Henry’s message for Ronaldinho
Future
By Boris Mellor
May 18 2006
Henry had a message for his text messaging chum Ronny – “I didn’t see you”. Doesn’t sound that friendly to me – its football code for I think you are crap. I wouldn’t say Ronny was crap, but for 75 minutes he looked increasingly desperate.
Although I must say I saw lots of him, mugging and gurning at the ref. I wonder if they went home together? Because the ref couldn’t shake him off during the match.
Nineteen the average age of a
Redemption
The night that Sol Campbell returned to form and scored one of the best headers I have ever seen a Wenger team score. He played well all night, another Wenger miracle – we have a new player now for next season.
Hold your head high
No back biting all 10 were magnificent, yes Henry missed a couple of shots, do you think he meant to? One idiot Arsenal fan (or was he plant?) on Sky denounced him as uninterested and passionless because he was off to Barca. What a muppet. One of the so called misses hit the goalies ankle as it nearly went in. Not an intended save but sheer luck. How many teams could have performed so well for so long with so few against a team as good as Barca? Well done every Arsenal Player.
One of those goals
Arsenal started off brightly and could have been 1-0 or 2-0 up in first 15 minutes. Then it was one of those goals time. You know the goal – the one where we are miles up the field, misjudge the offside trap and leave the goal keeper stranded. Except it didn’t count – because Mad Jens tried to divert the fickle finger of fate and got sent off. I thought we had got them out of the system, what a night for them to return. It was a question of tactics and organisation, not individual error.
Scruples and History
Well Jens has assured us of a place in history, and for years to come, wherever Gooners gather in boozers we can argue should he have let Eto go clear. If? What would have been best? To be a goal down with 11 men, or 10 men and level. Discuss.
There again if my Grandma had tackle she would have been my Granddad.
1-0 to the Arsenal
There is nothing like a senseless sacrifice to inspire the Gunners, and in no time we were 1-0 up. Amazing what other team can do this? Could they really do the impossible? Well if one of the later chances that fell to Henry, Fab or Hleb had gone in then maybe. Plus an excellent shot by Freddy that induced a magnificent save. But as the clock ticked on you could see tired legs leading to ever widening gaps in the Arsenal defence.
Wenger had already lost an option with the sending off Lehmann. He only had two to utilise. Barca could choose from 3, and it hardly needed tactical genius to decide it would be attackers. For an increasingly desperate looking Ronny, and Barc
Turning Point
By 72 minutes the strain of defending and attacking with 10 men became apparent and gaps were opening up. But it was Larsson who was the one who made best use of those gaps. Once Barca equalised it was clear the game was over. No way would Arsenals brave hearts survive extra time, and perhaps it was best that the coup de grace came in ordinary time.
The Referee Crafty?
I have no quibble with his sending off of Lehmann. It’s the rules – he had blown the whistle before the ball went into the net. He may have been generous to Eboue, but then he was generous to Barca too, they had their share of conned free kicks they just aren’t very good at taking them. No it was the fact they allowed Barca to kick Henry black and blue, especially that nasty thug Van Himmel, without issuing a yellow, and then booked Henry for a perfectly good tackle.
Crafty eh? Unlike the assistant I bet he didn’t put on his Barca shirt until after the match.
Silver lining?
Every cloud has one (Not really. Ed. Piss off it’s my article. Boris.) Henry’s post match behaviour indicated that he is not enamoured of Ronny, or most of his team mates. If Barca players want in him in their team kicking, elbowing him and other tactics are a strange form of showing it – tough love perhaps? But is Henry a quitter? I remember him in those dark days when we kept on coming second, and losing to
But Arsenal showed in the Stade de France that they can play against the best. They were not timid against Barca, like some more expensive teams I could mention. We do need another top class striker alongside him. Perhaps that’s what he wants to talk to Wenger about. Barca won because they had more firepower when it counted. Of course with more subs available Wenger might have shifted it.
We’ll be back
This was Wenger's second European final in the last 10 years, Arsenal’s fourth in 13 years. After we lost against
Wenger is staying and that’s what counts
What a genius, the man has got us to the CL final and back into