The King’s last bow: The glorious tale of Thierry Henry

When I was younger I was trying to do what I wanted to do, not what the game wanted me to do.

-Thierry Henry

King Henry the VIIth separated the Church and state, leaving an unforgettable mark on European History

Thierry Henry separated the defences of his opponents, leaving behind an unforgettable mark on European football.

Through his career, Theirry Henry acquired greatness goals and gold. With an admirable amount of trophies to his name, Henry’s hunger kept him going beyond most reasonable expectations. Plying his trade in five different countries, Henry amassed over 400 goals, 100 assists, and scores upon scores of admirers.
Perhaps the most enduring aspect of his career, is they way in which he graced every grain of grass he came upon. From Highbury to Hampden Park, Henry’s career has changed what the world expects of a world class striker.

Fancy footwork and bright beginnings

Projected to be more of a winger as he progressed through Clairefontaine, the French Football Federation academy, that produced the likes of David Trezeguet and Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry’s greatness was discovered at a very early age. It was from here, that Henry met the spectre thin, spectacled frame of a figure we now know as Arsene Wenger. The friendship formed between the two, would go on to define Henry’s career in ways he had not begun to fathom.

After Wenger signed him on to Monaco, Henry, plying his trade on the left wing, lifted the Ligue Un title. Following a wasteful year at Juventus under Carlo Ancelotti, Henry was brought to Arsenal by Wenger, in a move that would serve epochal in the North London clubs’ history. Wenger believed that his rare blend of speed, technique, size and vision, made him the perfect forward for the modern game, even if he was one far removed from traditional British ideas about the No. 9.

The start of one of English football’s greatest friendships

Working diligently, Henry quickly matured into the most feared striker in England, ending up the top league scorer four times (hitting the magical 30-goal mark once).His trademark finish, sliding into the box from the left, opening his body and side-footing a right-footed shot inside the far post, became a weekly sight around the country.

Whatever Arsenal’s form dictated in the day, Goalkeepers around the league would come into the game, without the slightest clue as to what special trick Henry would deploy.

 “What is remarkable is he doesn’t have the game of a goalscorer” lamented Arsene Wenger, “He has the game of a football player”

Henry became the apex of Wenger’s unique brand of total football. Building play from the wing, finding spaces in the blink of an eye, and finishing everywhere with the inside of his right foot, Thierry Henry was every inch, invincible. His 24 goals and 24 assists during the Invincibles run, just highlight his own personal importance in a magnificent side of team players.

The bitter pill that ended Henry’s Arsenal affair

However, after a heartbreaking Champions League final loss in 2006, Henry painfully realised that the club were not heading in the direction he had hoped. They had gone without silverware for three years, and were celebrating a fourth place finish, and not a first place victory. The time had inevitably come, and Henry left Arsenal.

What proceeded thence was a spell at Barcelona, where Henry fulfilled his ultimate dreams. Despite playing third fiddle to an attack trio of himself, Eto’o and Ronaldinho, Henry lifted the only silverware missing from his glittering CV- The UEFA Champions League.

Reflections are best seen in sterling silver

In many ways Barcelona became a step down for Henry. He was no longer the big fish he was accustomed to being at Arsenal, yet he played a respectable part in a team that is regarded as one of the greatest sides in modern football. Seven titles in eight years was in many ways, a material representation of the stature he possessed; forever hungry, forever fantastic.

Henry’s contribution to the national team, still however remains a confounding black mark, on an otherwise spotless career. Dazzling the international scene, a young Henry was a key member of Les Blues consecutive World Cup (98) and European Championship (2000) sides, that  solidified France as the world’s footballing superpower. His goals proved vital, and his presence potent. His proficiency for the French is exacerbated by the fact, that beyond after his retirement, France are nowhere closer to finding a number 9 of his quality .

A handball against the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup play-off, an incident that ultimately qualified his country for the 2010 tournament in South Africa but also sparked a rare spell of public criticism, also ensured the often-fickle French public remained cool towards him. For whatever reason, he was not beloved by the French public as much as players like Trezeguet and Petit, who weren’t even close in stature.

He had his fair share of detractors. Johann Crochet, chief editor Goal France once said,

“That handball against Ireland in 2009 meant a lot of French people were not proud of qualifying. Not only did he cheat, but he reacted poorly afterwards, chatting away with Richard Dunne. A second issue is his perceived arrogance – if French people call you arrogant then you must be doing something wrong, And the way he celebrated his goals – or rather the way he didn’t – made him look bored to fans”

However badly the media portrayed it, Henry always found his French teammates, fighting in his defence. Amongst them, Emmanuel Petit famously said

“In England, they’ve built a statue of Thierry.That means a lot. He is revered there. This bad image [according to L’Equipe] of Thierry Henry, it annoys me. I have great difficulty with the French. I have never seen such arrogant, smug, lying and hypocritical people.”

Whichever way it’s looked, Henry still remains his country’s all time leading goal scorer with 51 scalps. He’s won the French Player of the Year twice, and won everything that there is to win with Les Blues, he’s given nothing else than 100% for his national team, something that can be said for only a small hand full of his national team compatriots.

Henry’s legacy was re-established when he returned to Arsenal on loan in 2012, for The New York Red Bulls. The appreciation of his presence was not felt at the Emirates alone, stadia around England stood up in gratitude to witness, perhaps for the last time, the magic on the Frenchman. Upon taking the field as a substitute against Leeds, Henry’s arrival was meet with choric reverie. HIs goal, only minutes later however, was met with a cheer that would put the Sistine Chapel to shame. It was quintessential Henry. Moments like that are why his legacy will endure.

As French football evolves as rapidly as it has under Deschamps, Henry will still be looked upon by the current crop with much admiration. A pioneer, a perfectionist, a player, who was governed by little else, than his love for the game.

After all,It had to be, Thierry Henry.

as the saying goes, a canon is always cast in Bronze

Merci Titi

Agony and Ecstacy: What we learned from United v. Liverpool

It’s quite remarkable what can happen in the League in twelve months.
After a 3-0 Victory at Old Trafford, Liverpool were on cloud nine, United hit rock bottom, and the proverbial nail was hammered into the coffin that was David Moyes’ tenure at the club. Twelve months on however, United won the corresponding fixture by the same scoreline, sending United third, Liverpool 10th and quite possibly costing Brendan Rodger’s his job.

Football, bloody hell.

The match, in effect, also made five things abundantly clear.

Louis Van Gaal deserves more credit

In many ways, Louis van Gaal seemed the perfect fit for United. Charisma, pragmatism and a nuanced understanding of the game, but perhaps his most redeeming quality, is his brute Honesty. While Rodgers deluded himself with superlatives at the season’s start, Van Gaal was fully aware of the unpredictability of the premier league. He got a taste of it first-hand. A Home loss to Swansea and abject draws against Burnley and Sunderland had many questioning his superiority over his predecessor. Come Christmas however, van Gaal has firmly positioned United in the top four, and may yet challenge further.

Despite being dealt a gauntlet of injuries, Van Gaal has adjusted his side to surprising effect. Without Rafael and Shaw, he’s converted the much maligned pair of Valencia and Young, into respectable full backs. Both were instrumental in the first two goals, as well as keeping the likes of Moreno and Sterling, firmly at bay.
Despite having to play a different combination at the heart of defence, virtually every single game, van Gaal has emerged with his reputation intact. Blooding the youth prospects of McNair and Blackett, van Gaal has not only preserved United’s traditions, but has also introduced promising alternatives to his unreliable first teamers.

While six wins on the bounce, including the scalps of Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool, would have any manager smiling, Louis is under no illusions. Demanding consistency and intelligence, the Dutchman is far from convinced by his sides’ performances, as he believes there is much room for improvement.
Yet, his brutal honesty is a far cry from his predecessors lamenting that.

“City are at the level we aspire to be at”

Rodger’s might not get the time he truly requires

                       From Manger of the year, To a man maligned

Like his Dutch counterpart, Brendan Rodger’s knew that his multitude of signings would require time to adjust. Unlike the Dutchman however, Rodgers bought three players already accustomed to the Premier League. However, they were three players from a eighth-place team, without any European experience. The fact that out of those three, Lambert and Lallana were plying their trade in the championship only three seasons back, doesn’t bode well when your challenging for European glory.

For all the praise bestowed upon Brendan, and rightly so, his manager of the year trophy only serves to highlight the extent of his pitfall.

The onus however, doesn’t lie on Brendan alone. A core of the players who drove his team forward have been mediocre at best. Despite being named vice-captain, Jordan Henderson has lost the drive and inventiveness that proved to be his own renaissance. Lovren and Skrtel look like players who would get bullied by AFC Wimbledon later this month, forget United and their three strikers that have played in Daniel Sturridge’s absence, have scored a solitary premier league goal between themselves. Add to that the odd signings of Lazar Markovic, an inexperienced Emre Can, and you have an equation that’s nowhere close to being balanced. Though Sturridge’s long term absence has left a creative void, no one from Liverpool has felt the need to step up. Not even remotely. Such a situation in only exacerbated, when all their hopes fall onto a 35 year old Gerrard and a 19 year old Sterling to create something out of nothing. Despite having all of his preseason claims, haunting him in retrospect, Liverpool must stick behind Rodgers. He has proven his worth before, and with far fewer resources. If Liverpool think things will get better with a new manager, they’d be advised to reconsider.

United must give De Gea a new contract. Now

The current lexicon of superlatives, don’t do David De Gea justice. They don’t come close. Social media has tried, and succeeded to some extent, but the hype is more than justified. After saving United time and time again, David De Gea has proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he is United’s MVP. it’s made all the more remarkable considering the rapturous start he endured in 2011. Since then, he’s had three different goalkeeping coaches, 21 different CB pairings in front of him and a constant slew of defences errors leaving him to pick up the pieces. All this however, has transformed De Gea into a ‘keeper who is nothing short of world class. His presence in the box is more dominant, his physicality more encouraging and his decisiveness is perhaps the sharpest in the world.
His indispensability is ratified by his believes only De Gea is a guaranteed starter, along with his captain. Van Gaal’s constant shifts between a back 3 and a back 4, would have most keepers flummoxed. However where others may founder, De Gea has proved to be United’s strongest line of defence. All this has led to intense speculation regarding the Spaniards future at the club. With his contract running out in 2016, fans alike have urged the board to give him a blank cheque. Doing everything humanly possible to keep De Gea from leaving should be United’s no.1 transfer priority. With the eyes of Real ever lurking, a return to Spain, on top of his game, might yet be a prospect too tempting to reject.

Liverpool must add quality not quantity.

                  Numbers don’t lie, though Liverpool might wish they did

With Suarez’ exit in the summer, the stage was set for Daniel Sturridge to ascend from second-in-command to  a leader up top. Initial matches would’ve suggested such a change, and a 3-0 victory over Spurs would’ve been an exemplification. However, a long injury lay-of meant that Liverpool’s three remaining strikers- Borini, Lambert and Balotelli had a real chance at solidifying their place. They couldn’t. There all round ineptitude led to an absence of the firepower that literally carried Liverpool to second place.

The conundrum now facing Liverpool, is wether or not they’ll splurge on transfers. Despite a favourable transfer balance, reinvesting in their squad will prove more challenging than at the start of the summer. Absence from the Champions League, and bleak top 4 prospects, will financially impact Liverpool more than they expect. Their challenge now, is to address the situation like United have, and bring in tried and tested quality into their club. barring Steven Gerrard, they have little Premier League and European experience within the ranks. Experience, that could’ve saved Liverpool from falling as far as they currently have.

Carrick’s return has proved a perfectly time catalyst for United

Though tasked with holding midfield, Carrick was more than present at centre back

Metronomic Mike has been a revelation at United since his return from injury. It should thus come as no surprise, that his return to the side, 6 games ago, has led to 6 straight victories. At the heart of midfield, Carrick’s range of distribution has given United’s attacker a crucial supply line, as well as providing a
balance in midfield. His most telling contribution however, is the sheer calm he’s added to an often edgy United attack. Despite returning from a long lay off, Carras has been deployed in a plethora of roles under van Gaal, most notably at Centre Back. Against Liverpool, he served as the rock between Jones and Evans, thwarting Balotelli and Sterling. Despite his advanced years, Carrick continues to prove a breath of fresh air every time he’s deployed.
However, Carrick turns 33 next year. Unlike his predecessor though, Louis Van Gaal prepared for the future by signing Daley Blind. The world cup star, before his injury in early November, was United’s most consistent presence in midfield. His strength, stamina and defensive positioning served as a throwback to the Carrick of old. With his prospective return in the new year, van Gaal can rotate both Blind and Carrick to great effect. Carrick can prove a great mentor to Dutch counterpart, simultaneously lengthening his career and assuring that of Blind’s.

With six wins in as many games, and players slowly returning from injury, United’s best is still to come. Liverpool will have to start convincing everyone, all over again, because their ever faithful supporters, deserve better.