[Archived] Henry

[Exiled_Rover]

Riijkard (sp) came out as saying he was very frustrated with Henry, stating that they had a gentleman's agreement on the terms of the contract and he went back on them.

[Eddie]

Nobody put a bid in for him, and if I was Barca boss I would stick to the winning line up of Messi and Eto'o, with Goofy behind.

Real Madrid would have had him, but would he go there?

Tried it in Italy, failed.

That leaves Germany, Holland, Scotland or back to France for a holiday.

So it looks like staying in London with his English wife and probably a rather tasty pay rise and a brand new spanking ground to play in.

Never in doubt.

409245[/snapback]

To say he failed in Italy is ridiculous. He was a very young man and not the footballer he is today, as for Barcelona not being interested in him, that is pure rubbish.

[rover6]

He 'failed' in Italy because he was playing on the wing and wasn't given time to settle.

Even at Arsenal, he made a habit of hitting the hoardings for much of his first season. Which just emphasises that new signings, especially foreign signings, need time to adapt.

[92er]

He 'failed' in Italy because he was playing on the wing and wasn't given time to settle.

Even at Arsenal, he made a habit of hitting the hoardings for much of his first season. Which just emphasises that new signings, especially foreign signings, need time to adapt.

409326[/snapback]

Unfortunately your quote is not included above-but yoy might have to update it as 2 of the players have now left. I wonder if the other 2 will leave.

[Ozz]

To say he failed in Italy is ridiculous. He was a very young man and not the footballer he is today, as for Barcelona not being interested in him, that is pure rubbish.

409324[/snapback]

For whatever reasons,he was not a roaring success though, and unlikely to go back to Italy due to this.

And I never said Barca were not interested, I said If I was the Barca boss.

He 'failed' in Italy because he was playing on the wing and wasn't given time to settle.

409326[/snapback]

See above.

[Eddie]

If you think AC Milan, Juventus or whoever else might not be interested because when he was there as a young man he didn't score goals is simply ridiculous. He's gone on to prove that he is one of the best strikers and players in the world, he could score goals anywhere and everyone will know that.

[Ozz]

You misunderstand me Eddie, I mean Thierry would not be motivated to go back to Italy after his original foray there.

As I said before nearly any team in the world would take him on.

Except Barca if I was boss.

[92er]

If you think AC Milan, Juventus or whoever else might not be interested because when he was there as a young man he didn't score goals is simply ridiculous. He's gone on to prove that he is one of the best strikers and players in the world, he could score goals anywhere and everyone will know that.

409346[/snapback]

Didn't Viera also fail in Italy?

[Ozz]

Nobody put a bid in for him, and if I was Barca boss I would stick to the winning line up of Messi and Eto'o, with Goofy behind.

Real Madrid would have had him, but would he go there?

409245[/snapback]

Rubbish mate. Barca were desperate to sign him, y'know the champions of Europe.

409270[/snapback]

Eddie was right and I am wrong.

[pleasure]

Eddie was right and I am wrong.

409436[/snapback]

am i alone in thinking he's chose to stay at arsenal, because there's less pressure and expectations placed on his shoulders- than there would be at barca ?

(from his world-class teamates, massive fanbase etc....)

after-all he's shown he doesnt react well to pressures that big tournaments and finals bring.

staying at arsenal was certainly the easiest option.

[Eddie]

I would disagree with that. If anything there is more pressure at Arsenal. There he is the leader and the star and expected to produce the goods or else the team fails, at Barcelona he could easily not perform at his best and the team would still do well.

[RevidgeBlue]

I wouldn't be that surprised if Henry simply fancied leading Arsenal out as the first captain in the new stadium and then moves at the end of the coming season.

Even if he does that, he's done the right thing by Arsenal though. The new contract would ensure the Gunners a huge fee if he did move whereas he could simply have negotiated a twelve month extension to his contract.

Quite refreshing in this day and age.

(Re: the discussion above I agree for once with Eddie I actually think there's far more expectation and pressure on him at Arsenal, he practically has to carry the team, the club, and the expectations of the fans singlehandedly. At Barca he would only be one of several megastar players.)

[92er]

I wonder if his decision is influenced by what has happened to Viera, who many people thought was an immense player at Arsenal and who has had problems settling down at his new club.

Hughes has hinted that players who leave the Rovers don't always get the success they hope for-a message I hope will go out to our better players.

[Eddie]

(Re: the discussion above I agree for once with Eddie    I actually think there's far more expectation and pressure on him at Arsenal, he practically has to carry the team, the club, and the expectations of the fans singlehandedly. At Barca he would only be one of several megastar  players.)

409600[/snapback]

It's nice when it happens.

[brfcjon]

I have had that very same thought Revidge. He could be very motivated to lead the team out - see what they are capable of and the re-think the situation again next year. And thats fair enough in my book.

He will be a year older then and might not be worth the reported £50 mil. he is now

.... but thats really not his problem is it=)

[Presty On Tour]

there is a rumour going round work that the bottom line reason henry stayed was because his wife who is english didn't want to move abroad.

yes he loves arsenal, the fans etc....but his wife was the biggest reason.

[jobo380]

i really dont mind what made him stay because without him the prem would be nothing. He makes watching motd worth it and you just love arsenal matches when they are on because you never know what will happen when he is on the pitch, a good example would be the CL game against prague i think when he scored that amazing goal with the outside of his boot. Top class.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Surely not another lying footballer....?

Link: Thierry Henry: "I'm staying at Arsenal for life. I will never leave the club."

A pity for the young kids who bought Arsenal shirts with 'Henry' on the back, safe in the knowledge that Thierry had promised them: "I am not going to leave Arsenal. Never. I am staying here for life. I have no intention of walking out on this club, whatever the situation is."

Those comments were made just three months ago in March. So Arsenal fans (both adults and kids) were able to buy their 'Henry' merchandise and save their money up for season tickets the following season, safe in the knowledge that Henry had promised them he was staying at Arsenal "for life".

In an article in the Guardian HERE, Thierry Henry reiterated that he would not be joining Barcelona and that he was at Arsenal "for life".

Thierry Henry is a fantastic footballer. But he's not a fantastic bloke. I lost respect for him during last year's World Cup in Germany when he was diving around in the penalty box trying to get penalties just a few weeks after he had criticised Barcelona for doing the same thing in the Champions League final.

There was one disgraceful incident during France's match against Spain where Henry went down clutching his face after he hadn't been touched by Spanish defender Puyol. (Unless you count Puyol's long curly hair lightly brushing the side of Henry's face.)

So the conclusion I draw, following Henry's criticisms last year of Barcelona's diving, is that actually Monsieur Henry is a hypocrite. He also gave a false promise to Arsenal fans that he'd be staying at the club for life and wouldn't be joining Barcelona. Just like Craig Bellamy gave a false promise last year when he assured Rovers fans that there was no clause in his contract and that even if he'd wanted one, "Mark Hughes would never have allowed me to have a clause. He's not into that."

Similar to Andy Cole's "hands on hips" routine while at Rovers, I personally dislike the way that Henry tends to play with an air of arrogance and a scowl - with his joyless (almost angry) reactions to scoring a goal when he lowers his head, scowls and raises a finger to his lips. It's almost as if Henry is angered by having to play football. Dear God, the sheer hardship of having to play for £110,000 a week! What absolute torture it must be for him.

A friend of mine put it in perhaps rather politically incorrect terms when he explained to me: "Henry is just displaying the typical 'bad ass' attitude of a lot of people of his type who grow up in the rougher suburbs of Paris."

I dislike the way that Henry gave a false promise to Arsenal fans about "staying for life" just three months before now deciding to walk out on the club. Does Thierry not care about the kids who have bought Arsenal shirts with 'Henry' on the back. Why do footballers lie ? Don't they care about the fans who pay their vast wages ?

Edited June 24, 2007 by Anti Euro Smiths Fan

[Roar of the Rover]

At the end of the day it was his decison, he did what he had to do to forward his career. Alot of players say they'll never leave a club or something along them lines for example Wayne Rooney 'Once a Blue always a Blue', where is he now??

Henry was a joy to watch and will be missed not only by Arsenal fans but fans all around England.

[brfc fan]

Henry was a joy to watch and will be missed not only by Arsenal fans but fans all around England.

Ditto.

[HairwayToSteven]

Ditto.

I agree with the criticism above, as I have also have stated earlier. Great footballer? Yes. A cheat and a hypocrite? Yes. Good bloke? No.

However it wasn't always like that, only a few seasons ago a cheating Henry would be unthinkable. Watching him now is approximately similar to the feeling I get from C. Ronaldo; obvious and unquestionable talent - but lacking honesty. Henry is smarter in picking his dives with more caution than Ronaldo, only difference there is.

[Roar of the Rover]

I agree with the criticism above, as I have also have stated earlier. Great footballer? Yes. A cheat and a hypocrite? Yes. Good bloke? No.

However it wasn't always like that, only a few seasons ago a cheating Henry would be unthinkable. Watching him now is approximately similar to the feeling I get from C. Ronaldo; obvious and unquestionable talent - but lacking honesty. Henry is smarter in picking his dives with more caution than Ronaldo, only difference there is.

The only thing i remember him doing something dodgy was in the World Cup vs Spain.

[Beta Ray Bill]

I agree with the criticism above, as I have also have stated earlier. Great footballer? Yes. A cheat and a hypocrite? Yes. Good bloke? No.

I'm fascinated when fans make statements like that. What exactly is it based on? Do you know him personally and see him trip up old grannies on their way to bingo, or spit on passing kids pork pies?

Ok, he might have suggested he was staying 'for life' at Arsenal - but in the last few weeks, the situation at the Emirates has changed somewhat. Perhaps he was naive for making such a grand comment, but I can't see how he can judged as 'not a good bloke' for this or taking the odd alledged dive.

[HairwayToSteven]

I'm fascinated when fans make statements like that. What exactly is it based on? Do you know him personally and see him trip up old grannies on their way to bingo, or spit on passing kids pork pies?

Ok, he might have suggested he was staying 'for life' at Arsenal - but in the last few weeks, the situation at the Emirates has changed somewhat. Perhaps he was naive for making such a grand comment, but I can't see how he can judged as 'not a good bloke' for this or taking the odd alledged dive.

Of course things change, especially in football, Henry isn't that thick. He's also said he'd stay for as long as Wenger was present at the club (to let you in on a secret, Wenger is still there). I think lying and cheating are bad qualities, you may be more forgiving. Henry has been praised almost without stop for god knows how many years, it's only fair to point out the bad things concerning him. You may think the world of him, but I certainly don't.

Edited June 24, 2007 by HairwayToSteven

[Beta Ray Bill]

Of course things change, especially in football, Henry isn't that thick. He's also said he'd stay for as long as Wenger was present at the club (to let you in on a secret, Wenger is still there). I think lying and cheating are bad qualities, you may be more forgiving. Henry has been praised almost without stop for god knows how many years, it's only fair to point out the bad things concerning him. You may think the world of him, but I certainly don't.

And where did I say that? You're making judgements on me now based on one post, just as you seem to be judging Henry's entire personality and level of 'nice bloke-ness' on one or two aspects of his professional life!