IT’S funny how people see games so differently.
As the teams left the pitch on Tuesday, the BT Sport commentator exclaimed “advantage Bayern Munich!” Like it was practically a fait accompli. That was strange. I felt the opposite.
The German’s played well at Anfield — or rather defended well — and they’ll take the plaudits for the first half of that scoreline. “Liverpool 0” against this side is something to celebrate. Man City are the only side to come away with a clean sheet at Anfield this season. The last team to do so before them was Stoke City of all people back in April. I don’t make the rules.
But at the same time I’m always a bit concerned if The Reds draw a blank in the first leg away from home. One deflected opposition goal at Anfield can pull a tie from Liverpool’s grasp. Away goals are the highest of all risks in European competitions.
I mean, if it’s 0-0 after 90 minutes in the Allianz Arena in three weeks’ time, we get a whole 30 minutes extra to try to get the all-important strike. I’d rather have two hours than one and a half to knock one in if the opposition haven’t laid a glove on us at Anfield.
It’s a sign of progress that such a result can be met with disgruntled faces and mutterings of missed opportunities from Reds. Bayern are some side and were the last non-Spanish side to win the thing, after all. I’d gladly take some of their lads for our bench if they’re offering.
Six years ago this week, we went out of the Europa League to Zenit St Petersburg. Times have changed.
The story before kick off was about all about the defence, save for the 23-hour Firmino virus which somehow made him play better than he has many times this season. If he reacts the way he did in the first half, I hope everyone sneezes on him before the United game.
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With Virgil van Dijk missing through suspension and everyone else injured, the appearance of Fabinho in the back four was greeted with winces.
Oh, he’s fine at the back, but he’s more or less cemented the deeper role in midfield nowadays. You put that square in a round hole and you’re automatically a man down in the middle of the park where you’d expect much of the game to be played. A weakening of two positions rather than one.
Of course, that gap would be filled by the captain, but that too came with its own debate.
Jordan Henderson occupies the strangest place in Liverpool fandom. Despite playing over 300 games for us and captaining The Reds more times than even Phil Neal, he usually appears high on the list on those ubiquitous “deadwood to be sold” lists that come about when we’ve lost.
The criticisms cover many areas. He’s not Steven Gerrard. He’s not Xabi Alonso. He’s not Javier Mascherano. He doesn’t grab the game by the bollocks enough. He can’t thread a ball through. Too many square or backward balls. He’s not aggressive enough.
Look at that score again. Bayern Munich 0. With a central midfielder in the back four next to a centre back with a head like a sheriff’s badge. Without Henderson, very strong players would have ran at those lads and things could have been much different.
But he was there. And he was brilliant.
He was all over the park. A recovery run here, Robbo’s best mate there. Can’t pass a forward ball? Well, if Salah pokes in that gorgeous through ball in the first half you’d talk about nothing else for the next week. Poets would meet to discuss it and try to bend the language around it to do it justice.
Not aggressive enough? He took every Bayern pass personally and in everyone’s faces.
I understand the argument that a Keita-Fabinho-Wijnaldum is the most balanced and Keita is improving with every game, though not quite at the consistent level required just yet, but none of that should underplay Henderson’s importance to this game or his position in the squad.
Maybe his playing style flies in the face of what many consider a Jürgen Klopp midfielder to look like. The idea that the German is obsessed with heavy metal football, with goals throughout the 11 and everyone running gung-ho at all times, is an exaggeration of his vision. Or bollocks, if you will. Not everyone can be a young Dirk Kuyt with a need to turn the game into one of those HIIT classes.
Every team needs its policeman. Its barometer. Henderson’s chief aim is to protect his mates and then dictate the tempo. Fair enough, he can be a bit conservative at times, but there are the games when it’s not really advisable to play Hollywood balls to tired runners when the opposition are keen on a breakaway.
This Bayern game was a case in point. With Keita and Wijnaldum pressing constantly, Liverpool needed a cool head to mop up the second balls and give it back to them. The difference this time was that he too played more aggressively while still keeping an eye a watchful eye on Thiago Alcantara and wide mates.
He was majestic in the first half, but as the game wore on and our full backs tired he was there to cover them, collecting the under-hit and intercepted passes to ensure there were no nasty surprises coming.
After all, no game has one theme. They have acts and scenes, each with a different theme. Jordan Henderson was the barometer of all on Tuesday night.
Not everyone is a number 10. That’s the point.
And yet the resentment drags on.
Some saw every Henderson inclusion as a slap in the face to Fabinho. While the much-fancied Brazilian was finding his way around the place — where the shops are, that sort of thing, Jordan was racking up early season appearances even though most of them were from the subs’ bench.
The Echo was even accused of deliberately giving Fabinho lower match ratings, while Henderson’s were inflated, as the captain has friends on the paper.
If that was a different club we’d laugh ourselves silly. In any case, that’s the ludicrous levels of zealotry we’re talking about. Suddenly it was Henderson v Fabinho rather than feeling pleased that we have the strength in depth for a crucial role.
Jordan Henderson has his faults, but so does every other Liverpool player. That’s normal, but there are times when he’s exactly what you want on the pitch. Against Bayern, he stepped up and showed Europe what he’s capable of.
The manager loves him. The manager continues to give him the armband when he plays despite calls for “the big lad” (as Klopp called van Dijk post match) to take over. The players love him too.
It’s just odd that not everyone else does.
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I always know whether someone knows a bit about football by how they describe Hendo (as it was with Lucas). A disparaging remark usually signals that I’m talking to a knob-head, and I treat them accordingly.
Too true frank….case in point- check out sash below.
Lucas was more maligned… I liked Lucas. I saw him play for our Ressies against what was half of Aston Villa’s first team and he ran the game. We had just got him. I realised he was light years ahead of what was in our ranks including Jay Spearing.
As for Hendo. I have always rated him. However this season he has done my head in far too often, especially away in Europe. As for the Bayern game I felt Jordan was MOM. The yellow card he got was harsh, as the guy ran across him and he stepped accidentally on his boot. He could though have got a second but was smart enough to make out it was him who got kicked.
Good article Karl. I turned BT off at half time and after the game because I knew what the narrative would be. I wonder whether Klopp will stick with Keita for Bayern and Man Utd away, or if he goes with the three who he might just trust the most – Gini, Fabinho and Henderson – but which isn’t as balanced.
Spot on.
You like to stir the pot don’t you Karl.
“The criticisms cover many areas. He’s not Steven Gerrard. He’s not Xabi Alonso. He’s not Javier Mascherano. He doesn’t grab the game by the bollocks enough. He can’t thread a ball through. Too many square or backward balls. He’s not aggressive enough.”
Those three went for it when it mattered most. They took risks when it was least expected and left us spoiled for more.
They also would and have gotten into the best teams in Europe.
For me, I am always left wondering how come Gerrard, Alonso, or players like David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne can score from outside the box and become an attacking force like they seem born to do? The latter two are still doing it.
How many times has Henderson done this for the team? Score the goals we desperately need at times or win the game?
I’ve heard or read at times that Henderson plays like he isn’t allowed to take the game by the scruff and win it, because it’s not how the game is played as the manager controls it based on a very set plan. Or that captaincy these days means nothing, so players do not need to step up, making Henderson a designated entity on the field because someone has to play captain for the match.
So supporters these days point out to the fact that we held the mighty Bayern 0-0 as a great achievement by Henderson. Maybe it was.
However for me it would be an even greater achievement for Henderson scoring from outside the box, like that goal against Chelsea and go on and score a few more times. Why not?
But it seems only our legends are allowed to do this, for example Gerrard with an unlikely team against one of the best in 2005 CL final at 0-3 down. While Henderson is excused by Karius, Ramos, etc, in the 2018 CL.
I still think Henderson should have developed his game as an attacking mid, like he was doing well back in 2014/2015. He had the potential. His roles other than that seem to have expose certain abilities, but also his limitations as a player.
Henderson does his “job” like any good employee at a company, but to go from that to employee of the year, consistently, well, might be reserved for only the best of the best in the world.
Overall for me he did well last night, but apart from that great pass to Salah he wasn’t much of an attacking threat when the others in the front/middle went missing. A few more passes or shots might have been a different story, and repeat this in most matches and Henderson might become a legend.
I hope he can and will do better against United as he is still a Liverpool player. I am behind him as much as I am behind all the other players as Jurgen has built it up as a team.
But if you or anyone else single players out, then for me Henderson remains a limited squad player. Just my opinion as a supporter.
Hendo is part of the team structure. He is the water carrier in the team. If you are to have a go about his lack of goals is a bit naff really, he’s there to break up attacks and give it to the attacking players. I think its just that he’s not Gerrard in many eyes and that’s wrong
The fairer comparison, if you want to go down this pointless path, is Henderson and the impact Didi Hamann had in Istanbul. notwithstanding different styles of play, different coaching, different managerial requirements, different opponents, different teammates……
Very weird argument about Henderson not scoring many goals considering the fact that he is primarily a defensive midfielder in this squad and has been for a few years now.
Matic, Fernandinho, even someone like Busquets.. They are hardly banging in 5 long range goals in per season, if they even score at all. So why would you expect Henderson to do the same, Sash?
Just another ridiculous stick to beat him with.
@sharpman8
Yes you picked up on one point and state it’s the stick to beat him with.
Still haven’t answered my questions of why he can’t score when he has the ball in the areas he scored maybe once or twice before.
As for those players you mentioned.
How many times did they captain their clubs?
Henderson is captain of LFC more times than any of the three you mentioned and with that an expectation has been set in which as a leader he falls into the category of past captains LFC have had.
As I said before when you start singling out players, then goals, wins, trophies, etc start to count for or against them.
All the three players you mentioned have contributed and have managed to help their teams achieve some of the highest honors in football.
After 5 seasons, Henderson as captain of LFC in most games, hasn’t yet done so.
Why would him scoring a goal or not bother you so much, he is a defensive midfielder ffs!
Saying that in most games Henderson hasn’t contributed is pure bollocks. There are many different ways a footballer can contribute and it depends on his type of position. Put Busquets or Matic or Fernandinho in our team in the past 5 years and there is no guarantee we win anything either. Those guys won stuff bcos they also had many unbelievably great players and better squads.
In Henderson’s position, he has done well enough. Yes he isn’t world class but he isn’t lacking in commitment, effort and quality. No one plays over 300 games for Liverpool and is shite. Only a bit of bad luck has stopped him being involved in winning trophies over the past 5 years. We have gone pretty close.
I honestly pray he lifts the PL trophy this season and that picture would be around forever more to haunt detractors like yourself.
@Sharpman8
Detractors? Sure. If we don’t agree with you and others who are fans of some said players, perhaps you can label us.
Sounness was a defensive player who scored in one of the best seasons in the Milk cup back in ’84. He was also a great leader on the pitch. He scored a lot of goals for the team. Do you think he forgot how to score because he was a defender?
Just because you learn how to play defensively you don’t forget to score goals when you are in the area or lead if you wear the captain’s armband when it most matters.
Just as you claim detractors use a stick, your argument(s) often sound like excuses for a limited squad player.
And you would only pray for us to lift a trophy to stick it to those who have different opinion than you about a player. Some supporter you are.
In my opinion, if we do lift a trophy it will be due to team effort at best and some luck, and I for one would be very happy for all the players including Henderson, despite my criticism of his game.
Great read Karl. I’ve thought all day that an article like this was necessary. Simply couldn’t agree more with you about our bizarrely maligned captain.
The thing I find funny after some of these games is the comment from people who don’t like him and say “I don’t rate him but that’s the best game he has played for us”
Well, there have been many games Henderson has played quite well in, up to the level he did vs Bayern. But these people try to make it seem it is a rare event. Such a shame that bias can blind people to that extent.