Liverpool FC: Jordan Henderson Admits to Playing "Too Safe" This Season
By
(Correspondent) on March 27, 2012
Jordan Henderson has been one of the players who has not delivered for Liverpool this season.
After rough figures of around £16 million were supposedly spent on the 20-year-old last summer by Kenny Dalglish and company to try to improve the squad, the England international who arrived from Sunderland has failed to register himself as a player worthy of the price paid for him.
The transfer was possibly made keeping in mind the home-grown rule that requires a certain quota of specific nationalities to make up the squad.
And as it was a British player, Liverpool had to pay well over the odds. Even so, Henderson has not done enough to justify his price or be a guaranteed starter, just as yet anyway.
More is expected even from a £10 million buy, when at Liverpool FC this season, all purchases over that kind of money (barring Luis Suarez), have not made the desired impact.
In a recent interview, Jordan Henderson gave a quite honest appraisal of his season.
Midfielder Henderson said he has been "too safe" in his performances and admitted his form has been "up and down" since his arrival from Sunderland last summer in a £16 million deal.
"I've done the basics, but when I watch matches back I've not shown that cutting edge which I believe that I have got," said Henderson.
This is a good sign.
At least the youngster is owning responsibility and knows where he can improve. It is true that Henderson has not done much but let us delve deeper into what all he has not exactly done much.
Will Henderson come good next season?
· yes
79.2%
· no
20.8%
Total votes: 274
Firstly, he has been asked to play on the right most of the time. To adapt to a new position requires time.
Secondly, he has not added enough creativity to games and that is one of the reasons that Liverpool are among the league's lowest scorers. For this, we will need answers from Kenny Dalglish as to why was Henderson actually bought? As a play-maker, or a crosser from the right for Andy Carroll's head.
Thirdly, he is only young and will get better. Which begs the question about why wasn't that money invested on proven quality with the youth from the reserves there to develop?
Or did Dalglish see him as first team material. If he did, he has made a mistake, which is ironic considering that he is ignoring the youngsters out of fear that they will not do well, are not competitive enough and will lose confidence.
Dalglish does not want to "destroy" the youngsters, and their careers. Though what can be said about what he is doing with Henderson?
The thing with this Liverpool side is that wholesale changes were made last summer, and everyone is accustoming themselves to one another. That will take time.
The only finger that may be pointed here is at Kenny Dalglish because perhaps he is not learning as quickly as one would expect him to.
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