Jordan Henderson was sarcastically dubbed as the poor man’s Andrea Pirlo after England exited the World Cup losing to Croatia in the semifinal. There was even a compilation video doing the rounds on the internet which showed how horrible and pathetic Henderson looked while giving lob balls and crosses to his teammates. Yes, the Liverpool man was not at his best at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow against the Croats but neither were captain Harry Kane or youngster Jesse Lingard. Then why was Henderson made the scapegoat?
There was no point in blaming the Croats because they were playing brilliant football, so the next best thing to do was find an Aunt Sally within their own team. Jordan Henderson, unheralded and having no air about him, seemed perfect. That he played for Liverpool, English football’s perennial underachievers, seemed to be an added advantage. But what many of England’s fans forgot was that the man has proved to be extremely reliable in the past and even led the country on multiple occasions.
Jordan Henderson’s game is suited to the high-pressing approach where he reduces the pressure on the defensive line and takes the ball to the attacking midfielders who in turn create opportunities for scoring goals. He is at his best when he is asked to press high and defend deep; Henderson is someone you would call upon when your team is in a crisis. He is no James Milner though, having no pace at his disposal or the wherewithal to tear opponents apart. He can be more compared to Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini, even a little bit of N’Golo Kante but with a touch of more defensive authority.
Players like Henderson do not come around very often. These are men who are willing to do the hard work and let others take the credit. He has suited nicely into Jurgen Klopp’s plans for Liverpool but to be a tad more effective, he needs to reinvent himself as Georginio Wijnaldum did.
