Glen Johnson claims that his former boss in Liverpool, Rafael Benitez, was ‘the worst manager’ he’d ever worked in his life, but he also explained how it was quite nice. And the reason behind these two contradictory claims appears to be the same!
Johnson had the good fortune to play throughout his 16-year career with some of the greatest coaches in the English football. So, there was something talkSPORT host Jim White was keen to find out on Thursday’s White and Sawyer show. With such a retinue of bosses, which were his favourite and his least preferred bosses?
The former right-back told talkSPORT: “Harry Redknapp was probably the greatest boss I’ve worked for. He’s just out to be your mate, that’s what I mean by suggesting that he’s potentially the worst boss but he’s doing it cleverly.”
He then calls Benitez the worst and compares the two: “The worst? Hmm … I’d probably say Benitez, but at the same time it’s a rough one, since he was both good and the worst.
“Although Harry will be your friend and therefore get the best out of you, Benitez will get the best out of you by not being a friend to you.
“This is the reason I loved him, too. He used to go to work, he learned how to communicate with certain people but with an arm around you, he didn’t do so in a friendly way
“He’d bring the best out of you knowing what to say, and when to say it, rather than having a laugh with you. Benitez isn’t a bad [boss], I liked Benitez and he only does things in a particular way.”
