Stan's 5-Point Stance: Henderson Deal Lifts Liverpool, Thierry Henry Misses Mark

In this week's five-point stance, Stan Collymore visits topics related to Jordan Henderson, Aston Villa's FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool, Yaya Toure, Arsenal and Thierry Henry's comments on Javier Hernandez's Champions League winner for Real Madrid.

1. New Jordan Henderson deal offers hope to Liverpool fans after disappointing season

The new deal for Jordan Henderson is a feel-good signing for Liverpool fans.

With Steven Gerrard leaving, Raheem Sterling's endless contract situation, the lack of Champions League football next season and the FA Cup loss, the Reds had to sell the club back to the supporters.

The best way to do that is to look at the most popular players at the club, who have done well and deserve to be rewarded. One of those players is Henderson.

He is going to be vitally important to the club in the coming years to give Liverpool an English flavour, and the new contract was a no-brainer for all parties concerned.

It will be interesting to see in the coming years whether he can become a real captain and leading figure at Anfield.

But this is a contract that says to Liverpool fans: "We know this has been a disappointing season, but we're going to give you something good to go away with this season".

2. Aston Villa must heed lessons of recent football history after reaching FA Cup final

I'm still just coming down from the weekend, I can't believe it. I was left scratching my head wondering where did Aston Villa's performance come from?

It's a nice end to the season as a Villa fan, but if they need any reminder of how a cup run can take your eye off the ball, they only need look at where Wigan Athletic and Birmingham City are now.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Tim Sherwood must make sure that the Villa players still have that fear of relegation in their minds and don't ease off to stay for the final, starting with Manchester City at the weekend.

The elation around Villa Park after Wembley will mean they should go to the Etihad believing they can get something.

There have been enough lessons from teams we've been told are too good to go down to act as a warning.

I thought Liverpool were so much of an overwhelming favourite last weekend that it felt like they were up against a Championship team.

In my experience as a player, the team that goes to bed thinking, "We're going to enjoy this game," has the greater energy.

From the first minute, Liverpool looked flat and edgy, and I think the weight of expectation caught up with them and gave Villa the initiative, which they never lost throughout the whole game.

The Steven Gerrard narrative played its part. In all honesty, I thought Gerrard was disappointing, and it rubber-stamps the decision he and the club have made to part company.

Maybe there was a slant in the thinking of his team-mates that they had to get to Wembley for the Liverpool captain and it backfired, but I thought the overwhelming favouritism Liverpool had made them tired and nervous to hand the game to Villa.

3. It's time for Manchester City and Yaya Toure to part company

Yaya Toure is, without a doubt, a top-quality player, but if Manchester City can cash in on him now, I would do it.

The defensive midfield area has changed now with Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas showing a nice balance between physical strength and ball-playing ability.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Manchester City need to look at a more mobile midfield, and great as Toure was last season, he has reached the stage where he is either very good or very average.

Where City have struggled at times this season has been a lack of protection for the back four, and it is there where Toure has been a liability.

He is exceptional going forward, but I don't think he safeguards his back line well any more, so it is an area City have to look at.

4. Arsenal can lay down 2015-16 Premier League marker on Chelsea this weekend

If there is a time for Arsene Wenger to finally get one over on Jose Mourinho, it is now.

The Gunners have been playing exceptional football recently, bar the FA Cup semi-final on a flat pitch, where they have been moving the ball around quickly, and eight or nine of their players on any given day are playing almost at their maximum.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have been a little leggy and a little flat, but time and time again, Mourinho gets his men behind the ball and defending with a wonderful shape when they're fatigued mentally and physically.

Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press

So this is going to be a test of Arsenal's 2015-16 season. There's not really a lot riding on Sunday's game at the Emirates Stadium if we're being honest, but in football, there is a rule that managers want these games to act as a reminder for matches next season.

For Wenger, this game is an opportunity for Arsenal to lay down a marker for next season, when there will be a title up for grabs again.

I'm going to go for an entertaining score draw this weekend, but Arsenal need to find a way to put games to bed when they're playing well.

5. Thierry Henry criticism of Javier Hernandez undeserved, but France great still learning broadcast trade

Javier Hernandez has had a difficult few years. He was substituted against MK Dons for Manchester United earlier in the season and had been getting splinters in his backside from sitting on the Real Madrid bench so often following his loan move.

Then in a huge Champions League derby, he scored a late winning goal. As I did in that 4-3 win for Liverpool against Newcastle United in 1996, you just run off because you really don't know where to be.

"That is, for me, Ronaldo's goal," Henry said. "What I don't like after is it seems like he won the World Cup. Turn around and celebrate with Ronaldo."

You don't look for your nearest team-mate, it's just an explosion. So I'm surprised that a man such as Thierry Henry, who has scored so many great goals and knows that feeling well, would be critical of Hernandez in that situation.

Paul White/Associated Press

I have no doubt Henry will go on to become a good broadcaster and pundit, but he has to expand his craft and remember what it was like to play football and translate that into the studio.

Hernandez has had a tough couple of years, and I'm surprised Henry did not see the context in that.