Please, tell me what you think these are? Not having a go, just curious.
He's a pass and move player. He keeps it simple so that the team keeps possession. Players like him are vital since they enable the flair players to take the risks and go for the impossible. His movement also creates the space for others to attack. He's good at linking the back to the front.
I'm amazed how often he passes it first or second touch. Passing it first time makes the pass so much harder to complete but he's very good at it. Using the ball quickly makes such a difference to an attack, whether sustained or on the counter. It's very difficult to create when each player takes four, five, six touches to do something with the ball. That's all the time the defense needs to stay organised. If you don't have players that can dribble through a defense and don't intend on a long ball approach, moving the ball around quickly is a great way to manipulate the defense and get them out of position. Slowing it down just gives them time to reorganise. I think his quick passing goes unnoticed because he's the only one doing it. He'll use the ball quickly and move but then whoever else gets the ball will often take his sweet time and it's all for nothing. He would be more eye catching if there was a midfield full of pass and move players like he is. As it is, his teammates often kill the tempo of the move.
He plays with the brain of a 30 year old whilst some his older teammates think like a 21 year old.
A common criticism is that he's invisible during games. I haven't looked at stats to confirm my "eye test" perception but I don't think he's receiving the ball drastically less than other players. What I've been wondering is that maybe because he uses the ball so quickly, people forget he's even been involved in the build up? Player A takes 5 touches before passing it to Henderson who passes it first time to player B. Player B then takes 5 touches before doing something with the ball. If you aren't concentrating, maybe you just remember players A and B since they were on the ball much longer? I don't know - just a theory.
Although he's not really a great tackler, I think he's vital to our defensive structures. He has a Kuyt-esque engine on him. The boy just fucking chases everything! Now pressing/containing is a whole topic on it's own - when to press, when to stay compact, defensive line height etc - but look how much work he does without the ball. So often you'll see a player sprinting off to press the ball carrier and it will be Henderson. Like I say, he's not strictly the best tackler but his mere presence plays an important role in stopping the opposition from creating a chance. He doesn't have to win the ball to have made a positive impact and thwarted the threat.
