Thierry Henry Proving that he isn’t Arsenal Manager Material

Thierry Henry’s soapbox of punditry continues to sky higher and higher. After being blatantly wrong about Olivier Giroud and what Arsenal should pursue in the summer transfer window, Thierry Henry is yet again wrong by owning the all-too-easily-proven-wrong statement that “[Fabianski] is better than what Arsenal have (in goal)” (via South Wales Evening Post).

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He went on to add: “The title Arsenal won (last season’s FA Cup), who was in goal? He (Fabianski) was playing for Arsenal in the FA Cup, he won that title.”

I don’t know what Thierry Henry is trying to prove, but he’s going to have a tough time proving anything in the future with statements like this. First of all, yes, Lukasz Fabianski was in goal for the FA Cup and he did win that title, but there was a bit more to it than this phantom world-class goal keeping. Arsenal went down 2-0 early in the final and they had to attack for the next 100 minutes. Can you blame shoddy defending? You always can, but the same applies for Ospina and Szczesny.

Secondly, let’s just take a look at how good Fabianksi was this year compared to David Ospina and compared to Wojciech Szczesny. I used Szczesny’sstats from last year, however, seeing as how this year has been one to forget (table provided by Squawka.com on a per-90 minute basis):

[table id=52 /]

Again, spin it how you want, blame Swansea’s defense or whatever you like, but Arsenal has had sketchy defense this year as well, and last year too as the back line was a rotating door.

I don’t expect Thierry Henry to butter up Arsenal just because he played there. But he’s going completely loco and most of what he says is completely wrong, based either on statistics or based on Arsenal’s history. Of all people, the most storied striker in Arsenal history should know.

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I’m not sure how I feel about Thierry Henry potentially managing Arsenal in the future. If his punditry is offering any hint as to the type of manager he will be, then look for Arsenal to turn into the Real Madrid of England (or just more like Manchester United). It sounds like he’d completely forsake what Arsenal stands for and what Arsene Wenger has built in favor of some flashy signings and spending hundred of millions of pounds every summer.

Arsenal is a team built on being just that, a team. Throughout the years, at least since Arsene Wenger signed on, it hasn’t been a matter of flashy signings. Sure, we’ll grab Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil, but that’s two signings in two years.

The chances that we’ve given Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud would not have been given by any other manager/team and they’ve paid dividends and then some and players that have been shown that amount of faith by their managers always play to their highest possible level and owe their fortunes to the team. This is a team that players find attractive because of this style, not because of what Therry Henry wants to do to the team. If it were up to him, we’d be looking at a completely new starting XI next season and we just don’t need that.

I hope Arsene Wenger truly does have no plans of retirement. He knows what running a clubs is all about. Thierry Henry doesn’t.

Next: Alexandre Lacazette the next Henry (as a player, not a pundit)