---
title: "Johnson criticises Hodgson’s mentality at Liverpool – Is he right?"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/johnson-criticises-hodgsons-mentality-at-liverpool-is-he-right/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Abdullah Mulla"
section: "Articles"
published: "2019-10-14T07:00:07Z"
modified: "2019-10-14T07:00:07Z"
---

# Johnson criticises Hodgson’s mentality at Liverpool – Is he right?

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has given his brutally honest thoughts on Roy Hodgson’s tenure at Anfield.

The pair worked together for England and for Liverpool, with Hodgson suffering some of his worst managerial moments in both roles.

![Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/readliverpoolfc/2019/10/107900305.jpg)

Johnson believes Hodgson was not successful at Anfield because of his defensive mentality and his failure to play attacking and intense football.

As quoted on the [Express](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1190163/Liverpool-Roy-Hodgson-Glen-Johnson-Premier-League-news), Johnson said:

> Well, Roy, no disrespect, had come from smaller clubs and I don’t think he was ready to manage Liverpool.

> We had players like Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano, players like that and we’d be worried about playing a smaller team at Anfield.

> No disrespect to the smaller teams but you have to grab the bull by the horns and just go and put them to bed. And he just didn’t have that sort of mentality, it was all a bit straight line and defensive.

Is Johnson right?

### READ LIVERPOOL VERDICT

Johnson makes a fair point. During Hodgson’s reign, the Reds struggled to blow away the smaller teams at Anfield and that comes down to the manager’s tactics.

His six-month reign was littered with poor results and poor performances, putting the Reds in an unfamiliar relegation battle before getting sacked.

Hodgson is thriving at Crystal Palace though, who are flying high this season in the Premier League.