Darius Henderson

[LouTheBlade]

I just wanted a quick word on this player because he is one I like and I want to defend him where possible. I think this guy often gets stick because of the style of football used. This is NOT Darius Henderson's fault! He is a very decent centre forward and can only work with the service he gets.

Yes, Kevin Blackwell tends to play a very direct style (to say the least) when Darius is available but this is a guy who can play football as well. He has scored some cracking goals, two which I remember recently against Bristol City - sublime finishes. He is a much better footballer than he gets credit for and is allowed to show. He is also our top scorer by some distance despite spending most of the season injured so must play every game for me.

I may be a little biased because I like that style of centre forward. I prefer to see United with a big, imposing forward because it gives your other attacking players a lot of relief IMO. I have also played against forwards of this type and quality in the past and believe me, they are the hardest to play against. Yes he gives away free kicks quite often but people forget how often he has created a chance or nicked a goal just from throwing his weight around and making a clever run.

Darius is a proper Blade, a real Sheffield United type of player. I hate to see criticism of him on here although I appreciate other opinions. Just cut him some slack because he gives 110% and has to manage with what service he gets!

 

[SBSP]

Sorry but I disagree with pretty much all of that. I know that he can't help the style that KB insists on playing him in, but it doesn't make up for his negatives.
He is a big target man and does have to deal with poor service at times but that doesn't excuse the fact that he doesn't even jump for a lot of the balls hoofed up to him. When he does make an attemp he doesn't concentrate on the ball, he is more interested in wrestling with their centre half then whinging to the ref when he gives away a foul again.
I don't mind the idea of playing this system, but we need players capable of doing it well.
That said I'd always pick quick skillfull strikers first.

 

[sitwell]

The 4 points picked up at Barnsley and Bristol were completely due to him 'doing it well'.

 

[WhiteHawk]

I agree. I don't understand the stick that Darius gets. It reminds me of the Andy Gray situation (how any striker can score 18 goals in a season and still be labelled as crap is beyond me)

 

[shorehamview]

I bet Henderson would look better and posibly even score more if we had a better style of play. Passing it to feet, and two nippy wingers getting balls into the box, either to his head or to his feet. That is of course a rather radical departure from the usual "boot it to the tall fella and let him back into the defender, you never know, he might actually not get penalised this time" school of thought.

 

[silverfox]

I agree. I don't understand the stick that Darius gets. It reminds me of the Andy Gray situation (how any striker can score 18 goals in a season and still be labelled as crap is beyond me)

I think i'd be advising Henderson to stand off his man a yard. If Andy Gray would have done that instead of the shirt holding he'd have been an excellent player.

Even better play with 2 out and out wingers as SV points out.

Football can be simple.

 

[shorehamview]

Football can be simple.

It can, but unfortunately it would appear that we have gone for the simple option of "hoof it to Hendo" far too long. If we were to play it to his feet the opposition would be bewildered. All their scouting would be up the swanny for a start.

 

[SBSP]

I think if we did actually play proper wings who's main aim was to get to the byline and put a cross in he would play a lot better. He has scored plenty of headed from crosses but just goofing hopeful balls in his general direction doesn't help, I just don't think his ability to hold it up and pick a pass is good enough. He isn't all to blame as half if the problem is the lack of movement and forward runs made by our midfield.

 

[silverfox]

It can, but unfortunately it would appear that we have gone for the simple option of "hoof it to Hendo" far too long. If we were to play it to his feet the opposition would be bewildered. All their scouting would be up the swanny for a start.

At least a few times in a game eh?

 

[super_pig]

feel a bit sorry for henderson. even though he is the icon of the hoofball style at bdtbl, it isn't his fault if people are lazy and keep hoofing it to him.. he is probably as sick of it as anyone else

 

[Darthblade]

feel a bit sorry for henderson. even though he is the icon of the hoofball style at bdtbl, it isn't his fault if people are lazy and keep hoofing it to him.. he is probably as sick of it as anyone else

Totally agree!! henderson holds the ball up as well as any forward in the division, when it is played to his chest or feet. Unfortunately, Mr.Blackwell prefers to see snow on the ball and plays hoofball, which is not Hendersons fault. When the ball is played high in the air to ANY forward, back to goal, 20 to 30 yards out, what options do they have. Flick on or nothing!!
Its Blackwell and his predictable one dimensional style of percentage football that is to blame, NOT Henderson.
UTB

 

[JohnDenver]

Totally agree!! henderson holds the ball up as well as any forward in the division, when it is played to his chest or feet. Unfortunately, Mr.Blackwell prefers to see snow on the ball and plays hoofball, which is not Hendersons fault. When the ball is played high in the air to ANY forward, back to goal, 20 to 30 yards out, what options do they have. Flick on or nothing!!
Its Blackwell and his predictable one dimensional style of percentage football that is to blame, NOT Henderson.
UTB

The best hold-up players I've seen at United are Hulse and Shipperly. Even Wayne Allison was good at it so long as the ball in was decent. I wouldn't put Hendo in that league.

It's such a frustration because he would just be soooo much more useful than he currently is if he paid more attention to the ball than his marker. It would mean fewer suspensions for him as well.

I'd expect more intelligence from a £2m player.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

The best hold-up players I've seen at United are Hulse and Shipperly.

Completely agree with you. What I would say though is that with them in the team we weren't entirely predictable, which isn't the case at the minute. The ball wouldn't at every opportunity be lumped at them, and when it was we would also take advantage of their intelligence with the ball at their feet. The ball is simply lumped up at Henderson in the air, and we don't have the outlets out wide that would often be a focus under NW.

 

[Rustyblade]

I'd expect more intelligence from a £2m player.

No way. I'd expect more intelligence from the bloke who thought he was worth that much.

 

[bricktop]

The best hold-up players I've seen at United are Hulse and Shipperly. Even Wayne Allison was good at it so long as the ball in was decent. I wouldn't put Hendo in that league.

It's such a frustration because he would just be soooo much more useful than he currently is if he paid more attention to the ball than his marker. It would mean fewer suspensions for him as well.

I'd expect more intelligence from a £2m player.

More often than not, due to his size and the fact that he is effectively used as a target man, his marker will often try and get as close to him as possible, and try and draw a foul out of him.

I've always liked to see United with the classic big man/little man front pairing as i think it is a forward line that works well, and with the right players they can complement each other ever so well.

My ideal choice of front two would be Henderson and Ward, due to the differences in style of play of both which make for a excellent combination, and whenever i have seen both play up front together they seem to have a natural understanding of what the other one is trying to do, and where they will play the ball.

Instead Wardy gets shunted out to the wing, or left on the bench, whilst we let the awful Ched Evans continue his struggle to prove that he is a £3m striker.

 

[Latters]

More often than not, due to his size and the fact that he is effectively used as a target man, his marker will often try and get as close to him as possible, and try and draw a foul out of him.

Bit it's so easy to do. He rarely has his eye on the ball when it's coming in (and he has plenty of time to work out where it's coming from because it's floating in from the sky) and focuses 100% on his marker. Even if he made it look like he was going to try and head the ball rather than pull the defender's shirt he might get a bit of slack from officials.

His feet rarely leave the floor and the amount of times he "makes a back" for the defender rather than jumping is ridiculous. I just don't rate him and think we were robbed at £2m.

 

[LouTheBlade]

Bit it's so easy to do. He rarely has his eye on the ball when it's coming in (and he has plenty of time to work out where it's coming from because it's floating in from the sky) and focuses 100% on his marker. Even if he made it look like he was going to try and head the ball rather than pull the defender's shirt he might get a bit of slack from officials.

His feet rarely leave the floor and the amount of times he "makes a back" for the defender rather than jumping is ridiculous. I just don't rate him and think we were robbed at £2m.

When you have a 6"3" centre half smashing into the back of you and climbing all over your shoulders you try and ignore the guy that is doing it.

Very unfair criticism. What lets him down is his temperement, my only complaint.

 

[sitwell]

Hulse and Shipperley had much better players in midfield and full back so the quality of ball to them was much better. They also had willing runners to head or pass the ball onto. Henderson has poor supply ,'wingers' who lets be honest are either fullbacks or midfielders and a partner in Evans who plays like a showroom dummy.

 

[Latters]

When you have a 6"3" centre half smashing into the back of you and climbing all over your shoulders you try and ignore the guy that is doing it.

Very unfair criticism. What lets him down is his temperement, my only complaint.

I don't see that it's unfair just because you disagree with it. I think that if he offered a jump every now and again rather than never leaving the ground he might win a bit more favour with the officials. His tricks might fool a few of our fans who are shocked when he doesn't win a free kick, but they aren't going to trick a professional referee. As a rule, rather than actually jumping for the ball, he backs into the defender, then as the CB is jumping, Hendo bends over so the CB either falls over him or just wins the header. Despite what most of our faithful think, it is a foul.

I'm not denying the service he gets is poor, but I don't think he even comes close to making the most of it when the ball does come his way. I'm by no means saying he's the worst offender, but I don't rate him.

 

[super_pig]

hendo is probably as sick as the balls he gets as anyone else.. i'm not sure about him as a player.. i've never seen him play in a decent outfit..
i think he'd make a quality centre half though!

 

[LouTheBlade]

I don't see that it's unfair just because you disagree with it. I think that if he offered a jump every now and again rather than never leaving the ground he might win a bit more favour with the officials. His tricks might fool a few of our fans who are shocked when he doesn't win a free kick, but they aren't going to trick a professional referee. As a rule, rather than actually jumping for the ball, he backs into the defender, then as the CB is jumping, Hendo bends over so the CB either falls over him or just wins the header. Despite what most of our faithful think, it is a foul.

I'm not denying the service he gets is poor, but I don't think he even comes close to making the most of it when the ball does come his way. I'm by no means saying he's the worst offender, but I don't rate him.

Thats fair enough latters. If you dont rate him, you dont. Nothing wrong with that. I dont rate Ched Evans but others do! I dont subscribe to the view that he concedes free kicks through constant fouling. We have seen many times that once a player gets a reputation amongst referees they will give them fuck all on 50/50 decisions - Henderson, Morgan, Kevin Davies (apart from when he plays against us), Drogba. Happens all the time. Hendo plays the game hard and gives as good as he gets. I play the same way and I admire that in any player - same goes for Morgan and Monty.

Maybe Hendo does need to keep his elbows down a bit and leap a bit more but its hard to jump when a big lumbering centre back is climbing all over you, which is the treatment he normally gets.

I will conceded he gets a bit naughty sometimes when he sees the red mist and that is what lets him down. One off the ball incident I remember in the Newcastle game where Coloccini goes through the back of him and Hendo chased him 30 yards to twat him in the back of the head. The referee was oblivious to it all but if you have the recording of that game watch it back. It was during the first half and is hilarious!

I dont like the suggestion that referees are "professional" because I am yet to see a handful who I can say have performed in that manner. Most of them have never played the game to a reasonable standard so have no idea what goes off, particularly with 50/50's.

 

[Grecian2000]

I don't see that it's unfair just because you disagree with it. I think that if he offered a jump every now and again rather than never leaving the ground he might win a bit more favour with the officials. His tricks might fool a few of our fans who are shocked when he doesn't win a free kick, but they aren't going to trick a professional referee. As a rule, rather than actually jumping for the ball, he backs into the defender, then as the CB is jumping, Hendo bends over so the CB either falls over him or just wins the header. Despite what most of our faithful think, it is a foul.

It annoys me intensely to see him constantly fouling (as he always did when he played against us) as the ball is in the air way before it gets to him. Once the ref has spotted this once, it is then something he notices for the rest of the game (very much like Andy Gray reaching behind him and grabbing the defender when he is about to receive).
If we played it to feet it wouldn't be a problem but we don't.

He wouldn't foul so much if he got better service but because of his build we take an easy option of Hoof and he gets crap service.