Accused of not being patient with young players, Thierry Henry has changed his coaching approach as the coach of the French U-21 national team.
Thierry Henry has learned from his past failures. As the coach of the U-21 national team, he has adapted his coaching style to the new generation of players, aiming to help them improve and overcome their weaknesses.
“What bothered me at Monaco is that they said I wasn’t patient with young players. That’s false, completely false, it was actually the opposite. I wouldn’t have taken the job as the U-21 coach if that were the case. But until I prove that I can do it, I’ll keep hearing this: ‘He was a great player, so it must be difficult for him to understand when someone can’t do something,'” he revealed in an interview with L’Équipe.
“However, I’m evolving, and so I tell myself: how can I try not to think about it? Well, in my mind, I go to the extreme. I assume, for example, that my player doesn’t know how to dribble, and I set up a system in which he feels comfortable, always with multiple passing options. I always start from the premise that the player doesn’t know how to do it because it allows me to work on myself,” he added.
