Wenger Backs Henry To Make Strong Managerial Comeback

Wenger Backs Henry To Make Strong Managerial Comeback

By Max Wise

Thierry Henry can still go on to have a successful managerial career despite his spell as AS Monaco manager ending in disappointment according to his former boss at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger.

Henry cut short his role as assistant manager to Belgium boss Roberto Martinez in October to take charge of the club where he made his professional debut as a player, but lasted just three months in the job.

In his 20 games in charge at the Stade Louis II, Henry won just four times in all competitions, leaving the club hovering around the relegation zone, before he was sacked and replaced by Leonardo Jardim, the man Henry initially took over from.

Wenger believes the timing of Henry’s arrival at Monaco could have contributed to his downfall but believes his former protégé still has what it takes to cut it at the very top level.

Speaking at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2019, Wenger said: "If you arrive in October and the team is in a bad position, you have three months because in January everybody starts to become nervous that things could go very badly, so you have less time.

"That’s what’s happened to Thierry but how he bounces back will be very important. I believe he has the quality and he has the desire to make a career and the career is judged on a longer period.

"I started my job at 33, I had a lot of promising people around me, many disappeared and some survived. You need luck and we need to work hard but it's always very difficult to predict a career of a manager.

"We depend a lot on the quality of the players, the quality of the club and the quality of the confidence we get."