Thierry Henry is getting the perfect second chance as manager of Montreal Impact

A return to MLS – this time as a manager with Montreal Impact – provides Thierry Henry a perfect chance to restart his managerial career after a failed first job at Monaco.

Thierry Henry’s point wasn’t without validity. Sat in front of the Canadian press, his new audience, with a Montreal Impact scarf draped around his neck, the Frenchman used his own playing career as a way to dispel concerns over the abject failure of his first managerial stint. “You guys always remember the good stuff, but I became a better player in the darkness,” he said.

Indeed, he did. Henry was something of a late bloomer as a player, only fully fulfilling his potential after moving to Arsenal as a 22-year-old. The hope, at least from Montreal’s point of view following their appointment of the Frenchman as their new head coach last week, is that his managerial career will follow a similar trajectory.

Make no mistake, Henry’s short time in charge of AS Monaco last season was disastrous. He lasted just 104 days and 20 games and was replaced by the man, Leonardo Jardim, he’d been hired to replace in the first place. A more damning indictment on his stewardship could barely have been made.

And yet many still feel Henry will sooner or later make a good manager.

The Montreal Impact clearly believe this to be the case, handing the 42-year-old a two-year contract as their new head coach. They’re counting on Henry’s time at Monaco being a rough introduction to a successful managerial career rather than an illustration of a figure unsuited to the profession.

Pep Guardiola, Marcelo Lippi, Frank Rijkaard, Arsene Wenger – Henry worked under them all during his career as a player. Surely he soaked up something from this troupe of some of the best managers and soccer thinkers to have ever sat in a dugout? Some of that wisdom must have rubbed off on the former forward?

Henry has long been considered a student of the game. The Frenchman possesses a natural intelligence that leads many to believe he will make a good tactician, a good planner and a good soccer thinker like so many of the great coaches he worked under over the years. But does Henry have the character to be an elite manager?

At Monaco, Henry’s biggest flaw was his lack of empathy. He allowed frustration to get the better of him, bemused by why his squad couldn’t perform instructions as well as he could in his playing days. And this was a squad that included the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Radamel Falcao. What thoughts will cross Henry’s mind when he takes charge of his first Montreal Impact training session early next year?

The relative obscurity of Henry’s new position may help him in this regard. Monaco became something of a goldfish bowl for one of France’s best-ever players, one of the most recognizable sporting personalities the country has ever produced. His every move and remark was scrutinized.

While his new post as Montreal boss won’t come without pressure, and he’s a well-known figure in MLS from his time playing in the league, he will be spared that same level of examination.

“It didn’t work out in Monaco,” Henry said at his unveiling as a Major League Soccer head coach last week. “I can give you a lot of excuses but at the end of the day it didn’t work out and I am here as a coach of Montreal. I learned a lot there. The only mistake you can make is not learning from what happened. You have to confront it.”

That at least hints at a level of self reflection from Henry which will surely serve him well as he looks to move on from what happened at Monaco. Montreal should be a good place for him, being the diverse, French-speaking city it is, and the Impact, on the back of a disappointing season, will grant him much scope for improvement. Is this where Henry will truly arrive as a manager?