10 Reasons Why Barcelona Should Have Signed Diego Milito and not Thierry Henry
I was going to write a type of homage to Diego Milito during the transfer window as I anticipated that a move to a bigger club was imminent for the Zaragoza striker.
Milito was heavily linked with Tottenham and Manchester City (who, strangely in my opinion, opted for Benjani) during the January sales. Since no transfer has materialized, I thought I’d have a crack (of the whip) at the Henry move to Barça, whilst demonstrating that Milito represented over the summer and continues to represent a far finer prospect for the culé ranks.
Please note: I am not suggesting that Milito is a better footballer than Henry, and it would be preposterous to attempt to do so. However, I do believe that Milito would have been a much better investment on the part of the Catalan giants.
1. Age
Whilst Thierry Henry has lived more than three score ten years, Diego Milito is only 28 and can be expected to be firing on all cylinders for at least another two to three years. Henry’s career is arguably in decline, whilst Milito continues to flourish: what’s more, the age difference of two years assumes especial importance when we consider that Milito’s game is not dependent on pace in the same way that Henry’s is, for which reason the Frenchman is likely to be less valuable as a goalscorer (not as a playmaker, however) than the Argentine over the coming years.
2. Fitness
Parallel to a downturn in form, Thierry Henry has increasingly suffered from injury problems. In his final season at Arsenal, Henry took part in just 17 matches and missed over 3 months of the season, whilst his debut season with Barcelona has been marred by a series of niggly injuries which have prevented his form from taking off and made consistency hard to come by. Henry has not completed 35 games in a season since the 2003/04 season. In contrast, one has to go back to the 2001/02 campaign for the last time Diego Milito played fewer than 34 games in a season (for Zaragoza he has played 36 and 37 respectively), and this despite the strain of playing the odd international fixture in Argentina.
3. Hunger
For many, Thierry Henry’s move to Barcelona, just a season after he had guaranteed that he was a Gunner for life, was a matter of a financial jackpot and a convenient exit door for Henry following a messy break-up with English wife Nicole Merry. Henry has won almost everything there is to win in the game – although the counter-argument would be that the one trophy for which he yearns so dearly, the Champions League, is far more likely to be won at Barça. Diego Milito, however, would be hungry to prove himself at the highest level, having never played in the Champions League and still chasing his first major trophy in European football.
4. Henry move was inopportune
When news spread at the end of the 2005-6 season of Barça’s plans to sign Henry, I was all for the move. This was, I argued, a chance to see two of the greatest players of our generation (Ronaldinho and Henry, in case you need me to specify) playing together in a team that were at the top of the[ir] game. One year on, this was no longer the case. Henry and Ronaldinho were in types of slump, Barça were a club in mini-crisis requiring the acquisition of certain characters, and of team unity, in order to pull through. Henry’s purchase could only rock an already creaky boat, and simply didn’t make sense on a footballing level: at that juncture, it smacked of a publicity stunt designed to further boost shirt sales, especially since the (badly needed, I might add) signings of Abidal and Milito lacked the “wow” factor. Equally, the enormous success enjoyed by Henry at Arsenal meant that the larger-than-life shadow of his Gunner days would always hang over the new “Barça model”, not an ideal situation for a new club fleeing from its last-season demons.
5. Ego and lifestyle
Diego Milito is the consummate professional, a team player who eschews the headlines and keeps out of trouble on and off the pitch – a factor which is important when tongues are already wagging about your players’ off-field antics (Ronaldinho, Deco, Messi etc.). Even during a turbulent season such as this one for Zaragoza, in which two coaches have already left the club, Milito has shied away from the media and kept his head down, Paul Scholes-like. Incidentally, Milito is happily married (to an Aragonese, no less, so he has proper links to Zaragozan soil). Milito is an excellent leader and as club captain has held together a Zaragoza squad threatened by mutiny throughout the season with pride and class.
Thierry Henry, however, courts publicity, is involved in a number of high-profile advertising programs, and is known for his arrogance and self-presence; these are not unenviable qualities in themselves, but are not necessarily the best ones when one is attempting to forge a team with a bunch of talented by disunited individuals, including the already formidable egos of Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho (the former had reputedly been upset by having to remain in the latter’s shadow). Milito’s lack of ego also means that he would have been much happier to sit on the bench and effectively operate as a squad player than Titi ever could be.
Equally, Milito’s low media profile (there are almost 30 times as many hits on Google for Henry than for Milito) would have permitted him a little slack in terms of adapting to his new environment, whereas the Henry hype and media myth meant that as soon as the former Arsenal forward pitched up in Barcelona, nothing short of 10 goals in 10 games would be enough to satisfy the ruthless Spanish (and Catalan) media and save Henry a roasting.
6. Style of play
Barça’s purchase of Henry was baffling on footballing terms, since the club already had a surplus of striking talent, and particularly of forwards in the Henry mould: that is to say, unorthodox strikers who like to play up the wings and cut in (Ronaldinho, Messi) and a wealth of talent from direct set pieces. What’s more, Barça had a pair of young forwards in Gio and Bojan knocking on the door of first-team action, neither of whom needed to find another “mega-star” blocking their path (although Henry’s relationship with Bojan is one of the few strong-points of his arrival).
What Barça didn’t, and do not have – indeed, have not had for some time – is a traditional number 9 who is not only a natural striker (as is Eto’o, for example), but can also hold the ball up superbly (I can think of few strikers over the world who do a better job: only Drogba and Van Nistelrooy spring immediately to find) and is a massive threat from set pieces. How many goals do Barça’s strikers score from headers, either through in-play crossing or from set-pieces? Whilst it is unlikely that Milito’s arrival would have signalled a change in the team’s traditional style of play, which revolves around intricate midfield passing and through balls, the Argentinian’s presence on the bench would have provided the azulgrana with an entirely different option when things weren’t working too well.
7. Brotherly love and symmetry
Not a major factor, but who doesn’t love a bit of sibling love and symmetry? Gabi Milito was one of FC Barcelona’s major transfer targets this summer, and the brothers Milito, who are very close, performed excellently in tandem for Zaragoza. Signing both Diego and Gabi might have lowered the overall expenditure (hardly buy one Milito, get one free, but Zaragoza surely would have been willing to throw in some type of discount!) and would surely have facilitated the integration and adaptation of both (in)to the Barça set-up. That said, Gabi has hardly had a problem settling in to his new home.
I was always one of those who loved to pair up brothers on Championship Manager – I especially enjoyed being Juventus in the 1998-9 version and purchasing Simone Inzaghi from Lazio, giving me the unstoppable frontline of Inzaghi (S) and Inzaghi (P). Since Kolo and Yaya don’t seem to want to play together and the two Nevilles have been wrenched apart, it would be rendering a service to football to have united the Militos under the cupula of the Camp Nou. What’s more, if Joan Laporta really wants to create a “family” atmosphere in a divided dressing room, what better way than to bring two brothers into the squad? (I’m only half joking here).
8. La Liga experience
Diego Milito has two terrific La Liga seasons under his belt, including an excellent last campaign in which he took the fight for the Pichichi to the last weekend before losing out (23 goals to 25) to Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Milito has continued in the same vein this season, and is currently one place beneath Luis Fabiano at the top of the goalscoring charts (14 goals to 16), whilst being part of the most fruitful attacking partnership in the league – he and Ricardo Oliveira have together contributed 23 goals to the Zaragoza cause. As such, Milito would have been able to slot seamlessly into Barça’s line-up with no adaptation period. Henry, on the other hand, had been playing in the Premier League for the previous 8 seasons, and would need careful insertion into the Barça line-up in front of an impatient and impetuous local crowd. Eto’o’s injury, impossible to predict of course, denied Titi this luxury, and following a slow, off-the pace start for Henry it’s been downhill (a rollercoaster downhill, but downhill nevertheless) ever since.
9. Language
As well as having formidable La Liga experience, Milito is a native Spanish speaker, a factor which should not be underestimated when considering the speed with which players can adapt to new environments. Henry, a non Hispanophone, could call upon the support of compatriots Abidal (also a newcomer) and Thuram, but his insertion has certainly been harder than Milito’s might have been.
10. Milito’s popularity amongst culés
Signing both Milito brothers would have been the equivalent of the Real Madrid higher-ups turning up to work naked and realizing that it wasn’t just a bad dream. Real had pursued both players and to see the duo turn up at Barcelona would have been a serious kick in the teeth – especially since Milito has already etched his name somewhat into Catalan folklore, having accounted for 4 of the 6 goals in Zaragoza’s amazing 6-1 Copa del Rey demolition of Real Madrid in 2006. Henry, on the other hand, was a popular choice due to his media presence, his savvy personality and his footballing skill – all in the Barça tradition – but had come in for some stick from Barça fans for his actions in the Champions League final, as well as for having turned his nose up at a move to the Camp Nou just one year before.
Conclusion
Although “What if’s” are a penny a dozen in football, and hindsight is a wonderful thing, I truly believe that the acquisition of Thierry Henry was a major mistake on the part of the Barcelona hierarchy. With the (admittedly very laughable) news today that Kevin Keegan may attempt a raid on Barça for Henry (okay, I know that it’s the media inflating a non-story, since all Keegan stated was that Henry would be the one player he would sign if he could), alongside the continued reports that the ex-Arsenal frontman is unsettled in Barcelona, perhaps it may not be too late to wave adieu to Titi and amend last season’s mistake.
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Discussion - 15 Responses
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Like you said, Hindsight’s a pretty wonderful thing……….
Hugo makes a good point - why not buy a younger, inform and easier-to-settle-in player who will probably score as many goals as your older, out of form foreigner who insulted your club an year ago? That’s not hindsight, that’s a smart transfer strategy.
agree with you on most points,watching him miss a sitter against spain just adds to your argument that he is past it(
Great article Hugo.
On the Keegan wants Henry point: While it is true the papers have made a story out of very little, I actually don’t think it is that laughable, in fact it kind of makes sense. Barça would be happy to sell Henry who has disappointed at Camp Nou and they may even make a profit from the deal (like Madrid did when Owen moved to Newcastle)
Newcastle would get a big name signing which would show they really wanted to regain a top four place. It is such a typical Newcastle signing in fact going back to Keegan himself, Shearer, Owen… they are cetrtainly capable of going for it.
As for Henry he also knows he made a mistake and would probably love to move back to England, he obviously misses his daughter. A move back to Arsenal would probably not be so attractive either to Henry or Arsenal, and he is hardly likely to sign for a london rival. Newcastle has that “new challenge” aspect that players love to quote when they sign.
Of course it will probably never happen, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if it did.
Oh really Ahmed? Thats why you wrote in an article that Arsene lost money on Henry? And also that Barca got a bargain? And lets not forget everyone who supports Barca (from Johann Cryuff to Eto) was salivating at the prospect of the Fantastic Four? At the end of the day Professor Wenger stands vindicated in his decision to hold onto Henry for one more year. The whole article is a bunch of “if”s. What if Barca did buy both the ‘milito’s instead of Henry and the one in question got injured in a preseason friendly?
This is a sad lament of a dejected fan who cant bear to see his favourite team not living upto the pre-season promise/hype. Thats all………..
Hugo,
Great reading as always. Just to pick you up on something, I think that City would have certainly enquired about the boy, and he looks to be having a great season. However, as with lots of enquiries City made during the January window, I think they were quoted far too much. I don’t know if it was the case with Milito but it seems a problem with the Spanish release clauses, like Luis Fabiano (something like £44m).
I wasn’t exactly falling off my chair in excitement when I heard we’d signed Benjani, but at the end of the day it’s only an initial £3.75m (I think) and if you compare what it would have cost to get Milito (not saying I wouldn’t like to see him, I would), it’s just better business in what’s a very awkward window. Maybe in the summer something could happen, who knows?
a very goosd post…and I agree with nearly all the points made.Simply put,Henry is past his best(just like Ronaldinho)
and d.milito is a more effective player than henry at the moment.
Henry was the wrong type of player at the wrong time, and very few people felt that his signing made footballing sense. The fact that Cruyff was “salivating” at the prospect was entirely typical - Cruyff meddles far too much in Barca affairs and the current azulgrana policy seems to be to sell shirts and be loved across the world, not to construct a balanced first team and squad.
I am not criticising Wenger at this point - he’s an irrelevance to me. At the end of the day the decision was not Wenger’s, it was Henry’s - and so any arguments about selling him one year earlier at a far higher price are effectively nonsensical.
Barcelona were fully aware of Henry’s fitness problems, and indeed his psychological problems, when they made his signing. Not all culés were happy with the move, either. The problem is, they believed their own hype about the “fantastic four”, and the club continues to live in the shadow of the dream team (which is another reason why Cruyff wields so much power).
I’m also not a Barcelona fan, so your decision to paint me as such is incorrect and unnecessary. I am a football fan and a Diego Milito fan, this much is true.
Yes, this is hindsight. So what? Would you like every decision ever taken to be cast aside indiscriminately when future events force us to look at it in a different light? So basically, we go on repeating the same mistakes and never think about where we went wrong?
This transfer was & still has a 50-50 chance anyway of working out for both parties. Bascially the only winner here is Arsenal & Arsene Wenger which is all i really care about (although i do feel for Henry & he’s still my favourite player).
Getting back to the point of this discussion, we can all agree that the future is very hard to predict with this sort of thing.
Hugo -
Yes, we should look at every decision made in view of the effects they eventually have. But i think you over-extended yourself here in the manner you wrote this article. I feel you were being too overly harsh on Henry & Barcelona in general. For all his faults Henry never gives less than 110% in every match he plays, something which has been sorely lacking from players like Ronaldinho. He may be struggling with injuries but when he’s on the pitch he keeps his head down & gets on with the job as best as he can.
He has been criticised in the past for being a bit selfish sometimes with the ball, but at Barcelona i see him unflinchingly setting up many assists & celebrating with his teammates without holding back. You yourself mentioned the rapport he has with Bojan & that in itself is no bad thing & should not be underestimated.
I don’t agree with the way you made many generalisations in your article. In my opinion Henry still has the hunger & the drive that made him great, I believe he still yearns for the Champion’s League medal that has eluded him thus far. You forget that 2006 was the worst year for him psychologically & physically. Reaching two different finals of two great tournaments (in the lone striker’s role no less!) & losing in such spectacular fashions one after the other after great runs to the final (the goals against Real Madrid & Brazil!) of both tournaments….Which other star player has gone through that lately? Yet still he laces up his boots & gets on with playing & never complains & is always supportive of his teammates.
Do not underestimate the value his class & his eminence has on other players within the team. In the absence of Ronaldinho & Eto’o Barca didn’t have much in the way of experienced strikers for most of the season who could play at such a big club at that level with two very young & relatively inexperienced teammates.
I’d wager that Diego would have had a tougher time coping with such pressure to perform at Barcelona under such conditions. Again its a 50-50 chance that might have gone either way.
You also forget that Barcelona are still only 5 points behind Real Madrid, despite all the crap & criticism the team has undergone this season. There is still time to snatch the title away from the champions. I would like to see a tit for tat like what happened towards the end of last season.
Anything’s possible. So don’t rule out Henry & Barca just yet.
Hugo, I asked Ahmed not you. As for your article, Spiral has pretty much written what I’d have said, so I wont repeat it. The fact is like he mentioned, nobody expected Ronaldinho and Deco to be such spectaculat flops this season, so Henry may yet be their saviour. And the fact remains that he links up pretty well with Bojan. If Milito was so good, how come none of the other teams from Europe went after him? Not even Juventus who were like the vultures, scampering over left overs? Dont get me wrong, he is good, but nothing exceptional. Then again, its my personal opinion……………….
I accept your points and my article was intended to criticise Barcelona far more than Henry himself. I have found myself defending Henry to Barcelona fans on numerous occasions, singling out the effort that he puts in week in, week out. You have to understand that I have nothing against Henry - I just think that the signing was ill-conceived. Indeed, Spiral, your remark about 2006 being Henry’s worst year is one reason why I don’t think Barcelona should have signed him. Such a crippling psychological blow is difficult to recover from and I’m not sure that Henry will ever get back to the way he was before both finals were lost. You indeed mention that it was 50/50 - but Barcelona needn’t have taken such a gamble, it was inviting unnecessary pressure upon the club.
Milito is an unspectacular but excellent player. Your comment about no other teams going for him is not conclusive. Real initially went in for him before changing their minds. And I can name tens of players who could be playing for better teams and whose big move hasn’t yet materialized. Berbatov, for one.
Bear in mind that if Henry suddenly rediscovers his form on a regular basis, and fits well into the Barcelona set-up, I shall be forced to eat my words and will happily accept that I was wrong. Let’s hope, for Henry’s sake, that such is the case.
Agreed. But more than the form of the bigger players, Rijkaard seems to be at a loss. I said it earlier somewhere else and I’ll say it again. Why did he chose both Deco and Ronaldinho over a hardworking Gudjohnsen(who was playing well) for the big game vs Real Madrid? And he has done it time and again, choosing underperforming players on the basis of their big profiles alone over lesser known players. I dont doubt the man’s ability, but I simply dont understand his tactics. And someone mentioned it at the start of the season and its quite relevant. The average height of Barcelona is quite low. Except for Henry, there is no player who is physically intimidating. Thats another thing that Rijkaard ought to have looked at. It may sound stupid, but a lot of teams are literally pushing Barca around……………
But your comment about physical presence is interesting - that is one of the things I attempted to highlight about Diego Milito. Although he is hardly bulky, Milito is excellent at holding players off and holding the ball up, and regularly scores from headers, qualities that are frankly lacking in Barcelona´s current squad, especially whilst Toure Yaya has been away.
I´m frankly a little bored of Rijkaard so I reckon it´s about time he and Ronaldinho left.
Its a good point about Gudjohnsen, and yes Hugo i remember reading your article about him a few months back. Pity though, he doesn’t have the pace to fit in well with Barcelona’s quick passing style of play that Ronaldinho (& now Messi) are at the centre of. My feeling is he will never be appreciated by his coach no matter how hard he tries. (IMO)
“Signing both Diego and Gabi might have lowered the overall expenditure (hardly buy one Milito, get one free, but Zaragoza surely would have been willing to throw in some type of discount!)”
I beg to differ.
Let’s say Gabi’s individual price is X and Diego’s is Y.
You say that Gabi + Diego X+Y.
You say that once Zaragoza had sold Gabi, the other brother would come for less. Now that’s fine when talking about WalMart but in football it’s different.
Once Zaragoza had sold one of their best and most important players it makes no sense for them to decide to sell another one of their fundamental players for less than expected. Au contraire, they would sell him for more. I assure you that no team would throw in a discount when selling two important players. The price would actually go up.
I conceed that maybe in the long term Milito would have been a better buy I think that he would have cost more than Henry and Henry was a short term buy anyway as Bojan and Dos Santos are on their ways.