Gabriel Gervais has given himself the tools to help CF Montreal climb the standings, but the players must also do their part.
The president and CEO of the Bleu-blanc-noir indicated that his team had some bad luck to explain its 5-9-8 record this season, but that a good awareness was necessary for it to be reflected in the results.
“We need serious awareness, both individual and collective, to find more consistency. There is currently a lot of turnover in our squad, but we are not confident that all the players will give the performances we expect of them,” noted Gervais during his mid-season review at the Nutrilait Centre on Wednesday.
The Montreal team is currently ranked 11e rank in the Eastern Conference, one point out of a playoff spot. However, it has the fourth-worst defense in MLS, with 46 goals allowed.
CF Montreal has squandered some leads this season, notably against the Chicago Fire, Inter Miami CF and the New York Red Bulls, and has dropped several points that would have made it much more comfortable in the standings. It would be easy to point the finger at first-year head coach Laurent Courtois, but according to Gervais, the problem goes deeper than that.
“Sometimes I’ve seen goals that didn’t come after the first or second action. We practice everything during training, but it comes from the determination of the players not to want to be scored on. We haven’t had consistent performances from the players,” he said.
“I’m very satisfied with Laurent’s overall work, and I have confidence in him. Now, we need a higher level of concentration to not miss these matches anymore. We’re not that far away, but it’s all about the little details,” added Gervais.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Gabriel Gervais
CF Montreal hit a major low point in May, with just one win in eight games. The many injuries and the departure of Olivier Renard, the vice-president and chief sports officer, probably didn’t help. However, it was the Canadian Championship loss to Forge FC at Saputo Stadium that seemed to be the last straw.
Since then, Montreal has shown a better face and they have not lost at home. It is a step in the right direction, but Gervais added Corey Wray to his technical staff to properly identify the needs of the club and make it progress.
In the coming months, Wray will work with Gervais and his staff as a sports strategy advisor. In 18 seasons in MLS, in a variety of roles, Wray won the MLS Cup three times and the Supporters’ Shield once. As general manager of the Columbus Crew 2, he won the MLS Next Pro championship — with Courtois as head coach.
“The transfer window will open soon. We are looking to strengthen our squad with the right profiles that fit into the style of play that Laurent wants to implement. Corey will help us target those profiles,” Gervais said. “He has a lot of experience in MLS developing young players and he has a lot of contacts. We share the same philosophy.”
Gervais said he met with all the players, and he believes he had frank conversations with them. The goal now will be to distinguish between those who want to participate in the project and those who want to leave.
“It’s important. If a player arrives here and he doesn’t have the will to get involved in the project, we will try to move him. Whether it’s now or at the end of the year. We have already started the discussions, because the transfer window is coming very quickly. We are looking at all the possibilities, whether it’s loans, buyouts or exchanges. We want to improve the team in the short term, without jeopardizing and neglecting our philosophy,” he insisted.