Henry departure good business but…
The sale of Thierry Henry by Arsenal to Barcelona is undeniably good business. £16million for a 30 year old who is becoming injury-prone is a lot of money. Even if the player is a fantastic professional, a consummate goalscorer and a man who has truly graced the premiership.
But what of Arsenal? Interesting one. No team relies solely on one player but Arsenal have come close with Henry. His departure follows that of David Dein and there is much chatter about the future of Arsene Wenger. To lose all three would seem like carelessness, to coin a phrase. Wenger remains central to future Arsenal success. The team is not as strong as in past years and Wenger needs to be there to usher in the new generation.
With competition for top four places in the prem genuinely hotting up at long last, Arsenal could find themselves dumped into the UEFA Cup. For them, a financial calamity. I’m no Arsenal fan but in the Henry-Wenger-Vieira heyday they were a joy to watch. The prem needs them to remain title contenders. I fear that if Wenger does go, and a striker is not found to replace Henry’s goals, a preiod in the relative wilderness beckons.
