Liverpool Attempts to Keep Glen Johnson Fly in Face of Supporters' Opinion

"Liverpool ready to offer defender Glen Johnson new deal" was not a headline Liverpool supporters would have been thrilled to read on Friday morning, but it's one which could be found in The Telegraph, among others.

That's because Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers says he is "hopeful he [Johnson] will stay," according to Liverpool correspondent Chris Bascombe. "Players like Glen Johnson we want to keep."

If the headline wasn't bad enough, those quotes make for pretty eye-opening reading for any Liverpool supporter who has suffered the malaise of watching Johnson over the past two years.

Contract Situation

First, some background. Johnson's contract expires in the summer and he's yet to agree a new deal with the club.

Speaking back in November, via the Guardian, the 30-year-old claimed: "I haven’t been offered anything. We are not speaking [about a contract] at the moment."

However, Andy Hunter of the Guardian this week claims Johnson has resisted a "short-term extension on terms reduced from his £120,000-a-week wage."

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Yes, you read that right, Johnson is reportedly on a staggering £120,000 per week. Indeed, once Steven Gerrard departs this summer, Johnson's current wage would see him as the club's highest earner.

FSG, meanwhile, have undergone a process of removing players on exorbitant wages who do not represent their worth within the squad. Hence Pepe Reina, a back-up goalkeeper once Simon Mignolet left, and Daniel Agger—an injury prone player who rarely made more than 30 appearances a season—were allowed to leave. Their wages did not correlate to their status within the squad.

If they were allowed to leave, then surely Johnson must be, too. 

Experience

"Players like Glen Johnson we want to keep. Lucas, we want to keep," said Rodgers, per the aforementioned report in The Telegraph. The Liverpool boss wants to retain some of his more experienced players, and Lucas and Johnson are among the few senior statesmen in the squad.

"Kolo Toure and Brad Jones are also out of contract and if Johnson left as a free agent too then Martin Skrtel and Rickie Lambert would be the only players left at Anfield in their 30s," writes James Pearce in the Liverpool Echo.

Clive Mason/Getty Images

It's a valid point that Liverpool need to retain (and add) experience to their youthful squad.

But the wages offered to Johnson would be far better spent going towards signing an experienced player—a player who can then contribute to the squad. James Milner would be the obvious one here.

Johnson

“Maybe his game will adapt over the next couple of years, he’s not the marauding full-back you saw six or seven years ago," says Rodgers, via Pearce. "But he’s still a quality player who still has a lot to offer with his experience and his football."

Aside from his experience, it's difficult to see what Johnson does bring to the table.

His performances have often been found to be extremely lacklustre. He's been relatively injury prone over the last calendar year. Indeed, the only perception of Johnson's positive attributes are his attacking intent—which Rodgers says he no longer possesses.

This is all without mentioning that Johnson's natural right-back position doesn't exist in the current 3-4-2-1 formation that Liverpool are employing. At his age, he doesn't have the fitness to play the wing-back/midfielder role, so his only potential role is as the right-sided centre-back of the three. Something we may see against Bolton on Saturday.

"

Talks of Glen Johnson getting a new contract. https://t.co/vY7Zi9E4Ej

— LFC buzz (@LFC_buzz) January 22, 2015"

Furthermore, Liverpool have plenty of options at right-back; Javier Manquillo, Jon Flanagan and Andre Wisdom (currently on loan at West Bromwich Albion) to name some.

Emre Can has been impressive as the right centre-back, while Lazar Markovic has been a sensation at right midfield. There is no need for Johnson now and there certainly won't be next season.

Contract Priorities

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What should be of far more concern to Rodgers and Liverpool is addressing the contracts for key players who do have a future at the club. Raheem Sterling's long-running contract saga still hasn't reached a conclusion. Philippe Coutinho's future needs to be nailed down, as does Jordan Henderson's.

Even young Flanagan's contract expires this summer and Liverpool would be better off having him sign a new deal than Johnson. Flanagan was reported to be close to signing a long-term deal, as per Pearce, back in August! Five months later and still nothing has been sorted.

These are the players Liverpool should be securing, not a player who is well past his prime, has deteriorated year-on-year and has lost his place in the England and Liverpool squads.