Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp must ruthlessly axe "influential" club captain Jordan Henderson as he is the weakness in their midfield and a better replacement is needed in the summer.

On the chalkboard

Liverpool are fighting on all fronts at the moment and are hunting down an unprecedented quadruple. But they face stiff competition from Real Madrid in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Premier League, and they veered slightly off course in the title race when failing to beat Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.

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Henderson was one the players who failed to shine in the game at Anfield and was substituted after 65 minutes being replaced by Diogo Jota. He failed to make a single tackle in the whole time he was on the pitch and barely contributed. Furthermore, he gave up possession of the ball every five minutes which will have been a key factor in the team dropping points.

Whilst his leadership and strong voice in the dressing room might go unmatched, there's only so many times you can use that as a reason to be playing him.

Henderson has been a vital part of Liverpool's success in recent years but there is a feeling that his qualities are slightly diminishing, with Roy Keane describing him as a "cheerleader" and questioning why he was in the England squad during Euro 2020.

The 31-year old moved to Merseyside from his boyhood club Sunderland in 2011 and is currently the longest-serving player at the club. He is, and always will be considered a legend in the eyes of the fans, and he has rightly earnt that status. However, he is no longer a player who is capable starting every week for one of the best teams in Europe.

Liverpool have to accept that and Klopp has to make it his priority to bring in a third world class midfielder to sit alongside Fabinho and Thiago next season.

If you compare Henderson to them both he doesn't produce performances that are close to what they consistently produce. Both players have a higher pass completion percentage that the Englishman and have successfully completed more dribbles.

Henderson's time at Anfield isn't necessarily over, but the club need to rely on him less if they are to keep competing at the highest level. He still has a major role to play in the squad as a leader and captain, just not as a player who is a key starter.

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