The positive thinking with which CF Montreal players found themselves after seven games unbeaten, a club record in MLS, allows the coach, Wilfried Nancy, to work out the details. Met on Thursday after training, he said he was excited about the team’s successes, but he knew many challenges were coming.
The next will come as early as Saturday, when CF Montreal will travel to Charlotte to take the home side, known for their sold-out games, ardent fans and thoughtful style of play.
Charlotte is currently ranked 8th in the East, but has a home record of four wins and one loss.
It was a great team, Nancy noted. My players knew we would play against a different style of play. We’re going to play turf. We’re moving and it’s been a long time since we left. It’s not going to be an easy game, like all MLS games, and against a coach who plays on his team. It’s an interesting team to see because in the ideas, in the nuances of the game, there is reflection, so I’m not surprised that the result of coach and Charlotte is good.
Meanwhile, Nancy is taking advantage of her club’s momentum to work with her protégés in detail.
We want to be more specific. They did a lot right [durant les derniers matchs], but can still be improved. As they are in a good will, they are good. We can do better [pousser]. That’s the ideahe explained.
It is important for him to maintain a close relationship with the players, to respond according to the events and state of mind of the team.
When you lose, as a coach, with staff, we try to find the right levers to use. When we win, it’s easier for me to be more accurate on certain things. When you lose, players know they lost, that they didn’t do certain things properly. I have to qualify my words as demanded, but close to themHe added.
He also reiterated the importance for him to live in the present moment and not burn. In Montreal since 2017, Samuel Piette also knows that the waters can turn quickly in MLS.
There is this kind of confidence that is there, but there is also this humility that is super important. We’re in a good moment, but we know full well that it can change very quickly. The team trained hard this week. […] You need to keep two feet on the ground. We have yet to confirm a place in the playoffs. The season is still very earlyadvance midfielder.
The next ten days will be very busy for the Montreal club. On the schedule: three games, including two away. The team will return to Montréal immediately after Saturday’s game in Charlotte and will be needed again on Tuesday to be ready to face Nashville on Wednesday night. On Sunday, it will host Real de Salt Lake at Saputo Stadium.
Obviously, this is going to be a huge physical challenge. This will require a lot of recovery work. […] In the last few games, we showed the depth we had, showed that whoever else we put on the field, he could do the job. It takes the pressure off if ever we have players with physical problemshe said.
Before starting the busy part of the program, players took advantage of a day at the spa to strengthen the group bond. The team atmosphere is an important element for Nancy. He listens to the emotions of the players and is open to discussion.
This is what we notice in the words of young Ismaël Koné, who played his first matches in the starting line-up this season and participated in the victory of the Canadian national team during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
Me and coach Wilfried, we’ll get along. We often talked about what he expected of me. I had to push my limits. I still have to work. In the beginning, it quickly rose with the national team, along with my goal. [NDLR : Kone a marqué son premier but en MLS en mars dernier.] But we have to keep going. It always requires more, always more to reach the highest level. That’s what he asked mehe said.
The message I give to my players is “have fun, be good at training, be good on defense, offensive”. The result is the consequence of what we do on the pitch. It’s a phrase I often say, but it’s the truth. We must continue to stay in the present moment said Nancy.
Source: Radio-Canada
