Thierry Henry is a superstar. This you knew. But did you know he constantly watches tape of his opponents? His MLS opponents? Because he does.
Kristian Dyer writes a nice story about the New York Red Bulls striker, focusing on his work ethic away from the bright lights of RBA.
“He watches games when he’s at home, analyzing the other teams and watching for tendencies,” Dyer reports. “When he’s on the field with his teammates, he brings that same eye for detail in their training sessions. Henry has a memory that is sharp and long, something that is an advantage in his second full season in MLS.”
I mentioned this last week when Steve, Richard, and I discusseddeath-battled about the league MVP. Henry’s contribution to the Red Bulls is massive, both on and off the field. If the bazillionaire is watching film, you can be darn sure that Connor Lade and Brandon Barklage are as well.
Even the coaching staff is impressed.
Hans Backe: “I’ve been involved 33, 34 years with high profile players before but that guy knows everything — the other players, the other teams — everything. He cares. It is very unusual to have a player at that level that has won everything and still cares and knows everything [and] is hungry to win. It is not common.”
And now, a word from the man himself: “It was more difficult for me in the very beginning when I didn’t know the teams. Now let’s be honest, I have been here for two years; you don’t have to tell me how some teams play and how good the players are and what they do. By now, you should know how most of the teams should play.”
That’s what happens when you watch games. You learn, you get better, you dominate. Take note, MLS: A healthy, knowledgable Henry is a scary thing indeed. (Now he just needs to, you know, get healthy.)
