Pep wants more from off-form Henry

IRISH fans of a bitter disposition may be pleased to learn Thierry Henry’s relationship with Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola looks to be disintegrating.

Henry earned worldwide notoriety for his infamous handball in the build-up to a William Gallas goal in Paris in November, an indiscretion that ended Ireland’s hopes of reaching this year’s World Cup finals.

Henry was a key player last season as Barcelona won an historic treble of Primera Division, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles, scoring 26 goals in all competitions.

However the striker has netted just three times this season and has hardly featured in recent weeks.

A dire season slumped to a new low on Wednesday night when the former Arsenal man was whistled off the Stade de France pitch by the home fans when he was substituted in France’s 2-0 friendly defeat to Spain.

And yesterday Guardiola implied Henry has lacked ambition this season and demanded his form improve.

“If he’s not playing, it’s maybe because, among other things, there are other players more inspired than him,’’ Guardiola said.

“I want him to rebel and help us, because the 26 goals form part of the past – we need him to have that ambition that made him one of European football’s greats in the last few years,” he said.

“I want more from him and he knows that, but in the end it depends on him.”

Henry came in for criticism in Catalonia this week after allegedly saying in an interview that he was “saving myself for the World Cup”.

However Guardiola dismissed those quotes as inaccurate.

“I listened to the question and the answer in French, and it’s not what he said,” he said.

“No player is going to say ‘I’m going to scratch my belly’ in order to go to a World Cup.”