Make una dey talk nonsense.Was it not Henry that wanted to leave?If Wenger had sold him in 2006,he would have bagged at least £25m for him.The combo of Walcott and Eduardo has been a waste of money so far.

The story in the Sun is a dud.Henry has a back problem which he has been managing since the beginning of the season but Barca chose to rest him now that Etoo is back.He could still play now if he chose but they think its better if he uses this time to rest.It kind of postpones the selection problem for Rijkaard-how do you start Henry,Ronnie,Etoo and Messi?

I-man:

Make una dey talk nonsense.Was it not Henry that wanted to leave?If Wenger had sold him in 2006,he would have bagged at least £25m for him.The combo of Walcott and Eduardo has been a waste of money so far.

The story in the Sun is a dud.Henry has a back problem which he has been managing since the beginning of the season but Barca chose to rest him now that Etoo is back.He could still play now if he chose but they think its better if he uses this time to rest.It kind of postpones the selection problem for Rijkaard-how do you start Henry,Ronnie,Etoo and Messi?

I-man whether he left or was forced out, u must admit that 16m was a good piece of business for a player who just turned 30 and had past his best, the injuries are now beginning to set in from those demanding years of hard premiership football, lucky he's got a winter break now

Forget about the past and focus on what's happening

Henry wasnt forced out, neither was he needed as well, believe me, if Arsene wanted him to stay, Henry would have stayed (He wouldn't have been happy staying, but he would have stayed nonetheless).

Wenger is a great believer in stats and PROZONE, and the info he was getting was that he had gotten the best out of Henry, so it was the perfect time to let him go.

Unlike say Anelka, Henry's game is built on speed and positioning. At Arsenal, he just stood still and waited for the rest of the players to do the running for him, then pass him the ball to score, at Barca, he doesn't have that luxury, and has to run as well, or else no one will pass the ball to him (Also has to track back more than he was doing at Arsenal, these latter periods).

So to answer the question, ultimately We got the better deal , Barca will find out soon enough, that all they got was the memory of the player they saw at Arsenal. TH at Barca will never be the TH from Arsenal.

Having said that, i do feel for him though, i am sure (Like Paddy V did when he left) that deep down, he wishes he was still at Arsenal, where he was worshipped.

GOONER 89

Why is Wenger never using Rosicky at the middle even when there is no fabregas, Hleb and even Flamini
always at the left side while Rossy is right footed

chuckdee4:

I-man whether he left or was forced out, u must admit that 16m was a good piece of business for a player who just turned 30 and had past his best, the injuries are now beginning to set in from those demanding years of hard premiership football, lucky he's got a winter break now

When Henry was at Arsenal,Gooners claimed he was one of the best.If that is the case,lets compare him to other great strikers around his age-Shevchenko-£30m,Batistuta(31)-£22m .If Wenger was the prescient genius you claim,he could have recouped a similar amount by selling him leave in 2006

Henry wasnt forced out, neither was he needed as well, believe me, if Arsene wanted him to stay, Henry would have stayed (He wouldn't have been happy staying, but he would have stayed nonetheless).

You are missing the key point-Henry wanted to leave.If he wanted to stay,he would still be at Arsenal today despite all your talk about pro-zones.

Players like Parlour,Bergkamp, and the famous Arsenal back 5 stayed well beyond their years primarily because they didn't want to leave.So,the key reason Henry is at Barca today is because he,Henry,wanted to leave,just like Anelka wanted to leave while in his prime.

Unlike say Anelka, Henry's game is built on speed and positioning. At Arsenal, he just stood still and waited for the rest of the players to do the running for him, then pass him the ball to score, at Barca, he doesn't have that luxury, and has to run as well, orelse no one will pass the ball to him (Also has to track back more than he was doing at Arsenal, these latter periods).

It depends on how Barca play him but I think he can easily change the way he plays with the advancement of age.Players like Owen and Ronaldo(Brazil) did succesfuly change their MO to be based on good positioning instead of mere pace.

@ i-man,
surely, henry wanted to leave but the major reason behind his exit was the divorce with his wife. henry felt he wouldnt be able to handle the tabloids so he was determined to leave the shores of england to avoid the sun's paparazzis.

Henry had already assured Barcelona of his signature 3 Months before he finally moved from Arsenal to Barca.
So it's clear he wanted to leave but nobody except him knows the the actual reason for his exit

The key thing is that Henry's present injury stems from a back problem which has nothing do with the achilles tendon injury which plagued him at Arsenal.If Wenger foresaw the back problem,perhaps he should start a Church because he obviously has supernatural powers

I-man:

Make una dey talk nonsense.Was it not Henry that wanted to leave?.The combo of Walcott and Eduardo has been a waste of money so far.

@ I-man,

U never to cease to amaze me, Once its Arsenal, u just get it all wrong, don't you?

Was it not Henry that wanted to leave

Oh dear, Never knew a player on contract can just decide to wake up one morning, pack his bags and head for another club, If it was like that, there would be few players on the bench.Henry was on contract at Arsenal, and the club could have prevented him from going to Barca if they wanted to.

The combo of Walcott and Eduardo has been a waste of money so far.

First of all, I can't remember Walcott and Eduardo starting a game this season and I also can't remember the two being called Henry's replacement and finally, we have scored more goals than any EPL team this season in the league and we have Ade(much maligned) as joint top goalscorer in the league, Oh dear,I-man, it hurts for the mancs to have spent over 50m quid and be behind Arsenal who,more or less, spent NOTHING , I understand the frustration but please, stop taking it out on us
Please, put on the Geordies black and white shirt tonight and support them all the way, .

the only player i miss is kanu_{considering his age} the guy still dey play fire. to me he is better than ade even now
Gunner007

HNIC:

You never to cease to amaze me, Once its Arsenal, u just get it all wrong, don't you?

Was it not Henry that wanted to leave

Oh dear, Never knew a player on contract can just decide to wake up one morning, pack his bags and head for another club, If it was like that, there would be few players on the bench.Henry was on contract at Arsenal, and the club could have prevented him from going to Barca if they wanted to.

Is this point even worth debating?Abeg,which club do you actually know of that forced a player,determined to leave,to forgo his plans?

@ I-man

Didn't u think something was wrong when the heralded best player in the world was sold for only £16m, Wenger saw the crook in Henry and still sold him to Barca for a decent amount.
If Henry was still the player he was when at Arsenal and at his best, prof would have flogged him off at a much higher rate. I repeat only Wenger knew the in and out of that Henry deal

the only player i miss is kanu_{considering his age} the guy still dey play fire. to me he is better than ade even now
Gunner007

@ i-man,
to an average arsenal fan, arsene wenger is god. that barca paid 16 million for henry was even too astronomical. henry was 30 when he moved to barcelona. besides, ruud boy was sold for 11 million to real madrid despite his goal scoring prowess at man u. there was no way henry could have gone for more than 16 million so lets stop this wenger could have pawned him off at a higher rate.

chuckdee4:

@ I-man

Didn't u think something was wrong when the heralded best player in the world was sold for only £16m, Wenger saw the crook in Henry and still sold him to Barca for a decent amount.
If Henry was still the player he was when at Arsenal and at his best, prof would have flogged him off at a much higher rate. I repeat only Wenger knew the in and out of that Henry deal

Henry left for the amount Barca were prepared to pay.If Henry was determined to go,Wenger can only sell him at the amount Arsenal and the buying club negotiate,in this case,£16m.

If Wenger had the foresight you ascribe to him.He would have sold him in 2006 for £25m,which Barca were prepared to pay then,and save himself £5m in wages on top-total cost of Henry staying after the UCL final was about £14m.

Cougar:

@ i-man,
to an average arsenal fan, arsene wenger is god. that barca paid 16 million for henry was even too astronomical. henry was 30 when he moved to barcelona. besides, ruud boy was sold for 11 million to real madrid despite his goal scoring prowess at man u. there was no way henry could have gone for more than 16 million so lets stop this wenger could have pawned him off at a higher rate.

Precisely

I-man
How bout Vieira, how much did he go for?, he was 30 when he left, how many midfielders his age would have gone for that price?

By the way AC Milan obviously scammed Chelsea when they sold them Schevchenko, heck they wouldn't even buy him back now for a nickle

Tosin . . . Kanu better than Ade now ? U dey hallucinate ?

Mc Omo:

Tosin . . . Kanu better than Ade now ? You dey hallucinate ?

am serious

Cougar:

@ i-man,
to an average arsenal fan, arsene wenger is god. that barca paid 16 million for henry was even too astronomical. henry was 30 when he moved to barcelona. besides, ruud boy was sold for 11 million to real madrid despite his goal scoring prowess at man u. there was no way henry could have gone for more than 16 million so lets stop this wenger could have pawned him off at a higher rate.

I remember around May,I was telling Gooners that Barca were asking for Henry plus £10m for Etoo,when rumors were circulating that Arsenal were interested.They couldn't believe it.They were shocked by the £16m fee.They think Wenger can fix fees at whim.

In Ruud's case,he had lost his place in the starting line up to Louis "Van Basten" Saha for months and even lost his place with the national side to almighty Dirk Kuyt .This was why his fee came in quite low.

I-man
How bout Vieira, how much did he go for?, he was 30 when he left, how many midfielders his age would have gone for that price?

He left at 29 for £13m when Real offered £23m the previous season for him.What did he achieve for that extra season he stayed?He was below par in his last season.Claude Makelele,a year older at 30,left Madrid for £16m.That is a better deal than Wenger got for Viera.Pavel Nedved left Lazio for around £25m,same age as Viera at 29

How much Arsenal getting for their £16m investment on Reyes? I heard Athletico Madrid will pay Arsenal £8m Hopefully,in a couple of years,Dudu will leave for £4m

chuckdee4:


By the way AC Milan obviously scammed Chelsea when they sold them Schevchenko, heck they wouldn't even buy him back now for a nickle

, I have been rolling on the floor laughing

I-man:

He left at 29 for £13m when Real offered £23m the previous season for him.What did he achieve for that extra season he stayed?He was below par in his last season.Claude Makelele,a year older at 30,left Madrid for £16m.That is a better deal than Wenger got for Viera.Pavel Nedved left Lazio for around £25m,same age as Viera at 29

Makalele was the best in that defensive midfielder role at the time (Offering nothing in attack like Vieira did), plus he was sold to Chelsea, we all know Chelsea were beiing conned ini the transfer market becos of their deep pocket.
Nedved plays a different position so i won't compare.
Aside Makalele, is there any other player that plays Vieira's position that has gone for anything close to the £13m mark.

Admit it, it was a good piece of business (Aside teh fact that we missed him), i wonder why u hate prof so much

By the way AC Milan obviously scammed Chelsea when they sold them Schevchenko, heck they wouldn't even buy him back now for a nickle

Did Fiorentina scam Roma too?£22m for a 31 year old Batistuta

I-man:

How much Arsenal getting for their £16m investment on Reyes? I heard Athletico Madrid will pay Arsenal £8m Hopefully,in a couple of years,Dudu will leave for £4m

I-man, remember
- Djemba Djemba
- Kleberson (Sure that guy was Brazilian)

I was going to say Veron then i remembered u scammed Chelsea just like other clubs had

Better deal as to what If you take a look at Wengers dealings, it is based on the actual season in question. Paddy wasn't his usual self when he was sold off, But at least he did lead the team to win a[i] "One Sided"[/i] FA CUP final, and he had just come off the[i] "Invincibles" [/i] season win, with Chelsea taking over positions as top dogs that season.

Wenger has had his failures in terms of values in deals carried out, but i feel in the long run, in Henry's case, Wenger will be far more happier than the Barca camp, in terms of how things have panned out so far.

Not saying that Wenger for saw the Back Injury problem, only saying that he saw that Henry was passed his prime, and injury prone, so keeping him around will be only based on sentimental values. Just like the case of Bergy. I mean, Where else would Dennis have gone at that age that would have been worth his while. (Besides, Dennis is more of a family man, and wouldn't have relished moving his family around like that, when he was far more secured in retiring at Arsenal).

Same can be said of players like Martin Keown and such. TH would never have settled to being a part player at Arsenal, and so he left.

And like i stated, ULTIMATELY ARSENAL MIGHT END UP AS HAVING HAD THE BETTER END OF THE STICK IN THE DEAL!!

Enough of this, seems Fergie has started the mind games;

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_2943996,00.html

Concentrate on your squad, you Scottish ££$%^!!

Scum Boss aside, The Toon army will be a tricky game, as Alladyke will have his players all pumped up for this, (expect to see flying tackles in the first 15 minutes ), as they try to knock us off our passing game. Hopefully we will play 4-4-2 But knowing the gaffer, (and being away ffrom home) expect a 4-5-1 formation.

Hopefuilly we can score 1st, and then slow the game down, and pick of them Georgies (They will be there for the taking). Our players will need to be focused totally on the job, and not go to sleep, like they did against Villa in the second half.

What i do know is that, If we beat Newcastle, then we are very likely to beat Boro, leading into the game against the Chavs. CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY WORD.

I am sure the boys know the deal; ONE GAME AT A TIME!!

Unfortunately, Alladkye will not be sacked if his team lose tonight, He will be sacked if they lose their next set of games though!!

COME ON YOU RED AND WHITE ARMY!! LETS THRASH FERGIE'S PAL!!

GOONER 89

Back to tonight's game.

I believe it's going to be a tough one, just like the Villa's. But if our boys can remain focused, with the right mentality to win it, then we should be assured of the 3points.

We need to win this/Boro on Sunday before thinking of the coming of Chelsea to the Emirates.

chuckdee4:

Makalele was the best in that defensive midfielder role at the time (Offering nothing in attack like Vieira did), plus he was sold to Chelsea, we all know Chelsea were beiing conned ini the transfer market because of their deep pocket.
Nedved plays a different position so i won't compare.
Aside Makalele, is there any other player that plays Vieira's position that has gone for anything close to the £13m mark.

Admit it, it was a good piece of business (Aside the fact that we missed him), i wonder why u hate prof so much

That Makelele offered little in attack is the more reason why his deal is more spectacular.Emerson joined Juve,at 28 for about £15m,same role as a holding midfielder.

chuckdee4:

I-man, remember
- Djemba Djemba
- Kleberson (Sure that guy was Brazilian)

I was going to say Veron then i remembered u scammed Chelsea just like other clubs had

Every club has that.Wenger decided against bidding for Van Nistlerooy, claimning he will never recover from his knee problems,so much for his prescience,instead he went for Jeffers a.k.a fox in the box.Who can forget the likes of Davor Suker,Diawara,Cygan,Luzhny,Van Bronchorst,Silvinho,Wright,e.t.c

I-man all these names u have called, Makalele, Nedved and Emerson are all world class players, selling them 4 so much at such an age is no easy feat, hence Wenger is a genius in my books (Though he could have cashed in early), however the likes of Jeffers, Cygan and the lot will always happen, no manager is an exception from the ocassional useless purchase from teh transfer market, but make u comot Silvinho (He wasn't bad at all, he just got overtaken by an uprising Ashley Cole) from ur list. Jeffers was justa result of the English press's hype, see y Wenger doesn't buy English

Wenger has had his failures in terms of values in deals carried out, but i feel in the long run, in Henry's case, Wenger will be far more happier than the Barca camp, in terms of how things have panned out so far.

I think Barcelona are already biting their nails on why they signed him for that price. Even Sandro Rosell Ex-Barcelona's Vice-president is not in exception.

Van Brockhorst too should be removed from the list.He wasn't a failure @ Arsenal

I-man, which Wright is this? I trust it isn't Ian Wright? And Van Bronchorst left because of lack of playing time a-la Ashley Cole.