With Liverpool progressing very well in regards to transfers in the last week or so, with the signing of Charlie Adam and the imminent arrival of Stewart Downing at the club, my thoughts have gone back to our first signing of the summer, Jordan Henderson. It maybe an odd thing to say, but I don’t expect Jordan to be a nailed on starter for the Reds next season, even though he cost in the region of £16million.
Especially with the arrival of Downing and Adam at the club, the options that Kenny Dalglish now has in midfield seem to be endless. If we take the 3 likely formations to be utilised next season, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2 and 3-5-2, it is hard to work out how Henderson will fit in currently to the starting eleven.
In a 4-2-3-1 formation, the most likely variation will see Gerrard playing in his favoured attacking midfield role with Lucas in the right sided defensive midfield role and Charlie Adam in the left of centre role. With Carroll playing as a lone striker, Suarez and Stewart Downing would be favoured in either of the two wing positions, with Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez possibly other options. Henderson has real competition to stake his claim to either place, in central midfield where Adam, Gerrard and perhaps Meireles or Aquilani will give Kenny Dalglish a selection headache, or on the right wing, with Downing, Kuyt, Suarez and Maxi.
In a 4-4-2 formation, Henderson does have a greater chance of playing but not necessarily in central midfield. Although it is uncertain who out of Aquilani, Meireles and Joe Cole will be staying, even with one of them continuing in the Reds shirt, it means Henderson will have to compete with 5 other players (Lucas, Spearing, Gerrard, Adam, Meireles?) for just two spots. On the right wing however, where he has played for Sunderland too, he will most probably only have Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez to worry about, which is still some pretty tough competition.
In a 3-5-2 formation, he would have a better chance of playing in a central midfield role but I think most would have Gerrard, Lucas and Adam perhaps ahead of him in the pecking order currently. Henderson could not play as a wing back in this formation so again he is left with a big challenge for a regular first team place.
Certainly this is not something to complain about. Who would have thought the Reds would be able to keep a £16million player on the bench this time last year? Squad depth and an exciting 21 year old with a massive future ahead of him, waiting in the wings, along with all the other youngsters at the club, make it a very exciting time to be a Liverpool fan indeed.
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At last, Liverpool have a bench with good players, thats the most important…
I would wager that Henderson has been snapped up this summer with the plan of developing him into Stevie G’s successor.
He’ll get game time for sure, but I imagine it will be a year or two before he’s nailed-on for a spot in the starting XI.
Exciting times ahead!
Totally agree.
good days
You have forgotten completely about Aquilani and Meireles.. I’m sure the latter will be ahead of Adam but then there is no way of knowing who will play. It is down to performance in training etc… Good days 🙂
I’m not sure Meireles will be ahead of Adam, King Kenny was chasing Adam for ages, so he is probably going to make him a nailed on starter in centre mid.
How the hell can Adam be behind Merieles? No chance in my view. Raul’s season would have been pants if not for 6 goals in 6 games… his short passing is lame, his long passing is weak, his tackling is non-existent, he doesn’t press hard enough, pulls out of 50-50s… but he does shoot on sight ALL of the time. In a slower league (like Seria A) he would be awesome. In the hurly burly of the Premier League he’s just average.
He would not have been able to do the things at Blackpool that Adam did naturally. He’s not a great player like some people would like to believe and I DO think we paid over the odds for him TBH.
If Adam was worth only £7-9m then how the hell was Merieles worth more… answers on a postcard please. (but saying that, we definitely paid over the odds for Carroll, Henderson and possibly even Downing a little bit but not too much)
He won’t start many games, and I think that was part of the plan since the add-on fees will raise the price if we play him more. Aquilani will start more games than Henderson and hopefully be a regular. Our best CM imo.
i’m expecting adam to prove his self and i know aquilani will opportunity than henderson next season sure don’t sell apuilani and raul let them prove themselve.
Henderson will play on the right side of midfield like Meireles did sometimes last season. But i don’t expect Henderson to be a regular starter at the begining unless he hits the ground running. I don’t see Carroll playing upfront every game either een tho we did pay a huge fee for him, Suarez n Kuyt have a better understanding from what we saw last season but the longer Carroll and Suarez play together the better they will get, maybe the new Nial Quinn n Kevin Philips or Shearer n Owen……YNWA
in a word – NO
true that circumstances change situations its being the lfc way 4 years,….and the irish national team rob being all time international scorer in a list of legends says something having little and large ….but premiership football has changed 2 strikers is less in midfield i can only see lfc playing a 4-3-3 like chelseas team wit robbin and duff drogba=carrol…..suarez=duff ……gerrard/merales= robbin…….great attacking team chelsea had we have better same tactics no defense would cope ……with adam,s, lucas, henderson/spearing(highly underrated) wing backs johnson and flano, id rather johnson than any the left fulls were associated with he played his best football at leftback and if all else fails robinson is clear quality central def is a major issue agger is quality but injury prone jamie is a stride behind 1 on 1 and skirtel had a nightmare even after hodgeson Scott Dann is liverpool blood his a sure thing needed a bk up striker……… i think to make a statement we need to have big major buy and only two fits my bill sergio aguero or mata….. so in truth a left full ……i wouldn’t be bothered a centre back dann meets all the criteria and a marquee buy aguero or mata to show intent….. and 4th b least of our aim,s.
Never thought Henderson was the player we need right now. He’ll be on the bench. Maybe he’ll come good in years to come we’ll have to wait and see. Still think KK is looking to bring in another wide man – perhaps Jeffren. Adam looks pivotal and with Gerrard and Downing even Lucas will be fighting for his place. The squad is still not world class and is aimed at one thing – finishing top 4. Then we’ll kick on from there.
i think we wont be considered a starter next year.but he’ll get a lot of appearances and he is only 20 years old so i think that’s one for the future more than the present,a long-term signing as Comolli said.i expect Adam and Downing to have more impact to the team.but we’re building a strong squad at last.
GK:Reina/Doni
RB:Johnson/Kelly/Flanagan
LB:Jose Enrique(i think we’ll get him)/Insua/Robinson
CB:Skrtel,Agger,Carragher,(a new?,i’d love Gary Cahill)
CM:Lucas,Adam,Gerrard,Meireles,Aquilani,Spearing
RW/LW:Downing,Suarez,Maxi,Henderson,Kuyt,(i’d also LOVE Adam Johnson at Liverpool),Pacheco
ST:Suarez,Carroll,Kuyt,(Sturridge also very talented)
YNWA
(Sturridge also very talented)
i hope u r joking… i wud rather have egg-nog!!
Sturridge is way better then egg-nog!! but even then neither are good enough for us, but deffo Sturridge if it was a pick between them 2
Kenny went for him like a rocket – so you work it out
If he merits it then why not? YNWA