Sorry but I just don't agree with that at all. Henderson doesn't ONLY benefit Lucas and Gerrard he benefits the front 3 too and has shown he's very adept when he gets in and around the box at putting it in the net too. He is an attacking option for us as well as being a great foil for the two midfielders. Lucas was excellent yet again on Sunday and as is so often the case on this board his and Gerrards contribution went almost unmentioned (until someone mentioned it). I don't agree with very much in the op but when sweeping statements like "but it is sadly apparent that the Brazilian simply doesn’t possess the qualities that this role demands" and "The defensive-midfield role is fundamental to a team’s success" are made I have to say....bollocks. I atually can't find more than 4 lines of that whole thing I agree with.
If we had a Mascherano in the side, I'd still play Henderson because he is a true team player and something that all successful teams need IMO.
Nice one, Billy. I agree with this. Often players who go about their job quietly and efficiently get overlooked in favour of the spectacular. All the time Gerrard was getting stick you could see, if you watched him properly, how he was going about his game. Reading the game, anticipating, making himself available to team-mates so they always had an easy option. It wasn't the cavalier performances people expected of him, but it was a more mature, intelligent approach- not trying to do the things he was no longer physically capable of.
i'd just say that i am a lot more pleased with gerrard now than last year cos frnakly he was not doing what he is going and doing now. he was not tracking and he was up the pitch. he is now in a great position and doing really well. and i totally agree that henderson is going a big team role for all 3 lines.
Totally agree. Especially the way Rodgers wants us to play it's essential to have midfielders who'll link defence to midfield and midfield to attack. Henderson can do both. With him around the whole thing links up better because you're much less likely to have big gaps between midfield and strikers. Lucas does this too but more between defence and mid. Gerrard can do both = good balance in the middle.
I think Gerrard took a little time to come to terms with the fact that he couldn't keep up his earlier performances, and adjust accordingly. For a while he didn't seem to know quite what his best role was, but it's a mark of how good a player he is that he could find himself again. Hendo has established himself for me. I doubted initially whether he would make it, and the price tag was weighing heavily on him it seems. Still don't see him as a world-beater, but teams need that type of player who gets through an enormous amount of work.
Firstly Mito I'd like to say I agree about the whole DM/CM/AM definitions. It's a load of cack when you try pigeon holing every midfielder in the world into one of three categories. However with regards to Gerrard last year I'd add this...yet again he was being asked to adapt to a new way of playing as were those around him. I said last season he's ALWAYS adjusted when given different responsibilities but after 8 games he was being lambasted. Yes he looked lost and off the pace but there were reasons. Most of all it was because he didn't know which positions to move into to best plug the gaping holes in the team. Now those holes have been plugged somewhat, he's looking full of confidence again. As is Lucas.
I look to our central midfield to fight, scrap and control the game. We've seen against Villa and Man Utd that we can easily go into our shell and become overrun, and we saw this on a number of occasions last year (could be forgiven as we were adapting). The game against Spurs at Anfield really sticks in my mind because they absolutely dominated us until they imploded.
I agree with you both (#cliqueforming). Lucas is a great player and Henderson is in the process of becoming indispensable
