Thierry Henry - how the mighty can fall

This is certainly a West Ham blog but the events of last night have been playing on my mind all day, so what better place to discuss the matter.  Regular readers will know, that I hate Spurs but have a respect for Arsenal.  This respect was seeded in their wonder years of Bergkap, Pires, Viera, Ljungberg and...Thierry Henry.

I’ve always cited Henry as one of those players that I would happily pay good money to watch, maybe not so much now, but back then when he glided past defenders and scored with both feet, with his head or any part of the body he could improvise with.  Henry was majestic to watch, even when tearing the Hammers apart.  But last night, my view of him completely changed.
I’m sure everyone knows what I am referring to, as Henry handballed twice to prevent the ball from falling over the touchline and allowed William Gallas to send France into the World Cup and leave Ireland devastated and out.

Just like Maradonna in 1986, for all the work and beauty Henry had produced on the field, the memory I will now always have of him is of a cheat.  Because he cheated last night and that’s not what one expects from player who had the natural skill and guile to turn any situation into an advantage.  The only people who cheat are those in a dis-advantage, those that don’t have what is in Henry’s locker.  A lower league player knocking the ball with his hand in a cup tie against Man United, he needs to cheat because he might not have any other means to call on.  But Henry?  He does not need to, so the fact that he did makes it alot worse.

And what of FIFA?  They have shied away from their responsibilities completely here.  I don’t think re=playing every game because of a dodgy decision is a great idea, but neither is allowing relegated clubs to sue other clubs who stay up, but there we go, them’s the breaks.  But here, there is a clear need to do.  The alternative is millions watching France run out in South Africa to kids holding up banner about ‘fair play’ whilst the world knows that nothing of the sort got them there in the first place.  It’s wrong and it should not happen.  A replay is the best outcome by far.  We have the time, it can be organised, only the danger of losing one of their big clubs frightens them.  Crikey, I never thought I’d find myself in agreement with Robbie Keane, but I do.

So, the outcome?  France go to the World Cup Finals.  It’s 1-1 late into the final and England are playing France, England have a corner.  Matthew Upson rises above Gallas to head towards goal, it’s going wide but a hand of Henry accidentally touches it.  We get the penalty, Henry does the walk of shame and Carlton Cole slots home from the spot for English glory.  Justice or a fairy tale?  Stranger things have happened, Henry cheating for a start...

Comments

[redanddread]

"Just like Maradonna in 1986, for all the work and beauty Henry had produced on the field, the memory I will now always have of him is of a cheat."

U fuckin muppet!!

I hope u don't mess up in your life..........what a waste the rest of it would have been to your adoring public.

Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house

[Dennis]

I remember Bergkap, he coined the Crufts turn didn't he?

[Ben McGowan AKA Westham66]

Your the fuckn muppet as you put it red you donkey, I totally agree with this post and i am too a Westham fan, any game should be won by hard work, skill and endeavor, I hate cheats and cheating, scum in sport is a word that springs to mind, one thing i do disagree with is if you are a lower league team, then you still don't have the right to win by cheating, it is all the more impressive if you get further in a competition by beating a bigger club by your hearts on the field of play, I think Henry should be banned from the first 3 games of the cup if it was deliberate or and whether they still qualify or not the game should be replayed, they've done this in other games b4 so why should the world cup be any different in fact, should be more so the case I believe and I think Ireland should contest this to the hilt and call in the arbitration panel if need be as everyone else has, at the end of the day tho, |Come on England.

[Wayneday1@gmail.com]

Thiery Henry is an arrogant cheating twat, he now even has the cheek to suggest it was accidental!!!! yeah right Thiery, which handball was accidental? the 1st or the 2nd?

[curty]

henry is still the best...if u were in that exact situation...i bet u would d o d same...in dat spur of d moment u would want 2 be the hero n send ur country 2 the world cup 2...thierry is only human

[Will]

So are the Irish FA going to now sue FIFA or the French FA like Sheffield Utd did with us?

Where is it all going to end.
Needs a fix and and to it all right now with a replay and a tough stance.

[Term papers]

This is certainly a West Ham blog but the events of last night have been playing on your mind all day, so what better place to discuss the matter. Regular readers will know, that you hate Spurs but have a respect for Arsenal.