So after losing the semi-final of the MLS Cup, Thierry Henry has not only left New York Red Bulls, but retired from the game. Football just lost a great individual there.
Thierry, a legend at Arsenal, hero for the gooners, was definitely a villain for Spurs fans and anyone with sympathies towards the Irish football team- the so-called ‘Hand of Gaul’. True, he blatantly cheated in an international game. Gosh, I guess Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen never cheated in a game, like, ever (Hint: Owen arguably dived against Argentina in successive World Cups-1998 & 2002). The sad fact is that the vast majority of ‘sportsmen’ lie, cheat or steal in games. on BBC Match of the Day sometimes they say a player was “too honest there” as they didn’t fall to the floor like a sack of spuds to try and con the referee out of a penalty. In the NFL, or even cricket, players claim to catch the ball when it clearly touched the ground first.
Like Eric Cantona, another Frenchman to grace the Premiership with sublime creativity, antagonism, beauty, petulance and a collection of outstanding moments, Henry left a gap in the Premiership and the Arsenal team lost its punch when he went to Barcelona and Arsenal have never been the same since. The phrase “The trouble with Arsenal is they always try and walk it in” was coined after Thierry left. He was the main goalscorer and without him they seemed to be doing a Chuckle Brothers “to me, to you” as they bungled getting the ball into the net.
Personally I liked Henry as a character, not pure football, talk about real things, nutty things, creative things (again, similar to Cantona) and never seemed the complete media machine like ‘CR9’ or many, many others. The Va-Va-Voom man, true, he was, but he did it with humour, charisma and an energy that was much more stunning and subtle/sensual than the others muster up for razor blades and soft drinks, etc.
Football should be fun to watch in my opinion and Henry was fun to watch. Unless you were on the opposing side. With the likes of Messi and Ronaldo in Spain, I hope exciting talent like the next Henry/Cantona comes and stays in the Premiership.
I still miss seeing 14 Henry at Arsenal. But time moves on, and as Thierry left the Premiership in 2007, I guess I have to get over it haha!
Au revoir et Merci Henry… thanks for the memories and good luck for the future.
Purple Sky Thinking 