Stephen Henderson

[BryanRoy22]

He's a League 1 goalkeeper for me and if we played him regularly that's where we'd end up.

That's the bottom line.

It's a tough position and I know it was his first game back after a long lay-off, but you have to inspire more confidence than that and do the basics of shot-stopping at the very least.

The odd mistake is fine, but when you watch a game and think the other team is likely to score with every shot, it's not a good sign. And that's not just yesterday.

 

[Alf-engelos Mindminackers]

That's got to be challenging JW's "Reid needs dropping" for the all-time LTLF idiotic suggestion trophy

:yes: :cheers:

I've just checked and we're not far off conceding 25 goals in 16 games!

 

[account deleted]

:yes: :cheers:

I've just checked and we're not far off conceding 25 goals in 16 games!

I've missed those numbers!

 

[congo_red_49]

Lets not dance around the subject - the first 3 goals were poor from Hendo. I'd have expected him to save them, and definitely expected Smith to save them.

He was always on a hiding to nothing to be fair, rusty after a long lay-off, lacking confidence knowing he's facing a top side, with a shaky backline in front of him...

 

[Matt]

He was always on a hiding to nothing to be fair, rusty after a long lay-off, lacking confidence knowing he's facing a top side, with a shaky backline in front of him...

There's a lot I can forgive, but his shot stopping had to be better yesterday. It's a basic prerequisite of being a goalkeeper and he didn't manage it.

 

[incapable hulk]

I find it hard to single out Henderson. Other than Ben Osborn, virtually every player looked massively out of their depth against Chelsea.

Henderson could have done better but then there were lots of mistakes and we don't seem to be calling everyone else out.

We have to limp through to January with Smith and Henderson, hoping that as soon as the window opens that the club has already sorted a deal out for a good goalkeeper to get in as quickly as possible.

 

[SLM92NF]

I find it hard to single out Henderson. Other than Ben Osborn, virtually every player looked massively out of their depth against Chelsea.

Henderson could have done better but then there were lots of mistakes and we don't seem to be calling everyone else out.

We have to limp through to January with Smith and Henderson, hoping that as soon as the window opens that the club has already sorted a deal out for a good goalkeeper to get in as quickly as possible.

I think we are fine with Smith though to be honest. I get there's the whole playing out from the back thing but I don't think he's as bad at it as people suggest, just it's highlighted more given you give the ball away in a dangerous area when it goes wrong!

Henderson may have joined a long queue of players but some of it was really poor, as it has consistently been in games he's played. There's the odd great save that comes from him but there's a clanger following not far behind. You look at the goal where the ball went under him, middle of the goal last night, 2 were conceded at near post... He just ain't that good in my view.

 

[Cunning Linguist]

I think we are fine with Smith though to be honest. I get there's the whole playing out from the back thing but I don't think he's as bad at it as people suggest, just it's highlighted more given you give the ball away in a dangerous area when it goes wrong!

Henderson may have joined a long queue of players but some of it was really poor, as it has consistently been in games he's played. There's the odd great save that comes from him but there's a clanger following not far behind. You look at the goal where the ball went under him, middle of the goal last night, 2 were conceded at near post... He just ain't that good in my view.

I reckon you are being too kind to Henderson there. He's a shocking keeper and I cannot understand why we bought him. There have got to be better keepers out there than Henderson & Smith. I'd rather have Lee Camp back.

 

[MASE]

Henderson could have done better but then there were lots of mistakes and we don't seem to be calling everyone else out.

His lead directly to 3 goals though.

Im genuinely stunned that Hendersons performance hasn't encouraged more folk to concede Smiths shot stopping is actually a valuable asset to the team.

 

[incapable hulk]

I think we are fine with Smith though to be honest. I get there's the whole playing out from the back thing but I don't think he's as bad at it as people suggest, just it's highlighted more given you give the ball away in a dangerous area when it goes wrong!

Henderson may have joined a long queue of players but some of it was really poor, as it has consistently been in games he's played. There's the odd great save that comes from him but there's a clanger following not far behind. You look at the goal where the ball went under him, middle of the goal last night, 2 were conceded at near post... He just ain't that good in my view.

He probably isn't. I am not a big fan of his either but he seems to bearing the brunt of the majority of criticism from last night. Not sure that is entirely fair. He wasn't very good but then most of the players weren't and were just as culpable for making mistakes which lead to some of the goals.

Smith is an excellent shot stopper who makes incredible saves but very much like Paul Smith in that he seems to create panic in his box and constantly either whacks the ball out of play or gives it away. He has a real problem with not being able to make the right decision when given the ball and allowed to think about it. He is excellent at making reflex saves, he kept us up last season with some of them, but you see time and time again that he gets a rush of blood to the head and does something stupid when he has the ball for any length of time. It's not that he can't accurately pass the ball to a team mate, I am sure if you stood him on a training ground and said "kick the ball to him over there" he'd nail it 9 times out 10, but when he's put on the spot in a game he tends to panic.

The other side of this is the longer he keeps on doing it in a side like this the more scared he will of making those mistakes and it doesn't benefit his development. In an ideal world he would have gone out on loan to a lower league side and come back to us more developed.

 

[Red Dawn]

Can't really complain given the opposition, but thought he could have done much better with at least three of their goals yesterday.

Not seen anything to suggest he deserves to be starting any game I'm afraid.

 

[adam09]

He was a bit rusty to say the least, the way he was running looks really awkward, like he's taking shortened strides. Goal wise, yeah, probably could have done better with 1 and 3 and so could Mancienne to be fair.

 

[Eddie Yates]

I think he's about on a par with that useless Serbian we've just f**ked off, MW will get a keeper in January

 

[Strummer]

I think he's about on a par with that useless Serbian we've just f**ked off, MW will get a keeper in January

I think that is an absolute given.

 

[LostThatLovingFeeling]

He probably isn't. I am not a big fan of his either but he seems to bearing the brunt of the majority of criticism from last night. Not sure that is entirely fair. He wasn't very good but then most of the players weren't and were just as culpable for making mistakes which lead to some of the goals.

Smith is an excellent shot stopper who makes incredible saves but very much like Paul Smith in that he seems to create panic in his box and constantly either whacks the ball out of play or gives it away. He has a real problem with not being able to make the right decision when given the ball and allowed to think about it. He is excellent at making reflex saves, he kept us up last season with some of them, but you see time and time again that he gets a rush of blood to the head and does something stupid when he has the ball for any length of time. It's not that he can't accurately pass the ball to a team mate, I am sure if you stood him on a training ground and said "kick the ball to him over there" he'd nail it 9 times out 10, but when he's put on the spot in a game he tends to panic.

The other side of this is the longer he keeps on doing it in a side like this the more scared he will of making those mistakes and it doesn't benefit his development. In an ideal world he would have gone out on loan to a lower league side and come back to us more developed.

The difference is Henderson's mistakes were his sole contribution to the game.

 

[Statto]

Folk were referring to De Vries as dead wood after that game and wanted him out. It was only after Darlow went and De Vries came back in and did well that people took to him.

But we all knew de Vries had it, because he was the keeper who did consistently well getting promotions at Swansea. Henderson's main standout contribution is getting relegated with Charlton.

I agree singling him out last night would be harsh considering other defenders made mistakes too but when we are playing a team who have an unused sub which cost more than our club did to buy it puts it into perspective. He didn't make any howlers but he could have done better with some of the goals, like most of our defence really.

 

[Joe Baker's Dog]

Henderson should have done better with 3 of their goals. But to be fair this was his first proper game in a long time. Not sure he'll be with us long term.

 

[incapable hulk]

The difference is Henderson's mistakes were his sole contribution to the game.

The difference compared to what? The other players?

But we all knew de Vries had it, because he was the keeper who did consistently well getting promotions at Swansea. Henderson's main standout contribution is getting relegated with Charlton.

I agree singling him out last night would be harsh considering other defenders made mistakes too but when we are playing a team who have an unused sub which cost more than our club did to buy it puts it into perspective. He didn't make any howlers but he could have done better with some of the goals, like most of our defence really.

Don't get me wrong, I am not defending Henderson particularly. Just pointing out that De Vries early appearances saw him make a couple of mistakes and there was voice amongst some sections of the supporters that he wasn't good enough and needed getting rid of. But then he turned it around and won player of the season.

I don't think Henderson is going to do that, but at times last season he looked decent, at other times not so much, and this was his first game coming back from a long term injury. He could have done better but in the circumstances I am not especially surprised or angry that he didn't. He was rusty having not played for ages, dropped into a side with a defence that could be best described as shambolic, against the reigning Premier League champions who were fielding genuine world class talent.

Everyone in the side was clearly overwhelmed by events not just Henderson. Had Smith been in goal I think the scoreline would have been just as bad because he would have given the ball away as he usually does which Chelsea would have brutally exploited.

Goalkeeper is huge weak spot for us at the moment and hopefully in January Warburton will be able to sort it.

 

[West Beach Red]

When He came in last season to replace that Serbian Cover Boy, he was an improvement - lets face it anyone would have been - but he still shipped a fair few goals

 

[marshal99]

the serb made him looked world class in comparison but still poor in actuality.

 

[Fawazzock]

and people called Darlow flapper

 

[Statto]

and people called Darlow flapper

He is. Henderson is a traffic cone

 

[Fawazzock]

 

[Lee]

Laughable, first game back in like 6 months, no preseason or anything.

 

[Statto]

He's still unbelievably shit, even when there is no possible excuse.