on what he said to Henry before he went on...
I just told him where he plays, because he can play on the flanks or through the middle. I told him to play through the middle. He did not know who was coming off. For the rest, you don't need to tell him too much. He has seen it all and done it all. You could see when he came on he had a presence on the pitch and if we could find him, he would be dangerous. He was sharp physically. He was already a legend here and now has added a bit more to the story.
on whether he was surprised by Henry...
No, because already in training I have seen that he was sharp and ready to play. I would not put him on the pitch with what he has done here if he was not ready because that would be unfair. He is a special player. What is good for the young players at the club is that a guy who has done it all comes and prepares 100 per cent, warms up, is focused and motivated, and comes on with an immense desire to do well.
on how he rose to the occasion...
Still you feel he has some pressure. Thierry is a proud guy, he does not want to disappoint people. He knows he will be compared to what he has done before. That is what champions are about. They always say 'I have no pressure', but they want to be seen as people who do well. It is a kind of a comeback and you know you want that to be a success as a player.
on a happy dressing room…
It was very happy, the players were very happy when he decided to come back. He gives you other options offensively as well.
on Scholes and Henry returning...
It looks like the best transfer market is to get your best old players back.
on letting Henry leave in 2007...
You can accuse me of many things, but not that I kicked Thierry Henry out, because he wanted to go. I explained that many times. I was always happy to get him back. Thierry is a guy who is very focussed, intelligent and very planned. In his head, it was always Barcelona, then the States. That is what he did.
on a 'dreamlike' goal...
Yes, it was a little bit of a dream, because it was a story about football you would tell some young children. Unfortunately it is not often like that in our game, but sometimes it happens.
on whether he's seen a more 'magical' goal…
When he got in that position I thought 'oh, that's your angle' but it was a bit too close. That's where he surprised me. He still didn't force the shot, he still made it look easy, where I would have expected him to take a very strong inside shot. He made it just look easy. At the start I thought he was too much on the left but he had that special finishing that he has shown tonight. That was the Thierry Henry finishing.
on playing Henry with Van Persie…
I haven't decided yet. Robin will be back against Swansea. Will Thierry start or not? I don't know yet. He can play behind or in front of Robin or on the flank, Robin can play on the flank too, but I don't know yet what I will do. They can play together, of course, and they did play together.
on the rest of Henry's performance…
He did well. Straight away through his runs he made them [Leeds] drop a little bit deeper. Once he was caught offside, once the centre back intercepted the ball, but he has a kind of presence. His movement gives defenders a problem. After 10 minutes on the pitch he knows where to go.
on how long Henry will stay…
He has six and a half weeks, and we have not envisaged more. We can go to eight weeks but not longer.
on Francis Coquelin…
He has a hamstring injury and he is out for a few weeks.
on whether he will bring in another defender…
I hope I can get Djourou back for Sunday and if we find a solution we will take it. No, at the moment we are not close [to a deal].
Source: Arsenal.com on 9 Jan 12
No comments:
Post a Comment