Comments on: Thierry Henry – A look at his underwhelming first year

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:26:58 +0000

Funnily enough, I am Barca on Football Manager, and I’m playing 4-2-4. Of course, i’ve managed to keep Ronaldinho happy though.

Seriously though, you’re right about the passes, that is an astute observation. Even if he’s playing slightly wider, he does need to be alot closer to goal.

By: Kxevin

Kxevin — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:30:14 +0000

Agreed, but note that at Arsenal, he was getting his passes on a diagonal toward the net. For us, he’s getting them on a diagonal away from the net, leaving him the task of beating two defenders to even get close. Ain’t gonna happen. He’s fast, but that was never his game. He’s also getting the ball too far from goal.

And yes, the 4-3-3 is as Barca as the colors. But….for a glorious 10 minutes, Rijkaard ran a 4-2-4 at Almeria, until Milito got red carded. It was spectacular, like a jailbreak in their box. Only Milito saved them that match. If he stays in, we tally more goals.

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:13:21 +0000

An unusally passionate post Kxevin

I agree to a large extent though – but I don’t think Eto’o and Henry would be happy playing 45 minutes each all the time. Rijkaard has to stick with 433 because Cruyff is his mentor, so he sort of has to choose.

Its strange Henry having such a trouble with wing though, like I said, he always dropped wide at Arsenal. It is evident he’s not happy there though.

By: Kxevin

Kxevin — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:02:46 +0000

I’ll TELL you what’s happened to him. Frank Fuggin’ Rijkaard is what’s happened to him. “Now, Thierry, we know you’ve made a name for yourself with your pace, ball control and shot as a central striker, but we’d like you to play on the wing, and handle the ball/playmaking chores. How ya feelin’ ’bout that?”

“It sucks,” says Thierry. “See?”

Marca and all the other Barca-friendly publications want everyone to fit in and be excellent from the outset. But we’re trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Or we give him the ball way the hell out on the wing and wonder why he isn’t putting it into the “ol’ onion bag.” Duh.

Nothing’s wrong with Henry that playing him in position can’t cure. Look at how moving Eto’o from the wing and back into the center revitalized the Cameroonian.

Henry would be happy coming off the bench. Half and half for he and Eto’o, with Eto’o getting the start. But put him in the middle, where he belongs.