http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/i-stay-behind-for-shooting-practice Jordan Henderson has revealed how part of his plan to earn regular starts under Brendan Rodgers involves staying behind after training sessions for finishing practice. After a maiden season with the Reds included 48 appearances in total, the 22-year-old has featured for Liverpool a further 37 times during the current campaign. The England U21 captain has struck the back of the net four times along the way, but he has acknowledged that finishing is an area of his game which requires improvement. "A lot of players do extra training. I tend to work on my finishing," Henderson explained to the official Liverpool FC magazine. "I think it's important as a midfielder to contribute goals. The goalkeepers stay behind with Mike Marsh along with a few of us. I think I need to improve in a lot of areas. "Scoring goals is one of them. It's such an important part of football. If a manager knows he can rely on a midfielder to score a few, it means he's likely to play a lot. "You have to find a consistency. Even when you are doing well you can't afford to get too carried away and have too much of a high. But when you're on a low you can't get too down. If you've got a balanced outlook, it helps. "You need to be on the same path and keep yourself down to the ground. Especially when you're at a big club like Liverpool, everything is scrutinised by people. "You've got to perform every week and if you don't do that, there's a chance you won't get picked or you'll be brought off quickly. The sooner you get your head around that, the better." Henderson has been busy working on the mental side of his game as well as the physical too, reflecting that he cannot take defeats in the same manner that his younger self did. "What drags you over the line is the mental strength. If you get beaten in a game, nobody is more disappointed than us as players. It hurts," he added. "We never expect to lose because at Liverpool you have to win every game. But when a defeat comes out of the blue and you play badly, you feel like you've let everyone down. "Then again, when you play well and don't win that's just as hard. It can be even more deflating. "Unfortunately there are times in football when things don't go the way you want them to. When I was very young I'd take losing terribly, or even if I didn't play well. I was on an extreme high when we won and an extreme low when we lost. "But you have to get your head around it and learn to overcome problems. I think I've definitely improved that coming here."
as all of us who support him have been saying! I think there's no harm in being a bad loser, but i think emotionally being down or conversely too up after either wins or losses can affect you an your prepearation for the next one. I'm gald to hear marsh is enabling those who are dedicated to stick at it and improve.
To see my views on this subject, please refer to the recent 'Henersonho' thread for all my praise. ^^^^Or what Bluff said.
He talks about scoring being part of a midfielder's job and I like that, there was a point last year where none of our midfielders were scoring and we were relying solely on Suarez effectively. However, I still think he's perhaps better at scoring than he gives himself credit for. He plays in the same position as Allen and Lucas and they rarely, if ever, score. So if he can keep improving on his holding game then I can see him being a really good player for us. Thinking about it, does anyone else see a bit of (the old) Owen Hargreaves in him?
The lad is playing with a lot of confidence and you could see that by his cheeky finish against Aston Villa. He has a very solid foundation - good technically but combined with a real good worth ethic.
"If a manager knows he can rely on a midfielder to score a few, it means he's likely to play a lot." Love that line, shows how hungry he is to be in the team,and also shows hes thinking about the game,and that hes prepared to put the effort in to get where he wants.Doesnt have Gerrards ability at the same age, but IMO as much talent as Lampard had at the same age.Versatile player too,RM,LM,DM,AM,SS,RB He has one weakness, confidence, believing in himself, if hes able to turn that round with the help of the fans, could be a really,really big player for us and England.I think when he hits his peak in say 4/5 yrs could be the type of guy to get 15 League goals a season
Nobody, so far, has commented upon what Hendo also said: "A lot of players do extra training." It may be just a throw-away line but it does seem to indicate that BR is fostering the work ethic in the squad when it comes to skills.
I hope so, when they can see a way into the squad if they work hard then it gives them that incentive.
