PEOPLE say you should never go back to an old club but, sometimes, it can actually work.
I'm pleased Thierry Henry is returning to Arsenal and I really hope he is a massive success.
Had I been given the opportunity,I'd also have jumped at the chance of a second spell with the Gunners.
But I have a couple of problems with this deal.
The first is that I don't like the fact it's only a two-month loan — it seems a bit weird.
It will be incredibly frustrating if Henry does brilliantly for Arsenal and then, at the start of March, he goes back to the United States and plays for New York Red Bulls again.
He could blitz Spurs in his final game at the end of February then everyone would be on a downer if he left. Arsenal and boss Arsene Wenger would be back to square one.
So for this reason, Wenger should try to make his move permanent if he does superbly.
Henry should finish his career with the club and then take a role behind the scenes, like Patrick Vieira has done at Manchester City.
My other issue is that this move is proof that Wenger has not signed a quality striker since Henry, 34, left for Barcelona in 2007.
Obviously, Robin van Persie has emerged as one of the best strikers on the planet — particularly in 2011 — and he will not be threatened by Henry's arrival.
But I am sure he would have liked a bit more help over these last couple of years yet Wenger has not bought big — and the club has suffered as a result.
Instead, we have a situation where Arsenal have gone back for a player who, in some peoples' eyes, has been grazing in the United States.
I can understand why Arsenal fans are buzzing.
Over the last few years, they have seen their club struggle to compete financially with Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and even Liverpool.
So on this occasion, a stellar player has fallen into their laps.
I hope Henry will be a great influence on the team and he'll help ease some of the immense pressure on skipper Van Persie.
Maybe Henry can help influence players such as fellow striker Gervinho and midfield playmaker Aaron Ramsey to contribute with a few more goals.
But as I said, the situation is not exactly ideal as Henry will be back at the club for such a short space of time.
Regardless of that, I would still like to still see Arsenal strengthen in the goalscoring department next month.
Whatever Henry could do in the MLS next season, I still feel he could have a bigger impact at the Emirates.
It's important that Arsenal fans remember there is a big difference between a player who is 30 and one who is 34.
When Henry left for Barcelona in 2007, he still possessed electric pace like no other player.
Because he has looked after himself, the Gunners legend will still cause problems with his speed but he will not be quite as explosive as before.
Equally, though, I remember being a lot wiser when I was playing at 34.
Henry is also an incredibly intelligent player and he will use that experience to his advantage.
As a result, I still think he will still be one of the best players in the Premier League.
There will be a lot of pressure on his shoulders — but then that will not be new to him.
Even when a lot was expected of him at Arsenal, he still delivered some wonderful, magical moments. I would have him in a top 20 of all-time players.
Another reason why Arsenal fans are walking around with a smile on their faces is that they know Henry is now one of them. He is a massive fan of the club.
You sometimes hear some players talk about their love for a team but you wonder whether they really mean it. With Henry, you know that when Arsenal lose a game, even if he is on the other side of the Atlantic, it is hurting him.
Henry sets high standards as a player and he will expect the same from his team-mates at the club's London Colney training ground.
But it's not as though the Gunners first team don't know Henry as the Frenchman has already trained with them.
I know this deal has not been rubber-stamped yet so it could be a week or so before Henry is available — with his first game possibly against Leeds in the FA Cup third round a week on Monday.
The sight of Henry warming up on the touchline at the Emirates will be an incredible sight for Arsenal fans — and no doubt a chilling one for the opposing defence.
If he starts causing havoc in the Premier League — just like he used to in his first spell at Arsenal between 1999 and 2007 — then Wenger and his board will have a major decision to make.
And that will be to pick up the phone to New York and make a decent offer.
It will be a case of going back to the future for my old club.
But Wenger will know that Henry running out in an Arsenal shirt again will not be the answer to all of his problems.
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Originally Posted by Ach
