Impact passes to the second phase of training camp
It’s already been 10 days since the Bleu-blanc-noir’s 2018 training camp was set in motion. There was a lot to do: introductions between the technical staff, the 10 new players and the ones that were here in 2017; building a physical base; developing a team spirit; implementing Rémi Garde’s principles; creating links and benchmarks between players; and lots more. Yes, the Impact had, and still has, a boatload of work to do. The first phase of training camp in Miami has already allowed the team members to slowly – although not so slowly, according to the players – get back into shape, familiarize themselves with this new environment, but especially prove to the boss what type of players they were.
“It was a first contact,” said Rémi Garde. “There were two objectives: get to know one another as quickly as possible, and spend time together during training, but also outside of training. The most important objective was to prepare the team physically. Our work was fixed on endurance, long endurance. If we want to play 40 to 50 games at 90 minutes apiece, we need to prepare for it.”
For Evan Bush, a gym and training enthusiast, the first week of training camp was hard, but positive and encouraging.
“We worked extremely hard the first week,” said Evan Bush. “We were there for eight days, but it felt like we stayed for three weeks. And that’s not just because Dom Oduro was my roommate. I feel like we’re on the right path now. If we keep the same work ethic and the same mentality going in the next four, five weeks before the opening game, we have the potential to surprise people in how quickly we can turn things around.”
Saphir Taïder, on his end, comes from Bologna, where the season was in the thick of things. His last appearance in a game was not so long ago, on December 30, during a Serie A match against Udinese.
“It went really well,” said Taïder of the first week of camp. “We were lucky to train in great weather. Everyone was involved, everyone gave it their all, from the youngest to the oldest. It was very auspicious. We did a lot of physical work, mostly on endurance to be better during the season, which can be a little longer. You need to do this to get a physical base. We did it during the first week, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Everyone is motivated to do well, and it brings our group to the next level.”
“What I probably appreciated the most was the players’ and the group’s very good attitude, and the amazing ways in which they responded,” added the Impact’s head coach. “A lot of concentration, a lot of implication, sharing through suffering. I loved it…not to watch them suffer, that isn’t the goal, but their reactions in the face of suffering. They demonstrated a lot of solidarity. That’s one of my credos: the team first. And to solidify the group, you must not want to receive, but to give, as in life.”
Although fitness was certainly highlighted, the players started to get to know their new head coach’s football philosophy as well.
“We did do quite a bit of tactical work,” added Garde. “For me, principles are more important than systems. We could easily play in different systems but have the same principles. We’ve already started on defensive principles and a few offensive principles as well.”
The player with the most seniority at the Montreal Impact took advantage of the team’s playing time to take a closer look at the club’s new Designated Player.
“With all the running we did this past week, I didn’t see much play from the group except for the last day and a half,” explained Bush. “From what I’ve seen, Saphir is fantastic. I have not seen him lose the ball over this day and a half. I don’t know if he’s going to be a goal scorer and an assists guy, but he will make our team move up and down the field. He’ll defend well, he’ll attack in the proper shape. I think he is a great addition.”
Moreover, Saphir Taïder didn’t hide from the fact that he was very happy to practice with the ball in training, and loves having possession of the ball in general.
“Having the ball is the base,” said Taïder. “If you have the ball you have a better chance of scoring a goal rather than conceding. The coach likes to have possession of the ball as well. It’s something we’re going to continue to work on. Everything is new, there aren’t many people that know each other. It won’t happen overnight, but we will try to do things like the coach tells us to and apply all of this.”
Yes, Rémi Garde prefers it when his team has the majority of possession during a game, but not at any price.
“When people ask me what I prefer, I prefer training a team that has possession of the ball,” said Garde. “But I’m a pragmatic person. Maybe, depending on the team I have, depending on our or our opponent’s shape, if I know that for a given game, we won’t be able to have possession of the ball, I’ll configure the team differently and try to win the game.”
