Glen Johnson: Liverpool Are A Team Now

Glen Johnson believes Liverpool have the strength in depth to be competitive on all fronts this season.

The Reds full-back has been impressed by new manager Roy Hodgson's dealings in the transfer market in his time at Anfield so far and thinks the squad is looking strong.
"It's been great to see the new signings joining," he exclusively told LFC Weekly. "Everyone knows what Coley can do and he is another great player for the squad. Then with established internationals like Christian Poulsen coming in and the other lads, the squad is getting bigger and stronger now.
"That was a criticism that some people levelled at us last season, saying we didn't have that strength in depth but we do now.
"Obviously the news that Stevie and Fernando were staying gave everyone another lift. The last thing any player wants to see is the best players leave. The fans don't want to see that and the manager doesn't want that either.
"It's good for everyone that all the boys have stayed around and I think we're almost there in terms of having the ideal squad."

Mascherano Rubbed Salt Into Liverpool Fans Wounds

LIVERPOOL’S rain-soaked supporters who made the trip to Eastlands were let down big time last night.
Not by those weary players in red who trudged off at the final whistle having been comprehensively out-thought, out-battled and out-played by an impressive Manchester City side.
But by one man still on the Anfield payroll who decided to duck out of a vital clash with the club likely to provide the greatest threat to the Reds’ hopes of reclaiming their top four status.
Javier Mascherano has made no secret of the fact he wants out and Liverpool’s position has been crystal clear from the moment he met Roy Hodgson for the first time with his agent in tow at Melwood last month and demanded a move.

The Reds don’t want to sell but will reluctantly grant Mascherano his wish if the price is right.
In the absence of any bids, Hodgson has been pressing on with Mascherano as part of his plans.
For his part the Argentina captain’s professionalism had been admirable with his heroic performance against Arsenal on the opening weekend a reminder of how much he would be missed if a deal is done.
But all that changed yesterday. After a derisory offer in the region of £12million from Barcelona, which Liverpool swiftly rejected out of hand, Mascherano made himself unavailable for selection.
Hodgson diplomatically said he was left out because “he wasn’t in the right frame of mind”.
But after having his head turned by the Catalan giants, Mascherano effectively downed tools.
With the transfer deadline looming, the 26-year-old is clearly trying to force the Reds’ hand.
But in doing so he let down all those supporters who he has always claimed he’s so proud to play for.

Mascherano owed it to those who finance his hefty salary with their hard-earned cash to keep fighting for the cause until Liverpool informed him a deal was agreed.
A bit of payback from a player who was stuck in West Ham Reserves and his career going nowhere fast before the Reds snapped him up.
His insistence that his only desire to move on was because of his family’s failure to settle on Merseyside earned some sympathy on the Kop.
That went out of the window yesterday when he turned his back on his team-mates and the fans.
To rub salt into Liverpool’s wounds, Mascherano was sorely missed on a dismal evening.
When Hodgson admitted afterwards that Roberto Mancini’s side “took control of the game”, it was an admission that the Reds lost the battle in the middle of the park.
Lucas Leiva has made great progress over the past 12 months but he was left chasing shadows last night against City’s central midfield trio of Yaya Toure, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry.
Liverpool needed a physical presence to stamp their authority on proceedings but they didn’t have one.
In truth there was a gulf in class between the two sides.

Hardly surprising considering Liverpool’s side cost less to assemble than the £90million of talent sat warming Manchester City’s bench, including £70million worth of strikers in Emmanuel Adebayor, David Silva and Jo.
Money might not be able to buy success but it certainly helps and Sheikh Mansour was on hand to witness what a £1billion investment gets you these days.
Liverpool’s worst league defeat at the hands of City for 73 years hurt, but Mascherano’s decision to turn his back on the club cut deeper.

Hodgson Still Upbeat Despite Defeat

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson refused to be too downbeat after his side's 3-0 loss at Manchester City on Monday evening.

The Citizens cashed in on their home patch as a Gareth Barry strike and a Carlos Tevez brace eased the hosts to a comfortable victory.

But Hodgson felt the scoreline flattered their opponents and he believes they just needed the rub of the green in front of goal.

"It's a bit premature to start discussing how big the match is. Hopefully in the next 36 games we can take some points," the former Fulham boss commented.

"We were a bit unlucky to get beaten so heavily. I don't think we deserved to get beat by three goals to nil.

"Pepe Reina wasn't called into action that often and I thought we had one or two good spells in the game.

"They scored the goals at the right time. The second goal from the corner kick in the second half made it an uphill task for us.

"We stuck at it and we were a bit unlucky not to get one back when (Joe) Hart made an incredible double save. We lacked a cutting edge and the organisation I would have liked."

Hodgson: Barcelona Must Pay More For Mascherano

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has told Barcelona to either make a proper bid for midfielder Javier Mascherano or forget about signing him altogether.
The Catalans have reportedly made a £12million offer for the Argentina captain which may also include Alexander Hleb as a makeweight. However, that falls way short of Liverpool's estimation of what the player, signed from West Ham for £18million three-and-a-half years ago, is worth.
Hodgson dropped the 26-year-old for Monday night's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, but the 62-year-old insists Mascherano will not be allowed to leave for anything other than his full market value, which the Anfield club believe is nearer £24million. He said: "Unfortunately the fee the club thinks is the correct fee and the fee we are being offered are very far apart."
He added: "Unless that can be resolved he might be unhappy for a long time to come.

"But I have no wish to create headlines over the Mascherano situation.
"The discussions between Barcelona and the club are being held at high club level and as a result I don't really want to get involved in it.
"It is not the first time these things have happened and there are quite a lot of clubs suffering at the moment by their players being courted by others and their players being unhappy at being required to fulfil their contracts.
"It has happened to us now. Hopefully matters will get resolved, certainly before the end of the transfer window and I'll have a chance to pick him again, but last night would not have been a good time to select him.
"It will happen, I guess, a day when the offer for him matches our valuation, but until that day he stays with us."