Uphill task for coach Henry

Paris – Thierry Henry (above) returns to Ligue 1 for the first time in 19 years this weekend, tasked with dragging a crisis-hit Monaco away from the relegation zone after a miserable start to the season.

The Arsenal great came through the youth system at the principality club in the 1990s, and is now mirroring the start of his playing career with his first job as a head coach, after a two-year spell as assistant to Roberto Martinez with the Belgian national side.

The 41-year-old has a difficult job ahead of him, with Monaco occupying the relegation play-off spot and only above the bottom two on goal difference, and he knows his immediate job is just to arrest the slide.

“How do you define success? It’s difficult. At a big European club success is winning the Champions League,” said Henry ahead of his first game in charge at Strasbourg on Saturday.

“At other clubs, it’s winning the league or helping players get better.”

Monaco have gone 10 matches without a win since beating Nantes on the opening weekend of the Ligue 1 season, including home defeats by Angers and Rennes in recent weeks.

Their fans will be desperately hoping that Henry, who scored over 400 goals in a glittering playing career, can coax the best out of under-performing youngsters like Youri Tielemans and Aleksandr Golovin.

PSG host Amiens today eyeing a record-extending 10th straight win to start the season after Kylian Mbappe’s four-goal heroics inspired a 5-0 thrashing of Lyon before the international break.

The teenager ran riot at the Parc des Princes that day, and Amiens will be hoping Mbappe, Neymar and Edinson Cavani are distracted by Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Napoli.

The French striker has already scored 10 goals in just seven matches for PSG this term.

The French giants broke the 82-year-old record held by Olympique Lillois for most consecutive victories at the start of a top-flight campaign, and coach Thomas Tuchel gave the players who were not on international duty the week off as reward. –

At other clubs, it’s winning the league or helping players get better.

Thierry Henry New Monaco coach