At £16 million it's fair to say that a few heads were turned when Jordan Henderson arrived at Anfield. A young English midfielder who had played for his country at U-21 level, but who was by all accounts, still unproven at the highest level. He was thrown into the starting lineup of a team constantly surrounded by controversy and media scrutiny. At the tender age of 21, Henderson played 46 games for Liverpool, the majority of which came in his unfavoured position of right midfield. In my opinion Henderson did a good job in his first season for such a young player, however I won't disagree with the popular opinion that he found life tough here. Some youth players shine through due to their fearless attitudes caused by a certain level of naivety. However Henderson appeared withdrawn so to speak, he appeared to shy away from matches, always choosing the safe pass and looking uncomfortable on the ball at times. I believe one thing that we must absolutely credit Brendan Rodgers on is his man-management skills. Henderson has played a fraction of the games he played last season, but he has played to a significantly higher standard of performance whenever he has featured. In his first season with us I was a little confused as to what sort of midfielder he was, a battler, an attacker, a playmaker? But his personality has absolutely shone through this season. He is a player who will guarantee you a great combination of energy, determination, grit and class all at the same time. His bursts of energy on the ball are reminiscent of early Gerrard, and yet his composure on the ball is comparable to a more continental style of player. In no way am I saying he will ever be the player Gerrard has been for us, but what I am saying is he can offer us similar credentials in the very near future. I think Henderson will have an important part to play with Liverpool and England in a few years time, and I really can't wait to see how he matures to cope with responsibility of becoming an important component of our team.
I always felt that it was best not to place too much judgement on his last season, partly because he was a signing for the future and mainly because he was being played out of position. I still see him as merely a "horses for courses" player though, best suited for matches where his work rate and energy make him more useful than a more creative yet less physically adept player like Sahin. and also I still can't, in the back of my mind, forget the rumour that he was a bargaining chip for the Dempsey deal
Havent made up my mind. More often than not he does nothing. Not always though which points towards the chance he might improve/be more consistant.
henderson in sunderland was like toress in liverpool henderson in liverpool was like toress in chelsea
Struggled with the pressue of being associated with a high price tag, but is now hitting the sort of form expected of him? If that's what you meant then I fully agree. I don't think that's what you meant though.
