With the Independent, the Guardian and Sky Sports all reporting that Liverpool have either bid or are preparing a bid for Sunderland’s Jordan Henderson, I think it’s safe to say that there is a big possibility that the Reds are interested in the youngster. If it is truly the case, the question as to why we are interested comes to the fore.
The 20 year old can play either in central midfield or as a right winger, and the Reds are said to be competing with Manchester United for the player with Sunderland trying to hold out for an astronomical £20million.
Before we even get to the price, the first question I have is whether we actually need Henderson. Depending on how we play with Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez next season, surely the priority has to be wingers, and ones with pace at that. Henderson can play on the wing, but he isn’t blessed with a great deal of speed, and he will never be a player who will beat opposition defenders to get crosses in. In some respects he would be very similar to the wingers we already have on the books such as Maxi Rodriguez and Dirk Kuyt, who generally cut in field. Do you we really need another player like this?
If he isn’t intended to be played on the wing, rather he is to be bought for his central midfield qualities, then there are just as many questions as to why we are interested. A hard worker with bundles of energy and the ability to pick out a pass, Henderson does have a very good career ahead of him, but I really feel he lacks the flair of a player we truly need in that central midfield position. With Lucas alongside him, the pair would give the Reds a solid base, but I feel there would be a lack of creativity in central areas.
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I don’t go with this line of thinking, that many fans have, that we need two wingers this summer. This would be my transfer strategy:
Sell: (prioritize lowering wage bill)
Jova (must go, earning £120,000 a week, outrageous), El Zahr, Jones, Intadje, Poulsen, Cole, Insua, Degen and Kyrigiakos.
Loan out for EPL exp:
Ecclestone, Irwin, Ngog, Amoo and Ince
Buy:
Aguero, Baines, Westwood.
Aguero may seem unlikely but he is a liverpool fan and an admirer of Daglish, we would cost £35m+ Atletico would listen to offers and the player wants to leave. Baines is proven EPL quality (Better than Enrique by miles) and is also a Liverpool fan. The only stumbling block is that he plays for Everton, but the toffees are always in need of cash and I reckon £15m+ may prise him away. I also believe Westwood is an up and coming goalkeeper and a huge talent; he is also available on a free and would be a clever piece of business.
I would also bring back from loan Aqua and Ayala and play 4-3-3, with a front 3 of: Aguero-Carroll-Suarez. With Aguero and Suarez both playing in the hole, so to speak, and swapping wings and having free rein of the pitch, with the full backs providing conventional width down the flanks. Kelly could then be moved to CB and RB as cover, with Ayala and Wilson also challenging; we definately do not need another CB. This would give us a starting XI if of top 4 quality and with youth allowed to come through would put us at the fore front of English football and promise success in the future.
Good post Ozzy
Aguero is a top shout and I remember him being a Liverpool supporter when we wanted to sign him about 5 years ago. Bloody board wouldn’t sanction the deal as they thought 6 million was a lot of money for an unproven player. H&G, what a bunch of twits.
Phil I agree with most of what you said.
However “See our 3-0 win against against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge early this season for what he’s capable of when he’s played in his correct position.” was a major faux pas.
On that day Richardson was occupying the wide right berth, not Henderson!
Aguero is not a top shout. He wants to stay in Spain (check out ESPN soccernet amongst other sources) whilst Hazard will only leave double winners Lille for a side competing in the Champions League. I want them to come to Liverpool but we need to be realistic, think maturely and write in kind.
Aguero – “The English league is good, but I’d prefer to stay in Spain,” Aguero told Argentinian broadcaster TyC sports.
Hazard – “I have never played in the Champions League and I don’t know if I will be playing in it with Lille or another great club.
We know Downing has spoken openly about considering his future while Juan Mata’s father, who is also his agent, has spoken of interest from “many” clubs from England and elsewhere. Marveuax was a guest at Anfield and was in Comolli’s company.
We should all try to see what’s in front of us but as we’ve seen the Henderson bid, we operate silently. Despite Enrique being linked, I would love to see Leighton Baines at the club. Very doubtful considering our rivalry but Enrique would be a decent second choice.
Oh and by the way, according to Opta Joe:
“82 – Only four players created more goalscoring chances in the 2010/11 PL season than Sunderland’s Jordan Henderson (82)). Target.”
Isn’t that what our number 9 needs? Comolli and FSG have spoken at length at the use of data where possible to identify young talent who will fit in with the culture of our great club. No Sunderland fan will tell you he’s a rotten egg…
Liverpool should seriously forget about signing Henderson if Sunderland are going to demand 20m for this guy. He has done nothing to show that he is worth even close to 20m. No doubt he has a great career ahead of him but he is simply not worth the money. Henderson is not the sort of player who can run down the wings to beat defenders and get balls in the box. He is technically a decent player but he lacks the pace and guile if he is to be deployed as an out and out winger. As for central midfield, I don’t see how Kenny will fit him in with Lucas, Gerrard, Meireles and possibly Aquilani in the middle. An out and out winger is the current priority so Kenny and Comolli should be looking elsewhere. They should stop being so short-sighted and narrow minded in looking at overpriced and overrated young English players when there are plenty of young talented guys out there who are available for less.
You say Henderson doesn’t have pace to go past a player. If Sunderland hang onto him and he is allowed to play every week (missed 1 game last season) we will be talking silly money. Some people may laugh, including Sunderland supporters, but if played on the right we could be talking about him filling the Beckham roll for England. Have a look at his pass for Gyans goal at Wigan and you will see what I mean.
im a sunderland fan and would be gutted if we sold him, more so for less than 15 mil, but this article is wrong, he started on the wing for us and can easily beat a man and puts in a great ball, if carroll is worth 30 mil then henderson is worth 20 minimum.
I think you’re missing the big picture here. Henderson is English and with the new rules coming in, clubs need English players. Also to say shelvy or spearing is better than Henderson is a joke. He’s far from the finished article but he has more about him than most young players around. Only outshone by wilshere. He doesn’t tackle well and is not the best in the air, but he runs, harrases, always wants the ball, a good passer, passes 1st time and he’s got goals in him. For a boy of 20 he’d be worth every penny. If Mandy Carroll is worth 35m Henderson is worth at least 20m believe me. Liverpool are doing it the right way. Building a young talented team that will only get better and better.
Liverpool have no problems in adjusting to the new rules. The new rules aim to promote homegrown players, they don’t necessarily have to be English, meaning the likes of Pacheco fit the criteria. In a couple of years time Shelvey will be just as good as Henderson if he’s given more game time so there’s no need to spend 20m on this guy. Henderson is good and will only get better but at the moment he’s clearly overpriced, overrated and over hyped by the media.
You say Henderson is outshone by Wilshere, I remember watching an U-21 game that Henderson & Wilshere were on the field together & in my opinion Henderson outshone Wilshere that day.
There have been a lot of comments so far asking what Jordan Henderson has done in the last 2 yrs to warrant a 20m price tag ?
If you use this logic, then what did Andy Carrol do to achieve a 30m tag?
1 season in the championship and 1/2 a season in the premier league? and carrying an injury?
The target for next season is to get into the top 4. Not win the league. Therefore only a few quality signings are needed for the LB and LW position. Any other position can be strengthened using younger players that will have a season to become even better (P. Jones, McCartyh, Henderson, etc etc)
Maybe its a smokescreen and Liverpool are really negotiating for Asamoah Gyan who would be a wonderful signing for us. Can play on either wing or up front, is blessed with speed and an eye for goal!
If we are going to spend £13m on Henderson and £10m supposedly on Cattermole, why not offer Sunderland £23m for Gyan.. Makes more sense to me.
Exactly Mike, it’s great to see some sense here. First team needs established players at left back and left wing. They’d claim a first team spot immediately because of the gaps in our first eleven. I mean Reina, Johnson, Agger/Skrtel, Carra, new LB, Lucas, Gerrard, new LW, Kuyt, Suarez, Carroll is a top 4 starting eleven. These players have proved that they can acquire top 4 level results since January.
I haven’t even added Maxi, Meireles, Spearing, Kelly plus other impressive youngsters who’ll get some game time. Then there’s Aurelio (who we know is a quality player despite injuries) who could play a role in squad and Aquilani if King Kenny decides to keep him (unlikely).
Why would we try to disrupt a functioning first eleven too much? Surely it would be better to add younger players to the squad to develop in the future and contribute this season considering Carra is 33, Gerrard is 31, Kuyt is 31 in July, Maxi is 30 and Meireles will be 29 next March.
We can add to improve our eleven to have an excellent chance to be in top 4. We can’t add 4, 5 or 6 players into a starting 11 at once. Football doesn’t work like that. Once we get back into the top 4 (hopefully) then we can add some of these players we’re raving about who have remained at their clubs because we can offer Champions League football.
Team building doesn’t work that way and we will do things the right way at Liverpool Football Club with FSG, Ian Ayre, Damien Comolli, Steve Clarke and King Kenny in place.
I don’t agree with the pacy wingers on both wings. We need just one on the left, and left because we have already extend kuyt. So the right wing is gonna be played by either kuyt or new winger in mould of kuyt, but with better first touch and has the same defense quality. We need to have a squad good squad depth, therefore, people who are versatile. I would happy if we could sign this kid;however, only kids is spelling trouble. Arsenal is a primary example. We also need good leaders, like Jamie. Cant wait for the next season
If Henderson is meant to challenge Jonjo Shelvey and others to become the long-term successor to Steven Gerrard, then in my view this transfer makes total sense. Lucas is a fantastic player in his own right and no doubt will be a mainstay in Liverpool’s midfield for years to come; he is however a very different player to Stevie G and no replacement for him.