Henry Signed For Barca

[Kilteragh]

Allow me to make a case for Henry

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[Dhav]

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Seriously though, it will be a poorer Premiership without him. I will miss him but won't miss Stevie passing to him.

[Marky]

A massive loss to English football.

[Parm]

well given the 16mill bandied about for bent, I know who'd i'd rather spend that money on.

Agreed Marky, a huge loss to the premiership. I know Arsenal fans will try to spin it and say henry was passed it etc etc, but they know in their heart of hearts that they have lost their greatest ever player, who still has 4/5 yrs left in him at the top level.

[DeeGame]

Is Wenger clever selling Henry for £16m

WENGER THE DEAL KING
Steve Stammers 24/06/2007

THE LIST is long and impressive and proves that, when it comes to selling superstars, Arsene Wenger never gets it wrong.

Amid the controversy generated by the £16million sale of Thierry Henry, there is one certainty.

If Wenger had wanted the French superstar to stay, the Gunners would have rejected Barcelona's overtures.

Wenger runs the football side of the club. No question. Players move on only when he says it's time for change.

In his 11 years at the helm he's cashed in on acclaimed heroes like Marc Overmars, Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit, Paul Merson and Ian Wright.

The only time Wenger has been forced into selling against his will was when Nicolas Anelka demanded a transfer.

And even then Wenger had the last laugh, forcing Spanish giants Real Madrid to pay a staggering £23.5m for a player who 30 months before had cost Arsenal just £500,000.

Wenger has never shirked from selling his established stars - and so far none of them has come back to haunt him.

The manager's judgment, based on the meticulous study of the physiology of each player as much as their current form, has always proved to be spot-on.

When Wenger believes the time is right, players move on. That's why Arsenal insiders are not dismayed by Henry's imminent move to Barcelona. They insist the manager will be proved right - again.

After Wenger's first season in control he decided to ditch local hero Merson, a player idolised by the fans as a home-grown, immensely gifted star.

Wenger thought differently. He felt Merson's flaws outweighed his qualities and the popular England international left for Middlesbrough.

Nor far behind him was goal king Wright. Wrighty might have been the Gunners' record goalscorer at the time but he was left on the bench for Arsenal's victory stroll in the 1998 FA Cup Final against Newcastle.

Wright could have gone in goal and still collected a winner's medal. But Wenger made his point and Wright was history when he left the club a few weeks later.

Petit was part of one of the most potent central midfield partnerships the Premier League has ever seen.

Vieira and Petit starred in the 1998 Double-winning team and Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson acknowledged their contribution when he hailed them as two very gifted players who also "loved a scrap".

But two years later Wenger felt there were too many miles on Petit's clock. A knee problem had reduced his dynamism and he was sold to Barcelona.

Wenger also believed the time was right to cash in on winger Overmars. The little Dutchman illuminated the Arsenal attack while he was at the club - elusive, quick and with an eye for a goal.

But he wasn't getting any quicker and he wasn't elusive any more. Bought for £7.5m, he was sold for three times that amount to Barcelona as part of the Petit package.

There is no resentment from the players Wenger ships out. Asked a year into his Catalan career if he missed anything about English football, Petit declared: "Yes - Arsene Wenger. I miss working with him."

Wenger's ruthless streak was also evident two years ago when Vieira left Arsenal. Costing just £3m from AC Milan, Vieira was arguably Wenger's greatest-ever signing - Henry included.

Wenger understood him, nurtured him, encouraged him and steadfastly defended him during Vieira's frequent brushes with authority.

He made him captain and always acknowledged the kind of influence that Vieira could exert on an English Premier League game.

But Vieira began to pay the price for his own courage as the years of incessant physical battering began to take their toll and the Wenger radar was in action again.

He knew Vieira would be an asset, even with a reduced workload. But he also knew Arsenal could cash in and the player could earn a lucrative move.

Juventus came in for Vieira and the Arsenal bank balance benefited to the tune of £13.7m. The following season, Juventus and Vieira were knocked out of the Champions League - by Arsenal.

When it comes to wheeling and dealing, Wenger knows his stuff.

paul MERSON Moved to Boro in 1997 and helped them to promotion - a feat he repeated with Portsmouth five years later - but never returned to the upper reaches of the Premiership.

ian WRIGHT Went to West Ham for £500,000 in 1998 but moved rapidly down the leagues with spells at Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Burnley.

marc OVERMARS Was only 27 when he moved to Barcelona in 2000 but started fewer than 40 league games in the next four years as he struggled with a knee injury and retired in 2004.

emmanuel PETIT Joined Barcelona with Overmars but could not hold down a regular place and moved on a year later for a disappointing, injury-ravaged spell at Chelsea.

patrick VIEIRA Sold to Juventus but moved on after Juve were relegated in the match-fixing scandal to Inter, who won last season's Serie A title.


http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/...8487-19348034/

Pretty impressive record Wenger has got there selling players.

[Parm]

well I knew this is the type of spin story that would surface about Henry etc.
They have sold their greatest ever player and one who still has several years left at the top.
With regards to the other players Wenger has sold, the article is somewhat misleading.

1. Merson, it did not take a genius to see that the guy, despite his talents, was long past it. Overweight, injury prone and mentally scarred following his well documented addiction problems, not the best example of a modern day footballer.

2. Wright, the guy was well into his 30's, past his prime and they had Anelka breaking through, once again, easy to get rid of, a no brainer.

3. Petit-the guy wanted to have the chance of winning the CL and knew he couldnt do it at Arsenal, at 29 he knew he had to move, Barca came in for Overmars and hoovered him up in the deal.

4. overmars, barca were under teh guidance of Van Gaal, who was picking up Dutch players left right and centre, and offered a huge sum for Overmars, it would have been stupidity to turn down.

5. Viera-I will concede was a calculated gamble. they had had years of specualtion that Real would buy him, Viera always seemed to play up this fact. But with Cesc coming though Viera suddenly wasnt so irreplacable.

but Henry, damn this guy is just about irreplaceable. If Arseanl wantto even start thining about replacements, 16mill will not do it. Looking at least around 30mill for someone like Eto'o.

[AFII]

Wenger is good in the market but he has also made some joke signings like Jeffers for £10m and Wiltord for £11m.

The sale of Overmars is probably the best sale ever in the PL. A past it player for over £20m.

[jonesie]

Henry is an absolute quality player. I must have seen him play 6 or 7 times at Anfield and he's easily the best opposition player I've seen us face. I remember one game we beat them 4-0 (i think it was Christmas time of the Treble season) but he was amazing. Best player on the pitch even when his team were getting battered 4-0.

I also remember that 2-2 game when he gave Henchoz and Carra about a 50 yard headstart and glided past them.

If he wasn't going to join us then I'm glad he's gone to Barca, as they're a club I've got a lot of respect for.

[AFII]

Arsenal rejected Barcelona's Eto'o in Henry talks
tribalfooball.com - June 24, 2007

Arsenal were offered Samuel Eto'o by Barcelona during negotiations on Friday over the sale of Thierry Henry, it has been revealed.

AS says Barca vice-president Ferran Soriano proposed a swap involving the Cameroon international, but Arsenal rejected the offer, insisting they were happy with the £16 million cash agreement and would go elsewhere to find Henry's replacement.

Barca's board are reportedly fed-up with Eto'o's attitude and outspoken ways and if they receive the right offer, they will sell the Cameroon striker this summer.

[Diego]

well I knew this is the type of spin story that would surface about Henry etc.
They have sold their greatest ever player and one who still has several years left at the top.
With regards to the other players Wenger has sold, the article is somewhat misleading.

1. Merson, it did not take a genius to see that the guy, despite his talents, was long past it. Overweight, injury prone and mentally scarred following his well documented addiction problems, not the best example of a modern day footballer.

2. Wright, the guy was well into his 30's, past his prime and they had Anelka breaking through, once again, easy to get rid of, a no brainer.

3. Petit-the guy wanted to have the chance of winning the CL and knew he couldnt do it at Arsenal, at 29 he knew he had to move, Barca came in for Overmars and hoovered him up in the deal.

4. overmars, barca were under teh guidance of Van Gaal, who was picking up Dutch players left right and centre, and offered a huge sum for Overmars, it would have been stupidity to turn down.

5. Viera-I will concede was a calculated gamble. they had had years of specualtion that Real would buy him, Viera always seemed to play up this fact. But with Cesc coming though Viera suddenly wasnt so irreplacable.

but Henry, damn this guy is just about irreplaceable. If Arseanl wantto even start thining about replacements, 16mill will not do it. Looking at least around 30mill for someone like Eto'o.

i don't think it was the best move in the world for arse, i think if he had stayed around they would have finished above us, their midfield was not up to it's best last year, fabregas wasn't ready to carry them and denilson is nowhere ready, so i don't think it was a smart move for 6 milion, for a player that is already an important member og the italian champions. 6 million was nothing as 16 is very little for henry...

[AFII]

Vieria had injury problems and still has so it was a good move to sell him by Wenger.

[Diego]

was it? 6million. has he been out injured a lot since he was sold?

[reddragon]

Arsenal rejected Barcelona's Eto'o in Henry talks
tribalfooball.com - June 24, 2007

Arsenal were offered Samuel Eto'o by Barcelona during negotiations on Friday over the sale of Thierry Henry, it has been revealed.

AS says Barca vice-president Ferran Soriano proposed a swap involving the Cameroon international, but Arsenal rejected the offer, insisting they were happy with the £16 million cash agreement and would go elsewhere to find Henry's replacement.

Barca's board are reportedly fed-up with Eto'o's attitude and outspoken ways and if they receive the right offer, they will sell the Cameroon striker this summer.

says it all really

if this was true then we'd all be screaming at Rafa to get on the plane from Madrid to Barcalona

[dww]

i think adebayour could have a big season for them too....

I think the van Persie / Adebayor partnership was the best of any that Arsenal played last year even including Henry. A big problem is the fitness of van Persie.

I don't think either of them are capable of filling the void on their own but the partnership might be abl to do it. Especially if Arsene can get Rosicky and Hleb to be more consistant in front of goal and/or a striker who is good off the bench.

[dww]

Dave that's a bit unfair on henry. He's had about 6 and a half years where he has played (carling cup asisde) just about every game, week in week out and maintained an amazingly high standard. It's only since dec last year where a combo of tiredness and niggling injuries affected him.

As in terms of price etc I do agree, it's a lot for a 29yr old, but he is still worth it.

But now he has a chronic back problem which will probably cause him problems for the rest of his career. I'm not sure that he will be able to be as fit as he was in the past and a large part of what set him apart was his speed.

I think like Vieira the move to a less physical league will do him good in terms of his career longevity.