Modern football is a cynical, empty game at times, and as a despondent Fernando Torres lamented a few months ago, 'the romance in football has gone'. I definitely agree with that, but every once in a while, the magic and romance of football returns and restores our faith in the game, if only for a moment.
Liverpool fans experienced it when Rafa Benitez brought Robbie Fowler back to Anfield, and - most recently - when Kenny Dalglish returned to the Liverpool hotseat. Now, with Thierry Henry scoring against Leeds on his return for the club, Arsenal fans must surely be revelling in the true romance of football.
Henry is one of my favourite non-Liverpool players, it was fantastic to see him score on his return.
I'm not an Arsenal fan, but amid all the ongoing problems at Liverpool, I found it to be a magic, emotional moment:
It would've been amazing to have Henry at Liverpool. Alas, it was not meant to be.
Jaimie Kanwar
Liverpool fans experienced it when Rafa Benitez brought Robbie Fowler back to Anfield, and - most recently - when Kenny Dalglish returned to the Liverpool hotseat. Now, with Thierry Henry scoring against Leeds on his return for the club, Arsenal fans must surely be revelling in the true romance of football.
Henry is one of my favourite non-Liverpool players, it was fantastic to see him score on his return.
I'm not an Arsenal fan, but amid all the ongoing problems at Liverpool, I found it to be a magic, emotional moment:
It would've been amazing to have Henry at Liverpool. Alas, it was not meant to be.
Jaimie Kanwar
Check out this link
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxw1-Id91lQ
Henry is a cheat, he robbed a valiant Irish side of the chance to go to a World Cup
Suarez is slated for "cheating" by stopping a goal on the line with a handball, concedes a penalty and gets a red card
Henry at most risked a yellow card for his heinous act
He was a great player granted but he irreparably tarnished his image forever that night
Yes, I'm aware of that, and it is inexcusable. However, I'm sure you personally would not allow Suarez's handball to define his entire career, and I don't think that incident should define Henry's entire career.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, a truly magical moment. Perfect word to describe it. Almost jealous of Arsenal fans tonight.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter if this player cheats or if he doesn't, the important fact of this is the moment, the one second that makes you stand up, put your hands together and give this guy a honest thanks for what he is doing ... Becaues just like Luis, he's playing football not with his wallet, but with his heart and that's the best way of doing this ... (and please excuse my english if it is not perfect all the time, I'm not a native speaker, I'm still just a student, but these words just had to get out of my mind because this is what I love about football :) )
ReplyDeleteStill a great finisher
ReplyDeleteDon't always agree with you Jamie, but I think you're spot on here.
ReplyDeleteNo, but I wouldn't even define Suarez's handball as cheating. He openly infringed the rules and was punished accordingly
ReplyDeleteHenry subverted the rules by deceiving the referee and joyously celebrated the goal
I know that our definitions of cheating contrast a little, but surely that's ok and we don't need to discuss it further
Unfortunately Suarez has a bigger stigma to deal with now :(
Maradona's handball v England surely defines his career for English people, whereas his amazing dribble and goal in same match defines him for me...... (and the coke, shady links in Napoli, illegitimate son with a working girl, unpaid tax bills :) )
Henry betrayed his own reputation with that offense, I would have accepted it any other player on the French side that night, but I naiively thought Henry was special.
He even had the audacity to sit beside Richard Dunne afterwards, wordlessly comiserating with him, Dunne didn't see the handball
That handball defines Henry for me and sport in general, maybe there isn't a professional player alive today who wouldn't do anything to win and it's this very ruthlessness that defines them, without it they would never had had the drive to become a professional in the first place
But he was magic, surely one of the best finishers that has ever graced the game
Suarez learnt to handball like Henry, hopefully Suarez could learn to pass the ball into the back of the net like Henry!
ReplyDeleteMight be as good as it gets
ReplyDeleteHis legs were gone 4 years ago
He did a lot of throwing his arms about when a pass didn't come his way
But he does have a bronze statue in his honour, maybe that excuses it
Even Henry didn't shamelessy kiss the badge, Wazza could learn a thing or two
Spot on Jamie, wonderful player - and wonderful character, handball or no handball. We are only human after all, and Henry's talents certainly compensated richly for any flaws. Arsenal are lucky to have players like Henry, as Liverpool are lucky to have players like Gerrard.
ReplyDeleteHenry was brave enough to recognise his moment of misjudgement and apologise afterwards. Not an excuse, but then again nobody is perfect ...
ReplyDeletetextbook henry goal.class
ReplyDeleteNo excuse for cheating, on the other hand what was he supposed to do? Can you imagine how his teammates and French fans would have reacted if he had owned up? To be clear, I am not condoning the act - and Henry would have acquired the status of a saint if he had pointed it out to the referee (as Robbie Fowler tried in that match all those years ago) ...
ReplyDeleteAs for Suarez, he openly committed handball to save his team and faced the just consequences. The problem was surely not Suarez but the formal rules of football. Of course, you can argue that he disobeyed the unwritten rules of the game, but then you would have a hard time defining these in a way that they can apply across different countries, cultures and continents.
Classic Henry finish. Great player. Best player in the Premiership era for me. I do think the old criticism of him in big games did have an element of truth to it.
ReplyDeleteNice pass from Song too- he's making sure to get his share of the spotlight after he set up that Van Persie one, too.
As for the cheating thing- I don't think it was that bad. He couldn't realistically have stopped play and went 'that was hand ball'. It isn't his job to stop that, it is the ref's.
Awful for the Irish though. I think most Scousers were desperate to see them through there. It'll be good to see them in the Euros, instead of In-gur-lind.
In the Suarez case... They got a penalty, so if they missed it, too bad! Many people try and do this! It is the same if you dive or go down easily and win a penalty!
ReplyDeleteSame thing as using your hands to stop it from going in!
Red card and penalty awarded is just reward!
GET OVER IT PEOPLE AND MOVE ON...
Henry coming back to Arsenal equivalent to Milan Baros coming back to Liverpool. Could do somethimg with him in the absence of Suarez and later complement Suarez. Me. Ashfah loves Milan Baros.
ReplyDeleteplayers like Gerrard and Henry scoring for their clubs are a thing to cherish.
ReplyDeleteNot sure they're exactly equivalent. About 200 goals difference unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteVINTAGE stuff. Arsenal is Henrys' green and yellow wire.
ReplyDeletewe'll have a whip round then. £50 quid should do it.
ReplyDeleteWonderful vid! Really magical football;))) Thanks a lot for sharing it here)))))
ReplyDeleteMy contacts scrabble helper