Barclay Talks Sport

The sale of Thierry Henry by Arsenal to Barcelona is undeniably good business. £16million for a 30 year old who is becoming injury-prone is a lot of money. Even if the player is a fantastic professional, a consummate goalscorer and a man who has truly graced the premiership.

But what of Arsenal? Interesting one. No team relies solely on one player but Arsenal have come close with Henry. His departure follows that of David Dein and there is much chatter about the future of Arsene Wenger. To lose all three would seem like carelessness, to coin a phrase. Wenger remains central to future Arsenal success. The team is not as strong as in past years and Wenger needs to be there to usher in the new generation.

With competition for top four places in the prem genuinely hotting up at long last, Arsenal could find themselves dumped into the UEFA Cup. For them, a financial calamity. I'm no Arsenal fan but in the Henry-Wenger-Vieira heyday they were a joy to watch. The prem needs them to remain title contenders. I fear that if Wenger does go, and a striker is not found to replace Henry's goals, a preiod in the relative wilderness beckons.

Tim Henman's win over Carlos Moya in the first round of Wimbledon 2007 may not be a signal of a return to the glory years but it demonstrated one thing - that all those who have recently called for him to retire are idiots. I knew that anyway but this really stuffs a few faces in the swill, doesn't it?

Those who knew me well before I began this blog will know that I've been a fan and defender of Henman throughout his career. He has achieved amazing things. No, he hasn't one a Grand Slam event. But you'd think he was a failure the way press and public dribble on in their ignorance. Number 4 in the world at one time. A multi-millionaire who doesn't even think tennis is a proper job. It's a hobby that has made him a rich man and an icon of British tennis for all time. Failure? If so, I would love to fail like he has, I really would.

Henman-Moya was an outstanding match between two wily professionals and which produced tennis that would grace the final itself. Nerve shredding, breathtaking and supreme drama all rolled into four and a bit hours of gripping matchplay tennis. Now we don't want to get carried away here. This does not signal the beginning of Henman's march to the championship. That is six games down the line and his opponents will get tougher and faster. And younger, in the main. His chances of winning are slim in the extreme.

Can Henman hope to make the second week? Well, yes but he'll have to turn it on for three sets every match and that is a tough ask. This was a draining encounter, make no mistake. But he's still there and without Murray to shout for, the crowds needed a hero. They've got the old one back.

England's 3-0 victory against a pretty lame Estonia side was the minimum expectation. I said we should have scored six and we could have. Joe Cole's opener was a goal to grace any international stage. And there was plenty of promise too but what must be worrying is that much of it was provided by David Beckham. I'm delighted to see him back in the England side. He should never have been dropped in the first place. But he cannot go on forever. His move to LA Galaxy might take the edge off certain of his abilities. Pace at a higher level might start to surprise him for instance. But his crossing, surely peerless in the world game to date, is something that comes from innate talent and perfected on a training ground. He will never lose it until he retires.

Beckham is so dangerous for any opposition because he is so unfailingly accurate. And from any distance you care to name. Sad to note that we would not be worried about Euro qualification had he remained in the team. Sadder that altrhough we have some fine potential in Lennon and Wright-Phillips, we do not have anyone who can hold a candle to DB in terms of accuracy and sheer reliability. It's all very well running past defenders but if your crosses end up in Row H, you aren't a whole lot of use. Beckham never bothered going past people. Why, when you can land the ball at your striker's feet from fifty yards away?

Long may he play. But what will we do when he hangs up his boots?

A shame. A great shame. Yes, he did that silly thing in booking a player three times but hands up any of you who haven't made a daft mistake in your life... thought so. He's been our best, most consistent referee for many years now and his thoughts deserve airtime and respect. Forget that you were at a game once when he made a crap decision, it is immaterial. he's been a great professional. Even Colina made mistakes. Just that people were too scared to say so.

Unfortunately, the FA are 'disappointed' with some of his comments so far. And no doubt they'll be apoplectic when they read his book. Their reaction should have been to listen and try and understand. But no, falling into line with players and clubs is far more, er, lucrative. They do not realise the game is actually in trouble. Referees are leaving in their thousands because they get no respect, no support and no credit for a very difficult job. I tried it once. Good grief, never again. Insanely difficult and I had good friends of mine yelling right into my face for getting it wrong. No refs = no football. Ignorance of laws = chaos. Unless some, actually quite simple, changes are made, one day the bubble will truly burst.

I'm going to do a series of posts (in the Sport Tech section) on what should (but won't) be done to improve the standards of sportsmanship, respect and fair play in the game. Give me a couple of weeks and the first one will be up. This has nothing to do with research and everything to do with other commitments outside of blogosphere (yes, there is such a place).

It's funny, it really is. But the reports that England are to go on the offensive against Estonia tonight are actually being sold to us as something exciting rather than the utterly bleeding obvious. That incisive man, Steve Maclaren has come to the astonishing conclusion that a) we have to win tonight and, b) attacking from the outset might help achieve a). For God's sake, any other tactic should mean his immediate sacking and imprisonment. Any other result than a win should see the same punishment meted out.

Estonia have lost all their qualifying games so far and have not managed a single goal. Never mind merely an attacking formation. Given that the oppo are unlikely to advance over the halfway line without cotton wool in their nostrils, we should go at them like it's a club game on a cold February afternoon. We should be aiming to score at least six. This is not rocket science and it is not disrespectful to Estonia. Fact is, they are not in our class and should be dispatched accordingly. Goal difference could be crucial given our pathetic performance thus far.

Oh, and come on you FAROES!

It's rubbish.

Angular, ugly, and clearly designed by a below average graffiti artist.