How Jordan Henderson is Performing at Ajax Amid Shock Eredivisie Title Collapse

Ajax have been on a remarkably poor run of late. The Dutch giants looked set be crowned Eredivisie champions at the end of the 2024/25 season, but have thrown away a nine-point lead in the space of just four games.

As such, Francesco Farioli’s team now sit one point behind rivals PSV going into the final game of the season. Ajax will take on Twente (currently sixth) at home, while PSV are away to Sparta Rotterdam (11th).

The league will go down to the wire, which is great for neutrals, but the drama only exists thanks to a near-unprecedented collapse from Ajax. A 4-0 defeat against Utrecht was followed by a 1-1 draw against Sparta Rotterdam. NEC Nijmegen then thumped them 3-0 at the Johan Cruyff Arena, before more points were most recently dropped against Groningen (who scored in the 99th minute to make it 2-2 despite being down to 10 men).

In short, Ajax have picked up 2 points from a possible 12. To make things worse, three of those games were all against teams who were, at the time, in the bottom half of the Eredivisie table. Now the league is in PSV’s hands.

Henderson Has Been Steady for Ajax This Season

But has played in three of the four recent bad results

In the January window – one year after arriving from Saudi side Al-Ettifaq – Jordan Henderson came in for heavy criticism, with Dutch media accusing him of trying to force a move to French side AS Monaco – leading to one heated exchange with reporters. However, he ultimately stayed put and has continued to be a regular in the team throughout the season.

He has played 38 games across all competitions, picking up five assists from his role in the middle of the park. His passing success rate of 87.2%, with 1.24 key passes per game, shows that he’s been just as reliable as ever on the ball. What’s more, his respectable 7.12 SofaScore rating proves that he’s performed with impressive consistency.

However, having played in all but one of the four recent poor results – missing the 1-1 draw with Sparta due to a yellow card suspension – it’s interesting to hear what Ajax fans think of Henderson.

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Ajax Fans Praise Henderson

“If he’s in the game, we tend to win”

Speaking to fans in Amsterdam, Sleeper Footy released a video of supporters giving their verdict on the former Liverpool man. Despite his key role in the team in the midst of ‘biggest title collapses in recent history’, the feeling on Henderson was positive.

The Englishman is now 34, but many spoke about how they feel he’s still an important part of the team and are keen for him to continue with Ajax next season. One said:

Another added: “Good player, works hard. He’s still got it.” One fan said: “Very happy with him, hope you can maybe play a role to help him stay.”

One referenced his poor form when his future was in doubt, but noted how he’s been improved since, saying: “Was a little tricky in the winter break, but he’s got better [since].”

One said:

Another concluded: “I would like him [to stay for] another year.”

Stats via SofaScore – as of 16/05/25