There’s loads of noise around Liverpool at any given time. Who should we sign, who should be moved on, who’s past it, who’s the next superstar. But one thing feels more basic than all of that: we miss a proper leader on the pitch.

Not in the corporate, armband-and-a-photoshoot way either. I mean the lad who spends 90 minutes pointing, talking, demanding, and making sure the team actually does what it’s meant to do. The kind of presence you can feel even when the game’s getting scrappy.

Henderson’s value wasn’t just the football

I was reminded of it watching that clip of Ben Foster and Tom Cleverley talking about Jordan Henderson. They were basically saying they were blown away by how he operated as captain when Liverpool came to Watford. And it tracks, doesn’t it?

Henderson was never universally loved as a footballer. People argued about his role, his ceiling, whether he was “technical enough”. But the one thing you couldn’t deny was the voice. During the closed-door Covid season, when the grounds were eerie and you could hear everything, Henderson was like an extra coach out there. Constant information. Constant demands. Making sure runners were tracked, the press went together, the line held.

That stuff matters. Especially when momentum swings and you need someone to calm it down or, equally, light the fire.

Is Virgil the leader we need right now?

People will say, “We’ve got Virgil.” And to be fair, Virgil has given this club an unbelievable amount. He’s been the best in the league at what he does. But leadership isn’t just about being the best player in your position.

Over the last 12 months, I’ve noticed more of the arms-in-the-air stuff, more visible frustration, more moments that feel like he’s digging someone out rather than pulling them together. It’s not that he shouldn’t be annoyed. It’s that it doesn’t always help.

Maybe his best version comes when he’s locked in on defending and organising the back line, while someone else does the constant barking further up. Different leaders do it differently.

Are vocal leaders becoming a dying breed?

James Milner was another one who brought that edge. Standards, focus, no excuses. And when those characters leave, you don’t just replace them with a new face and a five-year deal. It’s a culture thing.

Maybe modern football is shifting away from those types. Maybe not. Brentford, for example, have shown you can lose key players and still look like a proper team, which usually points to strong on-pitch communication and clarity in roles.

For Liverpool, it feels like the next step is finding who that voice is now. Not a moaner. Not a sulker. Just someone who keeps the side connected when things get messy. Because when you’ve got that, everything else, tactics included, tends to land a bit quicker.

Written by 2Shoes: 18 January 2026

Tags: transfers efl tactics