Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:54 am

Was watching SSN earlier. Basically, Henry turns up to answer questions about tonight's game and a hack (not sure which one it is but sounded like a typical loudmouth Cockney one but i'm sure somebody on here will know who it is) gives him an absolute grilling, saying that he owes Arsenal fans a decision, he should make a decision on his future ASAP as he is being unfair on Arsenal fans.

Henry is absolutely fuming at this and has a right go back, claiming that the only people he owes anything to are his Mum and Dad for putting him on the planet. He then has be calmed down by the Arsenal press officer sitting next to him.

So my question is....

1) Is it only Arsenal and Liverpool players who get treated this way? There have been rumours about Lumpard going to Barca for a while yet nobody in the press has mentioned this and Keane got a very easy ride when he was stringing United along a few years back and.....

2) Does Henry owe Arsenal anything? They have had six good years out of him, he has dragged them from being a very good team to being unbeatables including winning many games for them on his own....

Or does Henry owe them for rescuing him from Juve when he looked like he was going nowhere and does he owe Wenger for sticking by him at that time?

Personally I think he needs to go, he is that good a player that he deserves to play in a World beating side like the current Barca one. He is getting no younger and Arsenal have had their eleven million out of him and then some. He has no emotional tie to Arsenal and deserves to play elsewhere.

What we reckon?

by **Paul C** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:02 pm

I think Henry should leave Arsenal personally, they aren't the team they used to be and he's now 28 and at the peak of his career so if Barca offer the right amount of money I think it would be hard for him to say no, if he does leave it will be a big loss to the EPL.

by **mramo** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:08 pm

Sorry to slightly change the subject here.

But dont you see a strange irony here when Steven Gerrard was criticised & questioned about his future by the press last year (after already losing our most influencial player Michael Owen). Steven Gerrard also stated he "wanted to win things". Amazingly we won the European Cup & he stayed!

With Vieira (their most former influiencial player) not at Arsenal anymore. Henry is in the exact situation as Gerrard was - and wants to "win things". Unless Arsenal can conjure up the European Cup - I feel his mind will be certainly made up very soon.

by **marcus.c** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:09 pm

I think Henry although could have achieve greater things elsawhere. He is definately not a player seeking for instant glory, otherwise he would have left Arsenal long time ago. Like Gerrard, Henry has lots of passion for Arsenal, especially for its manager. In this day and age, how many players are there that is like Henry? He knows he owns a lot to the manager, That is why he plays with tones of passion. I would love to see him end his career at Arsenal, bacause he is a great player and that is a fact. Being somewhere elsa does not changes that.Yes, he could have won more silverware but ultimately the most important thing is playing with passion. What is the difference between Drogba and Henry? Simple, Drogba plays for silverware but Henry plays with passion. And for me, I would prefer a player that plays with passion.

by **woof woof !** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:12 pm

I think he owe's it to Arsenal and their fans to reveal his decision . I think however the problem is that he hasn't yet made one .

Win the Champions League and he might stay , good crop of youngsters coming thru ,spanking new stadium etc etc . Without CL football next season , he'll move on .

They won't win it

he's no longer a Gooner , he's a goner .

by **stmichael** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:19 pm

woof woof ! wrote:he's no longer a Gooner , he's a goner .

Yeah he owes it to himself to go and play for Barcelona.

The only players who ever owe the fans something beyond giving it their very best week in, week out are the ones who wear their boyhood fan status as a badge. If you try to create a special affinity with the supporters in that way then you owe them the courtesy of straight talking. Anyone else is simply a professional doing a job of work, in my view. That's why Gerrard pi$$ed me off and Owen didn't, and also why I still find it odd that some Reds took the polar opposite views with those two players.

Owen gets a lot of flack but I always expected him to go one day as he had that outlook as a player and was always going to go and test himself abroad. Owen has never tried to show himself as a red through and through and despite what he did for us, I don't think there was ever genuine affinity for Owen from LFC fans. In saying that, if he becomes available in the summer, I would bring him back at the drop of a hat.

Gerrard has always tried to put himself across as one of us and that's why it was hard for Reds to get their heads around what he was doing, hopefully it will never happen again with him. I would like to think his actions were of a young man who was badly advised and started to believe in his own publicity a little bit too much. Hopefully this phase is behind him because I honestly believe if he stays around he could be one of the greatest LFC captains. Imagine another 10 years under Rafa? That can only be good for all concerned.

by **7_Kewell** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:06 pm

it's like the Gerrard situation all over again. Personally, i think he's going to leave.

by **48-1119859832** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:12 pm

I think Henry should leave for the good of his career. He's tried and tested himself in France, Italy and England but has yet to play in Spain. He has given Arsenal supporters a lot of goals, performances of the highest class and has been instrumental in all their success from seven years ago. Henry in my book cannot give them anything more than what he already has done.

So the journo who mouthed off is quite frankly daft, because Henry never came through the Arsenal ranks and Henry never had a close connection to Arsenal, he was signed in and he's poured his heart and soul into every match for the Gunners, so I think he should go.

He's at his peak now at the age of 28 and he can do no more for Arsenal football club. I expect him to move to Barcelona, saying that it will be sad to see him in La Liga because he's a top bloke, he's an entertainer and on top of everything he makes the Premiership worth watching.

by **tubby** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:20 pm

stmichael wrote:
woof woof ! wrote:he's no longer a Gooner , he's a goner .

Yeah he owes it to himself to go and play for Barcelona.

The only players who ever owe the fans something beyond giving it their very best week in, week out are the ones who wear their boyhood fan status as a badge. If you try to create a special affinity with the supporters in that way then you owe them the courtesy of straight talking. Anyone else is simply a professional doing a job of work, in my view. That's why Gerrard pi$$ed me off and Owen didn't, and also why I still find it odd that some Reds took the polar opposite views with those two players.

Owen gets a lot of flack but I always expected him to go one day as he had that outlook as a player and was always going to go and test himself abroad. Owen has never tried to show himself as a red through and through and despite what he did for us, I don't think there was ever genuine affinity for Owen from LFC fans. In saying that, if he becomes available in the summer, I would bring him back at the drop of a hat.

Gerrard has always tried to put himself across as one of us and that's why it was hard for Reds to get their heads around what he was doing, hopefully it will never happen again with him. I would like to think his actions were of a young man who was badly advised and started to believe in his own publicity a little bit too much. Hopefully this phase is behind him because I honestly believe if he stays around he could be one of the greatest LFC captains. Imagine another 10 years under Rafa? That can only be good for all concerned.

H owes it to the fans and the club to stay!!! But most of all he owes it to Arsene Wenger. Wenger took him from a shabby bench boy at Juventus and made him quite possibly the finest foreign striker to grace the game in Britain.

He done the same for so many other players lie Pires, Viera and Toure.

Personally i want him to go because deep down I know once hes gone Arsenal will truely fall apart and thatwill allow more room for us to move up as we have this season.

However many people could have said the same thing for Gerrard last year.

He will do whatever he wants to do however if Arsenal do win it im sure it will make his choice easier.

by **7_Kewell** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:22 pm

bavlondon wrote:
stmichael wrote:
woof woof ! wrote:he's no longer a Gooner , he's a goner .

Yeah he owes it to himself to go and play for Barcelona.

The only players who ever owe the fans something beyond giving it their very best week in, week out are the ones who wear their boyhood fan status as a badge. If you try to create a special affinity with the supporters in that way then you owe them the courtesy of straight talking. Anyone else is simply a professional doing a job of work, in my view. That's why Gerrard pi$$ed me off and Owen didn't, and also why I still find it odd that some Reds took the polar opposite views with those two players.

Owen gets a lot of flack but I always expected him to go one day as he had that outlook as a player and was always going to go and test himself abroad. Owen has never tried to show himself as a red through and through and despite what he did for us, I don't think there was ever genuine affinity for Owen from LFC fans. In saying that, if he becomes available in the summer, I would bring him back at the drop of a hat.

Gerrard has always tried to put himself across as one of us and that's why it was hard for Reds to get their heads around what he was doing, hopefully it will never happen again with him. I would like to think his actions were of a young man who was badly advised and started to believe in his own publicity a little bit too much. Hopefully this phase is behind him because I honestly believe if he stays around he could be one of the greatest LFC captains. Imagine another 10 years under Rafa? That can only be good for all concerned.

H owes it to the fans and the club to stay!!! But most of all he owes it to Arsene Wenger. Wenger took him from a shabby bench boy at Juventus and made him quite possibly the finest foreign striker to grace the game in Britain.

He done the same for so many other players lie Pires, Viera and Toure.

Personally i want him to go because deep down I know once hes gone Arsenal will truely fall apart and thatwill allow more room for us to move up as we have this season.

However many people could have said the same thing for Gerrard last year.

He will do whatever he wants to do however if Arsenal do win it im sure it will make his choice easier.

I bet Arsenal fans were saying the same thing last year about Gerrard, kinda ironic that the boot is on the other foot!

by **tubby** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:29 pm

7_Kewell wrote:
bavlondon wrote:
stmichael wrote:
woof woof ! wrote:he's no longer a Gooner , he's a goner .

Yeah he owes it to himself to go and play for Barcelona.

The only players who ever owe the fans something beyond giving it their very best week in, week out are the ones who wear their boyhood fan status as a badge. If you try to create a special affinity with the supporters in that way then you owe them the courtesy of straight talking. Anyone else is simply a professional doing a job of work, in my view. That's why Gerrard pi$$ed me off and Owen didn't, and also why I still find it odd that some Reds took the polar opposite views with those two players.

Owen gets a lot of flack but I always expected him to go one day as he had that outlook as a player and was always going to go and test himself abroad. Owen has never tried to show himself as a red through and through and despite what he did for us, I don't think there was ever genuine affinity for Owen from LFC fans. In saying that, if he becomes available in the summer, I would bring him back at the drop of a hat.

Gerrard has always tried to put himself across as one of us and that's why it was hard for Reds to get their heads around what he was doing, hopefully it will never happen again with him. I would like to think his actions were of a young man who was badly advised and started to believe in his own publicity a little bit too much. Hopefully this phase is behind him because I honestly believe if he stays around he could be one of the greatest LFC captains. Imagine another 10 years under Rafa? That can only be good for all concerned.

H owes it to the fans and the club to stay!!! But most of all he owes it to Arsene Wenger. Wenger took him from a shabby bench boy at Juventus and made him quite possibly the finest foreign striker to grace the game in Britain.

He done the same for so many other players lie Pires, Viera and Toure.

Personally i want him to go because deep down I know once hes gone Arsenal will truely fall apart and thatwill allow more room for us to move up as we have this season.

However many people could have said the same thing for Gerrard last year.

He will do whatever he wants to do however if Arsenal do win it im sure it will make his choice easier.

I bet Arsenal fans were saying the same thing last year about Gerrard, kinda ironic that the boot is on the other foot!

Yeah it is but thats football. Also this time last year Wenger was slagging us of comparing our run to the final to that of Millwalls run to the FA Cup final. he was saying how the EPL was a true test of the teams strength.

What have you got to say now Arsene ? Knob head.

by **48-1119859832** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:30 pm

bavlondon wrote:H owes it to the fans and the club to stay!!! But most of all he owes it to Arsene Wenger. Wenger took him from a shabby bench boy at Juventus and made him quite possibly the finest foreign striker to grace the game in Britain.

He done the same for so many other players lie Pires, Viera and Toure.

Personally i want him to go because deep down I know once hes gone Arsenal will truely fall apart and thatwill allow more room for us to move up as we have this season.

However many people could have said the same thing for Gerrard last year.

He will do whatever he wants to do however if Arsenal do win it im sure it will make his choice easier.

Henry owes nothing to Arsenal, end of! Yes Arsenal & Wenger took him out of Turin when things were looking bad for him but look what he's helped them achieve since he's been there, that's more than enough.

Arsene Wenger has salvaged a few players career's as you say but they have paid him back with success on regular basis.

Many people did say that about Gerrard but then Gerrard realised what Liverpool can and will achieve where as with Arsenal they have achieved a lot and if Henry helps Arsenal to Champions League glory then he'll be off either way.

His time has come to end at Arsenal, if he really wanted to stay and commit his future to Arsenal he would of done it by now.

He's a gonner, make no doubt about it.

by **stmichael** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:30 pm

bavlondon wrote:
stmichael wrote:
woof woof ! wrote:he's no longer a Gooner , he's a goner .

Yeah he owes it to himself to go and play for Barcelona.

The only players who ever owe the fans something beyond giving it their very best week in, week out are the ones who wear their boyhood fan status as a badge. If you try to create a special affinity with the supporters in that way then you owe them the courtesy of straight talking. Anyone else is simply a professional doing a job of work, in my view. That's why Gerrard pi$$ed me off and Owen didn't, and also why I still find it odd that some Reds took the polar opposite views with those two players.

Owen gets a lot of flack but I always expected him to go one day as he had that outlook as a player and was always going to go and test himself abroad. Owen has never tried to show himself as a red through and through and despite what he did for us, I don't think there was ever genuine affinity for Owen from LFC fans. In saying that, if he becomes available in the summer, I would bring him back at the drop of a hat.

Gerrard has always tried to put himself across as one of us and that's why it was hard for Reds to get their heads around what he was doing, hopefully it will never happen again with him. I would like to think his actions were of a young man who was badly advised and started to believe in his own publicity a little bit too much. Hopefully this phase is behind him because I honestly believe if he stays around he could be one of the greatest LFC captains. Imagine another 10 years under Rafa? That can only be good for all concerned.

H owes it to the fans and the club to stay!!! But most of all he owes it to Arsene Wenger. Wenger took him from a shabby bench boy at Juventus and made him quite possibly the finest foreign striker to grace the game in Britain.

He done the same for so many other players lie Pires, Viera and Toure.

Personally i want him to go because deep down I know once hes gone Arsenal will truely fall apart and thatwill allow more room for us to move up as we have this season.

However many people could have said the same thing for Gerrard last year.

He will do whatever he wants to do however if Arsenal do win it im sure it will make his choice easier.

There are far too many players in the game today that are journey men and don't hold any affinity to the club they play for. However it is a double edged sword and it would appear the players having the balance at the moment. That lad who played 4 times for CFC on a 4 year deal (Bogarde I think) ran his contract down, earn't 8M and then left. But clubs / managers can be equally ruthless with players they don't fancy

Players that come through the ranks of clubs and then go on to play for the first team will obviously have more affinity with the club. Likewise players who've been at the club for years. Arsenal had a Bergkamp day last week which was a nice touch for him.

I agree Henry was seriously going no where at until Wenger took him back under his wing. In that time he's become a world class player secured, medals, unknown amounts of cash, sponsorship deals, advertising etc. Yes Henry owes Arsenal and Wenger a hell of alot. He should know better though than to blow up infront of a journo and just deflected the question to his original statement of deciding at the end of the season. If Arsenal don't win the CL and finish 5th then I think he'll go. Shame not to us.

by **azriahmad** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:16 pm

Arsenal & Wenger rescued Henry after he had a torrid time at Juve, that is a fact.

Arsenal got the very best of Henry who was transformed from a speedy forward/winger into a cracking striker who gave so much in return for some 6 seasons+, that's a fact also.

henry has done so much for Arsenal in return and now at 28, just like Michael Ballack at 29 and after giving his all to Bayern Munich, is entitled to seek challenges anew. This is because a players career is so very short and if he has given his all at a football club week in, week out all concerned should understand the player's desire to move on and seek new pastures.

I did not slate Owen for leaving us, I was a bit upset at the very low transfer fee, just like I did not slate Gerrard for being tempted to go to Chelsea to win the EPL title quicker.

It was very bad taste of Uli Hoeness to simply accuse Ballack of being greedy when he wants to win the CL and seek newer challenges after Bayern Munich winning the Bundesliga almost every year without fail. The one failing is in Europe and Ballack may be feeling that Bayern is not equipped to win the CL during his career.

Theiry Henry has won the EPL ad the FA cup withArsenal. Even if he wins the CL with them, surely he would find it very enticing to play in such a rich attacking team as Barca with people like Ronaldinho, Deco, Xavi and Guily creating so many chances, it would simply be a dream move for a striker like him. Just ask any striker, if Barca, Rijkaard and Ronaldinho wants him, would he not be tempted? it would be a very different proposition if Van Gaal and his defensive team were still in Barca.

Like Liverpool last summer, they should try and get the max transfer fee if their prized asset were to leave.

At the end of the day, it is the football club that we all love and support because players inevitably come and go, for me the excellent players are the bonus we savour and enjoy but I will continue to support Liverpol Football Club regardless of the playing personnel.

by **Ace Ventura** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:20 pm

Read through these posts and agree pretty much that Henry is well within his rights to go.
He has honoured contracts when he could of gone elsewhere for far more money.
It is a shame the way footballers keep clubs and fans hanging on until the last minute though.
Despite his loyalty i think he should be more upfront with fans but if he does decide to go elsewhere then the Arsenal should fans should wish there greatest ever player all the best and thank him for what he has done for them.

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