Our views on the return of Paul Scholes & Thierry Henry

Our views on the return of Paul Scholes & Thierry Henry

Driving home from work yesterday, I was listening to Talk Sport and the topic of conversation was largely about the return of Paul Scholes to Manchester United and Thierry Henry to Arsenal.

Fans were calling in and giving their opinion but the thing that struck me most is how many fans were phoning in saying that they thought it showed that both clubs - in particular Manchester United – are lacking the transfer kitty to actually go out and improve their squads.

To some degree I agree with this statement, but it got me thinking. Following the January transfer window closely and hearing both Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson talking about how difficult it is to buy players of quality in January, it surely must be a no brainer to bring back legends of the game such as Scholes and Henry. There is talk that the decision to add Scholes and Henry to their respective squads could have a negative impact on players who are trying to break into the first team, however I think that Scholes’ u-turn to come out of retirement and Henry’s decision to move to Arsenal on loan should be seen positively.

For United, bringing Paul Scholes back is surely a better option than buying a sub-standard player and wasting money. Scholes knows the players already and knows the club inside out. United can wait until more potential targets become available in the summer before spending their money, and Scholes is simply a short term addition to the squad. Younger players will also naturally benefit from training with Scholes day in day out, and again from playing alongside him. His experience will help in the dressing room during the title run in, and it’s a far better solution for Manchester United than to bring in a player for the sake it, just because they currently have a large injury list.

The same applies to Henry too. Arsenal haven’t picked up a trophy since Thierry Henry left for Barcelona and his experience at winning trophies will definitely help a developing Arsenal team progress more than any new signing would. He also has the experience of winning trophies both with Arsenal and with Barcelona and will help to ensure manager Arsene Wenger can keep his key striker Robin Van Persie fresh for the upcoming Champions League games, which Wenger has stated is his priority competition this season.

To all the fans out there who are mocking Man United and Arsenal, and to all the fans who are disappointed that both clubs have yet to put their hands in their pockets this transfer window – sit and take stock. Both clubs have added experience and class to their squads. Both clubs have not weakened their squads in doing so. And both squads will have the money to spend when they find the right players to spend it on. Better that, than spending on players just because there’s a transfer window in which to do so.

Good luck to both clubs for the rest of the season!

Tagged arsenal, arsene wenger, january transfer window, loan, manchester united, paul scholes, retirement, sir alex ferguson, thierry henry