Thierry Henry is in news for what he said at the Overlap podcast hosted primarily by Gary Neville. Before we talk about it, here’s an excerpts from it that has riled some of the Arsenal fans.
The last three years, we have been in a situation where should at least bring a cup or be in a final. Man Utd played five finals in their last five years – the United that everyone laughs at. In the last three years of building, Arsenal didn’t reach a final. This year we didn’t compete with Liverpool. I don’t know what people think, but we didn’t compete, not once. I’m not saying this season was a disappointment, but it’s normal that people are raising questions now about what the team is doing.
source : TH14 via the Overlap Stick to Football podcast
Well, some of the fans are calling him naïve for it. Some of us feel that Henry said so to please the hosts, got carried away with the propaganda Neville and Carragher spits and that he shouldn’t have questioned the manager of the Arsenal football club who took us back into the Champions League, made it to the semi finals this season, competed for the title thrice in a row and is doing his best to get us to where we belong.
Let me start by pointing out a very big difference between you, me and Thierry Henry. He is a legend, has played for the shirt and won titles for us, arguably the best player in Premier League history, was part of the team under the best manager of that time, has got a fucking statue outside the fucking stadium and is as big a supporter of the club as rest of us. He has lived it, given his blood and sweat, played alongside the greats – Vieira, DB10, Ljungberg and there could not a better fan to speak about the progress of the club.
Now, everyone’s entitled to an opinion and everyone else is entitled to agree or disagree to it. But calling it a blasphemy because a legend of the club feels we could have done better only means that you have got sub-standard expectation in an elite, competitive sport. If you are happy with 2nd place finishes and Champions League semi-finals, go fuck yourself, please.
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Ok, lets put the emotions aside and break up what he said.
He told in his discussions that he understood the first 3 years because any manager that comes in, will need at least 4-5 transfer windows to bring in players to suit his style of play. Sounds good, we won a FA cup as well with a team that we had to de-assemble and let go. We spent heavily and Mikel go the players he needed to start delivering on the promises he made. We reached second in 2022-23 and everyone felt we are couple of signings away from winning the league. Man City were at their best and challenging them for the title was good enough at that point. Last season, we reached second again and it was blamed on the lack of depth on bench and the missing piece of a CF. Mikel did fuck all to address both the cases, we got Havertz and Merino playing up front, neither of them are a full fledged #9. With Gabriel’s injury in defence, we had to switch to Kiwior whom we were trying to sell in the summer window and failed.
So, we spent money but addressed none of the problems. We brought in a LB while our academy product in MLS played 21 of those 38 games this season, and could have played more if we have picked him up early in the season. We spent 65m on Havertz to fix the attacking midfielder problem, shifted him to the striker position and spent some more money to get Merino when it’s Declan Rice playing most of the time in that position. What in the actual fuck did we spent money on then?
Next, Legend wants us to compete and at least reach finals. Finals are nervy, anything can happen and it’s all about who gave their most on that day. It can go either way, so the legend says we should at least make it to the finals which we didn’t do. Anything wrong with that statement? None at all. He sees us finishing 2nd as not competing with Liverpool because we didn’t do. We competed with Man City last season, last 5 games decided who would lift the trophy, but this year, Liverpool were way beyond our reach in what, 30th week of the season? Again, you can call it a great job at competing if you are as mid as a Spud.
He is not saying season is a disappointment – because we still finished 2nd and we made it to Champions League semi-finals. But how many of you believe we could have done better? Every fucking one. We could have at least tried to bridge the gap by getting Watkins on cheap in January, or by trying Martinelli in the middle early on. We didn’t address it because we thought we will do it next year now. We were in the Champions League and either Mikel or the club prioritised the revenue from there.
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With recent revenue sharing stats from Premier League, we saw that finishing 2nd and 6th have about 10m revenue generating differences. That’s not a lot when you buy a player in 35m (Fabio Vieira) and not use him for exactly the position he was brought in. Champions League money increases a lot if you make it to the next round, and we were making that money before we could spend it. Fine if didn’t have some to waste it on Havertz who won’t have a place in the team once we get Sesko or Gyokeres.
I don’t see a tiny bit of wrongs in what Thierry Henry said. It doesn’t matter if he was amongst Gary Neville or Caragher while he was saying that, for all I care is, he is asking that we should have done better, and we should do better. We are not Tottenham for fuck sake.
Right, rant over. If Henry has same managerial aspirations to lead Arsenal at some point and he is spitting venom against Mikel to get him fired, I don’t give a damn because what he said was true. What he said is what we have been saying at London Is Red, and at this stage, after spending 800m and managing the club for 6+ years, if Mikel can’t get us a trophy, it’s perfectly fine to question his method, spendings and everything around him. It’s not entitlement, it’s calling the bullshit and setting a higher standard than finishing 2nd.
See you in the comments.
Hi Ambarish
Indeed your post echoes the sentiments of the posters on LIR even Wicksy slates Big C at times. TH14 may have had desires to manage AFC but he probably is aware he doesnt have the credentials to manage a League team. He has recently also been praising another former AFC player who now manages a minnow team in Serie A and achieved a mid table finish when in reality Como were prime candidates for relegation.
Ambarish
Good piece but I disagree with a couple of small points – Neville does not slag Arteta off he’s actually been quite pro him, Carragher hates Arsenal (all Scousers do its an 89 thing) but even his criticism is minimal.
“He told in his discussions that he understood the first 3 years because any manager that comes in, will need at least 4-5 transfer windows to bring in players to suit his style of play. ”
Slot came in bought one player last summer and won the PL at a stroll.
I haven’t seen all of what Henry said but from what I have I’d say he’s held back – the style of football is poor and our attacking play is appalling. If we hadn’t had such a good record from set pieces we’d have finished mid table. Arteta cannot rotate and doesn’t unless forced to and then you have a situation where a player takes half a dozen games to get up to speed (Kiwior did a decent job once he’d had a run of games). Arteta’s in game management would need to be twice as good to be second rate – who the hell when in desperate need of goals in a CL semi final makes 3 subs 2 of which are full backs whilst leaving Nwaneri on the bench? He freezes players out for perceived slights (Nwaneri again) all because he must know best.
Pep can do that, Klopp can do that, Fergie could do that Arteta’s a cunt and can’t.
The media is slowly becoming critical of Arteta’s continual failure so next season the fan boys go to excuse will be “the media’s always had it in for Arteta).
The above isn’t even a rant its just the truth about what we’ve been forced to watch and endure under Arteta’s reign.
Marc
It’s an 89 thing…very nice.
Kroenke
Only problem is you can’t put a flake in it!
Marc
you are 10years out with the flake. Perhaps when the heat is on flakey cunt will melt.
Ambarish—good to see you puffing your chest out on occasion…the fact that every Artetite and their brother took potshots at Henry for voicing his displeasure means jacksquat, as that’s been their MO all along. regardless of the dissenter in question or the worthiness of their respective claims…it’s not as if Henry went on some sort of nonsensical rant, he simply spoke his truth, which I dare anyone to try and refute the merits of his claims…frankly, I felt he took it easy on MA in light of the prevailing “self-inflicted” circumstances
I think the most pertinent aspect of his message involved MA’s amateur hour roster construction, specifically involving the top of the pitch, in that if he hadn’t deviated time and time again from the most logical course of action, the lack of silverware question would have been mooted long ago…the very fact that MA continuallty professed that there was a meticulously crafted and seemingly unassailable plan in place, even though the only offensive player he acquired last summer was an unmitigated disaster, and a last gap reach I might add, when fucking Havertz was our shoehorned first choice option up top, speaks to the delusional nature of our manager…with this in mind, the notion that anyone would possibly suggest that MA should be impervious to criticism speaks volumes about the delusional nature of his most ardent followers…it’s a two peas in a pod clusterfuck…enough said
Two peas in a pod clusterfuck is a beautifully mixed metaphor Vieira. Chapeau, Mon Ami!
KP—a tip of the cap from you is quite an honour! it’s much appreciated
I’m starting to get a Wenger/Gazidis vibe from our new duo…unlike most supporters I know, I wasn’t a Gazidis hater…he certainly didn’t help himself at times, but it must have been exceedingly difficult to co-exist with someone like Wenger, who was so determined to suck up all the oxygen in the room…just look at how quickly Ivan turned around a floundering AC Milan side…not to mention their struggles have returned since he took ill and stepped away
I feel like Berta was encouraged to ramp things up with VG just so the rug could be pulled from under him as pen was heading to paper…one moment it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the former Coventry front man was heading our way, the next all of our attentions had switched to MA’s first choice option, Sesko…now this doesn’t mean I’m opposed to signing the latter over the former, but the out of the gate optics aren’t great, as it feels like an intentional maneuver on MA’s part to let everyone know, including Berta, who’s really in charge here
clearly he was misled during the hiring process, unless Berta was just looking for a kinder, gentler prison bitch dynamic…maybe he’s one of those self-loathing, flagellation types…at least he doesn’t have to worry about being shanked anymore, at least not in the chest…he just better not drop the soap
The old Wenger/Gazidis vibe…’in three year’s time, we’re going to be bigger than Bayern Munich’.
Who’s your tip for the CL lads? My heart says Inter, head says Paris. Won’t be watching it either way.
KP—I’m of the same mind…I feel like it was a huge confidence boost for Inter to beat Barca in a high scoring affair, but saw considerably more of PSG this year and they’re far more disciplined than Flick’s bunch…I’ll be watching it on tape delay, as CBS bought the rights, which has never happened before…likely due to the upcoming World Cup…Cheers
looks as if MA has mismanaged the whole Sesko gig for the third year running…his obvious thirstiness has allowed them to play hardball, so when it’s all said and done it’s going to end up costing us considerably more, which could hamper us when it comes time to get other deals done…I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up with the same starting 11 come the start of next season, with Zubi and Sesko sitting on the bench…I can only hope that I’m wrong or I might have to wave the white flag and take a break until this well-coifed cunt is shown the door
PSG have blown Inter away in the first half.
Enrique showing what a real manager can do – we could get him and we’d be a different team within 2 months even without additions.
Watching a cracking performance as a neutral shouldn’t make you sad.
I’m crying for what we could and should have.
I was just thinking the same thing Marc. I know PSG are not an admirable club and they have spent another fortune putting this current team together. But the point is that we kicked the shit out of them in the group stages which they struggled to emerge from. But then the manager actually managed the situation: 1)Instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water he reformed Dembele who wasn’t even brought to the Emirates. He (Dembele) acted up a couple of times since. Each time he was disciplined and reintegrated. The rewards are obvious.
2) He recognised in January that he was short in the final third. One of the best players in the world was available. He signed Kvara. No bullshit. The rewards are obvious.
3) He trusted in youth and didn’t ask for time for them. If you’re good enough you’re old enough,with immediate effect. Two 19 yr old just scored as they walked the champions lge final. The teams average age was 24. Enrique used their youth and hunger as fuel for success not as an excuse. The rewards are obvious.
4) He coached the team to play a high pressing game coupled with a lightning counter attacking game all wrapped up in a joyful passing game. He actually coached them to become better while playing exciting and attractive football. The rewards are obvious.
In my opinion each of these 4 points are the antithesis of what Arteta does. Hence when Enrique is rightly heralded as a top class manager I consider Arteta to be the antithesis of that. I am sick to death of watching what a good manager can do with a team while Arsenal spend a fortune to deliver putrid sterile shite. And some people defend it. It’s just mind rotting.
Wait for ECMC (Everton Cone etc.) to say we lost by fewer goals to PSG, and over 2 games, meaning that we are the real runners up in the CL and that isn’t it unfair he doesn’t get the also-ran accolades his genius deserves.
Almunia
The commentators made the same comment a couple of times tonight – Enrique has made PSG likable.
I’m resigned to having to put up with Arteta for another season or so but he’s management career is almost over. Who’s going to employ him to destroy players value, piss money up the wall and never achieve anything.
Kroenke
The worst part of it is the fanboys don’t realise that Inter would have beaten us 5 nil tonight.
Enrique is likeable , authentic and obviously a brilliant coach but most importantly he is not a cunt.
He is not a fraud , nor a
bullshitter neither.
Like Flick and Conte they are world class managers who us proper supporters appreciate and recognise their talents. Maybe that slag Wicksy can take note.
Fucking fat chance of us ever getting one though with all these useless cunts in charge.
great comments by one and all…it’s pretty simple, Enrique wants to put on a show, whereas our one-trick cunt hopes and prays that our opponents have an off night when it matters most…hardly the return one might expect from the hundreds of millions spent over the last half decade or so…there’s no doubt in my mind that we would be hoisting major silverware within a years’ time if Enrique was in charge…our only hope is that we acquire the kind of players who can take us to the promised land in spite of our managerial shortcomings…certainly not holding my breath though so long as MA has the final say on personnel matters, which appears to be the case
Wise words by Gallas:
“So maybe now, finally, they’re going to do what has to be done and spend big on a proven striker. They’re going to need to get a reliable and prolific scorer and then the pressure shifts back on to Arteta. Arteta will have nowhere to hide next season. We’ll find out if he has the ability to manage a squad with a player like that, because things weren’t perfect last year. Okay, they’re second in the Premier League but when you look at some of the statistics, they had a bad season. Nobody should be arguing otherwise”
It speaks to how MA’s limitations have negatively impacted our half-decade long journey…so either he proves this narrative wrong or he needs to be sent packing…to make matter worse, it feels like it’s going to be decidely tougher next season…Chelsea has qualified for Europe, so they’ll have money to burn, City will invest heavily and Rodri will be back in the fold, plus Pool are going big game hunting this off-season…so if we want to progress we can’t be signng any more shoehorning coin tossing half-measure luxury buy fucks simply to appease our weak-link of a manager