The capture of Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson marked the latest foray into the transfer market for Liverpoolโs owner, Fenway Sports Group, as they strive to restore the club as one of Europeโs elite. The 20-year-old completed a โlong-term dealโ on Thursday after a reported fee of ยฃ20 million had been agreed with the Black Cats.
While Henderson is recognised as one of Englandโs most promising prospects, Liverpool fans will be wondering what theyโve got for their money and how Hendersonโs talents will fit within the current squad.
Kenny Dalglish has added a tall, box-to-box midfielder who can bring his athleticism and eye for a pass to bear in central areas or be deployed wide on the right. Recognised by FIFA as โyoung player to watchโ for 2011, Henderson is, in many ways, cut from some similar cloth to Kop legend and club skipper Steven Gerrard.
While Hendersonโs potential is clear, with Raul Meireles emerging as a proven Premier League talent and both Lucas, Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez enjoying their best seasons in red, thereโs doubts as to how the youngsterโs blossoming skills will be harnessed within the Liverpool engine room. Dalglish already has the task of encouraging the talents of Jay Spearing following his impressive displays last term.
The price tag suggests that Henderson is more than just a long-term investment. Having missed just one Premier League game for Sunderland last season, he will be looking to stake his claim for starts and presumably Dalglish has plans that will see the new England cap become an integral part of his lineup. Whether that will lead to returns that will have us Fantasy managers on alert is another matter.
The Statistics
The numbers do little to illustrate Hendersonโs potential, if anything they clearly outline one of his key failings – a lack of goals. While Henderson was one of Sunderlandโs most consistent performers having started 37 league matches, he mustered just 3 goals and 5 assists last term, having returned a single goal and 5 assists in 23 starts back in 2009/10.
From a Fantasy perspective then, there is perhaps little to get excited about. However, a closer inspection of his season for the Black Cats reveals more than a hint of potential. Delving into the OPTA data available, we see that Henderson was amongst the Premier Leagueโs top five midfielders for goalscoring chances created; in addition to his assists, Henderson made 78 key passes. Had Sunderland held on to Darren Bent, or managed to have other strikers fit and available, itโs feasible that Henderson could have ended the season with double figure returns in the assist column. Certainly, with Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez as targets, you would expect his prospects to improve in this area if he gains a regular starting berth.
The Prospects
Determined and disciplined in training, with an impeccable reputation on and off the field, Henderson arrives at Anfield with glowing reviews from his former employer. Steve Bruce has previously been unreserved in his praise for the midfielderโs efforts and made his view on his potential very clear…
“We’ve got the brightest young prospect in the British game in Jordan…He’s certainly the biggest, the best young British footballer there is. At 20 years old he’s got the world at his feet…He’s a fantastic footballer…Jordan’s got the lot. He’s 6ft 2in but he covered 13 kilometres against Aston Villa without giving the ball away. He can tackle, he can pass, he can cross, he just needs to score a goal but he can do that, he can hit the ball.โ
Having left his boyhood club, there will of course be concerns that Henderson may struggle to stake a claim for a starting role; that Liverpool have perhaps signed a player for the future rather than one who can make a quick impact. All the noise from Anfield suggests otherwise however – Damien Comolli, Liverpoolโs director of football, was particularly illuminating on this matter following yesterdayโs deal…
โHe is definitely a player for now. Obviously it’s up to Kenny to decide but we see him as a player for now. In all the talks Kenny had with him he said, ‘If you come you will be very, very, very much a part of my plans.’ We know we are building for the future, a bit like with Luis and Andy in January, but we are also signing a player who is going to be effective from day one.โ
Henderson has industry and strong passing skills but doesn’t possess the raw pace and trickery to suggest heโs the answer to Liverpoolโs lack of width on the right-flank. If he does claim a place in the Liverpool midfield, he may well drift out to that side of the field – a role he took up when Steve Bruce was forced into a five-man midfield with striker options limited. With Carroll and Suarez as options up front, itโs difficult to see Dalglish opt for five across the middle, unless he continues to experiment with the 3-5-2 formation we saw away from home on occasions last term. With attacking full-backs at his disposal and a rumoured interest in Arsenalโs Gael Clichy, that could yet be the intention.
In a 4-4-2 and with Gerrard back in the mix and Kuyt and Rodriguez surely occupying the role on the right, Henderson would presumably be competing for starts in central areas with Meireles, Lucas and Spearing. His responsibilities at set-pieces for Sunderland is unlikely to be translated to Anfield given Gerrardโs influence so, unless there is early evidence that Henderson has made significant strides with his ability to find the net, the overall Fantasy potential on offer seems reliant on him creating chances to be converted by team-mates.
While regular starts and a fee of around 7.0 in the Fantasy Premier League game would provide a temptation and certainly make Henderson a consideration around periods of strong fixtures, it seems unlikely that heโll make any initial Fantasy squads.
The pre-season will be interesting and should reveal more on Dalglishโs plans for his new signing and role in his formation. Right now, Henderson is a player that demands monitoring; a prospect that could yet flourish into a true Premier League force, although a major transformation in fortune and style is required if he is to be more than a bit player in our Fantasy seasons.
Right Fantasy managers are likely to be more concerned on the opportunities that Hendersonโs departure opens for the likes of Elmohamady at the Stadium of Light, whilst pondering whether his arrival at Anfield will disrupt the starting roles for Kuyt and Meireles.
