Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson should be picked ahead of Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita right now.
That’s the view of former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique. The Spaniard has turned into an outspoken Reds fan on social media over recent years, and he’s been at it again.
Today, Enrique replied to a Twitter post from liverpool.com asking which of Liverpool’s midfielders should start the next three games. The catch is that only one can be chosen.
With Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara the options, Enrique plumped emphatically for his former teammate – Henderson. Who would you say, Reds?
Slim pickings in Liverpool’s midfield
This is something that has been causing debate amongst Liverpool fans all season long.
On paper, this trio are three of Liverpool’s four best midfielders – the other being Fabinho. Given Fabinho’s huge drop-off this season, that leaves Keita, Henderson and Thiago as the Reds best options.
Unfortunately though, football isn’t played on paper. In practice, we have rarely, if ever seen these three play together.
But forget about the past, let’s focus on this season. Right now, the player in the best form is probably Keita. Given that he’s clearly leaving the club in a few months, that’s a sorry state of affairs.
Thiago has ironically stayed fit for an elongated period for one of the first times in his Liverpool career. That it comes with the team in such poor form is surely a coincidence, right?
Well, perhaps. But Thiago hasn’t been blameless. He’s only one cog of a terrible functioning midfield, but he is the cog most regularly selected this season.
As a result, he has to come under some scrutiny. Given his level of performance since arriving at Liverpool, he does come under far less of that than either Henderson and Keita, and that’s probably fair enough. But he needs to do better.
And then there’s Enrique’s choice – the skipper. Coming off the back of a few games out of the side, it seems likely that Henderson will return to the line-up for Monday’s Merseyside Derby. But that’s really more as a by-product of poor performance from others. When he himself has played, he hasn’t exactly set the world alight. Slim pickings for Liverpool, let’s see what Jurgen decides.