Liverpool fans: You know Jordan Henderson isn’t bad, right?

SEVILLE, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 21: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool FC reacts during the UEFA Champions League group E match between Sevilla FC and Liverpool FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on November 21, 2017 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
SEVILLE, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 21: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool FC reacts during the UEFA Champions League group E match between Sevilla FC and Liverpool FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on November 21, 2017 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Jordan Henderson divides the opinions of Liverpool fans. But is he really deserving of the amount of criticism he receives, or is there another explanation?

Jordan Henderson seems to split Liverpool fans into two distinct camps. Those that have almost an intrinsic need tell whoever will listen that the Liverpool skipper and England international is terrible at football, and those understand that while he isn’t world-class, he’s still got talent.

But why does the midfielder evoke such divisive opinions? Is he the only midfielder that has ever passed a ball backwards on a game of football?

Only with Henderson will you find somebody willing to dig through game footage and replays to prove that his last pass was indeed not at what can be considered a forward angle. No, it’s yet another sideways pass from the “King of Crab’s”.

Why people feel so passionately about the perceived lack of ability is strange. In recent years, Liverpool FC has had numerous players with far less talent. Players who care far less about winning have had a free ride in comparison. So again, why Henderson?

It could possibly be a case of being at the scene of too many crimes. Henderson has been at the club since 2011 and we all know there have been some substantially disappointing seasons during his tenure.

Although the end result isn’t all his fault, some may deem him guilty by the consistency of his association to those results.

One thing that is generally agreed on by all is that he had a slow start to his Liverpool career. Having moved for a then high fee of 20m, he was played in a few different positions and never really got going.

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It was not really until the title challenge of the 2013/14 season under Brendan Rodgers that the former Sunderland man really performed with any consistency. For many, opinions were already formed by then and the fuel was abundant for those who wanted to call out any shortcomings.

When it boils down, this latter point appears the most logical explanation behind the dislike of Henderson. Some people have spent so long criticizing the midfielder that they become blinkered to any positive elements of a performance.

Recycling possession with a sideways or backwards pass is what people are looking for to justify their preconceptions of his ability, and this is accentuated by the fact that his qualities are not the most eye-catching.

Henderson isn’t the type of player to produce silky skills, take three opponents out of the game and rifle a 30 yarder into the top corner. He is somebody that can be combative, has tremendous work rate, and a good sense of positioning and tactical awareness.

Ask any midfielder that has played with him and I’m sure they love it. However, aside from his ability to quickly spot gaps between lines and deliver the ball, along with his improving range of passing, most traits in isolation are unremarkable and therefore are easily overlooked. Only when considering all attributes Henderson brings do you understand the value of his contributions.

Despite what many choose to believe, Jordan Henderson had the most forward passes in the Premier League last season out of any of the main five central midfielders Klopp used (Henderson, Wijnaldum, Can, Milner, Oxlade Chamberlain).

Henderson clocked in with 1115 forward passes, 313 more than next closest James Milner. Although this is in part down to him playing a deeper role, it still seems to contradict the belief that he only passes sideways and backwards.

“Well those passes were only short ones to the nearest player, they don’t really count”? Think again. Henderson averaged the longest average pass length with 22 yards, compared to the rest who averaged 15-18 yards. This is indicative of his aforementioned improvement in not only range but consistency of passing.

Nobody is saying he is a world-class player, or that it isn’t possible or beneficial for us to look to improve upon. But with a combination of work rate, accuracy, and game intelligence, Henderson does offer Liverpool a significant amount.

Is he really deserving of the volume of criticism he receives, particularly from his own fans who supposedly watch him regularly?

Next: Every single Jordan Henderson goal for Liverpool ranked!

Next time you find yourself calling Henderson terrible, stop and think. Is he really that bad, or has it just become a habit?