Bats era begins in Montreal
There are many different pieces that go into building a roster. You have your strikers, whose job is to score goals, your midfielders, who transition the game, and your defenders, who protect the fort. But perhaps the most peculiar group of people that can be found in a team is the goalkeepers’.
“Goalies are pretty particular people in general,” joked Montreal Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “It’s hard to understand them. Of course, I’m kidding, but Joël understands them very, very well.”
The Impact’s goalkeepers have only trained with Bats a handful of times since the beginning of training camp, but could already tell that he brings something a little bit different to the table.
“Even before you start working with him, you have to look at his pedigree, his resumé, and understand that the goalies that he’s developed are goalies that have gone far just from working with him,” said Evan Bush. “You have to trust in his methods right from there. All four of us already have a base of what we’re comfortable with, but in order to improve and continue to progress, you need to get out of your comfort zone sometimes. He’ll get us out of our comfort zone for sure, and I think it’ll be a welcome change.”
Impact supporters are also starting to familiarize themselves with the former French goalkeeper. While his experience training keepers is unmatched, it’s his overall philosophy that is expected to make the biggest difference.
“He’s someone who believes in a team within a team,” explained James Pantemis. “For him, goalies are like a family. After each training we get into a circle and talk about the session and about how we feel. It’s becoming a second family for us.”
The same thought was shared by Rémi Garde concerning his old friend. “Joël is used to saying that they’re a team within a team,” continued Garde. “Obviously I know what he’s up to, but I give him quite a bit of autonomy when it comes to preparing them to the best of their abilities. I could tell that they’re responding positively to his workload. But if I could make a confession, I never really doubted it.”
