Jordan Henderson endured a particularly difficult official debut for Chelsea. The former Ajax midfielder started against his old club Brentford on Friday evening but could not prevent a painful 3-0 defeat. The English media were unsparing afterwards in their assessment of the 36-year-old midfielder.
Having recovered from the wrist injury he suffered during the World Cup, Henderson was handed his first start for Chelsea by head coach Xabi Alonso. He played as the deeper of the two in a double pivot and Brentford supporters booed virtually every touch, with the midfielder still having been under contract at the club last season.
For the Evening Standard, Henderson barely managed to speed up Chelsea's play. "It was all far too pedestrian," the newspaper writes. He was supposed to provide balance as the holding midfielder, but the outlet said his passing clearly lacked sharpness and penetration. That earned him a rating of 4.
The Sun also gave Henderson a 4. The newspaper said the veteran linked up in a number of simple combinations, but noted that his passing too often went sideways or backwards. His set-pieces were also unconvincing.
Brentford's second goal brought the biggest problem. Henderson lost possession, after which Mikkel Damsgaard sent Kevin Schade through. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was still able to keep out his effort, but Igor Thiago reacted sharply and turned in the rebound. According to The Sun, that left Henderson clearly responsible for the decisive 2-0.
Those in the stands visibly enjoyed the moment and immediately aimed their chants at the club's former player. "Jordan, Jordan, what's the score?," came from the stands.
One other notable detail: former Ajax player Jorrel Hato remained on the bench for the entire match.