However I don’t think any problems around Henry have much to do with his ‘glaring’ or on the field commentary to teammates. If anything that’s a good thing, and it’s not something I’ve seen put forth as an ‘issue’ or at least a real one concerning Henry. The talk I’ve heard is he and ‘his people’ having input above the coach’s head organizationally putting Henry’s philosophy and ideas at odds with his direct ‘boss’. Actually the competitive desire to expect and ask for excellence is usually the hallmark of successful sports teams and businesses as well.

As wesbadia said originally this quote from Petke is good news. I noted in the article announcing he’d been hired this could be a good move, only time will tell. However being a professional coach is less about teaching and more about leadership, holding people accountable, setting expectations, setting the pace. Behind all of that strategy and approach fall in line. No matter how good a strategist, game planner, teacher, or talent evaluator a coach is, ALWAYS the most important traits deal with leadership and it’s application organizationally.

One final thought about on the field behavior. Anyone whom saw the Alabama/Notre Dame BCS nat. champ. game and saw what happened between the Bama QB & center with 7 minutes left to play in the game and up by 4 TDs iirc should ‘get’ that it wasn’t a bad thing, but a beautiful thing. It encapsulates the drive to succeed that the head coach has instilled in his entire program from himself all the way down to student assistant trainers. The bar of expectation is perfection, be the best you can be every day, dominate.

What I take issue with is Henry’s seeming dislike of playing soccer here. Every goal he scores, every assist he makes, every textbook pass he completes… it doesn’t matter; when he’s on the field after it happens it looks like he’s detached from what just happened. He’s a shell with no emotion and no visible passion. He may very well be an incredibly determined, passionate person in the locker room, but he does NOT display that on the field. Not showing emotion when scoring a goal? Even his Olimpico last year? That is not natural. He’s giving the impression he doesn’t want to be here, playing in this league or with his teammates. If that’s not true, then his attitude on the pitch needs to change. Millions of eyes are watching. And as the chief ambassador of MLS right now for foreign eyes, he’s doing an absolutely horrible job of it.

Athletes that reach his level of performance and success are not known for their geniality. They are known for winning things. And Thierry Henry has won it all, literally.

Even the humble Leo Messi has been known to berate a teammate on the field when he is disappointed with their play (just ask WC winner David Villa).

Anyone who doesn’t think that the benefits to Conor Lade, Dax Mccarty, Ryan Meara (young American prospects by the way) of being on the same team as Titi FAR outweigh getting glared or yelled at on the field A) doesn’t understand football and B) should reexamine their supporter’s bona fides.

I have had the pleasure of attending many RBNY games and watching Titi score and create many goals. I could care less how nice he is, or how easy he is to work with.

Mike Petke is a big boy. He will get along with Thierry Henry or he won’t.

That doesn’t change the fact that Thierry Henry at 35 is the best player in the league by a wide margin, and certainly the best chance RBNY have of winning a trophy this year.

(BTW, if Thierry Henry says in private or from the field “we should try this…” Petke would be wise to listen.)

I guess my next question is if Petke can instill some pride-in-club in Henry so he stops moping around the field even after he’s scored a brilliant goal. Henry may very well have the most passion for the sport on the planet, but until he starts exhibiting that passion in positive ways to the fans, no one will believe it. I hope Petke brings that out of him. It might turn Henry into a better ambassador for the league.