Once ridiculed for the sizeable transfer fee he fetched (in the region of £20 million) upon his move to Liverpool back in the summer of 2011, Jordan Henderson has since matured into arguably the Reds’ most consistent performer.
The all-action midfielder is one those Fantasy assets that’s capable of quietly amassing a strong points haul to little fanfare, as evidenced by the fact he recorded the best total score among Liverpool’s squad despite rarely being considered as a Fantasy option. A peripheral figure for many years, Henderson is now firmly on our Fantasy radars for the upcoming campaign.
Key Factors
- Henderson recorded his highest ever Fantasy Premier League points haul last term (162), beating his previous best (133) from the 2010/11 season. The Sunderland-born midfielder achieved this by virtue of a career-high number of goals (six) and assists (ten) – only five midfielders chalked up more assists. Despite operating from a deeper role than his more glamorous midfield team-mates, Henderson outscored both Raheem Sterling (158) and Philippe Coutinho (134), underlining how integral he’s become to Liverpool’s attacking output.
- Henderson’s impressive points tally is sure to trigger an increase on his previous 6.0 starting price. It’s expected he’ll be pitched within the 7.5–8.5 bracket, which should offer good value in light of his security of starts. A stalwart under Brendan Rodgers’ regime, Henderson missed just one match last year due to injury and three matches in the 2013/14 season because of suspension. As one of the first names on Liverpool’s team sheet, Fantasy managers might well be tempted by the reliability he offers in the unpredictable opening few Gameweeks.
- In the wake of Steven Gerrard’s departure from Anfield, Sterling’s uncertain future and Daniel Sturridge’s ongoing injury travails, the Reds are in need of a confident leader – someone who can rally the troops for an assault on the Champions League berths. Henderson displayed qualities becoming of such a character throughout last season, delivering at crucial moments and imploring others to match his tireless work ethic. In the midst of their 12-match unbeaten streak, Rodgers lauded Henderson’s growing influence in the centre of the park:
“I think Jordan is improving all the time. As he matures even more tactically, he’ll become even better. He’s always had athleticism and tactically he’s improving all the time. Technically, you see his qualities. His passing is improving. And he’s becoming one of the real leaders of this young team.”
- While Liverpool will look to Henderson to fill Gerrard’s inspirational boots as skipper, he may also get to replace him on spot-kick duties. With Gerrard injured and Daniel Sturridge on the pitch, Henderson was reportedly the designated penalty taker back in February when Mario Balotelli controversially snatched the ball from him to notch against Besiktas. Henderson later converted from the spot against Arsenal in the damaging 4-1 defeat at the Emirates in April. With Balotelli unlikely to earn regular pitch-time next season and Danny Ings bedding in, Henderson would appear to be in a prime position to add spot-kicks to his blossoming goal potential.
- Although the majority of Liverpool’s midfielders and forwards saw their productivity diminish as a result of Suarez’ emigration to northern Spain, Henderson actually upped his frequency of key passes (one every 53 minutes down to 52.1 minutes) and created more chances (66 to 58) than Coutinho. Similarly, his frequency of shots was near identical to 2013/14 (from 67.1 minutes per attempt to 68.8 minutes), though Henderson proved more clinical; he netted 12% of his chances last term compared to 8.2% the campaign beforehand, whereas Sterling (8.3%) and Coutinho (4.9%) struggled to convert their opportunities. Whilst Sterling looks set to join Steven Gerrard through the exit door, the likes of Coutinho and new boy Roberto Firmino could be set for extended summer breaks due to Brazil’s ongoing Copa America involvement. Given that James Milner will also need time to settle following his move from Man City, Henderson could well prove to be the most reliable option at Anfield over the first few weeks of the upcoming campaign.
8 years, 10 months agoJordan is the man