Monday, 15th March 2010

Lionel Messi grabbed the headlines with an impressive hat-trick against Valencia at the Camp Nou, but assistant coach Francesc Vilanova chose to highlight another Barcelona player’s impact in the match. Thierry Henry came on for the disappointing Bojan Krkic at half-time and sparked the Catalan giants to life.

With the arrival of Henry, we gained more depth and, above all, we pressed Valencia more when they had the ball, and kept our core tight. We were better positioned and this was plain to see,” Vilanova said to Catalan daily Sport. “(Henry) is a very profitable player in terms of depth, and ability to create space.”

Henry has been routinely criticised this season for his lacklustre displays, but performances like that against Valencia prove he still has the quality to make a telling impact in matches.

 


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