Player Season Review – Jordan Henderson

WELL well well, another season over and despite our loss I must say that I enjoyed the final day of the Premiership immensely! I can’t remember ever cheering that loud for a goal not scored by Liverpool.

But I digress, with the playing season over and silly season to begin I wanted to take the opportunity to produce some pieces on the individuals in our squad and my thoughts about them.

I am going to kick off with who has seemingly become a fall guy in a red shirt – a reincarnation of a freshly signed Lucas Leiva – Jordan Henderson.

Before I even begin with my thoughts on Henderson I want to address a topic that may crop up once or twice as I am writing these reviews, and that is money.

It is a well known and an often regurgitated stat that Henderson cost in the region of £15-£20 million, and it is this stat alone that knee-jerk support and lazy journalism seems to rely in the judgement of this 21 year old lad. Here, I’m going to say it…..SO WHAT?!!

The price tag for me is largely irrelevant, and the fixation on the amount spent is as ridiculous as it is baffling for me. In recent years we have seen an explosion in the transfer market with absolutely crazy prices being paid for players left right and centre that no logical conclusion can be drawn on a fee alone. What many are failing to see is that FSG have a clear strategy to invest in youth and are prepared to spend what is necessary to secure the players that they have identified, and in my book that is a good thing, no? Did the money we spent on Henderson mean there was nothing left over to sign any of our other targets? Nope, we signed a number of players for serious money following his signature.

Yet, whenever Henderson is discussed or perhaps has a quiet game his fee is constantly brought up as if it is an unwritten rule that the more money you spend on a player the more immediate their impact has to be. Yes some players like Aguero, Suarez, Torres (in a Liverpool shirt) will instantly adapt, hitting the ground running showing that you get what you pay for, but for each of these there will be a Shevchenko, a Veron (twice), a Mutu. So, a price tag clearly guarantees nothing in terms of impact and form. Should a price tag affect the amount of time a player is allowed to settle and establish himself?

I will concede that the age and status is an impact factor in conjunction with cost, so if you spend a lot of money on a Shevchenko or a Veron you reasonably expect a pretty instant return on your investment, but let’s remember that Henderson is 21 YEARS OLD with 81 games under his belt prior to signing, but because of his cost people are casting him out because he hasn’t made a huge impact. Seriously?? With this kind of logic should Voronin, Degen and Jovanovic still be on the books? They came in on a free after all. Also, in comparison from the home game against Chelsea, the Blues brought on Romelu Lukaku who signed for similar money and has made 8 appearances in a Chelsea shirt scoring the grand total of 0 goals, yet oddly there has not been the same nonsense spouted about him as he has largely retained his status as ‘one for the future’.

Okay, rant over concerning his price tag and let’s concentrate on the man himself. First and foremost my impressions of the lad are of a consummate professional. He carries himself very well and his behaviour on and off the pitch is exactly what a club like Liverpool should expect from each and every staff member. Being a professional footballer is more than just what you can do on the pitch (although that is the most important), the way you conduct yourself is just as crucial with nods being made towards messrs Barton, Balotelli and Cassano. Let us not forget the changes in his life since signing for Liverpool.

He will have moved away from his home, his family, his support network to new city. Although I predict the argument will be that ‘it’s not that far’, underestimate the impact of not having the daily support and sight of people you have had round you for all your life regardless of distance. The expectations that Sunderland have in comparison to Liverpool will have been a major culture shock as well combined with the sudden media exposure a large price tag brings, can anyone honestly suggest this will not have had an impact on the lad? So, in my mind we have signed an excellent professional with a bright future.

I think his first season at the club hasn’t gone as well as he or the club had planned for a number of reasons. I believe the failure to address the right hand side of midfield with a natural wide player or a consistent performer in that role has led to Henderson playing the majority of his 38 performances there in a role new to him. Let us not forget that the Premier League is not like pub football where given who is available you could play anywhere on the park. Each position on the pitch requires a specialist, and quite often teams and players will struggle when they venture out with the proverbial ‘square peg round hole’ conundrum, something we have a lot of experience with in recent years. This being said, when Henderson has played his favoured central role I believe we have seen a different player. We have seen a player more comfortable with his position on the pitch and more confident to stamp his authority on the game, and we have seen that a number of times this season, most recently against Chelsea at Anfield. He has the work rate to compete as a box to box midfielder with the ability to retain possession, break up play and an eye for a pass.

Before people think I am blowing smoke here, I am not for one second stating he has had a perfect season or that he will blossom into world player of the year, but what I am saying is that from what I have seen, the lad has the tools in his arsenal and the right mentality to build on a solid base. I mean, what better club is there for him to nurture that talent and evolve into the type of player he is capable of?

I do admit to a growing disillusionment to the way some sections of the fanbase talk about him and slam him as I thought lessons had been learned with Lucas Leiva, but obviously not for all. As Kenny said in reference to Carroll, this lad has been signed for the period of his contract and hopefully beyond not just today, so to be judging him after one season is ridiculous, and to do so because of his price tag is incredible.

I for one, and this goes with any player fortunate to pull on the coveted red jersey, will support and support and support and make my judgements on whether they have been a success or not when a player leaves the club not before.

Please come find me on twitter @timdibs

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