The dreaded sequel to the 'We need to talk about Gerrard' thread...
is it perhaps time to start having an honest discussion about Henderson's role at this club?
Bar a couple of matches this season (he was excellent in that second half against Leicester) I am having grave doubts about his suitability for our ambitions and where we want to go. His performances from England have only exacerbated the notion that he is a black hole, sucking the tempo and life out of the game with nonsensical passes that offer no purpose (backwards, sideways, backwards, sideways and repeat) and more often than not attempts at distributing the ball have barely come off adding a further layer of impotence about his game. Even on the leadership front, today I wanted to see him screaming in the face of Atkinson, demanding action after a series of fouls by Man Utd. Yet he was, more often than not, completely absent. Where's the bark, let alone the bite? What is he exactly? A defensive midfielder? A playmaker? A water carrier? Is he a bit of all three meaning he's a bit of everything to everyone but nothing to anyone? Would Man City, United, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal have him in their first elevens? If not then why should it be good enough for us?
Too many questions I know but the fact there are so many perhaps says enough.
I'd have replaced him long ago, I always thought he lived in the shadows of Stevie G and was forgiven for being a passenger for too long, too often.
His performance too often can be defined as "didn't really do anything". His inability to either be a creative force, offer a goal threat or be solid defensively is too often far too clear.
Had these debates with Si around the time Kenny was sacked and at that point I was convinced Henderson was just a bit too thick really. I say this because when tempo needs injecting, or when time is running out, he continues doing the safe and simple. When we're losing he does the same, when we're winning he does the same, he just doesn't seem to grasp, or have the ability, to change his game according to what the situation requires.
Occasionally he'll have a great game and some of them have been recently but when looked at as a whole the lad is just an average player who has become Liverpool captain by default rather than truthfully grasping the mantle. He's a good kid, a great player to have around the club, much in the same way Lucas was good for team spirit but when I see him on the pitch, as a fan, I feel totally uninspired.
I've seen posters say "haters gonna hate" and all that bollocks about the criticism of Hendo, but it's not about hate, it's about disappointment and dejection, so many times what he does just results in a sigh of, same old, same old.
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