After the endless speculation and elliptical comments from everyone concerned, Thierry Henry has penned a 4 year contract with FC Barcelona. This puts an end to a courtship that has lasted a good part of two years. It almost seems unreal that he left his ever forgiving comfort zone to the warmer climes of Catalunya. That comes at a price though. The Catalans wont be as patient as the Gooners, they can be easily coaxed to take out the white hankies and hiss at the slightest of errors.

Henry seemed destined to remain at Arsenal ‘for life’ once he extended his contract last year despite persistent interest from the catalan giants, but with the apparent destabilizing effect of David Dein’s departure, it was clear that Henry had his heart set on a move. He cut a forlorn figure in the matches last season, shrugging his shoulders and screaming at teammates. It was the latitude he enjoyed at Arsenal that made him special but that will not be the case at the Camp Nou. Regular readers, all 3 of you, know by now how I despise this egomaniac but his talent is unquestionable. He does go missing and him cribbing on the sidelines is something I would loathe to see but with the shorter leash than he had at Arsenal , He would need to bring his A game to merit the same adulation. He wont be the Go-To player in the team but he can be a key cog on the offensive front. A 16 million pound mistake doesn’t sound as bad as a 50 million catastrophe that could have happened last year. Time will tell if TH14 is tailor made for the Arsenal way or whether he has the flexibility to thrive in a new system.

The move also reeks of Los Galacticos- the trusted system employed by ex Real Prez Florentino Perez that really only sold jerseys but won very few trophies. Barca will need to revamp the defense and sign a quality defensive midfielder as soon as possible. With Henry’s arrival it makes sense to get rid of Eto’o. He has done his bit for the Blaugrana but cashing in on him now seems the best option for both parties.

Henry will wear his favored Number 14 shirt, whose most famous recent incumbent was the great Johann Cruyff, a good thirty years ago. The transfer may have come as bad news for tabloids who were feeding off it for the last few years but it does open up new questions.

1) Why would Arsenal let him go for 16 mil? Thats peanuts given his previous valuation of 50 million a year ago. A 34 million devaluation in one year doesnt sound plausible but it may be the effect of the 3 in 30.

2) How will Frank Rijkaard accommodate him? If its Ronaldinho in a more withdrawn role (replacing Deco) it leaves a lot of holes on counterattacks. The REM combo rarely did any backtracking and when you add a pouting Henry on the left flank it does create worries for Puyol and co.

3) Will Cesc follow Henry out of Arsenal? You betcha..Not today but eventually. This kid has always wanted to play for the Catalans and its only Barca&amp depth in midfield that come as consolation for Arsenal but in 5 years, at the prime of his life he will be playing in the red and blue.

4) Will Arsenal stanch the talent drain? Three big losses in three years isn't the stuff great teams are made of. But they do look financially sound and may compete in a few years time. The big question is whether they will slip too far out to be considered a competitor at that time.

At the risk of sounding like a complete sadist, I admit I did enjoy the drama. Schadenfreude!!, you say. But it was particularly interesting to see Arsenal fans going postal on their GOD and avowing that 19 year old Cesc Fabregas is the Real God. Yeah, I believe you. Not long ago, all those fans that extolled Henry’s virtues have now claimed he was repressing the young talent at Arsenal FC. I know football fans are a fickle bunch but the Gooners certainly lose their marbles when things don’t go their way. The bitterness is amusing.

A great win for the the gunners and well deserved i might add. IMO, Man Utd didn’t offer much and also looked happy with a draw. Arsenal on their part didn’t make heavy weather of the absence of Thierry Henry and Robin Van Persie and this vicotry sets up their season perfectly.

The First half was electric with both sides creating openings. Arsenal had the better of the half with a penalty being awarded in their favor. However, Gilberto Silva scoffed the attempt and it was still nil nil. The second half was insipid and the only interesting portions were due to the defensive lapses of the Man Utd backline….that was until Cesc Fabregas produced some magic, albeit assisted by some slack defending by United. His perfectly weighted pass found Adebayor who calmly slotted the ball past Tomasz Kuszczak. Despite his ungainly stature, Adebayor does add an extra dimension to the Arsenal style. The last few minutes were frantic but the Gunners did enough to hang on to the lead.

Its back to the drawing board for the Red Devils and for Fergie in particular. He got his subsitutions wrong and his tactics were a bit conservative, a far cry from the swagger of the late 90’s. But it was all about the Gooners today and as much as the Red Devils might hate accepting it, Arsenal are Back!

V

Technorati Tags: EPL, Football, Soccer, Arsenal, Manchester, United, Rooney

Not one footballer in the world gets under my skin as Thierry ‘Titi’ Henry. Yes, he is a big Tit. The prodigiously talented footballer is probably the biggest egotist you will find. Never too busy to toot his own horn, Henry more often than not likes to talk up his own game at the expense of his compatriots’. Arsenal fans would like mention the significant contribution he has made to their club, but why does a man, who represents a club and a generation of ‘joga bonita’ football behave in the most condescending and hypocritcal way. I don’t read too much into his celebrations, but his post match interviews often reek of arrogance and pettiness. If he isn’t making gratuitous comments about referees, he is whining about the fixture schedule and spouting several conspiracy theories about why the powers that be are against Arsenal. Yeah, right! This drivel Henry has been dishing out for years is not news worthy anymore. It doesn’t even strike us as out of character any longer.

Arse Fans are enraged when people say that Henry is (for want of a better word), A Choker. Well, he has scored a few goals but I have seen several occasions where he has let his team down in the final third of matches- In the Champions League and countless times for France. Zidane was the fall guy for Titi’s performances. ‘You need to keep Titi as the focus’ they say. But I do recall Titi having only a cursory influence during Zidane’s absence in 2002 WC.

The Famous Rant in Paris:

Z and I were watching the Champions League final together and for the first time we thought that Henry would make us eat our words. Three minutes later, He put paid to those thoughts. He may never play for Barcelona but he certainly did his bit for the Catalans. But the bone of contention is not so much his footballing skill, admirable as it is, but his unfailing ability to carp and whine. His post match rant after the Barca game still rings in my ear because it was shockingly unprofessional (”I didn’t see Ronaldinho or Eto’o today”) and sexist (”Only women go down”). What Titi conveniently overlooked was the fact that he had cost his side the top prize in club football. He had missed two gilt-edged chances in Regulation time. Oddly enough, a month later in the World Cup in a match between France and Spain, Titi fell to the ground holding his face, writhing in pain, when replays should that Puyol had made no contact with that area. Puyol denied ever hitting his face but Henry claimed innocence. Oui, zee replays are lying. This is what the person, who is the emblem of Arsenal FC is capable of. But I was happy in a way since it exposed him for what he is - a whingeing hypocrite.

Only time will tell if Henry can someday live up to his billing and win the top prize for HIS club . Or else, he will join the pantheon of greats to have never won the Champions League!

Anonymous

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