Laurent Courtois has no difficulty in saying it. “Clearly, there are two or three people who, for me, do not fit into the future project.”
On this opening day of the transfer market in Canada, this statement says a lot about CF Montreal’s objectives over the next month.
If Courtois cannot “explain” some of this behavior, he still understands that “his choices” of players in the lineup may be the source of these remonstrances.
Who are these disgruntled people? “They are not at the same stage of their careers,” added the head coach of the Bleu-blanc-noir as a clue.
In this sense, the first two are easy to guess.
Victor Wanyama, in the twilight of his career, is not getting the playing time that a veteran like him, the club’s only designated player, could expect to receive. Rida Zouhir, on the other hand, is still not able to see his career take off. This 20-year-old Academy product, after a season on loan in the USL last year, is nailed to the CFM bench again this year. And this, despite openings in midfield with the absences of the Canadian internationals.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Rida Zouhir
The third player “who does not show that he wants to be part of the project”, according to Courtois, is for the moment a little less obvious. Could it be Ousman Jabang, selected in the 2023 draft, but who has only made five appearances since his arrival at the club?
No matter. For a team in dire need of “awareness” – these are the words of president Gabriel Gervais, expressed Wednesday at a press conference – players who are disinterested in the sporting project do not help the cause of CF Montreal.
“If you have noticed my posture, I have tried to make everyone a little more responsible,” Courtois said, referring to his speeches in recent weeks.
“We are no longer in the experimentation now. We are in the execution. I tried to distinguish what affects the collective and the tactical aspect from what comes back to the mentality in general, to individual errors, to things that we cannot rectify. […] The players are capable of it. We know we’re not far from doing something super interesting. We have to stop taking one step forward and two steps back.”
PHOTO DAVID KIROUAC, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
CF Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois
“A victory would help us a lot”
As such, the transfer period that is beginning promises to be a pivotal moment in the CFM season. And already, a little surprise awaited Courtois on Friday morning.
That’s because on Thursday evening, Canada Soccer announced that it would open its own transfer window the following day, on July 12. A middle ground between July 5 requested by the Canadian Premier League clubs, and July 18 wanted by the Canadian MLS clubs, who wanted to align the opening of the transfer window with that of the American clubs.
It’s hard to get more last minute than that.
” I do not know if [les joueurs] know that the window opens today, Courtois said on Friday. I learned about it this morning.”
For Ariel Lassiter, it doesn’t change much.
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Ariel Lassiter
“At this point in our career, we know that changes can happen at any time,” the left winger said Friday. “I don’t think it affects what we have to do on the field.”
Beyond the needs at specific positions, Courtois hopes for a “mental change” in his men.
“I think this group could easily have 10 more points,” he stressed, repeating the argument put forward by its president Gabriel Gervais on Wednesday. “It’s something very personal at my level.”
Lassiter agrees on this.
“Our work ethic can always improve,” believes the Costa Rican international. “With the current mentality of the group, I think a victory would help us a lot.”
He will have the opportunity to go and get an important one against an opponent in direct competition in the standings, this Saturday, at the Saputo stadium. Atlanta is only one point ahead of the CFM in 10e position.
“It’s a great opportunity to show us and the fans that we can achieve great things this season.”