France will once again turn to star man Henry in must-win Holland game

When you've had a career as magnificent as Thierry Henry's, how it must grate when each time your performance fails to hit celestial heights, you are somehow perceived to be some sort of under-achiever.

It happened at Highbury when the countless big-match wins his genius conjured up for Arsenal would be conveniently forgotten by churls eager to suggest how he'd gone missing on, say, the odd wet European night.

It happens in France, too, where his naysayers can somehow ignore his World Cup, European Championship and Confederations Cup winners' medals, his 100 caps and his record 44 goals and still swear blind he's too often been an arrogant letdown for his national team.

Getting ready: Thierry Henry in training with his France team-mates ahead of Friday's clash with Holland

Yet the true measure of the man is that with one of Les Bleus' rare but spectacular calamities threatening to unfold in Berne tonight, a nation wouldn't turn its eyes to anyone else but 'Titi'.

Relieved their totem has shaken off the thigh strain which sidelined him while France laboured to a goalless draw against Romania on Monday, they are looking towards Henry for his old unique brand of va-va-voom.

Faced with a Dutch side which outstripped even Spain by offering the most striking first impression of these championships - beating Italy by three still feels almost unthinkable - just one more laboured display like the one in Zurich could easily see the World Cup finalists despatched in the opening round of the European Championships for the first time since Michel Platini's crew in 1992.

France were so lacking in speed, movement and invention, with Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka looking about as mobile as the Eiffel Tower, that even Romania coach Victor Piturca was left wondering aloud whether they'd become bored of the challenge.

It prompted much sniping back in Paris and put a dampener on all the drooling about their Lyon wonder boy Karim Benzema. So, what better way to take pressure off a green 20- year-old for the moment by burdening the 30-yearold master instead?

Coach Raymond Domenech, who can't have enjoyed the ever-forthright William Gallas offering implied criticism by declaring "we need to change our style and start passing quicker", has been preparing for Henry's return by ditching his 4-4-2 line-up in practice and reworking the more flexible 4-2-3-1 system he used in the World Cup.

Under pressure: French coach Raymond Domenech with play-maker Franck Ribery

This would give Franck Ribery, who these days is hailed by Henry as "our trump card", full licence to reprise the old Zinedine Zidane creator-in-chief role while feeding Henry in the central striking position which he's been starved of ever since leaving Arsenal for Barcelona.

In Spain, when not languishing on the bench, he's been wasted on the wing. Which brings us to the most glaring unknown: can Henry, after a couple of trying years with his difficult move to Barca and his hamstring and sciatic nerve problems, still hope to keep delivering as France's champion?

When he won his 100th cap against Colombia at the Stade de France last week, the congratulations came with concern that another lame performance might be signalling his irreversible decline.

But could tonight herald a late reflowering of Henry's career? Having spent his first season at the Nou Camp unhappy about being played out of position by Frank Rijkaard, he was told by Barca's new boss Pep Guardiola just before he flew out to the Euros that he will be employed as an out-and-out striker in the next La Liga campaign.

Now with Domenech counting on him too, his ego is being reflated. Like all great artists, Henry thrives on being wanted. When he was treated like a god at Highbury, he tended to play like one too.

With Patrick Vieira also possibly available again tonight, following his own thigh injury, to inject some midfield dynamism into the side, the comeback of Arsenal's old partners in destruction should offer some comfort to the tarot card-reading oddball Domenech, who'll doubtless be fretting about today being Friday the 13th.

One thing he won't be panicking about is all the over-excitable talk of another Dutch 'total football' revolution. Yes, they were splendid against Italy but the result was still flattering and, even with Arjen Robben back from injury, Domenech will back his splendid defence to be rather less porous than that of the world champions.

Marco van Basten's main problem since the triumph over Italy has been to keep expectations in Holland grounded but if he can fashion the downfall of the other World Cup finalists, it will be a nigh impossible job.

Yet France are best equipped to offer the reality check. Remember how at the last World Cup, just a few days after Ghana's coach Ratomir Dujkovic had declared "Brazil are unbeatable", Henry awoke from his slumbers and caressed home that glorious volley to knock out the champions in the quarter-final.

Unbeatable and untouchable talent like that still has to be feared.