In football, no team is based solely around one particular component. No team is just one player, no matter how good one particular individual may be. The loss of a club's top talent, never necessarily means it should be condemned to the doldrums just because they have moved on - regardless of what the English media would have you believe. Nevertheless, the recently labeled "failure" of Spurs' £100 million splash on replacement signings for their star player Gareth Bale, has seen an increase in the number of doubts over whether Liverpool can recover from the loss of Luis Suárez. A number of smart signings brought in an effort to replace his overall impact has suddenly and unfairly been branded "doing a Spurs", ignoring the fact Brendan Rodgers has brought all his targets in with the idea of fitting them into a clear system, something the North London club clearly didn't do.
The debate as to whether the Reds will "cope" or not without Suárez will likely rumble on throughout the season, and will pop up almost everytime they encounter some form of problem - be it a surprising loss or an injury to a striker. In his place, it will be the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling who are trusted to lead Liverpool's charge into Champions League qualification, but what if there's another in the side that could be even more important. Not Simon Mignolet. Not Steven Gerrard. Not Dejan Lovren or Mamadou Sakho. But, Jordan Henderson. The midfielder is someone cast into the wilderness in terms of importance. Rarely do you hear someone outside of the Liverpool fanbase even credit Henderson, nevermind acknowledge that he is increasingly crucial to Rodgers' side. The boss said it himself, when the energetic midfielder's impact was shown in the final three games, ironically because he wasn't there. As they say, "you don't know what you had until you've lost it" and though it was only three games, the Reds were a shadow of the team they had been just a weeks beforhand. Those same three games in which Henderson was missing through suspension, Liverpool released their grip of the Premier League title, which they had almost put one hand on after a phenomenal 11 game winning streak.
"He's just a runner" is generally the opinion of those too obnoxious enough to realise Henderson is much, much more than Match of the Day pundits, or a joke account on Twitter, would have you believe. Whilst it's certainly true that his eagerness to press, harry and selflessly help the team with his hard work ethic, his Forrest Gump-esque endless running is not the be-all and end-all of his talents. The English youth skipper has flourished into a skilful, passing box-to-box who is as influential in the attack as he is in defending and helping out the less mobile Steven Gerrard.
Most crucially, Henderson is thoroughly consistent. Week-in, week-out, the 24-year-old was a man to be counted in any situation. Considering the difference between his recent campaigns and his first season under Kenny Dalglish at Anfield (where he was wrongly utilised), he's come on less leaps and bounds and more quantum jumps across gaping chasms and canyons. His game has evolved exponentially, in the fashion that now he could very well be a candidate for the captain's armband once Gerrard retires.
Now he needs to add more product to his game, with his chance creation and conversion the weakest part of his game. Having had the time to settle and reach his best form, now is the time for Henderson to really push himself and so 2014-15 will be a huge season for him as much as anyone. Rodgers has tasked him with scoring more, and his attacking positional sense, late driving runs into the box and shooting technique ensure he has all the right ingredients to become the goal-scoring midfielder that the club have lacked since Gerrard's slow decline into his mid-30's. The skipper's new deep-lying position means his contributions are largely limited to set-pieces, so now is Jordan's time to step up to the mantle.
It's a big weight on his shoulders, and he has a lot to manage already - given that he and the chosen third midfielder alongside him are forced to buzz around Gerrard and ensure the midfield isn't overexposed by his lack of mobility. Henderson's wholeheartedness and endurance however, means he'll have no issue whatsoever with having to further expand his game. In fact, in some ways he is already showing signs of adapting to Gerrard's previous role in the side, particularly under Rafael Benitez. Henderson's passing, is as easy-on-the-eye as his veteran's teammate always has been. The long driving "Hollywood" pass has become something Liverpool some more and more regularly from the Sunderland-born midfielder, and his ball retention in tight situations is equally as impressive. Not only is his passing, and his ability to see the space, run into it and pose problems impressive, but his skill is also something that has improved notably in the last 18 months. Countless times, a little flick or deft touch outside the box has led to a chance or even a goal. Tottenham away and Villa at home and even more recently, Southampton in the current season's opener. Whilst it wasn't quite pure flair, his role in taking possession, masterfully winning it back twice and curling a 40-yard through ball to Sterling was as important as the 19-year-old's finish itself. More and more often, Henderson is becoming involved in the final third. Be it a key pass, an attention-diverting run, or a brilliant piece of skill. That's why Henderson will be vital this season, as despite the obvious flamboyant talents of Adam Lallana and Phil Coutinho in and around the box, Henderson is likely to be the furthest forward of a midfield three. That means he'll have to add to the goal tally, despite recording seven and five assists last year, on top of his pre-existing roles of being the pioneer of the pressing machine, helping out Gerrard in the middle and rushing back to defend during counter attacks. There's a lot on his plate.
He's got off to a good start already and was one of Liverpool's best performers in a below-par performance on the opening day. Henderson excelled going forward, with his pin-point assist and a number of other influential passes and runs, and he covered Gerrard's defensive work at the same time by getting stuck into a number of tackles and interceptions. He's the most vital midfielder in the squad, because he attacks, defends, covers and his importance to the team cannot be underestimated. If Henderson didn't turn up, it's likely the team as a whole would suffer. His energy and tenacity is a fantastic example to every one else in the squad, and it is often him who you see boldly charging at defenders, midfielders or forwards to make them panic on the ball. It works too, with Henderson regularly dispossessing players before allowing the side to burst away into attacks - most namely when he nicked the ball from Mesut Özil's feet before Sterling added a third goal. It's those moments that go unnoticed and forgotten about. But, because of them, Henderson will be one of Brendan Rodgers' first names on the teamsheet. If he can really start adding the assists and the goals (what you need to be considered a good player in a lot of fans' narrow-minded eyes) then he could become one of Liverpool's best, regardless of how good and important he is already. No matter what you may think, Henderson is a player on the rise. Write him off at your peril, because this season might just be his best yet.