Henry’s Monaco among Europe’s worst-performing sides

Ian Watson

Thierry Henry was confirmed as Monaco boss on Saturday following the exit of Leonardo Jardim, who paid the price for a rotten start to the season. Henry’s new side find themselves among the 20 worst-performing sides in Europe’s big five leagues. But, as the list suggests, it could be worse…

 

1. Frosinone – 1pt
Serie A W0 D1 L7 F3 A21 GD -18
It took last season’s Serie B champions seven games to find the net during their second ever campaign in the top flight. Still, Chievo’s points deduction leaves them one place off the bottom.

2. Cardiff – 2pts
W0 D2 L6 scored 4 conceded 17 GD -13
The Premier League’s bottom side drew two of their opening three matches but Neil Warnock’s men have lost the five games since.  They have faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Tottenham in four of those matches, but the Bluebirds have rarely looked like scoring against anyone.

3. Chievo – 2pts
W0 D2 L6 scored 6 conceded 19 GD -13
Two draws still leave Chievo on minus one point after they were found guilty of false accounting last month. Their problems on the pitch led to Lorenzo D’Anna being replaced last week by Gian Piero Ventura.

4. Newcastle – 2pts
W0 D2 L6 scored 6 conceded 13 GD -7
Rafa is doing his best after The Magpies opted to prioritise profit over progress in the transfer window. Reports suggest it might not be good enough

5. Huddersfield – 3pts
W0 D3 L5 scored 4 conceded 17 GD -13
Having the second-worst defensive record and the joint worst attacking output is a recipe for relegation but the latest of three draws at least lifted Town off the bottom of the Premier League last week. And David Wagner isn’t worried:  “Our performances are good. I am confident that we will get the points we need if we perform like we have in recent weeks.”

6. Guingamp – 5pts
W1 D2 L6 scored 6 conceded 18 GD -12
Ligue 1’s bottom side opened with six defeats but Antoine Kombouare’s men are showing signs of getting their acts together, with two draws and a victory in their last three games.

7. Fulham – 5pts
W1 D2 L5 scored 9 conceded 21 GD -12
The Cottagers were widely credited with some fine work during the transfer window but it seems Slavisa Jokanovic’s troops are still getting used to each other, especially at the back. Even Aleksandar Mitrovic’s goalscoring form can’t compensate for the Premier League’s worst defensive record.

8. Huesca – 5pts
W1 D2 L5 scored 7 conceded 18 GD -11
La Liga’s basement dwellers began the season with a win but two draws and five defeats – including an 8-2 shoeing at the hands of Barcelona – since leave them two points from safety.

9. Rayo Vallecano – 5pts
W1 D2 L4 scored 7 conceded 15 GD -8
Los Franjirrojos are off the bottom of La Liga only on goal difference after an inconsistent start to the season. Michel’s men have drawn two and won one of their last five but their last outing saw them beaten by Leganes who leapfrogged them as a consequence.

10. Southampton – 5pts
W1 D2 L5 scored 6 conceded 14 GD -8
Saints escaped relegation last season by the skin of their teeth and one win in eight suggests it will be a close thing again for Mark Hughes’ side.

11. Stuttgart – 5pts
W1 D2 L4 scored 6 conceded 13 GD -7
One win in seven cost Tayfun Korkut his job this week, with the Bundesliga’s bottom-placed side turning to former Schalke and Augsburg boss Markus Weinzierl.

12. Fortuna Dusseldorf – 5pts
W1 D2 L4 scored 5 conceded 11 GD -6
Friedhelm Funkel’s men only lost one of their first four Bundesliga games but three successive defeats since leave them off the bottom only on goal difference.

13. Hannover 96 – 5pts
W1 D2 L4 scored 8 conceded 14 GD -6
Die Roten had been just that for much of the season prior to their first win of the campaign against Stuttgart last time out that saw them leapfrog their fellow strugglers.

14. Empoli – 5pts
W1 D2 L5 scored 5 conceded 10 GD -5
The Serie A new boys haven’t won since the opening day of the season. Their next match against Frosinone is perhaps already must-win, with Juventus and Napoli to come after.

15. Nantes – 6pts
W1 D3 L5 scored 8 conceded 16 GD -8
The Ligue 1 side were challenging for Europe last term before a late-season slump cost Claudio Ranieri his job. Under Miguel Cardoso, the Canaries are more concerned with relegation.

16. Monaco – 6pts
W1 D3 L5 scored 9 conceded 13 GD -4
Leonardo Jardim lost his job after eight games without a win since an opening-day victory over Nantes. Henry needs to get busy

17. Schalke – 6pts
W2 D0 L5 scored 5 conceded 9 GD -4
The Champions League competitors opened the season with five defeats but two wins in their last couple of matches suggests a corner may have been turned.

18. Atalanta – 6pts
W1 D3 L4 scored 9 conceded 11 GD -2
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side finished seventh last term and a 4-0 win over Frosinone got the season off to a flying start. But a seven-game winless run since leaves La Dea dangling above the drop zone.

19. Bologna – 7pts
W2 D1 L5 scored 4 conceded 10 GD -6
Filippo Inzaghi’s side took five games to score a goal and Bologna allowed Frosinone their only point. Two wins in four since leave last season’s 15th-placed finishers in 16th.

20. Bayer Leverkusen – 7pts
W2 D1 L4 scored 7 conceded 13 GD -6
Heiko Herrlich’s side opened the Bundesliga season with three defeats but only one in their last four have seen last season’s fifth-placed finishers begin to climb the table.