By Chandraditya Kusuma
In 5th of May, for the third time in a season, Liverpool FC, the most decorated team in British history will play in Wembley again. We’ve won againts Chelsea and Man City for Carling Final against Cardiff, and we trash Man United and Everton for FA Cup Final against Chelsea. Such a good achievements for an English team, and that’s what Liverpool FC stands for. Despite the achievements in the cups competition, Liverpool has been struggled in the league table. Out of the top four, out of the top six, and embarassingly sat below Everton in the stands. That fact is never ever accepted in Liverpool FC.
The achievements in the league has been an embarassement for the fans and the club. Many fans and outsiders have called many head for this. The manager’s strategy, the lack of luck, the bar, the lack of consistency, and maybe what I’ve heard the most is the unspectacular display of the spectacular-priced new players like Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson. I Agree that the 19 Million and 27 years old Downing should have made and instant impact and has been a quite disapointment, but the 23 years old Carroll and 21 years old Henderson should have not been judged by his performance today.
Are they overpriced? Well, yes, but I think all English young players will be overpriced nowadays. Maybe the policy of having some homegrown players to be registered for the league and European competition that make them cost that much. Not only Liverpool bought these kind of players, but i think Man Utd are also bought two overpriced players in Phil Jones and Ashley Young. Will they ever live up to their price? With 35million tag on his face, maybe Andy Carroll could never live up to it because at this moment maybe only Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo that could, but how much did Madrid spends on Ronaldo? 50 or more I guess. Henderson? With what he can do right now, he’s not gonna be a 16 Million player’s. But did the price only stands for what they can instantly do? I guess not, while Dalglish first came to this side that left by awful managements and owners, he’s target is to build a great Liverpool for the future. So remember, couple of last summer’s transfer was one for the future and forget the price tag cause it was and will never be fair.
Carroll’s game has been better and better in several weeks, he’s back to his best on athleticism and target-man play like the one we saw in Newcastle, times when Andy Carroll’s name has been sung out to the top of the lungs by English football fans as the future of England’s frontline, the next Alan Shearer, or even the best header in the world according to Kevin Keegan. Beside that, the most exciting thing to watch from a Liverpool player is a work ethic. Carroll works in and out for battling the ball for the team, making way for the likes of Suarez and other players to score and score for himself in the last two game with a never say die attitude.
Henderson? He’s not in his best position in the right wing, but I think he puts in a progress in his performance recently, now he can past one or two defenders with his runs. Technically, Jordan has the best passing range for a player in his age, his work ethic is also amazing, what we saw in him in Ewood Park last week was what a Liverpool FC player expected to do. Chasing down opponents, running and moving for spaces, he works tireless, even in an awkward position for him (a right-back). Then there’s another thing that makes me like Jordan Henderson more and more. It’s the fact that he always had an extra training, Dirk Kuyt said so on his Teammates Interview on LFCTV, Kuyt said Jordan was the hardest trainer in the team. Imagine if he keep doing it, what a player he would be.
As a fan, I never argue when Jordan and Andy starts every week, they deserves to get the chance to make himself better and better, experiencing games with the likes of Gerrard and Suarez would make them fit the shape of the team and more importantly grow confidence. Yes, confidence is what it takes to make them a better player. We often see Hendo and Big Andy lacking of confidence in the game, they’re not sure of their own capability, it’s shown on their face and their performance. In the case of Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll, what they need the most is confidence through playing time and trusts from the team and the fans. They’re arguably the best talent in British football, but it’s only confidence that could take them to be the best player they could be.