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Jordan Henderson (signed for Brentford)

makumstu said:
Realistically you could say that Leadbitter would have been more likely to work, we were in League 1 and his career was coming to the end so him coming down to our level was right. We'd be asking a player to step up to a top level league that they hadn't played in for 2 years, a player who had won everything meaning that the only thing keeping the fire burning in him is being back at his boyhood club.

As we've seen with all of the local lads playing in the squad, the first signs of trouble and supporters get on their backs. Henderson would quickly become a target for this, maybe he could take it and would relieve pressure on others who knows.

All I know is there aren't many successful stories of Sunderland resigning somebody at a later stage.
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It's more the baggage for me. However nothing points to it making sense on the pitch as you say. Every signing this season has to be for the here and now and work from the off.
 

cronnyberg said:
I get why this could be seen as a sentimental/lazy link, but I honestly don't think it's the maddest move in the world. He's still in the England squad; he knows the league like the back of his hand; he would be great at driving standards in training; he suits our style of play; we are losing a starting box-to-box midfielder, and don't have one ready in the wings.

On the flip side, he's old, will be on decent wages, and doesn't suit Speakman's MO.

I'd honestly not be surprised either way, but I certainly wouldn't dismiss it out of hand.
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Can't see Henderson being box to box anymore, maybe he can play the Samed role this season for a similar amount of wages.
 
Football Dinosaur said:
Thanks 😊

He did leave but should never have gone in the first place. He knew what he was going and how much they wanted him given his earlier stance. He also helped their wc bid before going. On that basis its a no from me. On the footballing side I understand he's not pulled up trees in Holland so perhaps there's better out there.
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He's their captain, took them to 2nd in league and the UCL ffs!
 
Jasper said:
Can't believe people think the Ajax captain and England player wouldn't get games for us
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Yep I'm utterly baffled

If he'd been playing in Saudi for 2 years I'd get some of the uncertainty. But he's been playing in the 6th best league in Europe and played 15 times in UEFA competition last season.

If he wants to take a pay cut we'd be absolutely daft not to have him.
makumstu said:
Henderson coming back will end up like Leadbitter coming back, legs will have gone and just won't be the same.
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How is that remotely the same man

He's been captaining and playing regularly for Ajax including in the Europa League. Played over 4000 mins the equivalent of 36 games for them this season.

Leadbitter barely kicked a ball for Boro in the half a season before he joined us.
 
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Chewit said:
You wouldn’t have had Steve Bould then ?
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That's a leap, but OK. Different position. How many games did we get out of him? 20 or so before he broke completely?

As I've said, if the value is there and we protect ourselves then ok, but not on whatever he's on now, or indeed near it. he's never going to get better as a player, that's just a fact.
 
mackembhoy said:
Yep I'm utterly baffled

If he'd been playing in Saudi for 2 years I'd get some of the uncertainty. But he's been playing in the 6th best league in Europe and played 15 times in UEFA competition last season.

If he wants to take a pay cut we'd be absolutely daft not to have him.

How is that remotely the same man

He's been captaining and playing regularly for Ajax including in the Europa League. Played over 4000 mins the equivalent of 36 games for them this season.

Leadbitter barely kicked a ball for Boro in the half a season before he joined us.
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Aye, but if he comes here he'll be in a squad at the foot of the table and he'll have to graft like he's not done for a long time. Playing for Liverpool and Ajax at the top of their respective leagues is a hell of a lot different from to being under the cosh for 90 mins plus every week.

We'd need the Henderson that captained Liverpool to glory and (sadly) he's not that player anymore. As for England, he may get the odd game against Albainia or some of the lesser sides, but he's pretty much there as a spokesman/cheerleader/backup for the squad.

I really hope I'm wrong if he does sign, but I think he'll probably end up biting off more than he can chew and maybe leaving us short in CM with the lack of pace and workrate needed to survive in the PL.
 
He could have an incredible influence on the likes of Neil and Rigg. They will have massively looked up to Hendo during their years in the Academy and the idea that someone can go through that academy, leave to go and win it all and then return home before calling it a day
 
Mboma said:
Aye, but if he comes here he'll be in a squad at the foot of the table and he'll have to graft like he's not done for a long time. Playing for Liverpool and Ajax at the top of their respective leagues is a hell of a lot different from to being under the cosh for 90 mins plus every week.

We'd need the Henderson that captained Liverpool to glory and (sadly) he's not that player anymore. As for England, he may get the odd game against Albainia or some of the lesser sides, but he's pretty much there as a spokesman/cheerleader/backup for the squad.

I really hope I'm wrong if he does sign, but I think he'll probably end up biting off more than he can chew and maybe leaving us short in CM with the lack of pace and workrate needed to survive in the PL.
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But then unless we sign players from the sides relegated in the last few years, that would be the same for anyone we sign?

We ain't signing anyone from the 17 clubs already in the Prem as we can't afford that.

So I don't really follow that logic. We'll be taking a punt on anyone being able to make the step up to the Prem and keeping us 17th or above come the end of the season.

I'd say a guy with 400+ Premier League games might fare better than our current lot or another new signing. But that's for Speakman, Le Bris, Harvey and KLD to decide.
 
mackembhoy said:
But then unless we sign players from the sides relegated in the last few years, that would be the same for anyone we sign?

We ain't signing anyone from the 17 clubs already in the Prem as we can't afford that.

So I don't really follow that logic. We'll be taking a punt on anyone being able to make the step up to the Prem and keeping us 17th or above come the end of the season.

I'd say a guy with 400+ Premier League games might fare better than our current lot or another new signing. But that's for Speakman, Le Bris, Harvey and KLD to decide.
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How would it be the same?

The lad is 35 next month and is not the player he used to be. Quite frankly, if he wasn't one of our own, this discussion would have died away a long time ago.

We need pace, athleticism, strength, and physicality to just compete at the bottom man. You've seen the likes of Casemiro at United who's won pretty much everything there is and yet he's totally outmatched in the PL now and that's playing for Man U, not a club that's just got promoted.

If the club think he can strengthen us on the pitch then fair enough, I think he'll struggle when we're going to be on the backfoot each week.
 
This is absolutely obvious to me - Henderson, Le Fee and Neil in CM - assuming Jobe is leaving - 1 more also needed - recommend someone young, strong, with pace - that would be a top 17 midfield
 
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I'd definitely want him if he was cheap enough and willing to take a respectable wage. I think I'd prefer if he wasn't first name on the team sheet but someone who will start some games and come off the bench in others. Think really it looks like it is up to him, will he take a wage cut to come to us?
 
Mboma said:
How would it be the same?

The lad is 35 next month and is not the player he used to be. Quite frankly, if he wasn't one of our own, this discussion would have died away a long time ago.

We need pace, athleticism, strength, and physicality to just compete at the bottom man. You've seen the likes of Casemiro at United who's won pretty much everything there is and yet he's totally outmatched in the PL now and that's playing for Man U, not a club that's just got promoted.

If the club think he can strengthen us on the pitch then fair enough, I think he'll struggle when we're going to be on the backfoot each week.
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Some good pertinent points made.

If he (semi) retired and came back as a coach, but with the possibility of playing if we were desperate, cos of injuries/suspensions, that might work.
 
mackembhoy said:
Yep I'm utterly baffled

If he'd been playing in Saudi for 2 years I'd get some of the uncertainty. But he's been playing in the 6th best league in Europe and played 15 times in UEFA competition last season.

If he wants to take a pay cut we'd be absolutely daft not to have him.

How is that remotely the same man

He's been captaining and playing regularly for Ajax including in the Europa League. Played over 4000 mins the equivalent of 36 games for them this season.

Leadbitter barely kicked a ball for Boro in the half a season before he joined us.
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6th best league in Europe yet many come from that league and can't cut it in the Premier League.
 
Without having watched him play recently I'm guessing he went to Ajax because his stock had fallen after the move to Saudi and that was the best he could get. But perhaps there's more to it in terms of his level now.

How has he done for Ajax? Is this someone who can still cut it in the PL, or was there an element of realisation as well that he wasn't PL level any more? You'd think if he was going to be PL standard still that he would have shone last season in the Eredivisie. Obviously we don't need someone able to win a PL title, but we do need someone competitive at this level to help us win games against bottom half teams. Anyone watched a decent amount of him last season?
 
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The Great Soprendo said:
Without having watched him play recently I'm guessing he went to Ajax because his stock had fallen after the move to Saudi and that was the best he could get. But perhaps there's more to it in terms of his level now.

How has he done for Ajax? Is this someone who can still cut it in the PL, or was there an element of realisation as well that he wasn't PL level any more? You'd think if he was going to be PL standard still that he would have shone last season in the Eredivisie. Obviously we don't need someone able to win a PL title, but we do need someone competitive at this level to help us win games against bottom half teams. Anyone watched a decent amount of him last season?
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He nearly went to Monaco on January like so presume they must have thought he'd contribute
 
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