As every newspaper going wrote their obituary for the career of Thierry Henry this week, I couldn’t help but feel desperately sorry for a man who quite clearly wasn’t ever sure what we wanted.
After a season of disillusionment, he finally moved to Barcelona last Summer. A body battered by nearly a decade of high octane Premier League football was rushed into action, and unsurprisingly he’s struggled.
Loathed by the press and hardly a fans favourite either, Henry’s troubles have been multiplied by the personal problems that also afflicted his final year at Arsenal. Watching this interview, it’s sad to see the once bubbly legend so down on himself and his prospects.
He insists he doesn’t regret leaving Arsenal, but he must wish he was still the object of the adulation he recieved in London. The truth is, we didn’t have a choice but to sell him. Aside from all his injury problems, his performance levels on the pitch dropped dramatically in his final season. After the anti-climax of not moving to Barcelona, he just didn’t have the same drive to win – much like Patrick Vieira’s final season after turning down Real Madrid at the last minute. Much like in a love affair, once your eyes have been turned, it really will never be quite the same again.
Still, when Henry was brought on for the final fifteen mintues of Barcelona’s Champions League tie against United, there was a glimpse of the player we used to adore. Cutting inside from the left, he unleashed a thirty yard shot so powerful that it forced Edvin Van der Sar into an awkward punch away. It was only a flash, but the magic is still there somewhere. Might I suggest that Old Trafford would be a good place for Thierry to find his mojo once more.
After Hleb and Flamini yesterday, today it’s the turn of Senderos and Gilberto to be linked with moves away. I have to say, considering the paucity of our options at centre-back, I can’t see Senderos being sold.
However, on the other side of that intriguing transfer coin, we’ve been linked with a couple of Croatian’s: Niko Kranjcar and Ognjen Vukojevic. Kranjcar is a tidy player we know all about, whilst Vukojevic plays for Eduardo’s former club Dinamo Zagreb, and would be a potential replacement for Mathieu Flamini. After signing ‘The Croatian Robbie Fowler’ last Summer, perhaps ‘The Croatian Rino Gattuso’ is not so far-fetched…
More tomorrow, including delicious tidbits from Arsene’s press conference.
I’m still not convinced Hleb will leave. He has a very strong bond with Cesc both on and off the pitch, and is one of the more technically adept players in our squad – on several occasions this season I’ve seen Arsene put a fatherly arm around Hleb as he leaves the pitch. Although ‘Ice cream gate’ may have soured the relationship in the short-term, I strongly suspect Inter’s interest will merely prove to be a significant bargaining chip for Hleb as he renogotiates his deal this Summer.
If Hleb were to leave, the win over Reading will have been his last game for the club, after he admitted to the FA’s charge of violent conduct. He may not be the only big name missing from our final three games, as Arsene suggested the likes of William Gallas and Cesc Fabregas could be rested ahead of the European Championships. One player who I’d imagine will not fall into that category is Robin van Persie, who will be keen to show Marco Van Basten that he is close to returning to full fitness.
Havard Nordtveit says he could be our new defender. Thanks Havard, but I’d prefer a proven International, preferably with Champions League experience. Still, the chances of that happening are pretty much slim to none, so I look forward to seeing young Master Nordveit lining up alongside captain Gallas next season.
There doesn’t seem to be an obvious one within the squad. Gilberto is ageing fast, whilst Denilson and Diaby are still too raw to be trusted over the course of an entire season. Lassana Diarra’s arrival last Summer had seemed to secure the future of our midfield for the next few seasons – Flamini’s departure would make the blow of losing Diarra hit all the harder.
When replacing Flamini, the ideal signing would be a tenacious central midfielder with strong tackling, good passing range, and football intelligence. It would also help if, like Flamini, they were versatile and possessed good stamina.
Gareth Barry has all of these things, and more.Â
“What else?” you interject. For whatever reason, you’re annoyingly talkative today, and somewhat antsy. Usually I can’t get a word out of you. I think I prefer it that way.
“Well,” I respond, visibly tiring of your constant negativity, “he also has the following:”
A fantastic left foot
The ability to provide backup for Gael Clichy
The ability to play wide on the left of midfield, where he is infinitely better than Abou Diaby
Leadership
Premier League experience
The last two of those are pretty much invaluable. Barry has captained Aston Villa for a couple of years now, with real credit. Furthermore, he’s a player born and bred in this league. Any settling in period would be significantly reduced: this man is a ready-made replacement at the peak of his career.
And strangely, it’s exactly that last attribute that makes me feel it’s almost impossible Wenger will sign him. Add to that the fact that Chelsea and Liverpool are reportedly interested, and the subsequent hike in Barry’s price that would introduce, and a signing like this begins to feel like it’s right out of the realms of fantasy.
Still, I only promised you idle speculation: Barry for Arsenal!
One man we won’t be signing, unsurprisingly, is Palermo’s Brazilian striker Amauri. The club insist we’ve made no offer, and he seems all but certain to go to those buyers of all things Arsenal-related, Juventus.
Aleksandr Hleb’s season seems to be over after the FA charged him with violent conduct. Hopefully the process will all go through fairly quickly and he’ll get the ban out of the way before the start of next season.
Oh great. As we sit and wait for Flamini to sign a new deal with Arsenal, this is the news we all wanted. Allow Juve managing director Jean-Claude Blanc (I suspect he may be French) to elaborate:
“We have the advantage [over Milan]. As a child Flamini was a supporter of Juve. We have a sporting project in place, and we will be in the Champions League. Milan will not.â€
It’s a bit worrying that Juve are treating it as a battle between them and Milan for Flamini’s signature. Arsenal, in their mind, are not in the running. Of course, if I was Flamini’s agent, that’s what I would tell them too. But either way, it’s not looking good.
What a signing he’d be for whoever got him. He’s been a great purchase for us. After picking him up for a nominal fee, he spent his first three years at the club as a handy squad player, filling in at full-back and all across the midfield. This season, however, he’s evolved into one of the country’s best central midfielders.
If Flamini does truly hold a long-term of ambition of playing in Italy, he may see this as his best chance: his stock is undoubtedly the highest it’s ever been, and the rewards he could reap from moving on a free transfer would tempt anyone. Only eight days left for the Frenchman to sign a new deal…
Torres’ Liverpool play Chelsea tonight in the Champions League. Liverpool knocked us out and have their insufferable “five times” chant, whilst Chelsea have Ashley Cole.
If Arsenal fans agree on anything at the moment, it’s that increasing the size of our squad is crucial. Assuming that we are not going to go out and buy half a dozen players, it is therefore fair to add that we can’t really afford to lose any one.
That’s why it’s a bit of a worry that we could quite easily see Aleksandr Hleb, Gilberto Silva, and Mathieu Flamini depart this season. Between them, the trio have played over 100 games this season. Replacing that kind of manpower, let alone calibre, would be next to impossible.
Flamini‘s situation is well known. The boss has set a deadline for the end of April for him to sign his new deal. From what I understand, talks are progressing about as fast as a limping Dean Ashton. Hopefully being injured will give Flamini time to sit down and agree a deal, but I’m not confident. Let’s not forget, this is the man who left Marseille in the lurch to join us. To believe he wouldn’t choose to do so again it naieve, to say the least.
If he does go, it’s unlikely that Gilberto will be handed his place in the first team back. Whilst the Brazilian is still a remarkably accomplished player, at 31 he’s on the wrong side of Arsene’s “past it” threshold, and is unlikely to be handed an extention to the one year remaining on his contract. I’d like Silva to stay. He adds experience and leadership to a squad that lacks both, as well as giving us a reliable stand-in in midfield, and one of the best exponents of the holding midfield role around in a 4-5-1.
Still, this is a man who regularly makes the Brazil first team – can he handle the indignity of another season on the bench? He seems determined to prove himself to the boss, but if he can’t get the assurances he wants and decides to head off into the sunset, we can’t begrudge him anything.
The Hlebsituation is perhaps the most intriguing out of the trio. Having been here for the three years, under new UEFA regulations he is able to buy himself out of his contract this Summer. Furthermore, with only two years remaining, it’s pretty safe to say that in the coming months we’ll either see Hleb sign an extension confirming his commitment to the club, or – well…
We must not allow Hleb to leave, especially if either Flamini or Gilberto goes. That would massively weaken our midfield. At 27, Hleb is arguably one of our most experienced outfield players. With Rosicky’s injuries not seeming to heal, his importance is increasing all the time. Part of our problem in recent years has been that we’ve had this one in – one out policy, so players don’t get unsettled from being out of the side. We need to change the culture of the club slightly. We need a one in – none out policy, and the players at Arsenal need to learn that it is a squad game. You do not hear complains from Darren Fletcher at Manchester United that he does not make the team every week. He serves his purpose and performs when called upon. Arsene needs to employ his famed man management skills to persuade his players to become part of a bigger squad, and fight for their place.
If he can do that, next season could be very interesting.
Gareth Barry has all of these things, and more. 
