Jordan Henderson

[RichC]

Henderson could fit in well to this system with his work rate and engine but he needs some more self belief and to work on his game as he's not there yet.
Hopefully this call up to the Euros gives him the confidence he has appeared to lack from time to time last season to kick on with his career.

[red g]

I think it could have the opposite effect, We go to the Euro's look **** and the Liverpool 5 get lambasted

Not sure how many will start like, but Johnson, Gerrard and Carroll are certain starters, unsure on Henderson and he would be a mentalist to start Drowning!!

[Exiled_red]

I think it could have the opposite effect, We go to the Euro's look **** and the Liverpool 5 get lambasted

Not sure how many will start like, but Johnson, Gerrard and Carroll are certain starters, unsure on Henderson and he would be a mentalist to start Drowning!!

I was thinking something similar, the three players that supposedly got Dalglish the sack (if you believe the press) are in the England squad, it seems a crazy situation. Have they been overly critisised (in general) or are they as bad as has been suggested and English football is really this bad?

For the record I don't think any of them have been as bad as most people have suggested, but I am surprised that all three of them are in the England squad. I didn't see this tournement going well for England before Hodgson was appointed, I think that Henderson and Carroll have just started finding their feet in red shirts and are starting to develop, I'd hate to see their progress hindered by the Bodge and England this summer.

[Kenneth]

Downing has indeed been ****e.

Henderson has been meh.

Carroll has gone from ****e to meh to good over the course of the season.

Of the three, only Carroll deserves a place, and that's touch and go. But Woy knows best.

[Shanks]

I think it's only best to judge Henderson after the end of next season..

I'm sure Brendan will get the best out of him..

Does anyone actually know what his best position is?

[JohnDoe]

I think it's only best to judge Henderson after the end of next season..

I'm sure Brendan will get the best out of him..

Does anyone actually know what his best position is?

It's clearly central midfield.

[RichC]

IF we play a 3 man midfield I'd imagine he'd be best as a box to box midfielder for us, he's got a cracking engine on him, with the current squad I'd look at something like this for our midfield.

...............Lucas......................

....Henderson.......Shelvey..........

[cled the red]

IF we play a 3 man midfield I'd imagine he'd be best as a box to box midfielder for us, he's got a cracking engine on him, with the current squad I'd look at something like this for our midfield.

...............Lucas......................

....Henderson.......Shelvey..........

Where's Gerrard??

[RichC]

Gerrard......Suarez...
........Carroll............

[kris90210]

As things stand I think it's:

--------Lucas-------
Gerrard----Henderson

[Neil Young]

I think it's only best to judge Henderson after the end of next season..

He's done ok. Unlike some, who we could reasonably have expected to have done better.

The criteria for assessing Henderson and Carroll are different from those for Downing and Adam, although we should allow even them too a little latitude for taking time to settle in at a new, far more demanding club.

[Fredo]

He's done ok. Unlike some, who we could reasonably have expected to have done better.

The criteria for assessing Henderson and Carroll are different from those for Downing and Adam, although we should allow even them too a little latitude for taking time to settle in at a new, far more demanding club.

Miaow

Woof woof

aw:

[RichC]

depends on how much you faith you put into this article, I do expect Gerrard to play in a 3 in midfield but with our current players and the fact he's better further forwards I'd start him further up the pitch



•The goalkeeper is seen as the sweeper and has a set of similar roles (in possession) to zones 2 and 3. The 'keeper is expected to act as a pressure relief for under pressure teammates;
•Zone 2 consists of two centre-backs who, unlike in other formations, are expected to play a huge role in keeping possession. They also act as pressure relief to the midfield and an obvious option for the goalkeeper to play the ball out to. Instead of passing the ball 30, 40 or even 50 yards the majority of their passes will be kept under 10 yards;
•Zone 3 has arguably the most important role to play in keeping possession. This player must be particularly good at keeping possession under pressure from opponents and will often see their passes also being played short for the duration of the game. Leon Britton, Pirlo and Xavi are examples of players who act as the deep lying play makers, the water carriers, the short playing quarterback or the 'volante de salida' which simply translates in football terms as the outlet for under-pressure teammates. "I get the ball, I pass, I get the ball, I pass, I get the ball, I pass." (Xavier Hernandez 2011);
•Zone 5 have the role of consistently finding space acting as the final piece in the triangular connection between teammates. These two centre midfielders, like the player in zone 3, must have high standards of passing ability and awareness to keep possession but must also have high levels of stamina to work as box-to-box midfielders. They do not necessarily look to create the spectacular, but are the catalyst in the change of speed in which the possession play is being played at, the moments of which they choose to change speed and direction of the ball are key to the succession in creating opportunities to create an assist or goal. Both zones 3 and 5 will be expected to boast 90 per cent pass completion rates in order for the system to work successfully;
•Zone 4 are expected to act as support to players in possession and are too expected to look to work themselves into the triangular connections made with teammates. They are expected to get forward as play moves up the pitch and follow the ball back when play dictates so. Zone 4 will opt to cross the ball from the opponents' byline rather than from deep, in keeping with the 1950s optimum assist zone in zone G;
•Zone 6 will consist of arguably the most creative players on the ball either in the sense of dribbling ability or of passing ability to create. Messi, Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer, Pedro, Afellay, Cuenca et al are examples of players who play in this system and portray the qualities expected. This zone will also be responsible for much of the goalscoring as well as the assisting of goals;
•Zone 7 needs a player who is good technically and can hold the ball very well as well as link up the play. The difference here to the traditional long ball target man is that the lay off will usually be followed with this player spinning away to find space and having full awareness of where space is around him in all areas of the field, the 360 degrees of vision with and without the ball;
•Zone G is the zone to which optimum chance creation occurs. However, the difference in this system is not that of desperation to play the ball as you get into this zone, but to see if the opportunity is indeed available. If not, then the only viable option is to turn and play the ball back which then may well get played all the way across to the other side of zone G, or even back to the same side if the opponents' defensive positioning has changed. Patience is the key here and the general rule that one goal is scored to every nine shots will alter due to the quality of opportunity created being significantly better;
•Lastly, it is important to remember that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its components' and the entire team, despite set into separate divisions of the field, is expected to work together; to move up together and backwards together, much like the waves of the ocean crashing onto the surface of the beaches.

[~LFCHistory~]

IF we play a 3 man midfield I'd imagine he'd be best as a box to box midfielder for us, he's got a cracking engine on him, with the current squad I'd look at something like this for our midfield.

...............Lucas......................

....Henderson.......Shelvey..........

Do you really see us getting into the top 4 with that midfield ?? I'm not having a go at you but that midfield is barely top 8 quality let alone CL quality IMO. Lucas is a good player, Shelvey is a fairly limited but likeable grafter who may one day become a decent squad player in a good team and Henderson is a spineless non entity who hopefully will be on his way out in a years time.
Outside of that we have a great but declining player in Stevie who is wasted in the middle IMO but I suppose he can do a job in MF. Our midfield backup is Adam and Spearing. How inspiring.

If rumours are to be believed BR is planning an overhaul of our MF starting with signing Sigurdsson, that news encourages me to believe that BR can see the reality of just how bad our midfield is.

[Fosterbloke]

Wasn't Adam pretty creative when Lucas took care of his defensive duties?