It was a July something day and Thierry Henry had just signed his new contract with the spanish giants, FC Barcelona. Sadness fell over the Emirates and a spirit of dominance and utter "unstoppability" took over the Catalan club. Henry left a legacy as one of the all-time great Gunners in Arsenal history while leaving an even bigger questions mark, how would they survive?

As it would turn out.... quite nicely. The English club dominated their table for the majority of the season, only to slip two spaces towards the end, and to be eliminated in the quarter finals of the Champions League. Despite failing to win a major trophy, Arsenal played some of the most attractive football in all of Europe and ushered in a new era of play. Many pointed at the recent departure of Henry as the key to unleashing this new style. Which is why it's come to be called, "the Henry effect."

Now what does all this have to do with Barcelona? Well, I believe that it is a definite possibility that the very same effect could occur with Ronaldinho heading for Italy. The squad has been under a cloud of uncertainty and unrest ever since the drama of Dinho began funneling to the press, and now that the situation has been settled, the team can focus on what is important. Winning the league table. 

With Ronnie out of the picture and Peppy G implementing his own coaching tactics, it's possible that Barcelona have been released of all that pressure, allowing them to return to their glory of 2004-2006. The key players are in position, and the training has begun. We will just have to wait until August to see if Ronaldinho's goodbye can spark "the Henry effect."  Lets just hope that Barca can solidify the title and finish out the Champions League on top, instead of dropping off the table when it matters most.