After Jordan Henderson’s display in Seville on Tuesday night, serious questions have been raised over the value of the English midfielder in the Liverpool squad. He delivered anything but a captain’s performance at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, allowing the Reds to let a 3-0 lead slip away, conceding an injury-time equaliser.
Henderson often draws criticism for his lack of forward thought when possessing the ball, opting for the simple sideways pass. This would normally lead to a player having strong pass accuracy statistics, but the Liverpool captain cannot even claim that.
Jordan Henderson – Time for Change?
Passing
Henderson has made the fourth most passes per game out of all Premier League players this season, but of the top ten in that department, Henderson has the lowest completion rate with 80.5% (Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka with 83% is the closest above him in that regard). Having a low pass success rate for someone who attempts so many passes results in a seriously high amount of lost possession for his team.
Even more damning is when you compare Henderson’s passing statistics to his Liverpool teammates. The Englishman does not even feature in the top eleven most accurate passers for the Reds this season, ranking 13th. Both of his central midfield peers, Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can, have completed 85.2% of their attempted passes.
Defensive
Examining the defensive aspect of Henderson’s game initially makes for more attractive reading. He completes more tackles and interceptions than both Wijnaldum and Can per game, but fails to stand out when compared with defensive midfield counterparts in the Premier League. Tiémoué Bakayoko and Nemanja Matic make more tackles plus interceptions than the Liverpool captain.
Henderson also commits a high amount of fouls, 1.2 per game on average, putting him joint second for the club. Against Sevilla in the Champions League, Henderson shockingly did not complete a single tackle but conceded five free-kicks.
Going Forward
It must be said that despite Henderson’s below average pass accuracy and defensive statistics, he contributes more to attacks than given credit for, providing a high amount of key passes when compared to players in a similar position. Typically over a season, he will accrue a good amount of goals and assists too. In 2014/15, his most recent season with 25 or more league appearances, Henderson notched six goals and nine assists.
Henderson may contribute well going forward for a defensive midfielder, but looking at both his loss of possession through stray passes and his frequent fouling, does this merit a place in the starting 11? Can you afford to have a player in that position who is weak defensively?
Conclusion
The real issue with Jordan Henderson is that he is not exceptional at anything; he is capable of making an important tackle, picking the right pass, finishing a good chance: a real jack of all trades, but master of none. He provides neither the comprehensive defensive cover of N’golo Kanté or Victor Wanyam nor the passing assuredness that Cesc Fabregas or Fernandinho can produce.
It is common knowledge that Liverpool’s defence is incredibly volatile and it does remain their biggest issue. However the Liverpool midfield, of which Jordan Henderson is the focal point, needs addressing.
An overhaul is needed at Anfield. In particular, the introduction of a defensive specialist. Naby Keita may be joining in the summer, but he will not be the shield that the back four need. The current Reds’ captain may have to relinquish a first team role if he wants his team to progress.
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