MLS - March 9 - Portland (Home - YS)
- Thread starter LionNYC
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This is a fair point regarding press conferences and statements. Quotes here and there can paint many pictures.
I also believe it is time for a change. In professional sports, any sport, messaging can grow stale and losing exacerbates that. The team needs a spark, and as they say you cannot fire all the players.
A question for the group - and I will add all the caveats regarding sexism. Cushing's only previous manager experience was with the Manchester City women's team. Are there significant differences between the game that would explain why Cushing's system (to this point) has been less successful with NYCFC than it was with the CIty women's team? I know, as example, that the men's and women's games in basketball have strategies that vary as one game is more vertical whereas the other is more horizontal. Watching high level men's and women's soccer, the difference is less severe.
Asking, honestly, as a means to learn. Has anyone coached both at reasonably high levels? Is it a possible explanation for Cushing's reluctance for riskj? We don't see much cross-pollination between men's and women's basketball - Becky Hammon is the exception, and she was an assistant in the NBA, not a head coach as with the Aces.
Firing Cushing now would be such a massive fail by the decision makers. Not firing him after last season meant they thought he was good enough to successfully manage us this season and/or that they would bring in the upgrades to allow him to successfully manage this season. Firing him now or soon would mean they were wrong on either/both. And as a result, we start much further behind than if we had a fresh coach with a full preseason etc.
The further problem is they didn’t add the type of seasoned plug and play players who could help a struggling coach jump start the season on fire. They brought in inexperienced tweens who probably need a season to get up to speed. Not a good formula.
I am not saying they shouldn’t move on, I think change is good here and maybe/likely a new coach even with any dip from the change is better than the real risk of continued dysfunction and bad feelings. At a minimum, I think a change has more upside. But the decision makers would have f’d up again here if that’s how it plays out.
The further problem is they didn’t add the type of seasoned plug and play players who could help a struggling coach jump start the season on fire. They brought in inexperienced tweens who probably need a season to get up to speed. Not a good formula.
I am not saying they shouldn’t move on, I think change is good here and maybe/likely a new coach even with any dip from the change is better than the real risk of continued dysfunction and bad feelings. At a minimum, I think a change has more upside. But the decision makers would have f’d up again here if that’s how it plays out.
It's also worth noting, the Manchester City Women weren't very good for a while after he took over. But once they clicked, they went on a rampage.
I'd love to see history repeat itself.
Part of it is where he stands with the players . My top team in Europe , marseille are on their third manager of the year . I was wary when they sacked Gatusso ( though he has been terrible and they could barely score )that the problems went deeper than him. Five games in with the new manager and they’ve won every match and are scoring at a regular clip . I now wonder if he’d lost the team so badly that they weren’t going all out for him anymore ( on top of the negative tactics ) if morale is tanked the sooner we rectify the mistake the better . Not saying it is but I’m seeing signs that hint at it imo .
There is little bit if a feel of “trust the process” CFG in MLS style here.
I would guess that Manchester City whether it’s men or women is very different than New York City as far as how they approach roster build.
I would guess that Manchester City whether it’s men or women is very different than New York City as far as how they approach roster build.
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Precisely the reason I believe he's not going to get fired until May, even if the results continue to be horrid. Firing a coach four games into a season is the work of an organization without a plan, without conviction in its decisions, and of a panicking front office.
Also firing Cushing isn't going to be an instant panacea. We've seen over the club's history that every time we have a midseason coaching change, it takes a while for results to follow. It should really be the decision of last resort. Even with 0 points in 3 games, it feels like maybe we're not there yet. We're close, but I think the earliest I can see the change made is if we're still winless after Inter Miami. That way, you also give the new coach the five-game homestand to get his legs under him.
I can't comment on the men's game vs women's game differences but I do think we have another situation we could look at for insight. The Man City women's team had some of the best players in the world playing against the top competition of their sport, whereas NYCFC is largely young developing talent playing levels below the top competition of their sport. To me, an apt analogy between Cushing moving from Man City Women to NYCFC is a bit like when coaches attempt to go from the NBA or NFL to coaching college. Some can find success in both but many more very talented coaches have failed to make a successful transition.
Cushing was the manager at City's women's team at a time when City was putting in a lot more investment into their women's squad than their rivals. Everyone else has caught up with the spending, and City has gone back into the pack.
He hasn't shown me the ability to improve young players or motivate the squad to figure out ways to win games in challenging situations. The tactics have been negative and poor.
This is New York. We're an ambitious town. We deserve better than a guy who is coaching his first ever professional men's team.
He hasn't shown me the ability to improve young players or motivate the squad to figure out ways to win games in challenging situations. The tactics have been negative and poor.
This is New York. We're an ambitious town. We deserve better than a guy who is coaching his first ever professional men's team.
That's one way to look at it. Here's another: City spent a lot of money (relatively speaking) to revamp their women's roster and put Cushing in charge, replacing Leigh Wood. It was a project and they entrusted him with it.
The results didn't come right away, but ultimately, he was a good enough coach to beat Emma Hayes and Chelsea for the WSL title:
Manchester City seal Women’s Super League title by beating Chelsea
Manchester City secured their first Women’s Super League title following a 2-0 win against last season’s champions Chelsea.
Then he makes the move to become Ronny Deila's assistant -- an intriguing development all its own -- and when Deila bails mid-season after winning the Cup, Nick gets put in charge of another project where the organization has spent (relatively speaking) a lot of money.
Given that history, I find it hard to believe CFG would fire him just as the next phase of their next project is beginning.
That's one way to look at it. Here's another: City spent a lot of money (relatively speaking) to revamp their women's roster and put Cushing in charge, replacing Leigh Wood. It was a project and they entrusted him with it.
The results didn't come right away, but ultimately, he was a good enough coach to beat Emma Hayes and Chelsea for the WSL title:
Manchester City seal Women’s Super League title by beating Chelsea
Manchester City secured their first Women’s Super League title following a 2-0 win against last season’s champions Chelsea.www.theguardian.com
Then he makes the move to become Ronny Deila's assistant -- an intriguing development all its own -- and when Deila bails mid-season after winning the Cup, Nick gets put in charge of another project where the organization has spent (relatively speaking) a lot of money.
Given that history, I find it hard to believe CFG would fire him just as the next phase of their next project is beginning.
Another way to look at it is that Cushing proved a good coach of a team with the best players in the world. He has not yet proven he can coach a team of players that isn't far-and-away better than everyone else.
I was surprised that Cushing wasn't fired after last season but now that they kept him, firing him after three games would be impetuous.
That's one way to look at it. Here's another: City spent a lot of money (relatively speaking) to revamp their women's roster and put Cushing in charge, replacing Leigh Wood. It was a project and they entrusted him with it.
The results didn't come right away, but ultimately, he was a good enough coach to beat Emma Hayes and Chelsea for the WSL title:
Manchester City seal Women’s Super League title by beating Chelsea
Manchester City secured their first Women’s Super League title following a 2-0 win against last season’s champions Chelsea.
Then he makes the move to become Ronny Deila's assistant -- an intriguing development all its own -- and when Deila bails mid-season after winning the Cup, Nick gets put in charge of another project where the organization has spent (relatively speaking) a lot of money.
Given that history, I find it hard to believe CFG would fire him just as the next phase of their next project is beginning.
The only thing that's the same is that CFG spent money. With the Man City Women's team, CFG invested in proven world-class players including a number of veteran players from the English national team and previous WSL champions. They built a championship roster similar to how they do it with the Man City men's team.
For us, CFG wanted to buy 3 prospects so they spent some money and dumped them on our roster even though they do nothing for us right now, and the moment they can be meaningful contributors should they reach their potential they will be sold. These situations are nothing like each other.
I agree with you that CFG is unlikely to fire him but not because they are running some sort of long-term project with NYCFCs best interests in mind but because they need a company man to take care of their mini farm team and the expensive assets they just parked here.
More good stuff from Doyle:
“Cushing has now been in charge for 67 games. NYCFC are collecting 1.20 ppg during that span, which is significantly lower than any of the three previous head coaches in the Bronx, and a pretty substantial disappointment given the outlay across the last two transfer windows.”
67 games is a pretty large sample size. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but under Cushing the team has been one that may work hard but yet doesn’t expect to win and doesn’t have the mental fortitude to not make mistakes, be opportunistic, and make big plays. That starts from the coach.
“Cushing has now been in charge for 67 games. NYCFC are collecting 1.20 ppg during that span, which is significantly lower than any of the three previous head coaches in the Bronx, and a pretty substantial disappointment given the outlay across the last two transfer windows.”
67 games is a pretty large sample size. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but under Cushing the team has been one that may work hard but yet doesn’t expect to win and doesn’t have the mental fortitude to not make mistakes, be opportunistic, and make big plays. That starts from the coach.
Even if things begin to click, MLS is very different than the Women's League. Everyone is investing in MLS, not everyone was investing in the Women's League. And even if things begin to click, I don't like us winning 1-0 with not exciting second half, defensive soccer.
I like this data-driven take. We can debate why, but the data says it's not working. Unfortunately Cushing isn't going anywhere until June at the earliest. we have to hope that he, and the players, click and turn it around.
I'm not holding my breath but stranger things have happened.
I wholly disagree with this point. NYCFC/CFG has spent $25 million on this roster over the last nine months. That is a lot of money in MLS. Aside from Inter Miami's craziness, that has to be one of the biggest MLS roster spends in the last two transfer windows.
They didn't spend that much money to miss the playoffs again. They want to win here. I don't think they want to fire Cushing, but if we're not winning they're going to.
I would say he has until Mid April when they announce 2025 renewal ticket pricing but the team probably doesn’t want any bad news until the stadium is announced so they will fire him in mid May when the first payment is due in “good faith effort” to the fans.
I would hope the sporting department isn't taking any direction from the business/ticketing department. The ticket renewals should have absolutely zero part in whether or not to keep the head coach.
