Mere days after calling on Liverpool to hand fullback Jon Flanagan a new contract, Reds captain Jordan Henderson is once again singing the praises of the Merseyside born and bred defender after putting in a stellar performance in the 3-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield yesterday.
“We definitely channelled the anger,” the 25-year old told the club’s official website. “We felt they took something from us at the weekend that maybe we deserved, but tonight we made sure that we took the three points,” continued the skipper. “I think Flanno definitely set the tempo of the game,” added Henderson, making reference to his crunching tackle on Raheem Sterling in the opening exchanges. “The fans lifted that extra little bit, and from that point the whole team lifted, so that was a big moment in the game.”
After making his first Premier League start since May 2014, the 23-year old not only made a serious case for a new deal, but a spot in the starting eleven. While it’s likely that his contract situation will be sorted in the very near future, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has remained cautious over throwing him back into the mixer on a regular basis with his fitness still a concern for the German.
“After 20-something months out he played so smart and so clever. In the first half he showed his opponent (Sterling) ‘maybe we were friends a few months ago but not for tonight’!” said the Reds manager with a mischievous grin. “In the second half he saved energy by not going forward as much and was really clever,” he explained. “When we’ve spoken about Flanno, we talk about 20 months, not about quality. But now we need to see what we can do with him. The Premier League is about Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday, Wednesday so we will have to think about this,” he said, striking a cautious tone. “That’s why we have to judge the intensity a little bit. That’s all.”
