Monaco boss backs coach Thierry Henry after dismal start




Thierry Henry
Spread the love

PARIS (Reuters) – Monaco’s owners have backed Thierry Henry as coach, just hours after his side were beaten 4-0 by Paris St Germain to extend Henry’s winless run at his new club to six games.

Vadim Vasilyev, Monaco’s vice-president, said they would not bow to mounting pressure and fire Henry, who has drawn two and lost four matches since succeeding Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim.

“Thierry Henry came for the long term, he is not a firefighter,” Vasilyev told French TV channel Canal+.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker took over in the principality last month but has struggled in his new role at last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up.

Injuries have played a part, with several first-team players unavailable, and a strategy of selling top players has hardly helped imbibe the club with a sense of stability. Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy and Kylian Mbappe are among those who have left in recent years.

“We’ve never had as many injured players,” Vasilyev said. “We’re lacking confidence, we’re lacking luck.”

Monaco were outclassed on Sunday as PSG breezed past them with a hat-trick from Edinson Cavani and a penalty from Neymar.

They are already out the Champions League, after taking just one point from a possible 12, and they sit joint bottom of Ligue 1 standings with seven points from 13 games.

Monaco’s next game is on Saturday at Caen, who are two places above them in the table.