Thierry Henry to Arsenal: A Tactical Move or Psychological Reinforcement?

Though he now sports a New York jersey, many Gunners fans suspect Thierry Henry still loves Arsenal more than he loves his Red Bulls. If that is true, the French legend will rejoice at the prospect of returning to the Emirates on a two-month loan deal.

Arsene Wenger seems keen on bringing Henry back to North London, which is somewhat peculiar given that Henry is 34 years old, and generally people of that age—no matter how talented—aren't viable options for title-challenging Premier League teams.

The question here is, what is it in Henry that Wenger wants back at Arsenal?

There's no question that Henry is unbelievably gifted; it's rare for any 34-year-old to do so well (Ryan Giggs, Edwin van der Sar, Tony Adams and Co. are some obvious exceptions), even in the MLS. In the 2011 season, the Frenchman scored the third-most goals in the league and led his team to the playoffs.

In July 2011, Arsenal fans got a glimpse of Henry in action in the Emirates Cup, a preseason tournament composed of four teams. In Arsenal's disappointing 1-1 draw against the Red Bulls, Henry performed quite well, making a few nice runs and showing flashes of brilliance.

However, Henry is remembered not by what he is now, but what he used to be. At Arsenal, his skillfulness was at its peak, as he displayed his abilities week in, week out, to the amazement of viewers.

The 34-year-old is considered one of the greatest players ever to put on an Arsenal shirt, holding the record for most Arsenal goals, shattering Ian Wright's record of 185 goals with an astonishing 226. In addition, he holds Arsenal's records for most Premiership goals, most European goals, most Premiership goals in a season and many others.

The typical Arsenal goal in those days would consist of a nice, clever pass by Robert Pires or Dennis Bergkamp, with Henry running onto it and finishing beautifully past the keeper. Henry revolutionized opening the body towards the goal in order to sidefoot the ball home.

While a Gunner, Henry won the Premier League Golden Boot three times (between 2003 and 2006) and also won the European Golden Shoe twice (between 2003 and 2005).

Undoubtedly, Arsenal's best moment with Henry was the legendary 2003/2004 Premier League campaign, in which Arsene Wenger's side did not lose any games. In that year, the Frenchman netted 30 goals and led the Red and White to the title.

But is this what le Professeur wants Henry for? Can he really expect this man to fill the gap the Ivorian Gervinho will leave when he departs for the African Cup of Nations?

The other reason he could want Henry is not tactical, but more as psychological support for the Arsenal squad. 

Right now, with the Gunners sitting in fifth place, fighting for fourth with Chelsea and Liverpool, confidence is anything but high at the Emirates. Arsenal drew Wolverhampton Wanderers at home in a game they dominated, then eked out a 1-0 win against QPR (it shouldn't have been close), followed by a 2-1 loss at Craven Cottage after blowing a 1-0 lead.

Several players' confidence is extremely low, namely that of Gervinho, Theo Walcott, Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey. The lack of belief in themselves results in a refusal to shoot, losing the ball for no reason and missing wonderfully golden chances.

And this needs to stop before Arsenal fall out of contention for a top four (Champions League) spot at the end of the season.

Perhaps Wenger feels that bringing in Henry will give the team an emotional boost, given that they will be playing alongside a true legend. We know Thierry is a true leader, and maybe Wenger expects him to bring the team together in some sense.

In addition, Arsenal supporters would jump for joy because almost every single Gooner who saw Henry play at the Emirates has the Frenchman very close to their heart. This could get the fans even more behind the team, and the quality of the so-called "12th man" would greatly improve.

In conclusion, I believe Arsene Wenger is lining up the move on both strategic and psychological grounds, but mostly the latter, because I don't expect him to be any sort of scoring sensation at this age. However, the ruthlessness in front of goal is really lacking for the Gunners, and bringing in a top-quality finisher is no bad thing.

Henry might not be a starter, he might be more of an impact substitute, since it's possible his body won't hold up for a full 90 minutes. In my opinion, Wenger should get a striker in addition to Henry, because the fact is that Arsenal will need someone younger, fitter and better to help the squad up front in the long run.

Arsenal don't have a whole lot to lose on a loan deal, so even if Henry doesn't turn out, it's not the end of the world.

The deal isn't final yet, but the Arsenal boss does seem very intent on getting Henry on loan, and it doesn't look like the player can refuse. Expect this deal to be made, but it's very hard to predict what kind of effect Henry will have on the struggling Gunners.

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