Comments on: Henry The Thief

By: walter

walter — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:08:04 +0000

Simon, as for the teams it is as important for the refs to go to the WC. To get to the WC is a jackpot for the refs.
Still a tenth of what the players get but they get well paid for the period they spend in SA.
I bet refs would do anything to get there. And as refs know which countrys the fifa would like to see in SA by the seeding system…
A was listener knows what I mean. You have to be a strong ref to net let it have any influence… and maybe dumb because it could make you stay at home during the WC.

By: Simon Bailey

Simon Bailey — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:06:42 +0000

to sensible opinion, you say ive missed the point that henry cheated. not really, if you have read this blog before, you will know that its not a site that follows the norms. the whole reason for doing the article was to not make a big deal of the incident itself, but to speculate on the issue as a whole, in macro as opposed to micro.

mark, as for saying that i’m equating this issue with doping in sport. at least british sport and the olymic people realise there is a problem, because they use the most modern technology available to combat it. there isnt that much fuss made about their drug policy because it seems to work, with athletes being banned regularly. fifa, uefa, & the fa, however, are unable to deal with incidents like this because their policy on refereeing games is flawed in my opinion, probably because they are Luddites

i dont agree with cheating, but we cant expect the players to police themselves. some kind of technical aid has to be provided to refs so that these incidents become non incidents.

Ian, if it had been england, there would have been probably more uproar, but the point i am trying to make is that it still wouldn’t have changed anything. maradonas hand of god is the ideal example. did the english get justice? no. you say that noone outside of ireland gave us a chance, i recall listening to the radio on the day of the match, and not many people at home did either. rte didnt even want to pay the going rate for the tv rights. as for arsenal, i remember kuyt fouling us, and no penalty given, in a cl match against liverpool a couple of years ago when we should have gone through to the next round. as much as we were all disgusted by the referees decision, or lack of, nothing changed. the point i am trying to make here is that until the rules change, the refs decision is final. when the whistle goes at the end of the match, the scoreline on the big telly is what is going in the book. full stop. and its so easy to say regardless of wether i’m supporting the team or not, because that is the way it is. crying and complaining wont change anything, only fifa can do that, and as i said before, they are a business where profits come before all else.

i dont think ireland fans should get over it, its an important part of footballing history. fifa are having a meeting on 2nd december to discuss among other things, their reaction to the problems refs have in high stake games.

maybe this is the silver lining in what has been a cloudy week for ireland. perhaps they are beginning to realise that something needs to be done.

walter, i like the idea that by seeding the matches, the refs were subtly influenced the higher seeds. i suppose the lure of the woirld cup is as strong for a ref as a player.

By: Tazz

Tazz — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:42:49 +0000

Henry ain’t no thief. 15 years of unbridled service to the game, and with 15 minutes to go on the clock, his doing what he did, was in no way an act of oddity. The guy is a Winner, has won them all. He needs to jury to decide the measure of his greatness. After Zizou, he is the best this generation has produced. Not to forget, Zizou, who btw got 14 reds all his life, head-butted France’s chances of winning the WC. Henry, on the other hand, quiet literally ‘handed’ the Les Blues an entry into the same! Zizou was never tarnished, WHY HENRY!?

http://11gunners.com/opinion/hey-henry-we-still-love-you-mate/2609/

By: lee

lee — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:23:49 +0000

henry was once the best player in the world and without a doubt one of the best of all time. he will always be a legend in my eyes because the game was irrelivant, both teams are pretty crap to be honest and neither of them would have won the WC. so why dont all you moaners take a leaf out of roy keanes book and GET OVER IT!

By: Sensible Opinion

Sensible Opinion — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:01:38 +0000

The point I made that Henry is a cheat and will forever be remembered for that infamous double handball still stands. The whole football world knows that. I rest my case.

By: lee

lee — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:33:23 +0000

at the end of the day neither team is good enough to come anywhere near winning the WC so it wont really matter. I would be more concerned if it was for example, netherlands vs spain because both teams have a really good chance of winning the WC.

By: don't believe the hype

don't believe the hype — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:13:09 +0000

“The slightest doubt in a refs mind can be enough in a split second.”

We at Arsenal know all about that, as it seems no penalties will be given to us this season as we have been labelled ‘cheats’ and ‘divers’ by the media.

By: walter

walter — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:26:24 +0000

As not being Irish or French I think I can call myself a neutral observer. The game I have seen (from the second half till the end) was almost a one way game in direction of the Irish goal. The Irish had their chances on the counter but for the rest of the game they always had some 10 players in defence. One can call this “outplaying the French” but I can tell you I hold a different view on outplaying another team.

In fact I would have loved it if the French would have gone out. Firstly because of that coach of them, Domenech. I really think he is one of the worst coaches in history of football. Even Benitez looks great in comparison to him. So just to see him out would have made my day. Now I have to see him in the World cup destroying one of the potential best sides of the world and turn it in to a mediocre team.

So a win from the Irish would have been good for me and certainly when I think of our French players out in South africa next summer instead of taking a rest.

Look at it this way: the Irish would never made it to winning the WC next year. The French with their dumb trainer will go out as soon as possible. Neither team is good enough to win the WC.

If you want to vent your frustration point it at the FIFA for bending their rules when fixing the ties and by appointing “preferable teams” putting pressure on the refs. Pressure that mounts on the refs without Fifa having to say anyting. Just the fact that they appointed those 4 teams was enough for any clever ref to know what to do. Not saying it was the case but it well could have been that a ref or an assistant that wants to go to the WC is well aware of what Fifa would like to happen and therefore it could influence their decisions al be it for 1 percent. The slightest doubt in a refs mind can be enough in a split second.

By: jazbo

jazbo — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:06:11 +0000

The French are in the Irish are out, big deal, get over it and move on, like Keeno said what goes around comes around.

By: don't believe the hype

don't believe the hype — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:52:08 +0000

Good post Simon. As Roy Keane pointed out, what goes around, comes around. Ireland only got that far thanks to a penalty that never was against Georgia. I will not be surprised when France are knocked out of the World cup in controversial circumstances too. And neither should they be.

By: kanu+kanoute

kanu+kanoute — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:07:49 +0000

If you watch enough Henry, his cunning and ruthless character should be obvious. He will try anything to win, that’s Henry. The free kick before the chelski wall is ready is one example.

By: St. Louis Gooner

St. Louis Gooner — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:13:38 +0000

I can understand Ireland’s frustration. But credit to Keano for great candor. Where was the defence? Who was on the post?
I live in a town where they still think umpiring cost us a world series in 1985, but there were three defensive miscues after the umpire’s call that could have taken care of it. We cost ourselves that title. I’m not a huge Roy Keane fan, but credit to him for straight talk.
Also, I don’t know any player, in any sport, who would stop play ahead of the whistly blowing to point out an error on his own part. The referee didn’t whistle the play, Henry kept playing.
Watching Thierry Henry was the main person I started watching soccer for in the first place and the person that made me an Arsenal fan. Hopefully, this all blows away.

By: Ole Gunner

Ole Gunner — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:13:14 +0000

Mark,

There’s a problem with drugs in football too. I think in terms of the spirit of the game, a player enhancing his performance with drugs is transgressing a whole lot more than, someone who intentionally handles the ball.

By: Ian Jenkinson

Ian Jenkinson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:29:34 +0000

If this happened to England there would be uproar. Far worse than this. We are entitled to defend our country in this way, we are not sore losers. If we had been beaten 4-0 on aggregate we would just get on with it, but a lot of hard work went into that game, no-one outside Ireland gave us a chance before the second leg. We fought the French in a magnificent manner and they knocked us out after a horrendous act and an even more horrendous decision to allow it. No one can blame us for being angry. I’m an Arsenal fan and if this had happened in The Champions League final against Arsenal would you just bat it away with your hand so nonchalatly as you did with your matter-of-fact opinion. “The referee gave it so that’s that”?? It’s so easy to say when you’re not affected by it isn’t it?

By: Sensible Opinion

Sensible Opinion — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:15:33 +0000

Disappointed that the article completely whitewashes the shameful incident and misses the point that Henry CHEATED AND GETS AWAY WITH IT. A whitewash of an article. Ireland outplayed the French in their own back yard and Gallas and Sagna were pulled all over the place…sound familiar? I was an admirer of Thierry Henry as a footballer (he has no personality) and its a shame this infamous incident will forever shadow the special talent that he was and as a Gooner this saddens me. Also the patronising attitude towards the Irish in the article and the snide anti-Irish comments are out of order. A CHEAT’S A CHEAT EVEN WHEN ITS AN EX-GOONER. SHAME ON YOU ALL. UP THE GUNNERS (not you Gallas you’re just a cry-baby modern mercenary…AND UP THE REPUBLIC/VIVA ESPANIA!

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:09:23 +0000

Patronizing waffle.

Transfer your logic to athletics, and you’d be saying ‘what is all the fuss about drugs’?

By: Ole Gunner

Ole Gunner — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:43:24 +0000

British (& Irish) are starting to look like really bad losers. After every crash out of a major tournament, there always has to be someone to vilify. In 2008 it was McLaren/Cashley Cole. In ‘06 it was Ronaldo. In ‘98 it was Beckham. In ‘96 it was Southgate. In ‘86 is was Maradona. In ‘02 the villain was David Seaman/Beckham/referee.

Ronaldo was blamed for Rooney’s clear red card. Simeone was blamed for Beckham’s petulance. Maradona was a serial cheat but nobody here would ever mention that Argentina were miles away the better team despite Maradona’s handball.

Never is it mentioned when England/Scotland/Ireland cheat to eliminate teams….like Lineker’s 2 dives to eliminate Cameroun in 1990. Winning the World Cup at home in controversial circumstances. What about Owen’s dive against Argentina in 98?

By: Geezer1287

Geezer1287 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:04:40 +0000

This reminds me of the way the scots “threw a paddy” after the Eduardo incident vs Celtic, is this just going to happene every time theres a controversial decision. As many have said (and i applaud roy keane as he understands FIFAs viewpoint) you canpick any incidnet in a game and say “what if” or “thats not fair” it wont change the outcome, if anything, it is the referees negligence, from henrys perspective, he would do anything to get his team through, Country or club, as would Robbie Keane, if anyone is the thief it is the referee for his negligence to spot foul play.

By: LRV

LRV — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:39:47 +0000

All the people insulting Henry, be it the Irish or their British cronies, are all just hypocrites. Had the shoe been on the other foot, they would all had been celebrating and not minding however it goes in. Had such a goal goes in against the English to send them out, the Irish as well as all the other British Countries would be celebrating. I still remember vividly what happened when England failed to qualify for the Euros. They all celebrated. So they can all stop their bullshit-paddy games. It changes nothing. They lost my sympathy with their completely over the top reaction.

By: walter

walter — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:34:41 +0000

Good article Simon. The main talking point is : will Fifa allow video technology or not. If not then this will happen and we have to live with it. If they allow it then this can be rectified on the field and the outcome of the games could be more according to the rules.
Must say that at first I was dissapointed that TH has don this but then again: all players handle some times and the ref doesn’t see it all the time. So I’m not gonna crucifie TH for this or the ref: “What you can’t see, you can not blow.”
I do can feel some sympathy for the Irish. They played the best they could give and can feel themselves unlucky. But at the end of the day if the score would have been 0-1 they weren’t qualified and still had to win a penalty shoot out.
About replaying: Fifa will never alow this. Uefa once tried to open pandora’s box and realised it at the last minute that they would be burried under complanes from all over Europe and cancelled the ban on Eduardo.
Fifa have learnt I think and was quick to put an end to speculation for a replay.

And to end: Fifa must be stopped by the big clubs. The big clubs should make a public statement to Fifa and Uefa that they will let their players go to play official qualifying games for EC or WC. But no more friendlies during the season. If countrys want to play friendlies then they have to play them after the season. So if a player then gets injured he could be back at the opening of the season to play for the club that pays him big money.