Jordan Henderson

[baitman]

I still think his future is as an attacking midfielder, with someone else doing the dirty side of the game alongside him, freeing him up to utilise his vision and quick passing ability.

do you feel that hendo is that good in "other areas" that we can afford to carry a player who cannot do his own tackling...

[Mattshark]

I think he's a clever tackler, using his ability to read the game to nick the ball.

Sometimes.

What I've yet to see from him is some consistent tenacity. When he's played on the right, he passed players on, in the middle of the park he can't do that and it is an area of the game he needs to improve on.

I still think his future is as an attacking midfielder, with someone else doing the dirty side of the game alongside him, freeing him up to utilise his vision and quick passing ability.

He tends to stand around or foul, his defensive game is pretty much non-existent.

He is not enough of a goal threat or clever enough with his passing to be a top level attacking mid. At the moment he is a nothing player, not good enough going forward and offering nothing defensively.

[Muddled]

do you feel that hendo is that good in "other areas" that we can afford to carry a player who cannot do his own tackling...

Yup.

We have players in a team that compliment each other to get the best out of the unit.

An all-round midfielder like Gerrard are few and far between.

[Muddled]

He tends to stand around or foul, his defensive game is pretty much non-existent.

He is not enough of a goal threat or clever enough with his passing to be a top level attacking mid. At the moment he is a nothing player, not good enough going forward and offering nothing defensively.

I don't think he stands around, he harrass' if not putting his foot in.

I do think he could work on his finishing, but the way he strikes a ball makes me think he does have it in his locker. But then if he's building our attacks and making our transition from defence to attack swift and accurate - tied in with an attack that can find theb ack of the net - I wouldn't mind.

[Mattshark]

I don't think he stands around, he harrass' if not putting his foot in.

I do think he could work on his finishing, but the way he strikes a ball makes me think he does have it in his locker. But then if he's building our attacks and making our transition from defence to attack swift and accurate - tied in with an attack that can find theb ack of the net - I wouldn't mind.

He stands off too much for my liking. Offers too much space.

2 career goals so far, he just doesn't look comfortable shooting, he panics. He passing is fine sideways, he lacks intelligent attacking passing, positioning and most of all, he lacks courage.

[baitman]

He stands off too much for my liking. Offers too much space.

2 career goals so far, he just doesn't look comfortable shooting, he panics. He passing is fine sideways, he lacks intelligent attacking passing, positioning and most of all, he lacks courage.

courage... there's a word we need to use when looking at our current players, and potential signings

[Paul12]

He is a young guy who (a) shouldn't be relied on as much as he is and (b) should not be judged too definitively at this stage of his career (remember Lucas anyone?).

It is a sign of how desperate (in every sense of the word) we are that neither (a) nor (b) is currently the case.

[Muddled]

He stands off too much for my liking. Offers too much space.

2 career goals so far, he just doesn't look comfortable shooting, he panics. He passing is fine sideways, he lacks intelligent attacking passing, positioning and most of all, he lacks courage.

I agree he's panicked when in a position to shoot, but then so has the whole team. When I have seen him have a pop, I think he's gone for placement as apposed to power and I think with a bit more time he might combine the two.

As for intelligent passing, I think you're well off the mark - I think he uses the ball really well, has great control and has a great ability to pick a pass first time - I just think his teammates weren't on the same page. I think this has reduced recently, due to an under-performing team trying to do the simple things right, a want to not make a mistake and being in and out of the team.

Courage is maybe right, but I think it's more to do with tenacity.

[el matador]

watching the rerun of the game on lfc tv and henderson looks like a player to me. hes always available for the pass and he sees passes early. from.what ive seen hes played a brilliant crossfield 50 yard pass, another defence splitting first time pass into kuyt and has played enrique all in about 10 mins.

sorry.lads but he should be playing here every week. his shooting isnt great but passing, covering, movement is all there. the comparisons with alonso are a bit early but at times he does produce some brilliant stuff.

[Havors]

I rate plenty of players, just not enough of ours sadly . While we are languishing in midtable you have to think that maybe we really are lacking quality.

I bet you didnt rate Lucas either...

Henderson played well, looked a lot more comfortable and did exactly what he needed to in a holding midfield role. He has a lot of potential, just needs to settle at the club and his confidence and experience will grow.

[Mostar]

heres one for the henderson [prospect, pah] lovers...

what is his contribution to the team when we have lost possession...
he never seems to chase a man down, stand up to a face to face challenge, always reluctant/scared to put his foot in to a 50/50.

he is translucent, almost invisible.

I thought he came around little bit. See this frame that I didn't include in my comp (got some "grilling" on Youtube that I missed the most important moment )


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15ZYGk56zrU"]Henderson Tackle - YouTube[/ame]

[Mattshark]

I bet you didnt rate Lucas either...

Henderson played well, looked a lot more comfortable and did exactly what he needed to in a holding midfield role. He has a lot of potential, just needs to settle at the club and his confidence and experience will grow.

Ohhhh, you'll find that to be very wrong.

[sean_lfc]

I appreciate he has certain qualities, but he's an extremely frustrating player. It's been the same story all season with him - he needs to stamp his authority on the game. At the moment, he's prone to hiding in matches, and that's a pretty dreadful quality in a central midfield player.

He doesn't have the attributes to be a top wide player. He can't dribble, he's not fast, he offers very little goal threat and his crossing, while being decent, isn't great.

I haven't read further replies. The reason I believe he's 'frustrating' is simple:

Everyone around him at the moment is doing ****. When everyone else is doing ****, you will do ****. Especially seeing as he's supposedly looking up to the 'established' players at Liverpool. The same, in a way, goes for Carroll. They (the new, young players) should be carried and given assistance one pitch, when the others are confident, you become confident. It's just not happening. Even Gerrard's not performing, then there's Adam, and Spearing, I think it's a really tall ask to have Henderson bail us out.

He'll come good, I'm sure of it. He's shown brilliant glimpses this season, once we all relax and start winning and playing some good football, he'll be rolling. They all will.

[Muddled]

I bet you didnt rate Lucas either...

Henderson played well, looked a lot more comfortable and did exactly what he needed to in a holding midfield role. He has a lot of potential, just needs to settle at the club and his confidence and experience will grow.

To be fair to Matt, I think he backed Lucas from very early on.

I agree with the latter part though.

[Craig_H]

I bet you didnt rate Lucas either...

There's been 6 players in the history of football that Matt has rated and Lucas was indeed one of them.