Laurent Courtois Tactics At CF Montréal 2023/2024 – Unpacking Montreal’s MLS Makeover With Wilfried Nancy Vibes – Tactical Analysis

After only one season in charge, Hernán Losada was sacked by the Canadian club at the end of the 2023 MLS season, which concluded with a 10th-place finish and a failure to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs.

After a months-long search, CF Montréal decided to hire Laurent Courtois, the former head coach of Columbus Crew 2.

The former West Ham United player arrived having won the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro title with his former side in 2022 and guided them to the final again last season.

This tactical analysis will briefly examine some of the early tactics that are beginning to form for Courtois in Montréal and compare them to his time in Columbus with the Crew’s reserve team.

Laurent Courtois formation and setup 

When examining Montréal’s first two matches of the 2024 MLS season, it becomes clear that Courtois has opted to employ a 3-4-2-1 formation in both matches, a shape with which the 45-year-old is most comfortable. 

The image above shows the formations that the Frenchman tended to utilise during his time in charge of Columbus Crew 2 last season.

As we can see, a back three system was also the most commonly used formation, with this shape often resembling a 3-4-3 at the beginning of matches.