Fifa World Cup Qualifying Group Six - Ukraine v England Venue: Dnipro Arena Date: Saturday, 10 October Kick off: 1715 BST Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, live text commentary on BBC Sport website, video available at ukrainevengland.com (subscription required)
Johnson has been capped 18 times by England
By Nabil Hassan
England may have sailed through their World Cup qualification campaign, but that doesn't mean their players escape the harsh glare of public scrutiny.
Liverpool's Glen Johnson has established himself as Fabio Capello's first choice at right-back, but doubts over his defensive credentials have seen him singled out as a potential weak link in England's back-line.
And with Liverpool, for whom he signed for £17m from Portsmouth in the summer, making a decidedly mixed start to the season, Johnson has also come into the firing line at domestic level.
But one man who ought to know has leapt to the defence of a player described as "a rabbit in the headlights" in the 2-2 draw with Holland in August.
"He is the best right-back we have and I like the way he plays the game," England's World Cup-winning right-back George Cohen told BBC Sport.
Cohen is well placed to comment on Johnson's pedigree. Capped 37 times by his country, he won the World Cup in 1966 and was singled out by Manchester United legend George Best as the best full-back he ever faced.
And the former Fulham stalwart has indentified Capello as the perfect mentor for Johnson, with the England manager schooled in the Italian tradition of defensive discipline.
Improving players is a feature of his management. Capello recently revealed how he often sits down with his England stars and shows them DVDs highlighting their areas of weakness in order to improve.
"Any problems he does have, Mr Capello will put right and he will remain our right-back for a very long time," added Cohen.
Liverpool's defensive lapses so far this season, conceding 14 goals in eight Premier League games, have seen some stinging criticism launched in Johnson's direction, with his positional sense coming in for questioning.
Johnson has appeared more comfortable marauding forward for the Reds, with two goals and a string of assists to his name already but Cohen is not concerned by the defensive side of Johnson's game.
"Glen is a young guy, he still has things to learn but he has time to do that," said Cohen.
"They say that if you get to a certain age and you don't improve or learn then you have a problem but I don't see that being the case with Glen."
Under Capello's management, a rejuvenated England have wrapped up qualification with two games to spare to prompt a predictable explosion in expectation among supporters.
Cohen is bullish about England's chances of claiming their first major honour since that victory in 1966. But there is one important caveat.
Cohen (left) played 37 times for England and won the World Cup
"This team still has a bit of work to do," said Cohen, who was speaking at his induction into the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame.
"I just hope nothing happens to Wayne Rooney because he is a wonderful player and key to our hopes. He is the best player this country has produced for a very long time.
"It is possible they can win the World Cup, but they have to have the breaks and a bit of luck like any team does and like we did in 1966.
"I think at the moment we don't have the best players but that doesn't mean to say we don't have the best team. I think Capello will put out the best team, even if that means leaving people out, rather than a collection of the best players.
"It's very difficult to get than mix right and of course Alf Ramsey had the same problems himself but he understood it was a team game and we all know how it turned out."
Cohen still beams with pride when talking about 1966. More than 40 years have passed since Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy at Wembley, but it remains the greatest day in England's footballing history.
"1966 was absolute wonderful and something I will never forget," Cohen recalls.
"The country then was a lot like now, in the middle of a recession and times were hard for a lot of people.
"Alf Ramsey got a team together that had no cliques and he expected them to behave. He was no nonsense in that sense. He knew the hopes and fears of footballers because he was a wonderful player himself.
"He was about as honest as you can get as a manager and I think all the players that come under jurisdiction appreciated that."
Cohen does not believe "WAGS" should be present at the World Cup
Cohen appreciates that things are very different now to when he played the game, with the England players certain to earn more than the £1000 he received for lifting the World Cup.
Life for an international footballer has changed dramatically but Cohen still believes in the traditional values of going away on tour - and that means absolutely no "WAGS" (the infamous Wives and Girlfriends).
"From what I've heard, Mr Capello is getting it right," said Cohen.
"There should be no distractions and they should be concentrating on playing football at the World Cup.
"It is only for a few weeks and, like Capello says, they are there to play football and not there on holiday."
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