Paul Merson has slammed Jordan Henderson for being a pale imitator of Manchester City midfield anchorman Fernandinho.
The high-profile pundit claimed the England international sometimes gets “over-confident” and starts “trying to spray 40-yard Hollywood balls everywhere” rather than keep it more simple like the recently-absent Brazilian.
Writing in his weekly Daily Star column, Merson said: “Fernandinho is the first name on the team sheet for a reason. I understand why Guardiola tried to sign Jorginho because he’s a similar player. He reads the game, presses well, and always keeps it simple.
“That is so valuable. I watch other players who play there and they do that for 20 minutes and then they get over-confident and start trying to spray 40-yard Hollywood balls everywhere.
“Jordan Henderson sometimes does that. But not Fernandinho. He’s switched on for 90 minutes, he knows his role, and he does it to the letter. He has been a massive, massive miss, and he’s the reason City lost those games. It would not have happened if he was fit. He runs the show.”
OPINION
Fernandinho is certainly an upgrade on Henderson. He has been a mainstay of an outstanding City side since joining in 2013 and two Premier League medals among a bulging trophy cabinet are metallic proof of the impact he’s made. Henderson is a fine player bubbling with energy and industry, but his sometimes-wonky distribution and limited technical ability irritate Liverpool fans, and many believe the extremely impressive Fabinho has already overtaken him as the best anchorman at the club. That said, Jurgen Klopp will be loathe to axe Henderson for each of the glamour clashes against Arsenal and Manchester City over the next week. The manager puts great store in Henderson’s ability to get the job done and follow instructions on such occasions, even though there are signs in his more-frequent substitute appearances that he is not quite as vital as he once was.