Hodgson expects better from Johnson

13 November 2010 07:30

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has expressed his disappointment at Glen Johnson's performances for the club this season and told the 26-year-old he is not playing like England's right-back.

Johnson's game-time in recent weeks has been limited - he has played just one of the Merseysiders' last seven matches due to injury - but he has failed to impress Hodgson when he has been on the pitch.

Quoted in several newspapers, Hodgson said: "He's the England right-back and, if he plays like that, one would expect him to come back in when he's fit. But then he'd have to play like the England right-back and up to now, to be quite frank, he's not performed - very often at least - to the level I'd expect of him."

He added: "You would have to ask him 'do you think you're playing at top form and are you playing like the best right-back in the country for your club?'

"If he says yes, obviously we will have to agree to differ and if he says no, then you'd have to ask the question 'why not?'"

Johnson, signed from Portsmouth for a reported £18million in summer 2009, has been ruled out of Saturday evening's Barclays Premier League game at Stoke with a groin problem.

Source: PA