Platini believes Henry should have signed for Barca

“I sincerely believe that he [Henry] made a mistake by not signing for FC Barcelona. I’ve told that both to his face and to Joan Laporta [Barcelona President]. Henry would have been able to grow a lot inside this Barça squad. Thierry Henry is a fantastic player, about to go past me in terms of goals scored for France although he still hasn’t made it”, explained Platini.

“He hasn’t played in a great club and won trophies that can be considered similar to a World Cup or a Euro. I do, however, profoundly respect his decision, as for him the personal relationship that he has with Arséne Wenger, with the Arsenal board, with his team-mates, with the fans and also his family is settled there”, added the ex Bleus myth.

“It would have been an incredible thing to see Thierry together with Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Messi, Deco and so on. Henry would have had great fun and Barça would have been an improved team – it really would have”, added the Frenchman before going on to talk about Rijkaard and point out that the Capello project is still in an embryonic phase and needs timer to be judged.

So the EPL title and the FA Cup aren't big trophies?

And how can he be so sure that Barca will win the CL in the next two seasons.

Sounds like another idiot that should keep his mouth shut to me....

Platini knows best.

So you agree that the EPL isn't a big trophy?

It certainly isn't.

The Champions League is a big trophy.

The FA Cup trophy is bigger than the CL trophy.

The World Cup is a pretty small trophy

My trophy is bigger than your trophy...

Nah

Michael Platini is the French Terry Butcher = Constantly talking crap just to go against the norm.

He is basically saying that Arsenal are not a major force, a bit stupid considering that France's best two players (Henry and Gallas) are at Arsenal.

Henry should have gone to Barca though, but prefered to be a big fish in a small pond. He couldn't bear being "just another guy".
If he would moan at Barca, Guily, Dinho and others would just laugh/ignore him. At Arsenal he can influence impressionable kids, Hleb, RVP, Fabregas, Rosicky etc. by sighing loudly, or shaking his head.

Big fish in a small pond?

Barca aren't that much better than us! And its not like all our footballers are complete unknowns!

It would of been funny last night if Henry was playing for Barca. There would of been two players waiting outside of the huddle to congratulate Deco personally.

Divas.

Henry is still top dog... by a long distance (status, captain and salary-wise). He wouldn't be at Barca.

Henry wouldn't have done what dinho did - he can be a bit of a diva now and again but he would never go that far

I'm not saying Arsenal won't win the league title again within a couple of years, but IMO I don't think so. At Barca Henry would have way more chance to.

Tweeds, Henry and Dinho are the biggest divas in the game at the moment. Sorry to be the one to tell you.

Henry is our captain, fair play.

It isn't all about winning trophies though DD. He has two kids, his wife is used to London, he loves the area - why would he leave?

Its not lie he'd have got paid any more so I can't see why its such a disaster that he didn't go!

Distinguished Dutchman wrote:Henry should have gone to Barca though, but prefered to be a big fish in a small pond. He couldn't bear being "just another guy".
If he would moan at Barca, Guily, Dinho and others would just laugh/ignore him. At Arsenal he can influence impressionable kids, Hleb, RVP, Fabregas, Rosicky etc. by sighing loudly, or shaking his head.

Just another guy - You make him sound like a novice. The guy is regarded as a top class footballer, fair enough he wouldn't be considered to gem like Ronaldinho or the icon like Puyol. But he would still be an key player for them. Even though I would say that Barceliona are a better team at the moment we are not that far behind them.

Henry did not take the easy way out and just leave. He decided to stand up and be counted and stay at the club in which gave him another chance. And stick by a manager that turned him into the player he is. Arsenal fans adore him.

Distinguished Dutchman wrote:Tweeds, Henry and Dinho are the biggest divas in the game at the moment. Sorry to be the one to tell you.

*cough* Zlatan *cough*

There could be many reasons Tweeds, but the reason I don't accept the one about being used to London is that if all players never strayed beyond their comfort zone, no-one would ever play abroad, or even for another city. It would be imaginable if he were 35, which he isn't.
At Barca Henry would have been, payed more, more chance to win trophies, played at a bigger club, overall better quality teammates, best league, in a warmer climate etc. The only catch is he wouldn't have the untouchable god-like can't-do-no-wrong status he has at Arsenal.

So he made the Diva-decision.


To be fair, now he'll definitely be a legend at Arsenal, but he choked when given the chance to further his carreer, and chose the sure-thing adulation at Arsenal, then risk a chance at something greater.
If he ever will be a manager, he'll be a conservative Sven-like one.

Cesc-Fab wrote:

Distinguished Dutchman wrote:Henry should have gone to Barca though, but prefered to be a big fish in a small pond. He couldn't bear being "just another guy".
If he would moan at Barca, Guily, Dinho and others would just laugh/ignore him. At Arsenal he can influence impressionable kids, Hleb, RVP, Fabregas, Rosicky etc. by sighing loudly, or shaking his head.

Just another guy - You make him sound like a novice. The guy is regarded as a top class footballer, fair enough he wouldn't be considered to gem like Ronaldinho or the icon like Puyol. But he would still be an key player for them. Even though I would say that Barceliona are a better team at the moment we are not that far behind them.

Henry at Barca would have had an Eto'o like status: he's Eto'o or Henry in this case, one of the best strikers, but just another guy amidst Ronaldinho, Puyol, Deco, Eto'o. In his world there's only room for Henry in a team.

Tweedledum wrote:

Distinguished Dutchman wrote:Tweeds, Henry and Dinho are the biggest divas in the game at the moment. Sorry to be the one to tell you.

*cough* Zlatan *cough*

You're right of course, but still doesn't change the part in bold.

Sorry DD but your talking bullshit!

I'm stil not sure about this whole La Liga>EPL thing - the games certainly aren't as big in the EPL in terms of crowd and the atmosphere is nowhere near as good so the experience of playing is lesser than in the EPL.

He wouldn't have got paid more at Barca. He is on £130,000 a week at Arsenal, do you REALLy think he'd have got paid £20,000 more than Dinho does? I doubt it....

Also Barca is hardly a challenge - sure they'd have a shot at the CL but so do Arsenal and they are dominant in the league - Arsenal have to contend with three teams that could possibly finich higher.

We also now have the new stadium and a much bette training facility - we also have a very exciting bunch of youngsters coming through.

I'm sorry but when you have two kids that are both 2 and 6 respectively then settling down DOES matter!

Tweedledum wrote:Sorry DD but your talking bullshit!

I'm stil not sure about this whole La Liga>EPL thing - the games certainly aren't as big in the EPL in terms of crowd and the atmosphere is nowhere near as good so the experience of playing is lesser than in the EPL.

He wouldn't have got paid more at Barca. He is on £130,000 a week at Arsenal, do you REALLy think he'd have got paid £20,000 more than Dinho does? I doubt it....

Also Barca is hardly a challenge - sure they'd have a shot at the CL but so do Arsenal and they are dominant in the league - Arsenal have to contend with three teams that could possibly finich higher.

We also now have the new stadium and a much bette training facility - we also have a very exciting bunch of youngsters coming through.

I'm sorry but when you have two kids that are both 2 and 6 respectively then settling down DOES matter!

Easy on those knickers, mate.

EPL vs La Liga: arguable which is best. There's not a world of difference quality wise (playing wise, yes), but it's still a fresh challenge Chairwee didn't take. He already achieved pretty much everything there is to achieve in the EPL.

Salary: If Barca wanted him, they needed to pay him the salary he asked. So yes to that one.

CL: Barca generally have a better chance. Wenger never impressed as a CL manager - nor his (lack of) tactics or his long record of failing with what he had in his hands. Even last year (which I still think is a fluke). Time will tell.

Bigger challenge in the EPL: yes, but then you'd aspire to surround yourself with as many great players and mould as good a team possible. And inspire as a captain. Which I don't think he does. Or even if he did, he would try to distance himself from the players on the pitch or in interviews "Me, me, me , me, the others aren't good enough/ Its not my fault the ref blabla".

I still think he's a great striker, but Onree prefers to put himself on a pedestal.


And if he rather stayed with Arsenal the club who [insert sentimentality], why did he keep the club ransom for more than a year last season? Keeping the supporters in the dark about his wishes for more than 6 months? Surely not work of someone who values the club above all.

Only to come back on his choice 3 days after the CL final to the supporters to grandly declare his staying - almost rivaling Moses coming down the mount Sinai with ten commandments. Talk about a grand diva entrance!
This while negotiating the biggest deal with Arsenal, his club, that always counted pennies! Not forgetting the year-long constant public begging and groveling by the Arsenal staff for him to stay.

King Onree was on a power trip mate. Nowt wrong with it as long as you don't deny it.

Tweedledum wrote:Sorry DD but your talking bullshit!

I'm stil not sure about this whole La Liga>EPL thing - the games certainly aren't as big in the EPL in terms of crowd and the atmosphere is nowhere near as good so the experience of playing is lesser than in the EPL.

He wouldn't have got paid more at Barca. He is on £130,000 a week at Arsenal, do you REALLy think he'd have got paid £20,000 more than Dinho does? I doubt it....

Also Barca is hardly a challenge - sure they'd have a shot at the CL but so do Arsenal and they are dominant in the league - Arsenal have to contend with three teams that could possibly finich higher.

We also now have the new stadium and a much bette training facility - we also have a very exciting bunch of youngsters coming through.

I'm sorry but when you have two kids that are both 2 and 6 respectively then settling down DOES matter!

As far as crowds go he would be at the Camp Nou.. bigger than the Emirates last time I checked, and all the away matches would be sold out.

We could probably match you wage wise but I don't think that is an issue with Henry to be honest, as long as he could the same as Dinho he would be content I imagine.

Better training facilites, i don't know, since you poach all the youngsters that you need.. can't be that perfect..

But I think Henry made a very spontaneous decision after the final, realising that he felt at home with Arsenal and the setup there, that joining Barcelona would mean a LOT of work, and he took the easy way out.. I don't blame him, he is adored at Arsenal, while he would have to re-earn everything at a new club. I would have loved him at the Camp Nou but it is in the past (we could certainly have used him yesterday).

This is pure nonsense! Laporta was saying something similar before the chelsea game, was clearly pissed off henry didn't join them.

True, barca are possibly the best team in the world currently but who is to say they won't turn into another madrid soon? Remember Becks leaving manu for the then best team in the world ? what has he won since?

And "the big fish in the small pond" argument is just pure bollocks. Henry's attitude stinks but he is not the type of guy that always portrays himself ( want to be) the star of the team: u see him allow his team mates(RVP, reyes, pires etc) take penalties, free kicks etc, u heard him say at the start of the season that cesc is now more important to the team than him. I also remember two seasons ago when we were playing our last game of the season against everton, he won us a penalty and was leading eto'o by one goal for the golden boat( with eto'o having 2 games left), instead of taking the penalty to increase his chance of winning the golden boat, he allowed Edu to take it because he was playing his last game for us. This is clearly not the attitude of someone who always want to be the star of the team.

All bias aside, i truely believe we have enough quality in our team to win either the CL or the EPL befor he retires. And even if we don't win anything more, he has still got an impressive trophy cabinet.