Jordan Henderson

[DannyMan2006]

You can tell with Hendo he's his own biggest critic. He is a player who will continue to learn and improve due to this mentality and his huge work ethic. He's a player who makes others look better than they are. Not a difference maker but a requirement. His running and work rate alone has made Gerrard & Lucas a half decent partnership. If we had better players in other positions then I agree he would need to start offering far more. As it stands, he's in on merit.

Imagine a lazy high skilled player in his position. Glen would look silly as he'd have no one covering for him, and we'd get over run in the centre of the park with no one to press. As others have said, he just needs to start finishing things up in the final third. That or we sign about three players so we don't need him to make up for the deficiencies in others.

Either way, he's a fantastic squad player and IF we do make the CL, players like him who can cover and have the energy to play week in, week out, are absolutely essential to the squad.

[Reece]

I don't doubt for a minute we *could* improve on Henderson, but with the limited funds we have, and with his unquestionable work ethic, at the moment he's great for the way Rodgers wants us playing. Yeah he wasn't great against Arsenal but then neither was anyone. Against West Brom and Fulham he was excellent at putting pressure on high up the pitch, enabling the more flashy players to create and score.

[RichC]

I don't doubt for a minute we *could* improve on Henderson, but with the limited funds we have, and with his unquestionable work ethic, at the moment he's great for the way Rodgers wants us playing. Yeah he wasn't great against Arsenal but then neither was anyone. Against West Brom and Fulham he was excellent at putting pressure on high up the pitch, enabling the more flashy players to create and score.

We'd all love a WC midfielder to come in but at present that's unrealistic in terms of not being able to offer CL football and the wages/transfer fees involved.

Jan if we're still where we are in the league could be very interesting for us though

[DannyMan2006]

I don't doubt for a minute we *could* improve on Henderson, but with the limited funds we have, and with his unquestionable work ethic, at the moment he's great for the way Rodgers wants us playing. Yeah he wasn't great against Arsenal but then neither was anyone. Against West Brom and Fulham he was excellent at putting pressure on high up the pitch, enabling the more flashy players to create and score.

We could improve on most players in our squad with the money. Personally, he's not the first person I'd look to improve on. I'd be looking at a DM to replace Lucas and a quality left back to try and oust Enrique.

[dww]

I think it is important that we see how players work with Coutinho and Johnson available. I think Lucas and Henderson suffered a lot when we had three at the back as the options were reduced and the types of area they had to defend changed a lot over a game - it is always a problem in a back 3 unless you have dominant wide players.

I really hope that with our first choice players to select from we only use a back three to counter specific threats. It was suicide against Arsenal IMO.

[Gingawaria]

I don't rate him no and am surprised how many do. I hope I'm wrong and he starts putting away chances he's been missing.

Do you think he is anything more than 6/10 player?

I'm not mental thanks. I just disagree with you and others.

Yes, I think he is.

He had a slow start to his Liverpool career but in the last 18 months I think he's come on leaps and bounds.

Do I think he's the finished article yet? No, of course not, I recognize that he needs to work on his final ball and finishing, but he's 23, that'll come with time.

I just think people wrote him off far too quickly and are not too stubborn to back down.

[paulc]

i was at the match yesterday and i can say i was massively impressed, yes it was possibly the worst away team display ever, however he does have a place in this team.

the midfield needs a player like him. Gerrard has not the same energy as times gone by and henderson really provides the constant closing down and great link up play with Glen

[Lecter]

If it was a sublime ball it wouldn't have hit the defender. And that vision is the least I'd expect from a Liverpool midfielder.

I realise I'm now being pedantic but I'm yet to see anything that tells me that we don't need better.

We were playing one of the worst teams in the league and he looked good.

Against better teams when we are under pressure does he have the quality to really make a difference?

Personally I don't think so.

Hope he proves me wrong.

I think we need better in the grand scheme of things but that said Utd won the league last season with a midfield of Carrick, Giggs (who is 108 or something daft), Cleverley (who is just bollocks) and an over the hill Scholes

[PTP]

i like henderson - he has a great attitude and incredible work rate - he defo deserves his place in the team and should have a good career with us

however he does just seem to lack a little touch of flair - but that may come - just add a couple of goals to his game would be great - he's got into great positions at times and failed to hit the target, almost looks like he's trying to hard where as a real class player does it on instinct

but i'm not criticising him - he's doing very well for us at the moment

[BigChief]

Has a touch of the Bales about him. Same size/height and engine. If he can put the extra effort and make Ronaldo his role model he could be our next £100m+ player. Needs to practice shooting desperately though. Bale wasn't natural at it, he practiced and practiced until he perfected the art.

[Baracus]

Has a touch of the Bales about him. Same size/height and engine. If he can put the extra effort and make Ronaldo his role model he could be our next £100m+ player. Needs to practice shooting desperately though. Bale wasn't natural at it, he practiced and practiced until he perfected the art.

pmsl..lmafo..hahahahahaha...that is all...

[BigChief]

It does sound funny reading it back.

But Bale was atrocious when he first started.

[Chazza]

Jordan Henderson hopes great strides at Liverpool will lead to Brazil

The midfielder has overcome setbacks and criticism to return to Roy Hodgson's England squad in readiness for the World Cup

Sir Alex Ferguson turned the spotlight on Jordan Henderson's gait but the strides made by the Liverpool midfielder have not been overlooked. "The most improved player in the Premier League this season," according to Brendan Rodgers, and one determined to extend his Anfield transformation to Brazil next summer.

Roy Hodgson is evidently closer to the Liverpool manager's opinion of Henderson than the withering assessment aired in the former Manchester United manager's latest autobiography, selecting the 23-year-old for England's forthcoming friendlies against Chile and Germany at Wembley. Henderson last appeared for England as a substitute in the Euro 2012 quarter-final exit to Italy in Kiev and his recall is deserved recognition for his part in Liverpool's impressive Premier League campaign. Not that he is interested in a simple pat on the back.

"It's a massive boost for me and I'm delighted to be involved," he says. "But when I am there with England I need to make sure that I work hard, do what I have been doing for Liverpool and make sure I get picked again. World Cup places are up for grabs for anyone. If you are doing well and your team is doing well, then people will be looking at you but you have to take the chance.

"Now I have the opportunity to train with England and I have to make sure I am right. Everyone wants to go to a World Cup in Brazil but just going out and playing every week is an inspiration for me really."

Henderson starred again on Saturday as Liverpool responded to defeat at Arsenal by swatting aside Fulham at Anfield, threading a superb pass for Luis Suárez to make it 3-0 before the interval and producing a tireless, threatening display throughout the 4-0 win.

He may have been one of Kenny Dalglish's "substandard buys" in 2011, according to Ferguson, who also wrote that the midfielder's gait "might cause him problems later in his career", but he is the only one of that summer's intake to prosper under Rodgers now that José Enrique has lost his regular first-team role.

The Liverpool manager believes England will receive a more confident, intelligent operator than when Henderson appeared at the European Championship. "I see a young player who is athletically good and technically strong," said Rodgers. "Tactically he is aware of the game now. He can participate in the game, he knows when to move inside and outside. Against Fulham I told him that if he could get forward, [Philippe] Coutinho would penetrate with his passes and he would get chances.

"I told him to use his energy and run off in between the lines. Tactically his understanding of the game is much, much better. That is a massive credit to him because he is working very hard, listening and wanting to be a better player."

An Anfield recovery, as well as England recall, is also reward for Henderson's refusal to give up on his Liverpool career when Rodgers considered an offer from Fulham during his first summer in charge. The Liverpool manager admits: "I remember the conversation I had with him, bless him. We were at the team hotel and it was towards the end of the window. I pulled him in and I told him: 'Listen, I am not pushing you out but this offer has come in.' But I got the response I wanted.

"He told me that he wanted to stay here and fight. I told him I would help him improve as a player and improve his game because he has got all the tools. At 23 years of age he has got his whole career in front of him. It is thanks to his quality and professionalism that he is making marked improvements."

Henderson has waited 17 months to feature in Hodgson's plans again and with his England Under-21 career over, the recent international breaks have been a source of intense frustration. But he has not forgotten Hodgson's show of faith at Euro 2012, when the England manager introduced the midfielder prior to the team's exit on penalties.

"That showed the manager believes in me," adds the Liverpool midfielder. "It was brilliant that he could turn to me and put me on at that stage of such a big game. I came on in extra-time for Scotty Parker, who was getting a bit tired, to give the team some legs in the middle of the park. I feel I have improved since then. I haven't enjoyed watching the Under-21s and the seniors play on TV this season. I have been used to going away with the Under-21s and when I join up with the seniors I want to show I deserve to be there and that I should be picked again."

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/nov/11/jordan-henderson-liverpool-england-world-cup?CMP=twt_gu

[Alex]

It does frustrate me some that players like Henderson get **** for being perceived to not be good enough. But others who have been under performing like Lucas, Cissoko and up until recently Gerrard have been getting away with most of the flack.

I know their issues have been discussed to an extent on here. But I see a never ending stream of people in normal life slating Henderson.

Just because he doesnt do a step over, put in a final stunning pass, score or whatever else, seems to exclude him from praise or reward from large sections of our fans.

IMO he has been our most consistent player this season. Always playing well and not ****ing it up for the team. It can be argued that players like Sturridge and Suarez have gone missing in a couple of games. Sturridge especially, who seems to either have a barnstormer, or is totally anonymous.

Suarez cant really be considered consistent, because of his idiotic ban.

[Mattshark]

It does frustrate me some that players like Henderson get **** for being perceived to not be good enough. But others who have been under performing like Lucas, Cissoko and up until recently Gerrard have been getting away with most of the flack.

I know their issues have been discussed to an extent on here. But I see a never ending stream of people in normal life slating Henderson.

Just because he doesnt do a step over, put in a final stunning pass, score or whatever else, seems to exclude him from praise or reward from large sections of our fans.

IMO he has been our most consistent player this season. Always playing well and not ****ing it up for the team. It can be argued that players like Sturridge and Suarez have gone missing in a couple of games. Sturridge especially, who seems to either have a barnstormer, or is totally anonymous.

Suarez cant really be considered consistent, because of his idiotic ban.

This is purely a matter of opinion though. I think Lucas has been unfairly slated on here and has not under-performed while I think Henderson has played quite well but while his end product is so poor he hasn't really been offering enough and not been as good as many on here think.