VCC
Well-Known Member
I wrote this. It sucks. Tell me so and I'll delete it.
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When I was 12 or 13, my coach, being the inept tactician that he was, decided to play me as a left winger. I remember that in one game, I spent most of the game out running the opposing right back, who got a great deal of stick from his friends watching on the sideline as he was slower than a girl. Unfortunately, my left foot might as well have been a wooden peg like a pirate would have. So after skinning the defender, I inevitably had to cut the ball back onto my right foot, allowing him to recover and wasting the scoring opportunity.
Thus, it is from the perspective of someone with only one foot that I can express my admiration for Thierry Henry, who scored his 100th and 101st Premiership goals against Southampton on Tuesday. The naturally right footed Frenchman has made a living in the Premiership drifting out to the left wing and working his magic. While his right foot remains the one of choice, producing some stunning goals like his recent one against Manchester City, his left foot has made many a positive contribution. The first one that comes to mind was a delightful cross that glanced off Dennis Bergkamp’s head, allowing the Gunners to avenge defeat in the 2001 FA Cup final by knocking Liverpool out of the competition 8 months later.
Henry is, simply, a player like none other, as I’m sure you are all aware. His speed, creativity, and desire are admired the world over. As Arsenal fans, we can’t possible overstate how lucky we are to have him.
With him being linked recently to a summer transfer to Real Madrid (I don’t think it’ll happen, but I never say never), the idea of Henry not playing for Arsenal is, to be frank, rather scary. Obviously, our attacking force would be hurt, but I’m confident Wenger could come up with some solution. (Inevitably, it would probably lead to Kolo Toure winning the Barclaycard Premiership Golden Boot!!!) The really horrifying part about losing Henry to Madrid would be the prospect of playing them in the Champions League.
Every team has its dangerous players, but going into a game there’s the sense that Arsenal’s much improved back line knows how to deal with them. Even Ruud van Nistelrooy has only managed the one goal against Arsenal last season at Highbury. But if Sol Campbell and Co. had to go into a game worried about how to stop Henry, well, I think they’d be terrified.
That, in the end, is probably the greatest way to measure Henry’s amazing ability. The fear he strikes into opposing players/managers/fans is incredible. What must Javier Zanetti have been thinking when Henry was standing right in front of him with the ball at his feet and Arsenal leading 2-1 at the San Siro? What must David James have been thinking as Henry’s right foot struck the ball a couple weeks ago at Highbury (this being a season and a half after Henry scored another wonder goal past James at Upton Park!!!)? What must the entire Sp**s team have been thinking when Henry was running through their half, leaving them behind? And what must managers like David O’Leary and Gordon Strachan be thinking as they walk into an interview immediately losing 2-0 to an Henry brace?
Yes, the idea of seeing Henry on the opposing team sheet is somewhat frightening. Although, it must be fun to sometimes watch him as a neutral and do so in awe. You can listen to Five Live or Talksport and hear fans of all clubs talk about Henry’s latest moment of brilliance and what a credit to the game he is, which is another measure of his greatness. If an Arsenal player can make fans of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham love him, then surely that’s saying something.
Some people will tell you that at times Henry is a bad apple, that if things don’t go his way he gets frustrated and scowls. But what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with wanting to win so bad and having such high expectations for yourself that you get frustrated when something goes wrong? It only drives Henry to be the best, which I think he’s accomplished rather well. You hear so much about foreign players not caring about the club, only themselves, but I doubt you’ll ever hear that said about Henry. He is emotional about the club and it shows. And he’s always celebrating with teammates. When José Antonio Reyes scores his first Arsenal goal, expect Henry to be one of the most enthusiastic celebrators, just as he was with Sol Campbell, Gilberto, and so many more.
It is only through the amazing eye for talent of Arsène Wenger that we get to follow Henry and bask in the knowledge that the best player in the world plays for us. And the next time Henry dashes down the left, skips past the defender and drags a cross across the face of goal where none of his teammates are because he’s so fast they’re still at the halfway line, we’ll know that we’ve just seen an example of how Henry is just too good sometimes. And we’ll pray that maybe next time, Henry’s teammates will run just a little bit faster in some vain effort to catch up.
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When I was 12 or 13, my coach, being the inept tactician that he was, decided to play me as a left winger. I remember that in one game, I spent most of the game out running the opposing right back, who got a great deal of stick from his friends watching on the sideline as he was slower than a girl. Unfortunately, my left foot might as well have been a wooden peg like a pirate would have. So after skinning the defender, I inevitably had to cut the ball back onto my right foot, allowing him to recover and wasting the scoring opportunity.
Thus, it is from the perspective of someone with only one foot that I can express my admiration for Thierry Henry, who scored his 100th and 101st Premiership goals against Southampton on Tuesday. The naturally right footed Frenchman has made a living in the Premiership drifting out to the left wing and working his magic. While his right foot remains the one of choice, producing some stunning goals like his recent one against Manchester City, his left foot has made many a positive contribution. The first one that comes to mind was a delightful cross that glanced off Dennis Bergkamp’s head, allowing the Gunners to avenge defeat in the 2001 FA Cup final by knocking Liverpool out of the competition 8 months later.
Henry is, simply, a player like none other, as I’m sure you are all aware. His speed, creativity, and desire are admired the world over. As Arsenal fans, we can’t possible overstate how lucky we are to have him.
With him being linked recently to a summer transfer to Real Madrid (I don’t think it’ll happen, but I never say never), the idea of Henry not playing for Arsenal is, to be frank, rather scary. Obviously, our attacking force would be hurt, but I’m confident Wenger could come up with some solution. (Inevitably, it would probably lead to Kolo Toure winning the Barclaycard Premiership Golden Boot!!!) The really horrifying part about losing Henry to Madrid would be the prospect of playing them in the Champions League.
Every team has its dangerous players, but going into a game there’s the sense that Arsenal’s much improved back line knows how to deal with them. Even Ruud van Nistelrooy has only managed the one goal against Arsenal last season at Highbury. But if Sol Campbell and Co. had to go into a game worried about how to stop Henry, well, I think they’d be terrified.
That, in the end, is probably the greatest way to measure Henry’s amazing ability. The fear he strikes into opposing players/managers/fans is incredible. What must Javier Zanetti have been thinking when Henry was standing right in front of him with the ball at his feet and Arsenal leading 2-1 at the San Siro? What must David James have been thinking as Henry’s right foot struck the ball a couple weeks ago at Highbury (this being a season and a half after Henry scored another wonder goal past James at Upton Park!!!)? What must the entire Sp**s team have been thinking when Henry was running through their half, leaving them behind? And what must managers like David O’Leary and Gordon Strachan be thinking as they walk into an interview immediately losing 2-0 to an Henry brace?
Yes, the idea of seeing Henry on the opposing team sheet is somewhat frightening. Although, it must be fun to sometimes watch him as a neutral and do so in awe. You can listen to Five Live or Talksport and hear fans of all clubs talk about Henry’s latest moment of brilliance and what a credit to the game he is, which is another measure of his greatness. If an Arsenal player can make fans of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham love him, then surely that’s saying something.
Some people will tell you that at times Henry is a bad apple, that if things don’t go his way he gets frustrated and scowls. But what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with wanting to win so bad and having such high expectations for yourself that you get frustrated when something goes wrong? It only drives Henry to be the best, which I think he’s accomplished rather well. You hear so much about foreign players not caring about the club, only themselves, but I doubt you’ll ever hear that said about Henry. He is emotional about the club and it shows. And he’s always celebrating with teammates. When José Antonio Reyes scores his first Arsenal goal, expect Henry to be one of the most enthusiastic celebrators, just as he was with Sol Campbell, Gilberto, and so many more.
It is only through the amazing eye for talent of Arsène Wenger that we get to follow Henry and bask in the knowledge that the best player in the world plays for us. And the next time Henry dashes down the left, skips past the defender and drags a cross across the face of goal where none of his teammates are because he’s so fast they’re still at the halfway line, we’ll know that we’ve just seen an example of how Henry is just too good sometimes. And we’ll pray that maybe next time, Henry’s teammates will run just a little bit faster in some vain effort to catch up.
