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AS Monaco are in absolute shambles right now. They've won 3 league games and lost 13 this year. They currently sit at 19th in the table and things aren't looking up for them. It is very surprising to see such a successful club, which won the Ligue 1 in the 16/17 season stand a real chance of being relegated this year.
The start was very rocky for the French club which led to the sacking of manager Leonardo Jardim. They went on to hire Thierry Henry to turn around the club's fortunes. But things got only worse.
Monaco won only two league games in the past three months under the legendary striker. He was fired in a few months too. And in a bizarre turn of events, Jardim was re-hired to salvage their season! Despite having lost his match against Dijon, Leonardo Jardim's second stint at the club cannot be rated until a couple more number of matches are played. What is certain though, is that Monaco don't have much time left.
But where exactly did things go wrong for the French club?
Here's a list of things that are causing the downfall of Monaco.
Departures of key players
AS Monaco, just like Ajax has a reputation for being a selling club. Many of their promising starlets leave every season, but seemingly the departures this year have drastically affected the club.
The departure of attacking midfielder Thomas Lemar, defensive midfielder Fabinho, experienced midfielder Joao Moutinho and underrated central defender Terrence Kongolo has clearly shaken their club. A departure of good players would shake up any club. But these players were integral to Monaco's style and thus the effect has been fatal.
Except for the arrival of Benjamin Henrichs from Bayer Leverkusen, none of the signings have failed to make a huge impact in the first team. Thierry Henry seems to have recruited Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Schalke 04's experienced defender Naldo for this reason, but positive results haven't arrived yet.
With an average squad age being 24.6, they have a relatively inexperienced squad that has not been able to rise to the occasion this season.
The absence of young prospects Willem Geubbels, Pietro Pellegrini, last season's second top goalscorer Rony Lopes, defender Kamil Gilk and Croatia's World Cup hero Danijel Subasic due to injuries did not help either.
The Arrival of Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry was a legendary striker back in the day. He was calm, composed and clinical. However, his credentials as a manager were minimal before taking up the Monaco job with only have served as the assistant manager for the Belgium national team.
The decision to hire the Arsenal legend was a risky move in my opinion. The risk did not pay off, he had such a torrid time at Monaco that they decided to re-hire the one he was supposed to replace. The defence was shaky and could not play the ball from the back as required from Monaco's tactics. Their midfield passing and movement was not impressive either.
At his last game in charge, he was caught insulting Strasbourg defender Kenny Lela. This was the last straw for him as the board decided to sack him in a hope to salvage something from this season. Maybe Thierry was just a manager stuck in bad circumstances. Maybe he's not a bad manager at all. But the decision to hire him has proved to be unfruitful.
Had Thierry turned the form of the team around, he would have received praise similar to that of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.
Player Performances
Henry should not be completely criticised for Monaco's downfall. Monaco tends to play the ball out from the back, but the centre-backs have not shown good control and passing ability. The lack of quality wing-backs due to injuries has led to sub-standard play from the wide areas. The movement of midfield has not been dynamic and there is less quality movement off the ball. All this has led to Monaco conceding many goals on the counter-attack.
With the exception of Radamel Falcao, no other player have put in a respectable performance. The Colombian has been their leading top-scorer with 8 goals from 17 league appearances. Youri Tielemans has also been one of their standard performers this season, with the young prospect being one of Monaco's better midfield players.
Hopefully, Henry will find success in another club and salvage his managerial career. If not, he will be regarded as another pundit who couldn't make the cut as a manager.
With Jardim back at the helm, Monaco fans will be hoping for some positive performances to build up some momentum. Regardless, the situation at Monaco is very dire as of now.
