Glen Johnson says Liverpool trio not at the level the club needs them to be at
Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has spoken out about the current situation at Anfield and the role that young players like Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho, and Stefan Bajcetic have to play in the team’s fortunes.
Johnson believes that although these midfielders have shown flashes of brilliance this season, they are not the right players to take Liverpool out of the mess they are currently in and that senior players need to step up as well.
Obviously, in football, there has to be a good mixture of youth blending with experience to get the right results for the club. However, the youngsters at Liverpool are too young to consistently perform at the highest level and the senior players at some point, need to step up for sure.
Here is what Johnson told DAZN (h/t liverpool.com):
“Obviously, they are good players and they will go on to be fantastic players, but they are not good enough to make you win the Champions League or even the Premier League right now.
“Those young players are obviously talented, but they need the experienced players around them for them to improve. You can’t have half a team full of those sorts of players — inexperienced and needing guidance — to get Liverpool back to where they belong.”
Right mix of Youth and Experience
Johnson is not alone in his opinion, as many Liverpool fans and pundits have expressed concern about the lack of depth in the squad this season. With several key players missing through injury, the burden has fallen on the shoulders of young players like Elliott, Carvalho, and Bajcetic to step up and make a difference.
While they have shown glimpses of their potential, it is clear that they are not yet ready to carry the weight of expectation that comes with playing for Liverpool. Johnson also highlighted the importance of having experienced players around young players to help them develop and rightly so.
Johnson’s comments are a reminder that success in football is not just about having talented players, but also about having a balanced team with the right mix of youth and experience. Liverpool’s success in recent years has been built on a solid foundation of experienced players like Jordan Henderson, James Milner, and Virgil van Dijk, who have provided leadership and guidance to the younger members of the squad.
It is clear that Liverpool’s injury crisis has forced them to rely on their young players more than they would have liked this season. While this has given players like Elliott, Bajcetic and Carvalho a chance to showcase their talents, it has also exposed the lack of depth in the squad and the need for more experienced players to step up and take on leadership roles.
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Liverpool will need to address this issue in the upcoming transfer window if they are to challenge for major honours next season. While they may be tempted to invest in more young talent, they must also ensure that they bring in players with the experience and leadership qualities needed to guide the team through tough times.
