The assistant coach spoke to the media from training camp
The Impact continues its hard work in preparation for the start of the 2019 season, the team now in its 30th day of training camp. This is an important period for the players and technical staff, who put in place a style of play and develop relationships that will follow them well into the season.
This week, the media met with assistant coach Wilfried Nancy to dive into some of the camp’s details; we discussed content, the presence of young players, and many other subjects with the former French player and Montreal Academy coach.
Here are the main points from our discussion with the Bleu-blanc-noir’s assistant coach.
On the training camp’s content
“The camp’s overall length changed a little, but the content remains much of the same. We wanted to stay in the continuity of what we did last year while adding more specifics as well. But we adjust; if we feel like we need to push harder, that’s what we do. When we feel like we need to lower the intensity, we lower it. But in terms of content, it’s very similar to what we did last year.”
On the young players present
“Rémi always said he counted on his young players. He prefers having a group with quality young players. It’s interesting to see this dynamic. Our advantage is that the young players we have are very humble, and the veterans show a lot of humility as well. The young ones listen closely and don’t hesitate to ask questions. It’s very beneficial to everyone.”
On the line-up in the last two games
“A coach’s biggest strength is his adaptability. Every season is different. For now, we have an idea in place, but we’re not cemented on it. Again, this camp was a little longer and we may still want to see a few combinations. The most important thing is for everyone to feel involved and that we apply what we’ve been working on in training.”
On what the young players must demonstrate
“The fact that we chose them means they’ve already demonstrated something. Now, it’s about continuing to show those things under pressure. It’s very important, because when we take a player, we see quality in him. After that, it’s all about character. Whether it’s a young player or a veteran, they’re people before anything and they need to demonstrate character. It isn’t always easy, but we insist on it. After, the tactical and technical aspects of the game are things we work on and repeat daily.”
