Of course, none of this happened. Thierry didn't start the game last night, and although he looked lively when he came on for the final 15 minutes he did not manage to score the goal which would have made me incredibly happy. Still, I have a feeling that he will score at Old Trafford and send shivers down the spines of Arsenal fans once again... Anyway, there has been talk of Thierry being unhappy at Barcelona all season. A combination of injuries, being played out of position, adapting to a new club, missing his daughter and generally being out of form have all played a part in what is being called a terrible season for the legend by the Spanish media. Indeed, in the second leg of Barcelona's Champions League quarter final against Shalke, the Frenchman received the dreaded 'white hanky' treatment (for those of you that do not know, this is the ultimate indication of discontent from the Barca fans, God knows why).
All of these factors and the reaction to him by the Barce fans have led many to believe that Henry might be looking for a transfer away from the Nou Camp this summer. It has been suggested he might go to another Premier League team (highly unlikely, as if he would play against Arsenal) or perhaps another top club in Europe. However, today on Sky Sports News, Graham Hunter suggested that Thierry is considering following David Beckham into the MLS. I nearly dropped my vitamin C drink upon hearing this. It is not news that Henry would like to play in the MLS one day. Indeed, he recently said that he would love to finish his career there, but he also uttered the critical words, 'not yet'. The idea that he might go and play in America from next season feels me with no emotion other than sadness, and there is a good reason for this.
Yesterday, the imaginitively titled 'Thierry Henry: Legend' DVD fell through my post box. Well, not really because our letter box is ridiculously small, so the post man just left it outside my door. What a treat someone would have got had they have stolen it! How unfortunate. Anyway, I watched some of his goals last night; some from the early Henry days, and some from during his last season at the club. I particularly enjoyed his goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup, where he passed the ball to himself, sped away from Jamie Carragher from the centre of midfield, left him for dead on the turf and side footed the ball past Dudek into the Liverpool goal.
All of this after just coming back from injury. The significant point here is that this excellent goal was not scored 5 years ago; it has only been just over 12 months since that moment of magic. Thierry has not lost his brilliance in this short space of time. I believe he would be making a catostrophic era to leave for America at the age of 30 with several very good seasons left in him.
I can understand the draw of the MLS for Henry. He has often spoken of his admiration of the US and the sporting set-up they have over there, and it would give him the opportunity to join David Beckham as one of the European stars attempting to bring football to the mainstream in a country which has typically been uninterested by the sport. However, whereas Beckham a)never had the talent of Henry and b) went there as a 32 year old with no pace and c) has not been a great player for several seasons, Thierry is still only 30 and looks great on the ball when played as a striker. One only needs to look at his fantastic goal against Celtic in the second round of the Champions League to see that his goal-scoring touch is still well and truly there.
I am not opposed to the MLS, nor am I snobby about it. But Thierry Henry is still, despite what people may say, one of the best players in the world. He should be playing on the centre stage of world football, not in a league which is still very much in its infancy. To me, it would taint his legacy somewhat if he were to bail and move to the MLS at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, Thierry Henry will always be an Arsenal legend and perhaps the best player our club has ever seen. But the great man is too good to play in the MLS for now, and I do not want his final few years of top level football to be wasted.
I can understand the draw of the MLS for Henry. He has often spoken of his admiration of the US and the sporting set-up they have over there, and it would give him the opportunity to join David Beckham as one of the European stars attempting to bring football to the mainstream in a country which has typically been uninterested by the sport. However, whereas Beckham a)never had the talent of Henry and b) went there as a 32 year old with no pace and c) has not been a great player for several seasons, Thierry is still only 30 and looks great on the ball when played as a striker. One only needs to look at his fantastic goal against Celtic in the second round of the Champions League to see that his goal-scoring touch is still well and truly there.
I am not opposed to the MLS, nor am I snobby about it. But Thierry Henry is still, despite what people may say, one of the best players in the world. He should be playing on the centre stage of world football, not in a league which is still very much in its infancy. To me, it would taint his legacy somewhat if he were to bail and move to the MLS at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, Thierry Henry will always be an Arsenal legend and perhaps the best player our club has ever seen. But the great man is too good to play in the MLS for now, and I do not want his final few years of top level football to be wasted.
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