Jordan Henderson (Liverpool -> Al-Ettifaq (5 months) -> Ajax)

Must have been horrible for federer watching the lad run the show yesterday.

Must have been horrible for federer watching the lad run the show yesterday.

No surprise to anyone that he hasn't been in here to acknowledge his performance is it.

Must still be wondering how his love child Dembele was totally outclassed by our boy and had to be withdrawn from the action.

No surprise to anyone that he hasn't been in here to acknowledge his performance is it.

Must still be wondering how his love child Dembele was totally outclassed by our boy and had to be withdrawn from the action.

Was Dembele paying? Never noticed him. 

Was Dembele paying? Never noticed him. 

Yeah about that, I think he was in Hendo's pocket.

Does it mean that we have to now pay Sunderland the add-on's we promised!

Stunning performance. Cannot ever remember a match quite like it where a player has transformed himself in 90 minutes. His desire and availability throughout the match was stunning. His link up play with Suarez was outstanding and the Uruguayan must have been loving it. Don't want to say 'it was because Gerrard wasn't there' but the liberation and freedom in being the man with the attacking impetus must have been a factor. One of the most enlightened performances I've ever seen!

I said to my grandad earlier I thought early in his liverpool career he looked like a player who wasn't sure what to do with the ball when he got it, and ended up making poor or slow decisions. Yesterday he looked like he knew what he was going to do well before the ball came to him. Not sure whether this is down to confidence, coaching or anything else, but the difference was amazing.

No doubt his best performance in a red shirt, really interested to see if he can keep this up.

Also I think Rodgers may deserve a lot of credit for his improvement. Brendan made comments after the game about how he saw Hendo come on for England, against France a couple of years ago and the game passed him by completely. I think Brendan's been working A LOT on the tactical side of Jordan's game, knowing he has the physical attributes and technique to play, and it's that tactical/mental side of the game that I think Jordan's improved on hugely over the past year particularly.

Must have been horrible for federer watching the lad run the show yesterday.

I'm surprised if he even knew Hendo was on the pitch.

Seemed to spend all game slagging Lucas and finding faults in his game that no one else seemd to see.

One swallow does not make a summer.... but it can make your day.

Thought he was excellent yesterday, now he has to prove it was no fluke by doing it again and again.

Having watched the game again, it's interesting that unlike previous games, his first look around wasn't to find where Gerrard was, which perhaps allowed him to "express himself" more and play more instinctively, especially as the centre is his preferred position.

He hasn't transformed overnight.
I've said quite a few times that I thought he has that in him.

The problem for him will be when Stevie comes back, because he'll be indecisive again.
Probably.

Still, that's for the future.
For now, let's hope he continues that level of performance against city and chelsea (and others of course   )

The problem for him will be when Stevie comes back, because he'll be indecisive again.
Probably.

Maybe not Swab.  Stevie being out for 6 weeks and missing potentially 8 games I'm hoping Jordan will have stepped out of his shadow and realised he's a great player who deserves his place in the starting 11.

Maybe not Swab.  Stevie being out for 6 weeks and missing potentially 8 games I'm hoping Jordan will have stepped out of his shadow and realised he's a great player who deserves his place in the starting 11.

I really hope that's the case and that he doesn't automatically revert to looking for Stevie.

One thing for sure is that his confidence will be sky high after that performance.
It was pretty much a complete all round performance for a midfielder of his type.

I really hope that's the case and that he doesn't automatically revert to looking for Stevie.

One thing for sure is that his confidence will be sky high after that performance.
It was pretty much a complete all round performance for a midfielder of his type.

He might still look for him but he might not pass to him   

He might still look for him but he might not pass to him   

His running out of defense and through the midfield was some of the best I've seen since Stevie was in his prime.
Pace, strength, technique, vision all of the highest standard.

His running out of defense and through the midfield was some of the best I've seen since Stevie was in his prime.
Pace, strength, technique, vision all of the highest standard.

The really big challenge for him now is consistency.  If he can maintain that level or better over the rest of the season then he's certainly come of age. 

My memory isn't what it used to be and the years have merged into a blur but I don't think Stevie had a "Stevie" to displace when he broke into the team.  His stage was set and there for the taking, Jordan has had a Club legends shadow to emerge from but he's getting there.

I always said the no.10 spot was made for him!

I always said the no.10 spot was made for him!

I always said Hendo is not a type of player to play no.10 role
It seemed he's going to prove me wrong, but I'd like to wait a little bit to say I'm wrong
Still confidence the lad's best position is a central midfielder, box-to-box or like that.

Saw that Brendan praised KK for signing Hendo. Nice bit of acknowledgement there.

Would like to see Jordan excel, was never his biggest fan but mainly because he was so frustrating, seems that he should be better than he is, maybe he's starting to "get it".

Now come on Jordan lad, some consistency please!

Quite clear that he has bucket loads of talent, he just needs to show it more often. If he does, he'll be one of the best central midfielders in the league in a couple of years. No doubt about that.

So knee-jerking goes both ways apparently. 

Henderson has played in more than 80 league games for us.  EIGHTY.

In those 80 games, 90% of the time he has been absolutely wretched.  The other 10% of the time, mostly this season, he has been decent, that's about it. 

At Spurs he put on not only his best performance since he came here, but one of the best non-Gerrard midfield performances we've seen at the club since Xabi left.  He was absolutely brilliant, box-to-box, controlled the game. 

But because of that one performance suddenly he is worth the £16m we paid for him?  seriously?  what if he goes back into his shell for the next 10 games?  if he does what he did against Spurs for every game during the rest of the season then he will have turned a corner. 

But seriously, one game and suddenly he was worth it? 

I seriously hope Rodgers is smarter than the supporters.  We're in desperate need of more quality in midfield, we're within earshot of winning the title, I hope to God that Rodgers doesn't pass on bringing in another top notch midfielder on account of something that may or may not have been little more than a blip on the radar. 

Kenny made shrewd acquisition in Jordan, insists Rodgers -

full story:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fc-boss-brendan-rodgers-6415938

At Spurs he put on not only his best performance since he came here, but one of the best non-Gerrard midfield performances we've seen at the club since Xabi left.  He was absolutely brilliant, box-to-box, controlled the game.

That was all that was necessary, the rest could have waited until he does what you so confidently predict he will.

The most telling part of that interview was this bit for me:

“Tactically, his understanding of when to press and when to stay is getting better all the time.”