Johnson blasts Mourinho

11 July 2009 22:32
New Liverpool signing Glen Johnson has suggested he could never trust former boss Jose Mourinho after completing his move to Anfield.[LNB] The England full-back recently left Portsmouth in a big-money switch to Merseyside as he returns to a top-four club after quitting Chelsea for Fratton Park, originally on loan, in 2006.[LNB]Johnson left Stamford Bridge during the reign of Mourinho, who is now in charge at Inter Milan, and he has accused his ex-boss of failing to keep his word.[LNB]The 24-year-old joined Chelsea from West Ham in 2003 as a signing of then Blues manager Claudio Ranieri and he claims he was never given a fair chance under the Italian's successor as new arrival Paulo Ferreira was preferred.[LNB]JettisonedJohnson points to an incident in the 2004/05 season, Mourinho's first, when he was offered an opportunity to impress before a UEFA Champions League match against Barcelona but was still jettisoned despite performing with aplomb.[LNB]"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," he told the Sunday Times. [LNB]"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. [LNB]"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. [LNB]"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.[LNB]Time bomb"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. [LNB]"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. [LNB]"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. [LNB]"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. [LNB]"He probably thought I would go to Portsmouth, fade away, disappear and not do anything in the game - and probably 70 per cent 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."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports