teams like Leeds and Fulham isn’t the way to go about it.

“I’m glad they aren’t losing games, and come the end of the season, I don’t think the gap between Liverpool and Arsenal will be as big as it is at the moment. However, I also think the league is too far gone this season, especially with Man City improving as well. I think it’ll be City pushing Arsenal for the title, and I think Liverpool should be aiming to close the gap as much as possible and finish third.”

Q: Liverpool beat Barnsley in the FA Cup last night. Do Liverpool need to win a trophy this season to save Arne Slot’s job this summer?

GJ: “I think Liverpool must win a trophy this season if Arne Slot is to keep his job past the summer. They’ve been winning trophies left, right and centre for years now, so I’m not sure even an FA Cup win would satisfy the fans, the board and silence his critics.

“But it’s not all doom and gloom at Liverpool. If they win the FA Cup, make a deep run in the Champions League and finish second or third in the Premier League, then opinions on Slot will soon change. It’s only January, there’s plenty still left to play for this season, I hope Liverpool see how the rest of the season unfolds before making any decisions on the manager.”

Q: Xabi Alonso recently left Real Madrid. Do you think that the rumour of him coming into manage Liverpool will only gain more traction now?

GJ: “Of course, that’s how football works nowadays. Rumours surrounding Xabi Alonso managing Liverpool will circulate from now right up until he gets a new job, or he becomes Liverpool manager. That’s football.

“Xabi did a fantastic job at Bayer Leverkusen. He built a fantastic squad that performed as well as any team worldwide, and the talent from that squad has now been raided by all the world’s top teams, including Liverpool. Xabi is a Liverpool legend, so the club will always be keeping tabs on him and his availability, just as they will with Steven Gerrard. The links will always be there, but I hope Slot gets more time to turn this season around.”

Q: How heartbroken will Conor Bradley be now that his season ended? It must be mentally so tough when you’re in the side and suffer a serious injury setback?

GJ: “There’s never a good time to get a serious injury, but the timing for Conor was really poor, just as he was stamping his authority on the right back position. He’s a young kid, and he’ll have plenty of resilience to get through it. I was lucky in my career never to have a long-term injury like that, but going from the squad environment to working on your own for nine months during rehab is extremely tough.

“Hopefully, his operation and his rehab go well, and he’ll just be out until the end of this season. Knee injuries can recur, but it would be great to have him back for pre-season in the summer, and he is ready to go at the beginning of next season. That’s what Conor will be focusing on.”

Q: Do Liverpool need to look at the defender market now? There’s more pressure on Joe Gomez than ever, and they’re already light at centre-half?

GJ: “Absolutely, Liverpool must be in the market for a defender in January. They have injuries in their backline, and I think top teams must be active in the transfer market. Injuries seem to be piling up across the team, and Liverpool must win games now, so it is important they invest to keep up with their rivals.

“They shouldn’t be necessarily looking for a Conor Bradley replacement, for example, but they need depth if they are going to look to challenge in the league and make deep runs in the Champions League and FA Cup. They need to stay competitive while they have this injury crisis, so I’m sure they’ll consider making moves for suitable players that are available for the right price.”

Q: Do Liverpool need to go out and sign Marc Guehi now before he gets snapped up by another top team?

GJ: “I think if Liverpool want to sign Marc Guehi, they have to move now in January. If they don’t, I think they need to start identifying other targets to pursue this summer. There are already other top clubs battling for his signature, and the list of clubs will only get longer when he is available for free in the summer.

“Liverpool’s problem in this particular instance is that everyone knows they are desperate. Desperation isn’t a good position to negotiate from. This means the price tag will be higher for Liverpool compared to other clubs.

“If Liverpool wants Guehi, it needs to be before the end of the January window. I expect Arsenal or Man City to be in a much stronger position than Liverpool in the summer. If one of them wins the league, that’s where Guehi will want to sign.”

Q: What have you made of Jeremie Frimpong since his return? Is he better used further forward?

GJ: “I think Jeremie Frimpong has been much improved since he returned from injury, and it may just be that he has settled into the club now, and his performances are improving. I’m not sure if he is better used further forward, though. I haven’t seen enough of him beating his defender or creating chances to make me think that if he played at right-back, Liverpool would be wasting his talent.

“I think Frimpong is a good attacker coming from deeper, but he isn’t the best defensive full back I’ve ever seen. I think Liverpool will utilise him in a way that is dependent on their opponent. I think he will attack more in some games, and in other games, he will need to be much more defensively disciplined. He is very versatile, which is great for Liverpool. I’m not sure if he will ever be an out-and-out winger for Liverpool, but I have been encouraged by his recent performances.”

Q: Liverpool have been unlucky with injuries this season. Do you expect them to do any major business in January?

GJ: “Liverpool, in recent years, have been clever with the transfer business that they have done. They don’t seem to get dragged into bidding wars for the popular players every summer. They seem to identify who they want to sign and quietly go about their business, which is a very smart way to secure top players for the right price.

“I expect they have identified some talent, done their due diligence and statistical work, and they will pursue some players this month. Major signings don’t happen too often in January, but if they intend on competing, they will have to improve their squad depth this month.”

Q: Do you think Liverpool made too many signings in the summer after winning the league and disrupted the flow?

GJ: “I think this is definitely a possibility. Liverpool spent a lot of money and brought a lot of new faces to the club, and they looked to regress as a team in the early stages of the season. They did their best to integrate the signings slowly to allow them to adjust to life at Liverpool, which I think was the right plan.

“But what they didn’t bank on was their current players, who were so good last season, underperforming so much. This, combined with the basket of new players they bought, needing time to settle in at the club, meant that Liverpool were performing really poorly on the pitch. The dust seems to have settled a bit now, and I imagine they’ll kick on between now and the end of the season.”

Q: Hugo Ekitike has been Liverpool’s most impactful signing from last summer. What should his goal-scoring aspirations be for the rest of the season?

GJ: “Hugo Ekitike is a proper footballer and a brilliant signing. He’s not a total goal machine like some strikers in the league, but he brings a lot to the team. He is really creative and technically brilliant, which means he’ll create a lot of opportunities for his teammates as well as for himself.

“I think he should be aiming for 18 goals in the league and focusing on putting in great all-around performances like he has been doing so far this season. If he exceeds 18, he can call it a fantastic season, and Liverpool will be a lot closer to City and Arsenal than they are right now.”

Q: Being a former Liverpool full-back, do you have any advice for Milos Kerkez, who seems to have struggled for the most part this season?

GJ: “I know from experience that there is a lot of pressure to perform when you sign for Liverpool. I think Milos Kerkez needs to remind himself that he was signed by Liverpool for a reason, but it’s hard to see that side of it as a player sometimes. He needs to block out all the noise and focus on himself, his performances and building up his confidence.

“From my perspective, it looks like he’s trying too hard at times. He looks a bit frantic. It’s great that he wants to win and play well, but I think he needs to just go back to basics and remind himself that Liverpool signed him for a reason. He’s a great player, I think if he blocks out the external noise, he’ll be a great player for Liverpool.”

Q: What did you make of Liam Rosenior’s debut as manager at Charlton?

GJ: “Liam Rosenior’s first game in charge of Chelsea went about as well as it could have. He got a great result, and Chelsea put in a good team performance. I have seen clips of him, and he looks like he’s settling in. Most importantly, he looks like he’s up for the fight, which you have to be as Chelsea manager. Time will tell how the team performs, but I’m optimistic about Rosenior.”

Q: You experienced big changes as a Chelsea player, but what about in the modern day? This seems to be on another level. How do you handle big changes to squads and staff as a player?

GJ: “It is difficult to concentrate and perform as a player when constant changes are going on at the club. In recent times, if it’s not the manager, it’s the staff or the players. There is so much going on at Chelsea. However, as a player, you just do your best to ignore it and do your job.

“You must adapt, and these Chelsea players have to adapt again. However, what the club is looking for is consistency in performances, which the players didn’t find under Enzo Maresca this season. Hopefully, they all take on Liam’s ideas and philosophies quickly and pick up consistent results. Changes happen constantly, and that’s the life of a footballer, it’s difficult, but the sooner you adapt, the easier things seem.”

Q: Do you have any sympathy for Enzo Maresca? Are there any Premier League jobs you think he could be in line for?

GJ: “Yeah, I definitely have sympathy for Maresca. I always feel for managers who lose their jobs, especially Maresca, who at times had Chelsea playing the best football they have played in three or four years. I think what lost him his job was the lack of consistency in Chelsea’s performances. They want to win titles, and you can’t afford to drop points at home to the weaker teams in the league if you want to challenge Arsenal and Man City.”

Q: What have you made of Alejandro Garnacho’s start at Chelsea? He has one Premier League goal so far. Was it a mistake to sign him, given the attackers Chelsea already have?

GJ: “I think Alejandro Garnacho has been disappointing since he signed for Chelsea. It was a mistake to sign him, and not because of his ability, as I think he is talented, but Chelsea have an abundance of great wingers. He can cause havoc on his day, for sure, but one goal so far this season just isn’t enough for the money they spent on him.”

Q: One Chelsea winger who has impressed this season is Estêvão. What do you like about him?

GJ: “Estêvão is a fantastic talent. He looks like everything you want in a winger, he’s electric, skilful, can beat defenders with ease, and he can score goals. He is still only 18 years old, but he plays like an experienced Premier League winger. Chelsea has a superstar on their hands, and he will only keep progressing. Estêvão could be absolutely anything he wants to be in the football world; he is a special talent.”

Q: Are João Pedro and Liam Delap good enough to lead the line for Chelsea?

GJ: “On his day, I think João Pedro can be the striker that Chelsea requires. But I’m just not sure his day comes often enough. If you want to be the number nine for a club like Chelsea, you have to perform week in week out, and Pedro doesn’t seem capable of this at the moment. I think he is a fantastic player, but we need to see consistency in his form. Chelsea are looking to win the league, that is their target, and if Pedro wants to be the striker who leads them there, he will need to demonstrate his ability much more often.”

Q: Do you expect Rosenior to be making a couple of his own signings in January? If so, what positions are the most important?

GJ: “I think Chelsea will back Liam in January as long as it’s a sensible transfer. Chelsea have always backed their managers. But they aren’t going to give him a war chest in his first transfer window, they’ll want to see what he brings first. I think they’ll make one or two signings this month just to give Liam some of his own players.

“Liam and everyone at the club knows that Chelsea already have a brilliant squad, and we have seen glimpses of how good they can be under Maresca earlier in the season. So, I think Liam’s job is to get the team back to that kind of form. He needs to get the players all enjoying their football again and then achieve positive results consistently. Once he has them in good form, they’ll be extremely hard to beat with the talent they have all over the pitch.

“They have a really nice blend of older, more experienced players and youth throughout the squad, and every player is talented. They’ve been ruthless in offloading and isolating players, and I think they have one of the strongest squads in the league. However, Liam has to get them winning now, that’s the only thing he will be focusing on, and any transfer business will be a bonus for him.”

Q: Which club do you think Raheem Sterling should join? Can he revive his career? Do you see him staying in the Premier League, or do you think a move abroad could suit him?

GJ: “I’m not sure where I see Raheem Sterling’s next move in football being. We have been talking about him for a few years now in this way, and he is still at Chelsea. He has 18 months left on his contract, so it will all depend on what he wants as to where his next move is.

“He could just see his contract out, but I think he will want to get back playing again as soon as possible. As for the move, I’m unsure. I think if he wants to push to go to the World Cup, then he needs to play consistently in the Premier League. However, he might be sick of the relentless fight in the Premier League at this stage in his career and potentially move somewhere less competitive.

“It completely depends on where his head is at. I am such a big fan of Sterling, and I always have been. I’ve been saying for years that I think he has got loads to give at the highest level of football. I think it would be a shame if he moved abroad to the MLS or Saudi Arabia right now. I would love to see him do a few more years in the Premier League before winding down his career.”

Q: Chelsea have a huge clash against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge tomorrow in the Carabao Cup semi-final. How important is it for them to take a lead into the second leg?

GJ: “Arsenal are going to be very hard to beat. They are super consistent, and we all know they are going to come to Stamford Bridge with a plan to shut Chelsea down to take a draw in their home leg. But I think this is a great opportunity for Rosenior and Chelsea to beat Arsenal and kickstart their season. It would be a brilliant confidence booster for the squad, and a result like that would help their league form. Big nights like that can turn your season around, and that’s what Chelsea will be hoping for tomorrow.”

Q: Do you think Chelsea expect to finish in the top four? They are currently four points behind Liverpool, who occupy fourth spot.

GJ: “Absolutely, the top four must be the target for Chelsea this season, and I think if they missed out on it, they’d be very upset. They are just a few points off Liverpool, so they are bang in the race for the top four. From this position, they’d be very disappointed if they didn’t finish in the top four with the squad they have.”

Q: Reece James is back fit and seems to be coming back into form when he’s on the pitch. He has to be at the forefront of Thomas Tuchel’s mind for the World Cup squad this summer. But is it a problem that he doesn’t seem to be able to play two games in a week?

GJ: “Reece James’ fitness has been a concern for a long time, and if he wants to be starting for England in the summer, he needs to be able to play two or three times in a week. It’s an unfortunate situation for Reece because whenever he plays, he looks great. He plays a few games in a row and then needs a rest for a week or two to recover, it seems, which is a shame.

“There’s no question about it that he is the best right back option England have, if he is fully fit in time for the summer, and he can manage his body well. Reece will have all of this information, and the World Cup will be on his mind, but all he has to do is keep playing and building up his fitness. He is a fantastic player and will be England’s right back this summer, fitness permitting.”

Q: Man United have drawn with Burnley and lost to Brighton in the FA Cup in the past week. Do you expect them to still improve now that they have sacked Ruben Amorim?

GJ: “I think what Man United needs is time. They need time to adjust, and they need to give Michael Carrick time to get through to the squad with his ideas. Plenty of world-class managers have gone into United and failed, it’s not an easy job to take on. There are deeper-rooted problems at the club than the squad and the manager, as they have very talented players in their team who fail to perform consistently.

“They aren’t going to be challenging this season, so they need to put some hard work in and figure out how they are going to improve and move forward as a club over the next couple of years.”

Q: Your former teammate, Michael Carrick, has been named the interim manager of Man United. What do you make of the move from Man United and Carrick’s managerial career so far?

GJ: “Carrick’s managerial career is obviously quite young, and he is definitely still learning the job. But I think he has the talent, character and credentials to be a top manager. I think he could be someone that Man United needs. One of their own who knows the club inside out and has won countless trophies as a Man United player. Similarly to when they brought Ole Gunnar Solskjær in.

“The players will respect him because of his reputation, and fans will be more patient with one of their own managing the club. Carrick obviously loves the club, he spent over ten years of his career there. He has been a coach and interim manager at United in the past, so he will know the culture he wants to create. United will be hoping that bringing Carrick will reinstate some confidence in the squad and get them back to challenging at the top of the league. I think he’s a good appointment.”

Q: What type of personality does Carrick have? What is he like to be around on the training pitch?

GJ: “When I played with Carrick, he was definitely one of the more serious players in training. However, he knew how to let his hair down at the right times. He trained hard, very hard, and he wanted to win at all times. He was a great professional, and I’m sure that’s exactly what he brings as a manager, because I’m pretty sure that is the only way he knows how to live. He will expect a lot from the United players, and so he should. The club and the fans will be hoping the players thrive under his coaching and improve rapidly.”

Q: Do you think Enzo Maresca would be a good fit for Man United?

GJ: “I think Maresca is a great manager, but I think it’s impossible to pick a good fit for Man United at the moment. Plenty of very good managers have gone into the club and been washed out, so I don’t think we will know who’s a good fit until we see it. Man United are one of the biggest clubs in the world, they have been forever, and they are expected to challenge for the league every season.

“But I think people need to forget all that for the time being, and United need to focus on letting Carrick improve the team month by month. They are nowhere near winning the league at the moment, but who knows where they’ll be in a year or two’s time. Everyone needs to change their perspective on Man United, and Carrick might do such a good job that they keep him on next season.”

Q: Former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is rumoured to be signing for Tottenham this month. Do you think this would be a good signing for them? And a good move for Conor ahead of the World Cup this summer?

GJ: “I think Conor Gallagher’s target will be going to the World Cup this summer. I think he would be able to do that playing at Atlético Madrid or in the Premier League, but if he wants to move home, then the move definitely makes sense for him. With the World Cup coming up, I think it is the perfect opportunity for Conor to play regularly in the Premier League to put himself at the forefront of Thomas Tuchel’s mind.”

Q: Ben White is also rumoured to be on the move this window. He has lacked game time at Arsenal. Can you see why he would want out of Arsenal? What teams in the league do you think would benefit from signing him?

GJ: “I can’t speak for every player I’ve ever known, but the vast majority of players aren’t happy if they aren’t playing regular football. Anytime you aren’t playing, it is frustrating, and frustration builds over time, which leads to transfer talk. It doesn’t matter that Arsenal are top of the league at the moment, Ben will want to be playing regular football.

“I can see why he would want to leave, and I think lots of clubs could benefit from signing him. Any midtable team should be throwing their hat in the ring to sign Ben White. He is a talented right back with plenty of experience. He is versatile and can play both full back and centre back really well. Any midtable team looking to improve this season should be after him this window if he is available.”

For an in-depth look into the current Premier League season, check out our current Betting Guide by football and betting expert, Darren Lane.