Glen Johnson has been impressed by Steven Gerrard's impact at Aston Villa.
Speaking to bettingodds.com, Johnson commented on his former teammate's positive start at the club but also outlined a key issue within the squad that he has to work with.
He stated: "The 'new manager bounce' argument is just people trying to be negative, and trying to find the negative in absolutely everything.
"He's proved he can manage at Rangers. I know the sort of style he's playing. He's learnt a lot from Brendan [Rodgers], which had sort of trickled down from [José] Mourinho.
"I know the training's going to be fun. He's going to get all the lads onside, and I don't think it's a phase at all. I know he would have gone in there like a firework, got everyone's attention straightaway, and rightly so, and obviously as a player he'll have everybody's respect right from day one.
"For players that are underperforming, sometimes they need that. Let's face it, these players that he's managing are never going to be as good as he was!
“They've got to have respect for the manager, they've got to look up to him and I think they're doing that and that's what's getting the performances."
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