PARIS -- "What are you doing? This is not what we have asked you to do before the game. You are not executing the gameplan at all."
Thierry Henry is not happy. It's half-time of the Cyprus vs. France U21 game last month, and the young France players are getting an earful from their head coach. Henry is calm. Not loud, but firm and tough. He's also disappointed by his players' apparent disrespect of his game plan and the prematch instructions. You would not think that Les Bleuets are leading 4-0!
This is Henry, the manager. As a coach, he makes it clear he will not compromise on his ideas, and he will not be complacent.
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This word, "complacency," is one that comes up a lot in our conversation. At a young age and without much experience, some players might let themselves go a little.
When it is easy, like it was in that first half against Cyprus, they played their own way, confident in their superiority and thinking they'd win regardless of whether or not they followed their coach's game plan. Henry hated it.
The second half was much better, by the way; France won 9-0 in the end. And while the two halves looked similar in terms of scoring, they couldn't be more different in terms of performance.
Henry wants the effort, not the result. When we met, his first question was what I had made of the start of his tenure. My answer was that I liked the effort of his teams during matches. "Effort," the Arsenal and France legend says with his finger pointed up. "This is what I like to hear!
"The most important thing is what is happening on the pitch as a team during the games, and what our intentions are. The results are secondary, and they will likely come as a consequence of what we do together with, and without, the ball."
In the afternoon following our chat at training, watching him prepare the U21 squad for their trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina is fascinating. The hosts will play with a back five, so the whole session is about finding ways to beat that defence, moving the ball quickly and finding the extra man between the lines.
The training drills have been planned together with his assistants, Gael Clichy, his former France and Arsenal teammate, and Gerald Baticle, the former Auxerre striker and Angers manager. Henry insists what he wants is simple.
"Positional play in a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield and Rayan Cherki as the No. 10, two strikers, a high press, and a build-up phase in a 3+2 shape," he says.
There was a time in his managerial career, especially at Monaco his first head coaching role from October 2018 to January 2019, when Henry the manager was really still Henry the player. He'd only retired in December of 2014, and perhaps felt he was still better than 99% of those he was coaching. This time, it feels different. He is older -- 46 now -- and wiser.
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Hearing him give instructions and advice, repositioning players, repeating what he wants, and making the boys start over again when it's needed, feels just right. He is certainly better equipped tactically, but more than that, he knows what he wants and how to express it.
"I learned so much from my previous experiences, at Monaco and at Montreal Impact," he says. "I am a different person and a different coach. Am I better? Time will tell, but I feel like it."
After two-and-a-half years without a top-level coaching job -- albeit working as Belgium's assistant until February 2023 -- this felt right for him. There is a very talented France generation at U21 level, with the likes of Lyon playmaker Cherki, Lens forward Elye Wahi, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery [now promoted to the senior side], and the rest.
"I have the same codes as them, the same language, I come from the same background as them too," Henry says. "The connection is there. I want to educate the players so they get better in their careers. Teaching them about professionalism, about improvement. That's what I like about this role. I want them to understand that you should always be demanding, regardless of the opposition. I am trying to transmit some messages to them and I am really enjoying it."
Just seeing the players say 'hello' to him, you can feel the respect, the admiration and the bonds he's created with them. The way they look at him is telling. You can feel his aura around the squad.
So far, the effort has led to results: wins against Denmark (4-1), Slovenia (4-0), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-1), and Cyprus (9-0), with Austria coming up on Friday and South Korea on Monday. The Olympics will be happening in Paris in 2024 and the Euros in 2025. The Olympics are another reason why Henry is on the bench.
"It will be a dream to be part of that incredible experience. I was happy before, but now I feel alive," he says with sparkles in his eyes.
Henry won trophies and accolades at almost every club [Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls] in his glittering career and his aim is no different with this France team: the gold medal in 2024 and to lift the trophy in 2025.
"Of course, you have to win. Even if only because your messages are easier to pass on when you win." he says.
This is a job intended to put him back into the conversations when top clubs are looking for a manager. This is him showing what he can do. So far, the rebirth of Henry the manager is going well.