Today’s Hero, Tomorrow’s Goat

While watching Thierry Henry today during Arsenal’s Champions League match against Real Madrid (tough life I lead), I started thinking about all of the incredible moments the Frenchman has had over his career. His eloquence on the pitch has made me lose my breath on a number of occasions. Yet, almost all of the memories I have of Henry is when he has been in an Arsenal uniform and not when he has played for France.

With the freedom he has at Arsenal, Henry has the ability to dominate a game. But when he plays for France it always seems like he is asked to play a more confined role, which doesn’t allow him to do improvise and to do what he does best. As a result, Henry is often a non factor when France plays.

If France has a performance in Germany this summer like they did in 2002, a lot of fingers will be pointed at Thierry Henry. This would be a real shame as far as I am concerned. The guy is one of the game’s great players, but even great players have trouble playing when they are handcuffed by a system that doesn’t suit their game.