Victor Wanyama has highlighted one thing that he feels is wrong with the MLS structure while explaining why his stint at CF Montreal did not yield much success.
Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama believes the current structure of the MLS, where there is no relegation, makes the league uncompetitive.
Wanyama spent almost five years at MLS club CF Montreal, which he joined in March 2020 from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, before he was released at the end of his contract in November 2024
The midfielder says he was taken aback somewhat by the league structure having come from a highly-competitive Premier League environment, where he also played for Southampton between 2013 and 2016, before moving to Spurs.
Victor Wanyama has hinted at where he is likely to play next as he weighs his options from a number of several offers on his table.
“It is a bit different from England where there is constant pressure to perform and get good results. In the MLS, it is not quite the same because there are no issues like relegation and promotion and hence not much pressure on the teams there,” Wanyama, who says he enjoyed his time in Montreal nonetheless, told Telecomasia.net.
Montreal made a couple of playoff rounds during Wanyama’s time at the side but it was a largely unimpressive spell for the club who won the Canadian Championships in 2021.
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The midfielder blames their woes on constant changes in the dugout which did not allow them to have continuity.
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“But at Montreal, we tried to have a different mentality in terms of being competitive and trying to make history for the club. Unfortunately, that didn’t take long because the club kept changing coaches and this made things a bit difficult,” he added.
“When we had French coach Wilfried (Nancy), we had really built something nice together but when he left it’s like we started from zero again.”
Wanyama was signed when Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was in charge and when he left, his assistant Wilfried Nancy was elevated, but he would also leave.
Hernan Losada would be brought in but the Argentine struggled, finishing trophyless and failing to secure a playoff. Losada’s stint also included a fallout with Wanyama for leaving him on the bench. Frenchman Laurent Courtois was hired last season but still struggled to revive their fortunes.
“I had very good moments at Montreal but some of the best moments we had included winning the Canadian Trophy by beating our rivals Toronto. This was such a historic moment for the club and I am glad I was part of it,” Wanyama further said.
“We also set several milestones for the club like picking the highest number of points in the team’s history as well as the most number of away wins ever. We brought in a new mentality into the team and this helped the club grow.”
Now a free agent, Wanyama is exploring his options, having revealed that he has received plenty of offers from Europe, Asia and Australia that he is weighing.
