Glen Johnson Has His Shot At Former Coach Jose Mourinho
Filed under: Chelsea, Jose MourinhoComing off a 17 Million Pound money move to Liverpool, England International Glen Johnson has finally opened up on his time under former Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho and took a couple of swipes while he was at it.
Via TimesOnline
The Special One is two-faced towards his players. That is the suggestion about Jose Mourinho made by his former defender Glen Johnson, at least. Johnson, who the Portuguese manager jettisoned from Chelsea in 2006, rehabilitated his career at Portsmouth and after establishing himself as an England regular was unveiled as a £17m signing by Liverpool last week. He said he would like nothing better than to be drawn against Mourinho’s Internazionale in the Champions League “to show him what he missed”, adding: “There were a lot of things he told me that weren’t true.”
Johnson recalled an episode during Mourinho’s first season at Stamford Bridge when, with Chelsea due to meet Barcelona in the Champions League, the manager reinstated him in the first XI. Bought by Mourinho’s predecessor, Claudio Ranieri, Johnson had lost his place to a Mourinho signing, Paulo Ferreira. “We had a couple of games to play before the Barcelona match. Mourinho picked me for a game and told me in front of five witnesses that if I played well, I would keep the shirt,” Johnson said.
“I immediately told my agent that it didn’t matter how well I played, I would be dropped because Mourinho wouldn’t want me anywhere near the team for the Barcelona game. Sure enough I was voted man of the match — and I was dropped from the squad. You would have to ask Mourinho what his reasons were but I know it was because he didn’t want to see me play well and be forced to pick me for Barcelona. That was the day I knew I had to leave Chelsea. Managers have to stick to their word. You have to be able to trust them.”
Johnson claims to have “no bitterness” towards his former boss, saying: “I don’t see the point in bearing grudges,” but it is clear his treatment at Chelsea remains a source of motivation to him. After making just 18 Premier League starts in two seasons under Mourinho he was loaned to Portsmouth and moved permanently to Fratton Park in 2007. Since then, the 24-year-old’s career graph has taken a relentlessly upward trajectory. Fabio Capello brought him back into the England fold and made him first choice at right-back last season and Johnson rejected overtures from Manchester City — and one offering a return to Chelsea — before joining Liverpool.
“I left Chelsea because I had to play football. I got the feeling I was finished there when they signed Ferreira. Mourinho told me that wasn’t the case but there were a lot of things he told me that weren’t true. I remember speaking to my mates and telling them that while I was being paid to play football, playing football was the thing I was doing least in my life.
“Even when I got the odd chance in the first team, I knew even if I scored four goals I’d be out for the next game. That thing kills you as a professional footballer and I suppose I became a bit of a time bomb.
“It gives me a lift when I wonder what Mourinho thinks about what’s happened to me since I left Chelsea. He never spoke to me about why I wasn’t playing. He probably thought I would go to Portsmouth, fade away, disappear and not do anything in the game — and probably 70% of football fans thought the same. I think I’ve proved my point as far as Mourinho is concerned. People, even Jose Mourinho, make mistakes.”
Image via Gozovision





In 2006, I would have rathered had Ferreira than Johnson for a big time match. I would go with Jose over Johnson when it comes to the decisions of who to play and who not to play.
Ferreira is crap
His point isn’t about who was better between him and ferreira, it’s about mourinho keeping his word to his players.