It’s an open secret: Thierry Henry holds Pep Guardiola in high esteem. The 1998 world champion has always been very complimentary of the man he considers one of the best coaches in the history of football.
Henry had the chance to work with Guardiola during his time at Barcelona, in the second part of his career. And the Frenchman usually repeats that the Catalan taught him how to play football again. Despite all his respect for his former coach, Thierry Henry did not hesitate to point the finger at Guardiola’s choice.
Henry does not spare Guardiola
While Manchester City is going through a deep sporting crisis, with only one victory in the last 11 matches in all competitions, Thierry Henry castigated a strategic decision by Guardiola: the departure of Riyad Mahrez to Saudi Arabia, unfilled in the summer of 2023.
“This is the first time that we can question Pep Guardiola’s decisions. Letting a player like Mahrez go, without adequately replacing him, is an incomprehensible decision,” thundered Henry on Sky Sports this week. “Haaland scores, but he no longer has these players like Mahrez to offer alternatives. This impacts the fluidity and creativity of the team”concluded the former Blues scorer.
