Opinion: Should Thierry Henry be the next Arsenal manager?

by Liam Twomey

It isn’t yet clear whether Thierry Henry played his last match for New York Red Bulls in Saturday’s MLS Eastern Conference final defeat to New England Revolution. It is, however, obvious that the 37-year-old is already positioning himself for the next stage of his stellar career – and that his love affair with Arsenal is far from over.

“One thing is certain: I will stay in football, as a coach, a consultant or executive,” he told L’Equipe last week. “We will see. The second certainty is that I would love to see Arsenal win the Champions League. Whether that is from near or far does not depend on me but for sure I’d like to help.”

As a notion it is as romantic as footballing reunions come. Dennis Bergkamp features prominently in the conversation but no other figure from the Arsene Wenger glory years embodies the perfect harmony of style and substance quite as well as Henry, the jet-heeled winger-turned-elegant, powerful striker with monstrous goalscoring talent.

No wonder, then, that Wenger insists it is “not impossible” for his former talisman to return to Arsenal in a coaching capacity. Such an arrangement has logical as well as emotional appeal; Henry is a genuine student of the game, an excellent communicator and, given his own skill set as a player, seems the perfect mentor to help polish a rough diamond like Danny Welbeck.

But Henry harbours greater ambitions. He wants to manage Arsenal, as he revealed to no lesser a sporting inquisitor than Graham Norton back in January. “I have so much respect for Arsene, and if [managing Arsenal] does happen eventually, one day, it is going to have to be after him,” he admitted. ”I don’t actually want to talk about it right now because he is doing such a great job, but hopefully after him, yes.”

Henry’s feelings for a man with whom he has repeatedly claimed to enjoy a “father-son relationship” are clear and utterly justifiable; Wenger showed unparalleled faith in the raw ability of a misused 22-year-old and provided the stage on which his countryman’s brilliance shone first and brightest.

Even as the pressure grows on Wenger to leave Arsenal, Henry remains one of his most vocal backers. “For me it’s a no-brainer, the guy has changed Arsenal Football Club,” he told BBC Sport. “Were Arsenal successful before? Yes they were but in a different way. Now Arsenal is recognised for the type of football they play. That’s all down to him.”

Yet it is telling that the most vociferous praise of Wenger centres on the past rather than the present. He will always be regarded as one of British football’s great revolutionaries, but what is a revolutionary once the revolution overtakes him? Tactics, recruitment and injury prevention are just three areas in which it seems obvious that elite football has left Arsenal and their manager behind.

If Henry wants to one day succeed Wenger, he can’t afford to be his protege. Wedding himself to his former mentor’s vision and methodology would simply condemn the Gunners to further frustration in the biggest competitions and risk tainting the hero status of one of the club’s favourite sons – if he were even to get the opportunity.

Sir Alex Ferguson needed 20 glorious years as manager to earn a statue outside Old Trafford. Henry enjoys the same privilege at the Emirates Stadium without a single day in the hot seat. If he is ever to chance the reins he must first learn from the very best, a man still accustomed to pushing the boundaries of the sport.

A man like Pep Guardiola. Henry knows him well from his two-year stint at Barcelona and reveres him almost as much as Wenger. “Arsene Wenger will always be special to me, but Pep Guardiola is very special, trust me, I worked with him and he’s a great guy, a great leader,” he said in an interview with sponsor Red Bull in February.

Working under Guardiola would put Henry in a position to combine the expansive passing style now expected at Arsenal with the tactical invention and rigour now seemingly beyond Wenger. He could also credibly lay claim to the fresh ideas Gunners fans so desperately crave if he earns his stripes elsewhere.

The consensus is that Henry has all the raw materials for management. “He understands quickly, he understands the play,” Wenger insisted last week. “He has a good nature and a nice manner with people. He has all the qualities.”

Other flashes from his playing pomp – quick free-kicks, a pioneering exploitation of the revamped offside rule and that handball against the Republic of Ireland – suggest he also possesses an even more ruthless winning streak than Wenger.

Arsenal fans must hope that in honing his managerial skills, he forges a path away from north London.

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This article was published with permission from Ekeekeee.com

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

One comment

  1. No ! ! I loved him as a player, but he was arguably the worst captain of the modern era AFC.

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