Return of the King

First off, I don't really feel like blogging about a former Arsenal player. However, Henry is not just any Arsenal player. Admittedly, he's a Legend. Henry scored 226 times in 370 appearances and arguably was a part of the most successful run in Arsenal's history. Invincibles! My God, the good ole days were...well, the good ole days. It really is something to admire. And then he moved on.

Simply put, there are two camps of Gooners tweeting about Henry's return. One camp is so excited and wet about his return that they probably think his two-month loan will put us in 4th place and secure Champions League football. They regard Henry as some sort of savior. They have called him King once again. They are willing to look past his 34-year-old legs. They hope he is the difference. And, of course, this same camp loves to go to work the day after a win and engage in the banter of my-team-is-better-than-yours. They've done so for years. And they hope that Henry's return gives them one last boast.

The other camp, the camp I belong to, doesn't really care if he is at the Club again or not. This camp wants to move Forward and would prefer to see some strikers just signed, like Park. This camp prefers to leave Highbury behind and start a new chapter in Arsenal's history. They prefer to look ahead to brighter days with new faces and continued success. And this camp knows, and is deeply mired by the fact that Henry chose to leave Arsenal, not the other way around. Arsenal offered him top monies to stay until 2010; he signed, he declared his future to Arsenal, and then he fucked off to Barca to win. With Arsenal's money. The first camp choses to forget this fact.

Henry's departure is personal. It's personal because he was the first of two Arsenal players to ruin a birthday of mine. Henry made my day in 2006 by stating he would stay till 2010. And then later that same summer he was at Barcelona. Many cite his injury woes before and then after his departure as some sort of justification for letting him leave to our rivals. The rivals who just beat Arsenal in the Champions League final. Independent of football, who the fuck does that type of shit? What type of man says one thing and does another? Not any sort of man I want anything to do with. Also, many cite his personal/relationship reasons for leaving England and going to Barca. Moreover, Henry's wages were very high and I'm sure the Club was happy to offload his salary; no worries he took ~5mil quid with him as he left. Good business. For him. Again, many look the other way or are new Gooners and don't even know about his theatrics...

At the end of the day, Henry had his time and deserves his recognition. Henry isn't the first footballer to say one thing and do another. But Henry was the first Arsenal player to make so many people happy and then disappoint them with his move to a rival. And, of course, Cesc did the same thing. Instead of citing relationship concerns, he used the homesick excuse. And that one worked, too. The first camp's view on Cesc waxes and wanes. Many chose to believe he left cuz he was truly homesick. Others feel betrayed and have thrown him under the bus. This same camp has forgot about Henry's move to Barca, or again, chose to forget about it.

But this blog is about Henry's return. Two months for him to come in and sit on the bench. Where he belongs. I don't want to see him play a minute if it means we don't get to see 'super quality' signings like Park. They say in football sometimes you have to go back to go forward. Is that what Wenger is trying to do here? Inspire the young guys into rising to a higher level by potentially playing a Club Legend again? And how does skipping Park for Henry help the team? Or help this young player gain confidence after he leaves again.

I really do think Henry will sit on the bench and only play if Robin gets injured or Park completely fails. If either or are crocked then Henry will get a shot. And if he plays I'll support him on the pitch. But the man who said one thing and did another is in the past. And I chose to move Forward.

ArsenaLos