Time to move on Liverpool stalwarts Agger and Johnson

Anyone attending Liverpool matches can attest to the mutual love-in between the fans and Daniel Agger.  He is a prodigiously talented individual, a ball playing centre-half who could probably do a decent job understudying Steven Gerrard in his holding role or even in the middle of the park.  Also, in era when footballing characters are from a long and distant past the tattooed one is one of the very few.

I can remember going to watch Australia v Denmark at Loftus Road in February 2007 (mainly because he was playing) and being gobsmacked watching him in the pre-match warm up chipping across field passes with sublime control, floated onto the feet of his team mates.    I like most fans recognise just how talented the Danish captain is, but there comes a time when reality strikes and his inability to provide the leadership and inspiration at the back to a team so badly in need especially last season, has reached its nadir.   

Disappointment isn't a strong enough adjective because Daniel Agger possessed the talent to have been one of the world's best defenders over the last decade.  Attacking wise he strikes the ball with ferocity and has a prodigious leap which makes him a danger at set pieces.

Is it the end for Agger?

Sometimes one wonders whether his seemingly lackadaisical nature lends itself to criticism, but time and again the ball ends up in the Liverpool net and he is either beaten by the opposing centre forward, failed to track the run or just out of position.  One sensed last season that Brendan Rodgers patience had run out with a player who fits the Rodgers playing dynamic to a tee and who he had made the club’s vice-captain in a bid to give give a leadership role.  Hence, Lovren…

It will be a shame to see him leave the club as he remains a personal favourite of mine, but at 29 one cannot see him adopting the relevant changes to take on the captaincy once Steven Gerrard finally hangs up his boots.  Conversely, it would be no surprise to see him go off to the continent and provide fantastic service to a club like Barcelona as he probably needs a new challenge playing in a team filled with world class players which may just give the stimulus to finally make the step up from world class talent to world class player.

Glen Johnson

There are times when Johnson looks the best full-back in the league.  Strangely, it tends to be when the England International plays left-back and one wonders whether in that position he focuses more intently, although unlike most footballers his ‘wrong foot, is not just for standing on as playing in his natural right-back position often cuts in to shoot with his left.

Watching Johnson he gives the impression that on the right side he’d benefit from Liverpool playing three centre-half’s adopting a wing-back role.   His defensive game, like Agger and Enrique, suffers not through a lack of ability, but through lowering concentration levels, awareness and an inability to use his physical prowess to its optimum.

Having right-back with his running ability, height (1.82 m) and built like a middle weight boxer should mean that allied to his centre-half’s the defence should gobble up aerial balls for fun.  But, Johnson, like Agger, is often brushed aside, found on the wrong side or caught up field ahead of the ball (which is criminal for a full-back).

With the possibility of leaving on a free next season, Rodgers has a decision to make. Does he keep the experienced ex-Portsmouth and Chelsea player for one more season knowing that Flanagan, Kelly and Javi Manquillo don't possess  the relevant experience needed at the top level or try to pick a transfer fee now?