Arsenal: Is Henry is the best player in Europe?
With the Ballon d’Or winner to be officially announced on 27 November, the news has been leaked that Fabio Cannavaro will scoop the award.
While Real Madrid celebrate (albeit a bit prematurely), Arsenal fans are wondering why Thierry Henry wasn’t given the award.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had this to say:
“Congratulations to Cannavaro if that’s the case but for me there’s only one candidate this year and that’s Thierry Henry. He just deserves it. He was the top goalscorer in England, the best player in England, the second-highest goalscorer in Europe behind Luca Toni. He played in the Champions League final and he played in the World Cup final. He lost one on penalties and he lost the other in the last few minutes with 10 men.
Overall I don’t think the fact that a team wins on penalties can make such a difference. When you look at what this guy has achieved in his career as a player, I can tell you there are some players in the Ballon d’Or who have a lot to answer for when you compare them to Thierry Henry.
The only one in contention with [Henry] this year was [Barcelona's Samuel] Eto’o, who won the Champions League and the Spanish championship. He has more than Thierry but for overall achievement Thierry has done exceptionally well.”
I think Arsene’s got a point about Henry have a great career that deserves proper recognition, but Mr Wenger why bring up the past and shake your spear at it? If you had compared Cannavaro’s career with Henry’s, or given a factual account of what Canna’s achieved, maybe we would have something more solid to go on apart from old-fashioned Arsenal bias?
Arseblog (that famous defender of Arsenal’s virginity (he also hosts a mean podcast, from what I hear)) writes:
I’m firmly of the opinion that they’ll give the award to blind, leprous, hunchbacked, Al-qaeda supporting dwarf before they’ll give it to Thierry. I wish I knew why. He certainly deserved it for the last two seasons ahead of Ronaldinho and although last season wasn’t exactly his best because of our league struggles he still played in the CL final, the World Cup final and scored 33 goals in all competitions (and I don’t know how many he created).
Don’t get me wrong, I think Cannavaro is a brilliant player and he put in some amazing performances during the World Cup. It’s also nice to see a defender get some recognition but I’m not sure what he did over the course of the season compares to what Thierry did.
The captain would be the first one to say he’s not interested in personal awards and that it’s the team that matters but it’s a shame he hasn’t been given the recognition I think most of us would agree he deserves.
Once again, totally agree with the ‘deserving recognition’ bit, but its sour grapes to denigrate past winners. People will slate Michael Owen for not being worthy, but the fact remains that he did do bloody well in the season he got the award. Same goes for Ronaldinho last year and Sheva the year before that.
What I’d like to see (whether from Arsenal fans or from an external source) is an evaluation of what Cannavaro’s done last season, and to compare that with Henry’s contributions.
Henry deserves recognition for what he’s done at Arsenal, but surely not at the expense of someone else who deserves it more?
Or is that impossible to even imagine for an Arsenal fan? Why must Arsenal fans go into conspiracy mode every time?
You’re very tiresome. Where’s the conspiracy?
Sorry mate its a tight one to call because Juventus did win the league last season (??) and Italy did win the world cup …..in balance henry was a CL finalist (beating cannavaros juventus 2-0 with a goal on the way) and a world cup finalist. Watching italian football last season cannavaro did not stand out he has only been noticed because of his brilliant world cup (im surprised zidane isn’t favourite!).
AW’s gripe probably stems from the fact cannavaro will probably win the award based on an excellent world cup rather then based on several critera. If Eto had got the award i would understand it more because of what hes done over the season.
Its a shame – but henry’s the best in prem history anyway so ill take that for now.
one thing I should have added in the article – that journalists are never the most reliable people when it comes to telling the truth
Henry should have won this award three times by now; I would assume that is where the so-called ‘conspiracy’ comes from. If a player has been deserving of something on so many occasions and isn’t given it then you have to start wondering why.
I agree with Wenger in that Eto’o is the most realistic alternative.
Cannavaro was fairly majestic at the beginning of the season (Juve started the season at a canter), but his performances dwindled as Juventus tailed off. Personally I would have found it difficult to choose between Eto’o and Henry in terms of club form, but Henry’s role in the World Cup run should have given him the edge. I do agree with one of your points, however, Ahmed. There is little point to bring up Henry’s achievements over his career when he is being considered for an award based on 1 year’s performances. But Wenger has a strange way of approaching these things.
Who’s talking about a conspiracy? Henry was the best player in Europe in terms of consistency and the role he played both for club and country. That’s what is being stated, Wenger told of exactly what Henry’s done over the last 12 months. Where’s the “old-fashioned” Arsenal bias? Never mind, let’s file that next to the “Media: BAD!” catalog.
It’s rather lush that you’re commenting on a conspiracy theory (still don’t know where you go that from) and talking of Arsenal bias while speaking from admittedly an Anti-Arsenal platform.
As for Owen, any discerning football fan would know that if the authorities HAD to give the award to a Liverpool player for their cup treble of 2001, it should have been Sami Hyypia or Steven Gerrard, not Michael Owen. And as for best player in Europe that year, one need not look any further than Bayern’s Stefan Effenberg who captained them to Champions League glory. Similarly, Xavi deserved recognition ahead of Ronaldinho in 2005 (he really DID get the award that year for tricks), ditto for Nesta the year Shevchenko won it (where he didn’t distinguish himself amongst Europe’
s top strikers, but Milan’s defence did).
Juventus had a very dodgy end to their season, the title went to the wire and it was down to them conceding critical goals while in the lead. Cannavaro was anonymous in their Champions League campaign. The only major feather in his cap is the World Cup. Inconsistency is the key word.
The problem with the conspiracy theory is that the award is voted for by European journalists, and not by FIFA representatives. FIFA definitely have a reason to want to endear themselves to the Italian football federation – the Italians took offense to the fact that Sepp Blatter did not attend the ceremony at which the World Cup was presented to Italy. And I disagree with what has been said about Xavi’s role in the 2004/5 season, as he only really came into top form towards the end of the season. Ronaldinho, on the other hand, scored 9 goals (some of them at very important times) and set up more goals than any other player in Spain. So if any Barca player was to get the award, it should have been Ronaldinho (personally I wouldn’t have given it to him).
I would say that I understand why it may go to Carnavaro instead of Henry.
First, the last three years, Chevchenko was the best player over Henry because AC Milan won the CL over Juve and Chevchenko was the top striker in that CL; Ronaldinhio won it over Henry because he was the major influencial player in Barca CL winner and la Liga champion. Brazil won the confederation cup with him.
Henry is a world class striker, but I think he is a bit unlucky, as at the time of this prize his performance goes a bit down and it affect his chance to win it. At the moment Eto’o is ahead of Henry in term of best striker. And I think it would be boring to choose all the times strikers; so this time it went for a defender, Carnavaro is currently the best defender.So I don’t see anything wrong with him being the winner. Henry probably is paying the price of not winning the CL as well the World cup.
I’ll have to disagree with your statement on Xavi, I’m afraid. I followed the Spanish League very closely that season and Xavi was sublime in midfield, the kind of player who pulled all the strings so the likes of Ronaldinho could entertain.
umm, assuming you have something *against* a player rather than something *for* another is a conspiracy theory to me
“I’m firmly of the opinion that they’ll give the award to blind, leprous, hunchbacked, Al-qaeda supporting dwarf before they’ll give it to Thierry. I wish I knew why.” ??
And don’t know if this is fair or not, but it wasn’t exactly Henry’s best season last year, and that somehow gets factored in. Right or wrong, I don’t know, but I’m sure it mattered.
“I’m firmly of the opinion that they’ll give the award to blind, leprous, hunchbacked, Al-qaeda supporting dwarf before they’ll give it to Thierry.”You really think Messi’ll win it before Henry??
its wierd how you come down heavily on anyone from the epl not associated with manu (arsenal,chelsea etc.etc). I think this blog is bs. Why call it soccerlens then? you should probably rename this blog as pompous manu biased assholes or smth along those lines. I think henry is way more deserving than cannavaro. everyone knows how juventus won the seria A last season and where they are now. Also Italy’s win could be attributed more towards the team effort rather than the individual brilliance of cannavaro.
Henry will fit in Spanish football because of his fascinating tactics.
The super star moreover is recognised by colleagues like Dinho,E’too and the coach!
Henry is the best player i have ever seen i love him and keep it up.