Henry admits failings

THIERRY HENRY still tortures himself over his first missed chance in the Champions League final.
The injured Arsenal star, 29, is haunted by not slotting the ball past Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes when Arsenal were 1-0 up. They eventually lost 2-1 in Paris.
Henry, who hopes to return to face Liverpool in the FA Cup on January 6, also suffered heartbreak against Italy in the World Cup final.
He said: “I still feel that I let my team down against Barcelona.
“Neither in the World Cup final with France nor in the Champions League final for Arsenal did I make a difference for my team — I’m the first to admit that.
“But in that Champions League final I had two really big chances to win it.
“The second came after we’d been playing for about 50 minutes with only 10 men and even now I admit that I simply had nothing left in me. But the first chance, well I had to score it. It’s the kind of miss which you think about all the time.
“Not scoring a chance like that in a big final still angers me.
“That was the kind of moment which makes all the difference, make or break.
“You cannot judge a striker only on his goals or assists, but I’m still fighting the feeling that I let everyone down.
“I could have made the difference between winning and losing — but I didn’t.”
Henry again insisted that despite his frustrations on the pitch, he has not allowed them to boil over at the training ground.
He said: “You cannot get all grumpy and bitter just because you lose.
“You can never lose your love of football and give up on life just like that. I loathe losing but I have to take it on the chin. I cannot hide from the fact that only winning matters, but does that mean that you forget all the great victories with Arsenal and France?
“I don’t think like that, so even without trophies I believe 2006 has been a good year for me and Arsenal.”
Henry, who has suffered neck and hamstring problems, also admitted it is tough playing as a lone striker — something he has been forced to do regularly.
He said: “Playing up front on your own in a 4-5-1 is not really my normal style.
“It’s brutally hard, especially when you have 60 or more games in a season. But I must make one thing totally clear — I never give my opinions on tactics to my coaches.
“When Arsene picks the team and the tactics he never asks me for an opinion and I wouldn’t offer it.
“We will see at the end of the season whether it is right to play 4-5-1 as often as we do. How you have performed as a team by the end of the season is the only ‘truth’ which counts.
“But I’ve never regretted the decision to stay at Arsenal — I’ll never regret it.
“It was very soon after the Champions League final that I looked Arsene in the eyes and said ‘I’m staying’.
“We shook hands and he said ‘I knew it, I was sure!’
“It was extremely difficult to turn down Barcelona’s offer — this was the best team in the world.
“But I will always be grateful to Arsene and I know he appreciates and values my contribution to the team.
“We have our ups and downs, of course, but that’s hardly unusual.
“It just bugs me that I’m going to be missing some of our biggest games because of these injuries.
“I’m emotionally involved at Arsenal. Without the club perhaps I wouldn’t have met my wife and I wouldn’t have had our daughter.
“Arsenal, my wife and my daughter — these are two families. My heart tells me I’m in the right place.”

Shall I put this in the Arsenal thread?

Can't really see the point of it having its own thread

The point is that the anti-Henry brigade can have a field day without messing up your team thread

I know

it was a very unsubtle wind up

Great interview, he comes across really well - self-critical and striving to improve himself, but really loyal to the club. The only negative is the veiled criticism of the 4-5-1 - but I can't think of a striker who says they prefer playing without a strike partner.

It does sound alot like some sort of PR move to assure Arsenal fans its not some sort of fallout with Arsene that's keeping him out of the side.

“But I’ve never regretted the decision to stay at Arsenal — I’ll never regret it.
“It was very soon after the Champions League final that I looked Arsene in the eyes and said ‘I’m staying’.
“We shook hands and he said ‘I knew it, I was sure!’
“It was extremely difficult to turn down Barcelona’s offer — this was the best team in the world.
“But I will always be grateful to Arsene and I know he appreciates and values my contribution to the team.
“We have our ups and downs, of course, but that’s hardly unusual.

And to diminish this:

He said: “You cannot get all grumpy and bitter just because you lose.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4992172.stm


The choking bit is just too easy.


But WTF is really up with Henry now anyway? (not a wind up)
- fatigue
- injury/back problems
- fall out with Wenger
Nobody seems to really know...

injury, to his back apparently that hes been carrying for a while now

Thought it was hamstring now?

I thought he was having problems with his sciatic nerve which was keeping him out. He has been having slight hamstring injuries for a while now, so it was probably a chance to let that rest as well. I think the break will do him good because he has obviously struggled to find form after the World Cup, like a number of players. Hopefully this break will help him recharge his batteries.

Ta

Decent interview, comes across a lot better than he usually does.

I don't think that he's had a big fall out with Wenger, but there's probably been a conversation about Arsene's obsession with playing the youngest team possible and refusing to invest in established players. Henry's just played too much football over the last four years. He rarely gets injured, so he rarely gets the natural breaks from playing that other top players get. He just need some time off, and now's a good time to give it to him because Van Persie and Adebayor are starting to look like quite a natural partnership.

William Gallas, Tomas Rosicky and Julio Baptista are in the category of established if you ask me.

Sure, but one of those was signed as part exchange for an established player, and the other was signed as a loan exchange for an established player.

So, in squad terms, only Rosicky was an established player coming in on top of what you already had, and given the losses of Bergkamp and Pires, I'd argue that those signings haven't made your squad any stronger.

Drogba would have put it away!

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

Nah he would have put it over the bar. Drogba would have scored the chance where it was hoofed up the pitch and Henry controlled it on his chest 40 yards out. where Henry passed backwards, Drogba wud have swivlled and scored

Jingle Bellack wrote:

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

Nah he would have put it over the bar. Drogba would have scored the chance where it was hoofed up the pitch and Henry controlled it on his chest 40 yards out. where Henry passed backwards, Drogba wud have swivlled and scored

No for Henrys CL chance Drogba would have got the ball went towards the half way line, took on the whole Farsa team before nutmegging Valdes.

Target Man wrote:

Jingle Bellack wrote:

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

Nah he would have put it over the bar. Drogba would have scored the chance where it was hoofed up the pitch and Henry controlled it on his chest 40 yards out. where Henry passed backwards, Drogba wud have swivlled and scored

No for Henrys CL chance Drogba would have got the ball went towards the half way line, took on the whole Farsa team before nutmegging Valdes.

Yes, because he does that on a regular basis

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

his lack of first touch would have prevented him from setting himself up for the first chance to start with.

I'm surprised Henry didn't blame the big pitch.

Agooner wrote:

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

his lack of first touch would have prevented him from setting himself up for the first chance to start with.

???

Drogba has a very good 1st touch, certainly as good or better than Henry's - its only his finishing thats ever been up for debate.

Maybe if Didier pulled his socks up over his knees and minced about on tiptoes people might think he's more skillful.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Agooner wrote:

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

his lack of first touch would have prevented him from setting himself up for the first chance to start with.

???

Drogba has a very good 1st touch, certainly as good or better than Henry's - its only his finishing thats ever been up for debate.

Maybe if Didier pulled his socks up over his knees and minced about on tiptoes people might think he's more skillful.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Agooner wrote:

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

his lack of first touch would have prevented him from setting himself up for the first chance to start with.

???

Drogba has a very good 1st touch, certainly as good or better than Henry's - its only his finishing thats ever been up for debate.

Maybe if Didier pulled his socks up over his knees and minced about on tiptoes people might think he's more skillful.

This debate over Drogba's technique/skill is the biggest load of Bullshit in punditry.

I'm sure Aaron Hughes & Sami Hyypia will tell you that Drogba is just a physical bully.

I'm Sure Boulahrouz & Van Bommel will tell you that Drogba isn't skilful, when back to goal (and them) he lifted the ball of the ground with his instep & flicked it over their heads.

All hail knock & run!

TeamTurtleDoves wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Agooner wrote:

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

his lack of first touch would have prevented him from setting himself up for the first chance to start with.

???

Drogba has a very good 1st touch, certainly as good or better than Henry's - its only his finishing thats ever been up for debate.

Maybe if Didier pulled his socks up over his knees and minced about on tiptoes people might think he's more skillful.

This debate over Drogba's technique/skill is the biggest load of Bullshit in punditry.

I'm sure Aaron Hughes & Sami Hyypia will tell you that Drogba is just a physical bully.

I'm Sure Boulahrouz & Van Bommel will tell you that Drogba isn't skilful, when back to goal (and them) he lifted the ball of the ground with his instep & flicked it over their heads.

All hail knock & run!

You can add Senderos to that list from last weeks game

I would've, but Drogba kinda ruined it by flopping down after the obstruction.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Agooner wrote:

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

his lack of first touch would have prevented him from setting himself up for the first chance to start with.

???

Drogba has a very good 1st touch, certainly as good or better than Henry's - its only his finishing thats ever been up for debate.

Maybe if Didier pulled his socks up over his knees and minced about on tiptoes people might think he's more skillful.

I know u don't rate/like henry but u know that isn't true at all.

Drogba is a very good player but looks clumsy most of the time especially outside the box - fact.

Agooner wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Agooner wrote:

Target Man wrote:Drogba would have put it away!

his lack of first touch would have prevented him from setting himself up for the first chance to start with.

???

Drogba has a very good 1st touch, certainly as good or better than Henry's - its only his finishing thats ever been up for debate.

Maybe if Didier pulled his socks up over his knees and minced about on tiptoes people might think he's more skillful.

I know u don't rate/like henry but u know that isn't true at all.

Drogba is a very good player but looks clumsy most of the time especially outside the box - fact.

Its what I think.

Sorry.