Ex-Liverpool Icon Henderson Nightmare Season Is Continuing at Ajax

The Eredivisie giants’ form has fallen off a cliff since the former Liverpool captain’s Jordan Henderson arrival in Amsterdam.

There was a startling lack of narratives available during the January 2024 transfer window. Jordan Henderson’s hotly contested decision to stop his Saudi Pro League “adventure” with Al-Ettifaq, however, was one story that broke through the radio quiet.

READ ALSO: Jordan Henderson Bizarrely Named One of Saudi’s Best Signing

Shortly before the window opened, there were whispers that Henderson wanted to stage an early departure because he was worried about his family’s incapacity to adjust to their new environment and the low level of competition in the nation before the Euros.

Midway through the month, he got his wish, with Ajax snapping him up on a surprisingly-long two-and-a-half year contract. Speaking immediately after that move was confirmed, Henderson unsurprisingly spoke of his desire to draw a line under his controversial Saudi transfer, also hinting at his hope that he could fade into the background at Ajax and focus solely on his on-field performances.

“If any people from that [LGBT+] community feel let down or hurt I apologise. If anyone was offended or feel as though I upset them, that’s on me, that was my decision and I apologise for that. It was never my intention. I just want to look forward now and concentrate on being the best player I can for Ajax. My beliefs have never changed and never will. Again I can only apologise if people feel let down,” he said at his unveiling.

And while Henderson has found himself on the back pages on UK newspapers far less frequently since his arrival in Amsterdam, it’s been far from plain sailing at Ajax so far.

Criticism for playing it safe

Henderson has also come under some personal fire with this lacklustre performance as a group. Those who are watching from the UK will recognise a lot of this. The 33-year-old has endured mockery throughout his career, sometimes unjustly, for his excessive safety in passing and lack of midfield impact.

Since Henderson’s return to Europe, Rafael van der Vaart has carried on this legacy by never being afraid to voice his opinions, especially when it comes to Ajax.

“They signed players with zero quality; you may have to sit this season out. They have brought in Jordan Henderson, who passes sideways and backwards all the time. That doesn’t make anyone happy,” the television pundit said after Ajax’s underwhelming 2-2 home draw with Bodo-Glimt in the Europa Conference League play-offs last month.

In keeping with the doomed vibe of Henderson’s season, he would not be able to prove Van de Vaart wrong in the return leg either, missing Ajax’s 2-1 victory in Norway with a knock.

Henderson retaliates

Henderson, however, hasn’t taken this criticism lightly. In an interview with NOS at the start of the month, he replied: “That’s football, right? There are always different opinions. I’ve experienced that so much, it doesn’t bother me. You have to deal with it as a player and keep your focus on what you want to achieve.”

Henderson might not be able to change the perception that he is an excessively cautious driver. One of the few positive aspects of his time at Al-Ettifaq was his ability to spot teammates’ runs beyond the rival defence. His ability to find Moussa Dembele with this kind of pass has always been a strength.

However, due to injuries to Steven Berghuis and Steven Bergwijn, Van t’ Schip was forced to switch up his lineup to a 5-4-1, with Brian Brobbey being the only forward left who can reliably dribble in behind the other team’s defence. And Henderson may be forced into these “boring” passes as a result of his lack of off-ball running.

ESPN analyst Kees Kwakman certainly thinks so, explaining this month: “Henderson needs boys who he can send deep. That is of course a bit of the story, that he only gives balls sideways. But that is not entirely true, because he also did this at Liverpool with [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane.

“So [Henderson] benefits from having Bergwijn in this team, who he can then send away with these kinds of balls. And that’s what he’s really looking for. And he doesn’t do that like [Andrea] Pirlo or [Joey] Veerman, 25 times per game, but he is looking for it.”