Lets talk football: A controverisal view of henderson.

No I'm not going to call him crap. People on here should no by now i've supported the kid.

Instead i want to offer a comparison between this kid and another player who used to play for us. Namely the great xabi alonso.

I can already hear the angry keyboard slappers ging for it without even reading on......

Lets call out what Xabi brought to our team first. (this bullet list is for RHC and sky)

• Hard work, he was always top of opta stats with 12-14km ran in a game
• Xabi was very unselfish and worked for the team (was the one covering others runs)
• Xabi brought technical ability to the game
• Xabi got on with the game, was tough but fair and wasn't bullied by anyone
• Xabi played a continental style that only scholes in this country ever matched in the past 10 years

So this is a world class player I'm talking about and surely a kid can't stand up at all in comparision... Well there's a lot of things that he needs to develop in his game and a lot of bad habits some of his team mates could pass onto him (adam and gerrard in particular) but I think if the kid learns off lucas how to do the right things at the right time and just maybe some good things off gerrard about positivity too he could go far.

Why?

• Again Hard work; the boy never stops moving and running and working hard
• Henderson is also unselfish and i think some guys misinterpret him covering others with him doing nothing.
• The kid has got the technical ability, his u21 exploits and also the touches he shows for us indicate that.
• Henderson seems to be made of the sterner stuff, he doesn't seem to get riled and can take and give out a tackle or two.

I think he needs to work on his passing, square balls have gotten lads like parker so far but i think he just needs to add a little positivity there, not show boat 40 yarders like some (that sometimes do create a lot btw) but just having the first thought to be going forward. I think he also needs to not pick up Adam and gerrard's very bad habit of turning their back on play just to get ten yards up the pitch while the cbs or full backs have it. He needs to develop the menatlity to drop back in like scholes has and demand that bal lto start the plays. I'm not talking about stifling agger here, but if you drop in you can be in position to cover agger going forward at times too.

I have to say the knockers amaze me seeing how good lucas became with time. This kid is still u21 for england, developing nicely, a hard working, honest and clearly talented player who, through no fault of his, has had to play nearly every game when maybe sometimes he could do with a break.

I think personally I can see us in the champions league again with a central midfield of lucas and henderson.

 

I have high hopes for Henderson. I think he has a really good foundation on which to build on - good engine and good technically.

He's not as technical as Alonso (which is a very high level to reach for anyone!) but his passing is quick, crisp and sharp. He has an eye for a pass and has good vision.

He has plenty of time to develop and I'm glad he's on our books.

 

Good article MITO.

I agree he has huge potential - can't personally see him ever reaching the heights of Alonso though (very few do). But I agree learning the basics from Lucas would help him so much (although, his basic one touch and movement isn't far off the mark to be fair). I also think Gerrard will teach him so much - I'm personally not too sure why you seem so critical of Gerrards movement at times. He'll do whatever the manager says, if given a free-role he'll do it, if told to play RW he'll do it.

LOVING THE BULLET POINTS

 

Don't forget the number of less than stellar seasons Xabi had with us.

His last season for us was his best, by a long shot, the couple of seasons prior to that he was at best, anonymous.

 

I think that when we signed Henderson everyone thought "WTF?!" but the publicity was then quickly taken away due to the signings on Downing and Young for utd (this then lead the media away from Henderson and towards Downing/Young Comparisons). This has let Henderson work with very little pressure (even less with the spotlight being on Andy Carroll & Luis Suarez) which in turn has let him develop. Henderson's fee is currently looking very astute and if he continues to develop then in 2 years we could be talking about him as one of Commolli's greatest signings but he has to let his potential develop and he has to train right. Henderson is at a career crossroads at the moment and he can either take the route of Steven Gerrard or the route of Harry Kewell.

Luckily it's looking as though he wants to take the route of Gerrard

 

lampard broke alonso's ankle one year and the second he had a knee injury... those two years were injuries.. its like saying gerrard had bad years when in fact he's not played.

for me ok guys sometimes gerrards been in a free role totally... that is not the critism i have... my thing is when you are a CM you have duties, i have regulalry seen say adam and gerrard just turn their back on the cb and run 20 yards up field. I am a firm beleiver in guys coming short, even if it only draws a playe rwith them... schole had no huge technical amazement to him but he could strike a ball, pass it any distance and demand that ball every time form the cbs... when guys stop coming short carragher used to just thump it up field.

example.. last night we did pretty well but on a few occasions adam just too koff upfield, not on a run but just down the middle with his back to play and the ball ended up with skertl or reina thumping it down to carroll.

Hell if you just come short there you draw a midfielder out of position and make some room.

I detect this in some things spearing did as well and i don't like it.

just my opinion but i can see a team with

reina
johnson skertl agger enrique
lucas henderson
suarez gerrard downing
carroll

that'd be interesting to me... I'd like to see bette rthan that obviously but there's somethingto that midfield area that i see developing. Everyone bar gerrard has at least 3 years to their prime as well.

Henderson will be seen eventually as the best deal we did last summer....

 

I am going to have to agree with you. Being one of very few Liverpool fans in Kenya, I was always in arguments with fans of other clubs concerning Lucas. Henderson will not be like Alonso but has attributes in his game that as you have pointed out are the same but not all.

Henderson being at a big club and knowing the backlash of poor performances is playing within himself by avoiding to lose the ball, he plays simple passes by playing it safe. There are instances he has pulled out some brilliant one time passes and you say that's more like it. Look at our home game versus Bolton,and the 3 nil spanking we were given by citeh (that pass to Downing was sublime).

Another thing I have noticed is Hendo always manages to beat defenders on the wing. Enough times I have seen him play beat the defender and put in a good cross.

With time he will become more confident and and you will see the real Henderson. What I think he needs lots of working on is his takling all he needs to do is watch how Lucas hounds players and manages to nick the ball.

 

confidence is a big part of things.. you could see last night when goal two went in the whole team relaxed and played better and better.

 

I was never a Lucas basher, unlike many. I have heard many people, even at the game, having a go at Henderson. In my opinion, he's getting better with every game and will continue to do so. Those signings (including Carroll ) are starting to look better and better. Long may it continue.

I was fearing something of an anti-climax last night. Instead, we got a great result in the sort of game we so often slip up in. I know we've done our fair share of 'corner-turning' over the last few years, but just maybe................................

 

You dirty old man

 

I do think wolves tried hard (first half) and just can't catch a break so i'mm happy said break was not against us.. they were decent. If they work hard for 90mins and cut out errors they might survive.

carroll for the first time looked not like a 35mil player but the player newcastle had that got picked for england. If he continues like that i think he'll go do well espeically with suarez... I'd hope we can get both on v spurs and not drop carroll

 

I like Henderson too- I think he's more than showed his potential, given his young age. However I think the Alonso comparisons are off, not because of ability, but more because of style. Henderson seems to like going forward more, making runs and drives, occasionally beating players etc. Yes he plays back as well- he works hard- but you rarely see him looking for the long ball (that Alonso could play well), more often he wants interplay with his other CMs and those around him. I think he's more like Gerrard, minus the long ball tendency.

 

People who knock him just come off as unintelligent. The lad has more to add to his game which is already very good. Some of his through or first time passes has been a breath of fresh air to watch, just needs that extra confidence and courage to do it more often.

 

I'd be gutted for Carroll if we drop him against Spurs, that imo would be completely incorrect.

Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Kuyt Gerrard Spearing Downing
Suarez Carroll

Thats what i'd like to see

EDIT: I know that team doesn't include Henderson and this is what the thread is all about but I think handling the kid properly is imperative and chucking him on against possibly the most attacking side in the PL would be a mistake.

 

I think Henderson has settled in well and has put in some good performances and he will only get better. Very pleased with his purchase.

 

Ditto

 

I'm glad to note not one detracter commented so all in all i think the kids proved good.

The thing is i don't beleive in "defensive midfield" or "attacking midfield" or even this "box to box" rubbish.

I think it is more about english football mentality than whats going on in the rest of the world.

first, if i hear about a guy being an attacking midfielder... i just automatically assume he's not got any disipline, or he can't tackle or bollocks he loves himself.

If i hear about defensive midfielders i just think... can the guy not pick a pass?

I beleive that certain players are perfect examples of a holistic midfielder.... Scholes couldn't tackle worth a damn cos he was a failed forward but god he knew where to position himself. Him and keane made the perfect partnership and roy keane while hard didn't hang round as a DM. again Souness is another example of the perfect guy. Xavi at barca is another prime example. What about parker at spurs, he's running the show no matter that people say about modric.

I think Lucas is a lot more than a guy who defends...... I think henderson is a lot more than a guy who'll hang round waiting for the ball to come to him.

To me bad examples are Lampard (who just these days leaves all the real midfield work to others with a view to getting in the box, and is one good reason why torres
doesn't score for ****)

Class central midfielders play their football in the area where the ball is at, not 10 yards in front of it. Thats what adam and gerrard want to do. and fabregas ended up doing at arsenal. If you want to play there you are a striker or second striker IMO.

Class players come short, demand the ball, make the plays, then get up in support... they only get ahead of the ball in the last thrid making runs to get in behind. They can tackle, are tough, have the engine to do it and have genuine vision.

Gerrard, fabregas and lampard are or were great players but they forgot how to be world class midfielders like schniejder knows or scholes. They score lots of goals but require two men behind them doing leg work.

If LFC had two class midfielders then they can play two strikers up top... as it stands we will play gerrard plus on striker... which can work of course.

 

Henderson is still young, and Kenny knows why he bought him, he is getting better all the time. Like when we bought Lucas Rafa Benitez kept
on reminding us that he was young.Now before you count ten good midfielders in the premiership you would mention Lucas name.
IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME HENDERSON IS GOING TO MAKE THE GRADE.!

 

• m
• i
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• o

 

Henderson still has a long way to go but then he's young, he's quite obviously got the desire to learn and work at his game and he is definately a team player with some very good attributes already. He has improved a lot already this year and as long as he continues in this vain I think he will be around for a long time He's certainly acquitted himself well so far and I think that's all most of us will ever ask for