Toronto FC finished stone-last in the MLS Eastern Conference in 2023 after losing a staggering 20 of their 34 league matches. Cassius Mailula joined the side from Mamelodi Sundowns in July and made only three appearances, with big personnel changes expected heading into next season following comments from the club's president this month.
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Concerns over Mailula's playing time
Fans worried about Mailula's future overseas might not be totally up to date with Canada-based outfit Toronto, so let's take a closer look at the events that followed the 22-year-old Bafana Bafana international's exciting, at least from a South African perspective, arrival. The young winger joined the Reds from Masandawana in July this year following an impressive 2022/23 season in Mzansi, during which he contributed to 19 goals in just 31 appearances. Since then, however, Mailula has needed to put on his shin pads on just three occasions! The Limpopo native was named in five matchday squads, but was only called upon against Columbus Crew in August for 26 minutes, against Charlotte FC for a 16-minute cameo and against New York Red Bulls for another 26 minutes in October. His lack of game time has resulted in Bafana manager Hugo Broos all but ruling out a place for him in his 2023 Africa Cup of Nations squad for Mailula, who has since been linked with a return to South African football. The Belgian's remarks followed on from his scathing assessment of the SA starlet's agent, whom he accused of giving Mailula poor advice, in October. This is a difficult moment for a talented player, a player who will, if he stays at Toronto, only return to action in January.
Consequences of a nightmare campaign, but competition remains!
Experienced professionals such as Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi headline the team's attacking contingent, which also consists of Canada youth international Deandre Kerr and veteran striker C.J. Sapong. Insigne, 32, joined the Reds as a marquee signing in 2022 and has since been one of the first names on the teamsheet, along with his compatriot Bernardeschi. The two players have great experience at the highest level, having amassed 93 caps for Italy between them, and it is therefore no real surprise that, even when the team had been battling to pick up results, previous interim boss Terry Dunfield and his eventual permanent replacement John Herdman continued to rely on the ex-Napoli and ex-Juventus wingers. Toronto ended the 2023 campaign with seven consecutive defeats in the MLS, a run in which they scored just five times and conceded 19 goals, form club president Bill Manning warned would be met with consequences.
Speaking earlier in November, Manning warned Herdman that "there's going to be a certain accountability that he's going to hold players and staff to" before admitting it was "one of those seasons (where) everything went wrong that could go wrong". The 58-year-old also insisted that the team's head coach was open to wiping the slate clean for his squad, but that "enough is enough". What this means is still to be found out, but there are early suggestions Mailula, if he does stay in Canada to fight for a place in Herdman's plans, will still be competing with Insigne and Bernardeschi in those wide positions. Insigne has vowed to be back stronger after he missed multiple matches through injury, while Bernardeschi shared similar sentiments in his post-season review. According to Transfermarkt, the Reds haven't yet conducted any transfer business in terms of players coming and going, but the team's defensive record suggests that perhaps the recruitment staff's priority might be to strengthen at the back before potentially bringing in a centre-forward. Sapong's current deal expires at the end of December and it is likely he will be moved on after scoring just a single goal in 22 games.
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