I look at the shortlist, and firmly believe this will be Henry’s best chance to win the World Footballer of the Year.
Ironically, Titi has had better years. Nevertheless, the truth is in year 2002, there simply wasn’t any particular outstanding individual player.
Ronaldinho was utterly disappointing during the World Cup. The same speaks for Rooney. While how on earth Frank Lampard made it to the shortlist I’ll never know.
For a few others, like Cannavaro who played well in the World Cup, yet his club side Juventus exited from the Champions League prematurely. Lehmann is my personal choice, as not only he played well for Arsenal, he did a brilliant job for Germany in the World Cup as well.
Problem is, it’s unlikely FIFA will opt for a goalkeeper as the World Player of the Year. FIFA has always been encouraging attacking football, picking a ‘keeper/defender will send out the wrong message (from their point of view. The fact that Zidane edged out Cannavaro to win the “Golden Ball” for the past World Cup says it all (despite the latter clearly had a much impressive overall performance during the tournament).
So that left basically only Henry - the only attacking player (in the shortlist) who led his club and country into Champions League and World Cup final respectively.
Personally I believe Henry deserves it, despite having had a particular great season (by his own high standard) in 2006. Yet Titi is one of the few players who have been so CONSISTENTLY putting up impressive performance for the past 3 or 4 years. That alone should be able to make him a worthy World Footballer of the Year winner. And in my opinion, it’s long overdue.
17 Responses to “Is this the year for Titi-World Footballer of the Year?”
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October 16th, 2006 at 11:12 am
I agree, Titi scored the goals @ Real Madrid, v Juventus, v Brasil that will be remembered for years. Nobody on that list did it for club and country and in WC years that REALLY matters. Poor Sam Eto’o did not even have a chance to do it (Liga, UCL winner).
October 16th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Henry has deserved it for a few years now ? always a bridesmaid but never a bride.
In my opinion if he doesn’t receive this honour this year it only shows the value of that award, particularly when he should of had it for a few years already.
I now hear people criticize him from time to time about his “dive” on Puyol during the World Cup - clasping his face when Puyol’s tackle didn’t make contact with it, yada, yada, yada. I’m of mixed minds on this because people are weird - they watch a few games of the WC and suddenly they know everything about the game and Henry because the announcer told them so. The other 99% of Henry playing for Arsenal, France, Champions League, Cup Ties, etc. they know nothing about but suddenly he’s a diver. It’s kinda of like Zidane’s lot after the WC.
Let’s hope the jury is not as simple minded - he deserves this honour.
October 16th, 2006 at 2:19 pm
Payback is a b***h. Remember, the Puyol-Marquez duo kicked Henry all over the field in the CL final and he would not go down (”I am not a woman”) and they never got a card. Henry then gets a yellow card for a perfectly clean tackle from Barcelona’s twelfth player. Remember that one of the officials in that refereeing crew was photographed wearing a Barca jersey before the match. Don’t get me started on Eto’o’s offside “goal”.
Diving will get you villified in the EPL (Drogba, Zokora) but in Spain it has been raise to the level that would win Academy awards.
October 16th, 2006 at 3:05 pm
According to an interview at “442″, Henry said - during the World Cup France v Spain, Puyol kept fouling him and the ref turned a blind eye. Henry approached the ref and asked why Puyol got away with that? The ref replied “because u didn’t fall” (imagine that for an answer). Henry told the ref “OK, so next time I’ll fall”. So he did.
October 16th, 2006 at 8:40 pm
I’m with you on Puyol and the CL game.
The Spaniards wouldn’t win the Oscar for “diving” or “poor sportsmanship”, the Portuguese have that one all sewed up.
October 17th, 2006 at 1:38 am
I have already said this and will say it again - If he doesn’t win this year, I doubt he ever will.
The only players who come close are Cannavaro, Buffon and Ronaldinho. All have drawbacks.
Cannavaro and Buffon - league titles were tainted and they flopped in the CL
Ronaldinho - flopped in the World Cup
Henry - will be seen as flopped in the league because Arsenal finished 4th
Lehmann is an outside bet, but I doubt it happening.
October 17th, 2006 at 8:10 am
Nice piece, Andez. And an interesting tidbit from the interview. I can’t wait to share it with the few who consistently try to have a pop at our Titi, waiting for the great to fall to their level. He’s a moody b*stard sometimes, but I’ve grown to love that about him. Or maybe it’s all the increbilbe stuff he does on the pitch. Yeah, the latter.
And I agree with your assessment of his year. Oddly enough, his contract stall may work to his favor. Was there a bigger dramatic few days than when he performed so well that last hell week to put us in position to make Europe, then hattered on the final day of Highbury, pipping the Spuds to fourth? He missed a few chances that looked easy to all of us in the CL final, but signing a few days later just made us all feel better. A tremendous player who had a great season and then decided to stay in London out of LOVE for his team? Shoe-in, or as you say, the award is meaningless…
…unless it goes to Jens.
October 17th, 2006 at 11:11 am
ESPN DEPORTES IS SHOWING THE GAME TODAY…
10:00 AM ESTREN
11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME
… and so on.
October 17th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
thanks
October 17th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
WHAT is GOING ON ArsenalAmerica??!!!!!!!!
How about a posting so we can discuss the match!!!!!!!!
Down 1-0 at the half.
Apparently we have a lot of possession.
Nothing new.
Hoping for a draw… and no injuries.
Bring on Theo and Alidiare!
October 17th, 2006 at 2:29 pm
Final
CSKA1 Arsenal 0
Apparently Henry had a goal disallowed for hand ball, although replays show the ball made no contact with his arm.
I’d say we will still qualify first in the group, not really worried about this result, although i haven’t seen the game, i don’t want to see too much into this result until i see some highlights and some reactions from the team.
October 17th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
We lose, we lose.
Hopefully just a bump in the long road.
long way to travel for a loss.
Gotta see the highlights.
October 17th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Now I’m not saying we deserved to win, CSKA played very well to their credit. But how on earth the lineman and ref could see Henry handled the ball before he equalized for us in the dying minutes?
That just tells u the power of referee today, they can singlehandly deny you a result. And football refereeing system must be the WORST in the world of sports. You would never see as many mistakes being made by the referees in ANY OTHER sports.
October 17th, 2006 at 2:48 pm
I am not very much concerned about the result today. The loss on the road in the CL stages is not the end of the world. Yes we had a clear goal dissallowed, reminded me of an Amature referee who just give calls out of the blue. Arsenal desereved a tie but nothing more than this.
Arernal as always, started strong, dominated the game, we played most of the time in their half, but a stupid counter attack resulted a free kick…. Hoyte did not react quicker, he could have had his body infront of the shot.
Arsenal were again scared to shoot. …
I miss Eboue already .. his runs by itself causes distruption for the other team. Hoyte cant even cross balls. He is not bad, but he is not dangouras like Eboue. Arsenal were very slow from the flank … I missed Freddy, Eboue, Clichy (100% fit). Arsenal Mid and Forward need to learn to deffend better.
When we posses the ball 90% in their feild, simply losing the ball alawys cause trouble for us.
I am not worried about this result. … CSKA is top with 7 points, Arsenal second 6, Porto and Hamburg ( 1, 0 … +3 or +1 depending on todays game ). Arsenal have 2 games at home.
What makes me worried, I flet that Arsenal did not want to play… something like the premier league games we had last year.
October 17th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Well, what did I say before the game? Games in Russia/Ukraine are suspended reality. Totally irrelevant exercises which consist of the home side- with their crap pitch- enjoying every single ounce of luck possible and relying on the gods to get them a goal. Henry’s goal was perfectly fine, but hey, it was Russia, things like scoring a normal goal are not allowed there.
Although I have already dismissed this game from my mind as non-event I have to say Gilberto’s passing was embarrassing, even by his standards. Hleb also seemed to have double vision with his passing. Still, he never hid, nor did Gilberto.
Fabregas was sensational in the second half. Probed and probed with intelligence and his last ditch tackle on Dudu epitomised the brilliance of the guy.
Overall we played hard and well. Van Persie was Mr knob head again tonight but that pitch was bad- everyone was off-balance which may have had something to do with his failure to square the ball in the first half.
This result doesn’t bother me- we are still playing very well- but what’s important is that it doesn’t affect the players. A loss in Russia has a certain macabre feel to it and seems a bad a place as any to lose a match and allow self-doubt to seep in. We must brush it off and carry on our merry way, like we did after Man City.
October 17th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Gilberto, did his defensive duty very well. But i agree with u 100% on his passing, Mazza. In short, any pass longer than 5 yards from Gilberto went straight to the opponent.
It may not look that obvious had him playing for a less team, in a passing machine like Arsenal, his inability to pass is simply there for everyone to withness.
Another thing I noticed: wherever Justin Hoyte play, if he play at left back, opposition would be bombing down their right flank; if he play at right back, opposition would be throwing everything down their left…
When will Lauren be back?
October 18th, 2006 at 10:20 am
Will Henry win this year. F*ck Yeah! I assume you meant 2006 and not 2002.