There was a sense of deja vu recently as Thierry Henry openlye called out his own team’s performances after a lowly defeat to South Korea.
The former Arsenal striker was recently appointed manager of the France U21 team, and he took the job by storm with four wins in succession.
However, the team’s joy was short-lived as what followed were back-to-back defeats, with the latest loss coming at the hands of South Korea.
This followed a 2-0 loss to Austria in the Euro U21 qualifiers.
In many ways, the defeat to South Korea was a shocker, and Henry did not hold back in his criticism of the team after the game.
“The result is horrible,” the Arsenal legend told reporters, according to GOAL.com. “I told the guys that we were taught a lesson in fighting spirit against Austria. And here against South Korea, we have received a lesson in realism.”
Thierry Henry has suffered back-to-back defeats as France U21 manager, and he didn't hold back in his criticism following the latest loss against South Korea (3-0):
"The result is horrible […] We'll see who comes back."https://t.co/HzVABcIUCc
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) November 21, 2023
A painful reality check has indeed been dealt to Henry’s side, who are yet to score a goal during the international break yet have conceded five times.
For now, the former Arsenal superstar’s biggest challenge is having France’s U21 side make a decent tournament of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Henry strongly hinted that he could potentially make wholesome changes to the squad come March next year:
“There will be the 2001s in March’s international break. We’ll certainly have a different XI. Just like we’ll have a different XI for the Olympic Games. We have to prepare and we’ll see who comes back.”
Henry’s history of criticising own players
This is not the first time the former Arsenal man has criticised his own players.
In his first-ever top-flight job with Monaco, Henry went viral for claiming his side “lacked desire” after defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.
“Against Dortmund, I said [that] even if we knew we were already eliminated, I’m really upset because you cannot lose like that. Tonight, we did exactly the same thing,” he told France Footballat the time.
Henry names his best manager ever
Still on the Frenchman, Kimbiblog Sports reported on Henry naming Pep Guardiola the best
This came after Manchester City completed a historic European treble in June this year.
Guardiola has enjoyed an illustrious career in football management for the past 15 years.