When Barcelona wrapped up arguably the coup of the transfer window by picking up the world class Thierry Henry for just over £16 million pounds, football fans were both puzzled and ecstatic about the transfer. Yes, they would be able to finally see four of the most formidable attacking players play together for one team- but on the other hand did Barcelona really need Henry? Already possessing Ronaldinho Gaucho, Leo Messi and Samuel Eto’o up front, Barcelona had three players that any team in the world would be happy to have one of- let alone three. Those that watched last season’s title race would surely argue that their defensive needs needed improving much more than their attacking ones, which is why the purchase of Henry was seen as unneeded by many top football pundits around the world (Gabriele Marcotti stated that “where else but La Liga would their [Real Madrid] closest rivals sign one of the greatest attacking weapons in footballing history at great expense despite already boasting three of the best strikers in the world?”). Although Barcelona scored more goals and conceded fewer goals than any other team in La Liga, they finished second, not winning the title due to their inferior head to head record against champions Real Madrid.

Barcelona scored 78 goals in their 38 league games, meaning they scored an average of around 2 goals a game. Their 33 goals conceded meant they conceded an average of just below 0.9 goals a game. If you take these two figures into account, this means that should have (on average) won every game 2-1, so why didn’t they win the title? Obviously in football you cannot win all your games- you will draw some, and yes you will lose some. However, given the fact that Barcelona scored 12 more goals and conceded 7 goals less than champions Real Madrid, this shows that they should have not even let the Bernabeu side close enough to let the head to head results have any meaning on the title race. The conclusion we can draw from these facts is that when Barcelona won games, they won them well yet when they conceded in games, they often lacked the impetus to claw their way back into a winning position. Most would argue that a striker of Henry’s calibre would only help them do this- here I will reason whether Henry’s signing was as needed or not. Read more »

Posted on September 7th, 2007 | 9 Comments »
Filed under: Barcelona, Henry, La Liga, football, soccer

With reports of Thierry Henry’s impending transfer to Barcelona, for a measly fee of £16 million, while a world class centre forward and Arsenal legend leaves, Darren bent, a relatively inexperienced English striker is being mooted around at £18 million pounds. The proposed inflation in the transfer market has surrounded English clubs buying and selling from one another, with Manchester United spending close to £54 million on three imports from foreign leagues. So where does this leave Arsenal, whose talisman uttered these words: “This is my last contract. It is where I belong”, last summer, and now completes a complete turnaround to his statement, completing a significant move in what truly will be the final contract of his career.

The simple fact is that there will never be another Thierry Henry. While there may be young pretenders, with Theo Walcott and Ryan Babel, both biding their time on the wing, before playing in a similar role to Henry. True class is rare and Henry was a legend. Remember each of his 226 Arsenal goals, and relive them with joy. Remember the barnstorming run against Tottenham, and the daring celebration which followed. Remember the outrageous back heeled finish against Charlton. Remember the wonder goal in the Bernabeu. Remember Thierry Henry, the greatest player to ever grace the Premiership, with joy.

And while we dare not crucify him, we must see that there is a growing uncertainty in the direction of Arsenal’s future on and off the pitch. With the news that the board are willing to work with Stan Kroenke after Peter Hillwood’s unnecessarily blunt remarks concerning the American, this appears to point to a possible takeover with David Dein’s possible reinstalllment as Chairman. Arsene Wenger’s future too is uncertain, although this has been a common pattern as the French tactician almost always commits to a new contract at the end of his current one, which prompts media speculation into his future. More worrying is the number of players tied to Wenger’s future with Cesc Fabregas, amongst others, with an uncertain future at the club. Therefore it is vital for the uncertainty in the upper hierarchy of the club to be settled and for the club to continue to add to its illustrious history. While there will be great players and managers, no one person is greater than the club itself.

One problem is due to the inflated transfer fees in players coming over to England, it will be difficult to find a player who can stop the lack of Thierry Henry’s influence in Arsenal’s game being found. Therefore it is vital that Wenger gets the player that he wants to replace Henry, with Patrick Vieira (Wenger failed to buy Julio Baptista as well), not effectively replaced until Fabregas developed into his new type of role dominating games with his ability rather than pure physicality. Therefore here are a number of players who Wenger could have his eye on:

Ryan Babel has been likened to Henry by his national team coach Marco Van Basten, who incidentally was Henry’s idol when he was a young hopeful. The player himself is right footed though plays on the left wing and can also play up front. He is blessed with pace and trickery and so on his day can bamboozle opponents with his skill. He is inconsistent, naturally due to his inexperience and so this is not the kind of player that needs to be added to Arsenal’s strike-force as experience and goal-scoring prowess is needed.

Speaking of goal scoring prowess, Klaas Jan Huntelaar is a striker whose goal-scoring record for teams at different ends of the spectrum in the Dutch league. The player himself is relatively young and again is unproven in a foreign league but his record of 37 goals in 46 Ajax appearances shows his instinct for goal. The player would not provide Thierry Henry’s sheer elegance (he is, in fact, more likened to Ruud van Nistelrooy) or be as involved in the build up, but he would be a ‘fox in the box’, a tag shunned by Arsenal fans, since the signing of Francis Jeffers, who was a spectacular disappointment.

Carlos Tevez is a player that can bring the same level of excitement to fans as Thierry Henry. After a season of acclimatization to the English league in which he still managed to save his club, West Ham United, from relegation, he appears to be ready to step in to the shoes of a legend. Tevez has been a club talisman all his life, carrying Boca juniors and Corinthians on his broad shoulders, the latter almost suffered disciplinary action due to its involvement with MSI, whom Tevez is also associated with. This may put off Wenger as third party ownership deals enter murky water. Also an asking price of close to £32 million pounds and interest from Inter Milan and Real Madrid may mean that Tevez is out of reach due to the superiorly financially backed rivals.

Darren Bent has a eye for goal and is proven in this league, scoring goals for a side of considerably less quality. He is valued at a price greater than what Henry has been sold for, which is not uncommon as the lack of available, quality English players, who are in scare supply. He has clever movement and would love to try his luck at a bigger club but there has been no link and again Wenger may be put off by the price.

Obafemi Martins reportedly has a £13 million pound release clause in his contract at Newcastle, as does strike partner Michael Owen (of £9 million pounds). Martins is a player of blistering pace and has a powerful shot. Wenger has first hand experience of the player, who as a rough 18 year old teenager single-handedly tore apart Arsenal’s defense at home to Inter in 2003. There are doubts about his age (he is thought to be 23), as there are with a number of African players, who lie in the hope of breaking from a life of poverty.

There is also the unlikely Samuel Eto’o (who maintains that his future lies at Barcelona and that he was looking forward to playing with Henry at the Camp Nou. If there was any hope of him coming in what in a swap deal for Henry), Adriano (mooted in a swap deal for Henry and also his motivational problems are also a dilemma), David Trezeguet (thought to be brought in to appease to Henry’s demands for a world-class striker and now his loss of form, and more static movement makes him a inadequate buy, as his day was three years ago) and Dimitar Berbatov (this is impossible but Arsenal fans can only dream that the player will switch from the white of Tottenham to the red and white of Arsenal). A final mention to a possible return of Nicolas Anelka, who is now a reformed character but Wenger has never resigned a former player and also Diego Milito, who seems destined for Zaragoza.

Finally I ask you to trust in Wenger, who without doubt already has a replacement lined up. There is no one bigger than the club and we will prove that once more.

Posted on June 29th, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Filed under: Arsenal, Barcelona, Henry, La Liga

Summers are known for two things in the football world- the scarcity of the sport that everyone loves to watch and the inevitable rumours of players leaving Arsenal. Who will it be this year, Vieira to Real? Pires to Inter? Henry to Barca? Ashley Cole to Chelsea? These are many of the questions that have troubled Gooners across the world. Coming into this week, Vieira had gone to Inter Milan via Juventus two years earlier, Pires had gone to Villareal, Ashley Cole had gone to Chelsea in a part swap for William Gallas yet one person remained- Thierry Henry. For the past eight years, Henry hasawed not just Arsenal fans with his pace, vision and skill but the whole of the Premiership. Defenders knew not where to turn when the Frenchman ran at them, knowing committing themselves could leave them grasping at a red and white shirt that had just slipped the ball through their legs, or even worse left them flat on their backsides as Henry has done to too many defenders these past years at Arsenal. But when Barca came calling, instability at his beloved Arsenal as well as a desire to win things led him to the only other club he said ‘played the Arsenal way’. Here I compare and contrast the likely replacements for Henry. Now he’s gone- who best to fill his place? This is no doubt a question thousands of Arsenal fans across the globe are asking themselves.

- Darren Bent

The Charlton forward guarantees one thing- goals. The man regularly has featured in the top ten in terms of goals scored rankings, and would take a move to jump up a division with open arms considering his team Charlton were just relegated. Bent being a lifelong Arsenal fan, the club would have one of its own playing up front and surely he would not desire to leave us, even to go to the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona; however, being English he will undoubtedly cost far more than he is worth : he has been valued at around £18m pounds by his club , and they look unlikely to sell for anything else. Also, according to reports, he has nearly sealed a move to Tottenham, and even though he would probably opt for us and Champions League football if we went in for him- I doubt we should get into a bidding war for a player that has never set the world alight.

- Nicholas Anelka

The ex-Arsenal man name has surprisingly cropped up, as Wenger seems to want to finally have Anelka realise his potential at Arsenal Football Club. Although he left the club in acrimonious circumstances when his brothers forced a move, he seems to have matured as both a footballer and a person. He offers a quick fix- he will stay for 2-3 years while the likes of Bendtner, Vela and Adebayor develop as better players, as they have promised to do ever since they were brought to Arsenal as youth players. He should score goals as he knows how to play the Arsenal way. Anelka comes cheap, seemingly available for around £9 million pounds- causing many Arsenal fans across the globe to call for his signature. All throughout Anelka’s career, he has never reached the heights he did at Arsenal- only hitting more than 20 goals once in the last six years. Also, his desire to leave Bolton, a club that just a year ago took a gamble of nearly £9 million pounds to lure him from Fenerbahce to the Premiership could prove troublesome for Arsenal in the future. Who’s to say that he will not leave Arsenal in a year’s time if say AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Inter come in for him?

- Klaas Jan Huntelaar

Klaas Jan Huntelaar is an intriguing player. Even more of a goal poacher than Darren Bent, he has scored for fun since he started his professional football career. How many times this season and last have we seen an Arsenal player pass to another despite being in a good shooting position? Having hit 72 goals in the past two seasons, yet not having a single assist to his name shows that he is capable of putting the ball in the back of the net and perhaps has the one thing most Arsenal forwards do not- selfishness. How many times this season and last have we seen an Arsenal player pass to another despite being in a good shooting position? What goes against Huntelaar, however, is that his goals have mainly been scored in the Dutch Eredivisie, a weaker league than the Premiership. Comparisons to one Mateja Kezman, who flopped at Chelsea despite scoring a boatload in the Dutch league have been made- I feel a comparison to Ruud Van Nistelrooy suits Huntelaar better as he seems to have all the tools to succeed in the Premiership. Also, his partnership with Robin Van Persie has flourished in the few games they have played together on the International stage, and Arsenal could only reap the benefits of them playing together all the time. Although not cheap at £15 million pounds, he is certainly not unaffordable , and a £15 million pound investment for someone that will score goals for the next 5-10 years is not one too extravagant to make.

- Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres is one of the still remaining stars of the Spanish league that has not moved on to a bigger club. Now the captain of Athletico Madrid, it is his time to go on if a suitable offer came in for him since his club have not qualified for Europe and do not look like qualifying for the Champions League for another five years at the very least, with Real, Barca, Sevilla, Valencia all possessing better players and more money than them. Perhaps his price tag has put off potential investors- a reported £28 million pounds is required to break his contract, although a supposed £15 million pounds & Reyes deal is all that is being mentioned for Arsenal at the moment. Could he do well in the rough hustle and bustle of the English Premiership? The answer to this question would determine whether he would turn out to be a massive success or a huge flop. Comparisons with Thierry Henry have been mooted, with the Spaniard being able to score with either foot or his head equally well. Also, he forms a reward-reaping partnership with Arsenal midfield maestro Cesc Fabregas on the international stage and would surely only enhance that partnership with the Gunners. The disadvantage of Torres is that he would take a year or two to bed in; with Tottenham & Newcastle heavily strengthening along with the rest of the top four, Arsenal cannot afford to be left behind. Also, are funds present to finance a move for both Torres and the winger to solve the width problem so evident on the pitch at Ashburton Grove?

- Ryan Babel

Ryan Babel has been linked with Arsenal almost since the start of the new millenium. Equally adept at playing on the wing or up front, he has already been compared to Thierry Henry by Dutch coach Marco Van Basten and will only improve with time. Available for a mere £6 million pounds due to a buyout clause in his contract, he could fill Arsenal’s need of a new striker and new winger in one swoop while still leaving plenty of money in the transfer budget for other players. As with Huntelaar, he has played with Van Persie on the International stage and he recently shone in the European U21 Championships with the victorious Dutch team. He has repeatedly come out in the press speaking of his desire to play for Arsenal and under Wenger. However, Babel has never really impressed me- his poor first touch means he would find it difficult to thrive in the Premiership. I consider Babel a slight upgrade on the ever improving Walcott, but Arsenal would be best suited letting the Englishman have his time in the first team rather than buying the Dutch player. A somewhat headless chicken on the wing and someone that has never been prolific up front, he would take at least 2-3 years to reach his pomp- time that we cannot afford. Could Babel come in and replace the 30 goals a season that Henry used to give us? He is hardly someone to put your hopes and dreams on, and in the 2-3 years that Babel will take to adjust and reach his full potential we will have Walcott ready to terrorize defenses across the continent. One for the future, and Arsenal have enough of those players- someone is needed to come in and make an immediate impact.

All of these players have aspects to their game that have made them much vaunted across the football world. The pace of Babel, the intelligence of Anelka, the guile of Darren Bent or the selfishness of Huntelaar could help us in our quest for honours. The best man for Arsenal out of all those players is Huntelaar. He will be able to come in and make an impact on both the domestic and the European stage, something that we need a striker to do greatly. He possesses the selfishness and skill needed to succeed in the unforgiving Premiership and would no doubt placate fans who have wanted a big name player at Arsenal. This player is just hitting his peak and remember- he was the first man to net at the newly opened Emirates stadium, a sentimental thought to hold in the hearts of Arsenal fans. Those that have seen him play will know he was born score goals and he would only blossom under the tutelage of the wise Arsene Wenger. Although he will be able to make a mark now, he will also be there for the future and would complement either Adebayor or Van Persie equally well. Also, we will have a player that we know can do the business, in case of injuries and when Adebayor travels to the African Cup of Nations. One for the present and the future, Klaas Jan Huntelaar could become the ’super, super class’ of player Wenger wanted at Arsenal.

Posted on June 26th, 2007 | No Comments »
Filed under: Arsenal, Barcelona, Gunners, Henry, La Liga, football, money, soccer, striker, top four