But but but Thierry Henry bottles the big games

[Ombudsam]

How do these myths get spread. Honestly they get repeated and all of a sudden it's fact. He's the best player in this country by a mile

[matty]

I said that in the pub last night.

 

I also said 'I've seen them given' as i do every night.

 

I'm a fun guy.

[yellow jumper]

the level of expectation is absurd. he's a great player...

 

however, he hasn't done it internationally particularily. nor in europe regularily enough. add to that the fact that he's had more bad games in big games in the last few season than good ones.

 

quite a few fair-to-middling strikers have walked through that madrid defence this season.

[Leo No.8]

How do these myths get spread. Honestly they get repeated and all of a sudden it's fact. He's the best player in this country by a mile

 

Practically every big game Arsenal have won has been down to him, including in Europe (hat-trick at Roma, stunning free-kick against Juve etc).

 

I'd say rather than this 'he bottles the big games' crap, the truth is even the best player in the Premier League can't drag them through to the latter stages of the CL single-handedly.

 

This year they got a great draw, and last night his stunning goal gave them a great chance of going further.

 

He's an unbelievable footballer and a pleasure to watch.

[Ombudsam]

the level of expectation is absurd. he's a great player...

 

however, he hasn't done it internationally particularily. nor in europe regularily enough. add to that the fact that he's had more bad games in big games in the last few season than good ones.

 

quite a few fair-to-middling strikers have walked through that madrid defence this season.

 

he's still about one in two for france and he's had loads of good games v good opposition. Yopu can say anyone can score against Real but had he failed to do so it would have been hailed as a big game in which he didn't do it.

 

Practically every big game Arsenal have won has been down to him, including in Europe (hat-trick at Roma, stunning free-kick against Juve etc).

 

I'd say rather than this 'he bottles the big games' crap, the truth is even the best player in the Premier League can't drag them through to the latter stages of the CL single-handedly.

 

This year they got a great draw, and last night his stunning goal gave them a great chance of going further.

 

He's an unbelievable footballer and a pleasure to watch.

 

he's the best player i've ever seen. Better than Zidane and ronaldinho.

[yellow jumper]

i don't think he bottles it, but i do think he becomes frustrated to the point of ineffectiveness if he isn't dominating a game. his head goes down. unlike, say, michael owen, who might do nothing for eighty-nine minutes and etc. etc.

 

arsenal, if they get through this tie, will inevitably get knocked out by a more cynical, well-drilled unit then madrid. i think that most of the top sides in europe have coaches who will know that isolating henry is the first step to beating arsenal. they also, in most cases, have the defenders to make it happen.

[Gilps]

the level of expectation is absurd. he's a great player...

 

however, he hasn't done it internationally particularily. nor in europe regularily enough. add to that the fact that he's had more bad games in big games in the last few season than good ones.

 

quite a few fair-to-middling strikers have walked through that madrid defence this season.

 

He's done it regularly enough to be in the top five scorers in Champions League history.

[yellow jumper]

he's obviously one of the great modern strikers.

 

just offering a few suggestions as to why and how "these myths get spread?"

 

in the last ten years arsenal have generally fallen out of the champions' league at a unexpectedly early stage. and usually in pretty limp fashion. although wenger must take the brunt of the criticism, i don't think it's unfair to have expected such a brilliant player to have made a greater impact at the buisness end of the competition.

[jfogarty]

How do these myths get spread. Honestly they get repeated and all of a sudden it's fact. He's the best player in this country by a mile

 

Hes one of my favourite footballers of all time

 

If we dont win the CL I would have no problem seeing him lift the trophy in Paris

[Cobs]

How do these myths get spread.

by know nothing d1ckheads on internet fora.

 

 

Next up -

 

 

Frank "Fat & over-rated" Lampard - never does anything against decent teams, only ever scores with deflections or penalties, which don't count........

[Guz]

He is so good that people expect him to do it all the time. When Arsenal fail it's like - where was Henry?

 

People have had a pop at his captaincy this season and sometimes lack of interest/effort but his goals ratio this season is awesome.

[Owen1978]

if we had him we'll rule the world!

 

Muwahhaaaaa ha ha

Edited February 22, 2006 by Owen1978

[charlie clown]

 

Next up -

Frank "Fat & over-rated" Lampard - never does anything against decent teams, only ever scores with deflections or penalties, which don't count........

 

except that's true

[Tosh]

except that's true

 

be fair. He has lost weight

[yellow jumper]

the myths and hype that build a player up are just as annoying as those that tend to knock them down.

 

all players, however good, are fallible.

 

henry is nowhere near zidane in terms of achievement and influence. dominant performances in world cup and european cup finals, to go alongside all the domestic titles and awards. isn't that standard by which the greatest players are judged?

 

laughable that you should even bring lampard into this discussion Cobs.

[Cobs]

 

laughable that you should even bring lampard into this discussion Cobs.

'course it was

 

[intense enigma]

he's the best player i've ever seen. Better than Zidane and ronaldinho.

 

He's bloody good i agree but better than Zidance and Ronaldhino? It just can't be true can it.

Edited February 22, 2006 by intense enigma

[Eiler99]

Yesterday was not a big game. They were playing Real "haven't won anything in ages" Madrid ffs. It was a walkover. Simple as that.

 

[Ombudsam]

He's bloody good i agree but better than Zidance and Ronaldhino? It just can't be true can it.

 

For me he's the best i've seen. I genuinely think he's better than ronaldinho

[Earl Hafler]

How do these myths get spread. Honestly they get repeated and all of a sudden it's fact. He's the best player in this country by a mile

 

You'd have scored against that defence. Real were very poor.

 

I don't think Henry's done enough in the more important games in Europe for Arsenal. He's been playing in the Champions League for about 8 years now and Arsenal have qualified every year so he only needs about 4 goals a season to get in the top scorers list.

 

Brilliant, inspirational player in the Premiership but i think it's fair to say this isn't reflected in Europe. His best games coming against Roma - who are notorious underachievers in Europe - and Inter, where they had a man sent off.

[Jiggy Hates Jazz]

For me he's the best i've seen. I genuinely think he's better than ronaldinho

 

I'm a big big fan of Henry but Ronaldinho is the undisputed king IMHO. Contrary to what Andy Gray thinks, Ronnigol was magnificent tonight.

[Foo]

I'm a big big fan of Henry but Ronaldinho is the undisputed king IMHO. Contrary to what Andy Gray thinks, Ronnigol was magnificent tonight.

 

 

Messi was better. If we had had a striker like Thierry Henry at Liverpool, we would do well. He can play alone quite well and he has pace and trickery. Changing subject again, it was good to see Chelsea lose tonight!

[growler]

the problem is, generally, if he doesn't play, arsenal don't play. Therefore when Arsenal don't play, then its his fault.

[Gooner Spy]

the problem is, generally, if he doesn't play, arsenal don't play. Therefore when Arsenal don't play, then its his fault.

 

As an Arsenal fan, I think this myth was created following the Michael Owen Final in 2001, which is harsh in itself given he was our best player, and would have scored had it not been for Henchoz's 'dubious' goal-line clearance.....(for 'dubious', read 'cheating'!!!!)

 

After that, any big match where he didnt score hat-tricks earned meant he was a bottle, and every time he did well against lower opposiotion saw him labelled a flat-tract bully.

 

Bloody media!!

[Guest Anders Honoré]

never diss the fabled Hand of Hencoz.

 

One of the best keepers we've had in decades he was.