PARIS — Thierry Henry’s first managerial stint took another turn for the worse on Tuesday as his Monaco side lost 3-1 at home to second-division Metz in the French Cup.
This latest defeat follows a 5-1 loss at home to Strasbourg in the French league on Saturday, a result which has the 2017 French champion languishing in 19th place.
Henry recalled Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic following a long spell out of the side, and only one appearance for Monaco since reaching the World Cup final. But surprisingly, even though Henry said winning this match was a priority for the club, he left key signing Cesc Fabregas on the bench.
When he brought the former Chelsea midfielder on after 69 minutes, second-division leader Metz was already 2-1 up at Stade Louis II.
Monaco had equalized through top scorer Radamel Falcao, but its chronic weakness in defence was again exposed as Metz comfortably reached the last 16 of the competition.
Henry’s immediate task is to win points to help the club escape relegation — starting with Saturday’s key game at Dijon, which is two points above Monaco in 18th spot.
In other French Cup games on Tuesday, first-division sides Guingamp, Lille and Toulouse advanced.
Cup holder Paris Saint-Germain hosts Strasbourg in Wednesday’s matches.
[relatedlinks]
