Olivier Renard is thrilled to see CF Montreal take the top spot in the MLS Eastern Conference mid-season and he can’t wait to see where that will take his team by the end of the season.
“We are very happy with the work of the staff, very happy with first place, less happy with the elimination in the Canadian championship of course, but that’s part of the sport, commented the vice-president and chief technical officer of the club. , Friday afternoon, as part of a videoconference.
“I know that we have a good position in the standings, that we speak well of the club at the moment, but we are still nowhere. There are still goals to achieve. »
And while Renard says he is fully satisfied with the current roster, he remains on the lookout as the summer transfer window approaches in MLS, especially if it allows him to improve the team.
“I know there are a lot of comparisons with other clubs and the investments of the last days for important designated players, he continued. I get paid to put together the best possible team with the budget I have. There is no question for me of going for a designated player just to fill the stadium. We want a designated player who fits well into the team, who does what the coach asks of all the other players. »
“And I will tell you that if there are no departures, I am not sure that there will be arrivals. I know that the transfer window has not yet started, but I prefer to say it right away. We’re happy with what we have so far, that doesn’t mean we don’t want to improve. If there are departures, we will certainly react. »
But it’s out of the question for him to sell a player just to get the money back, especially since he has a cushion of around $400,000 under the salary cap.
“You never know in sports. If we receive an offer and we think it’s the right time to sell and it’s possible to adequately replace the player, then we’ll do it. It’s a bit like stock market shares, you have to know how to sell at the right time. »
And he added: “I never had a duty from my landlord to sell to get money back. »
Renard is also pleased to have been patient at the start of the season when the team was experiencing difficulties.
“Remember that we had zero wins in four games. There was a bit of a fire, all sorts of questions surfaced, about the coach and such. We have remained calm internally, because we have confidence in the group.
“That confidence came from the way we played last year. We let slip the qualification for the playoffs by our fault. We are now more mature in our game. Last year, things often went wrong in the last moments. We are managing it better this season and I knock on wood to keep it going. »
CF Montreal (9-6-2) climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference standings on Wednesday with a 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders.
The team will wrap up their trip to the West Coast with a visit to the Los Angeles Galaxy on Monday.