Nick Cushing Named Interim Head Coach (July '22) / Head Coach (November '22)
- Thread starter Kjbert
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This is not #CushingOut. Just curious about how people feel about Nick’s style as far as what he talks about and expresses to the media.
I jumped on the Nick is a company man wagon last year. Then felt it was kind of harsh. Reading post TFC game quotes…
feel he has a style that is so much more “management” than manager.
N.C:
“We’re not always going to have the control of games like we do at home. We didn’t solve the problem in the first half, and we turned the ball over too cheaply.
“As a team, we have to correct that in the game – we have to have the leaders, and the leadership in each individual to correct that.”
He’s really into this “leaders” and “leadership thing”. And as far as control of the game, didn’t NYCFC have more possession? Kind of seems like it’s more about what you do with the ball? Which I guess was “turnin the ball over cheaply” but still…
Anyhoo, I may just need to step back a bit but I am genuinely curious about how people read Nick as opposed to Deila and Dome.
I jumped on the Nick is a company man wagon last year. Then felt it was kind of harsh. Reading post TFC game quotes…
feel he has a style that is so much more “management” than manager.
N.C:
“We’re not always going to have the control of games like we do at home. We didn’t solve the problem in the first half, and we turned the ball over too cheaply.
“As a team, we have to correct that in the game – we have to have the leaders, and the leadership in each individual to correct that.”
He’s really into this “leaders” and “leadership thing”. And as far as control of the game, didn’t NYCFC have more possession? Kind of seems like it’s more about what you do with the ball? Which I guess was “turnin the ball over cheaply” but still…
Anyhoo, I may just need to step back a bit but I am genuinely curious about how people read Nick as opposed to Deila and Dome.
I think Ronny was a better man manager. We seemed to play with more aggression under Ronny. At least that is my impression.
Dome was more about patterns and technique, i think. But I also think he got on well with the spanish speaking players too.
I think Nick is well liked by the players, but I also don't feel like he exudes a persona of a coach that demands performance.
That all being said, i think our inconsistency is more to do with personnel than Nick. Although, Nick needs to take more responsibility when it comes to team mentality and leadership. Yah, leadership in the players is important, but players will run through a wall for the right coach.
Nick is doing more with less. I’m fine with Nick.
This is (kinda) it.
Dome and Ronny had teams with 4 legitimate MVP candidates (Villa, Heber, Maxi, Taty) and one Alexander Callens. Cushing got a team in flux a few weeks out from losing Taty, no heir apparent scoring threat, a crummy job by the FO during the winter transfer window, and what seems like half of his current team missing at the start of camp.
I don't think any of us truly know what Cushing could do with similar rosters to those two, but right now I think that he's been dealt a bit of a shit hand.
The only thing I'd change is he's not 'doing more with less' . He's doing less with less but that just means he's not a miracle worker.
I agree with this. As of this moment, this is our worst roster since 2015. We'll improve as the year goes on, but there are a lot of holes on the roster right now and we're still in the top half of the conference. Nick is doing a good job.
Since day one, we’ve always had a guy that was a legit MVP candidate - Villa, Maxi and Taty.
That’s supposed to be Talles Magno. Not living up to expectations. He’s supposed to be an Almiron+ player. He’s not.
That’s supposed to be Talles Magno. Not living up to expectations. He’s supposed to be an Almiron+ player. He’s not.
Nick discusses his conversation with Bruce Arena after the game.
After last night, I'm fully on the Cushing out train. I won't be booing at games or holding up silly signs, but you need to see that this is not a team moving in the right direction.
Cush definitely seems like a player's coach and I don't think it would be a very popular move in the clubhouse, but eventually you have to ask 'is this the right coach for the situation we're in?' It doesn't seem like it is. If we had a complete roster and seemed like we'd be in a steady state for the next 2-3 years, I feel he'd do very well, but that's not the reality of our situation and you gotta adjust your team for the task at hand not who would lead best in an ideal state.
Cush definitely seems like a player's coach and I don't think it would be a very popular move in the clubhouse, but eventually you have to ask 'is this the right coach for the situation we're in?' It doesn't seem like it is. If we had a complete roster and seemed like we'd be in a steady state for the next 2-3 years, I feel he'd do very well, but that's not the reality of our situation and you gotta adjust your team for the task at hand not who would lead best in an ideal state.
I get it that he is hamstrung with the roster (lack of a striker) and some injuries. But not winning a single game for over 2 months? At some point he has to figure it out and either devise the right tactics or motivate the players to win games.
I think just saying “he doesn’t have the roster, it’s not his fault” narrative is growing old. Roster or no roster, I think a baseline performance is not to go 11 games without a win. He’s won FOUR out of 20 games this year. That can’t be acceptable.
Regardless of fault, the club is pretty hamstrung if it wants to do anything this summer. For whatever reason, there is zero evidence that NYCFC has even been a desired place to coach. After Kreis, we hired exactly 1 guy from outside the CFG system and he was at best the 3rd choice of management, maybe lower. Of course he did do the best but that doesn't change there is no evidence outsiders have ever wanted to come here.
Right now, any sane coach with options would run away from this job as fast as they can if they fire Nick now. Since Nick was hired the club lost 5 of its top 8 goal scorers and arguably replaced none of them. At best they replaced 2-3 of them poorly. And the top scorer from 2022 has gone unreplaced through 2 windows. I agree the club should be better anyway and Nick bears blame. But if you're assessing the situation as a potential hire from the outside it does not look good. Sure, everyone is confident and thinks "I can fix it." That's why they're in the profession. NYCFC can get someone, and maybe get lucky like with Ronnie, but not someone with options.
Right now, any sane coach with options would run away from this job as fast as they can if they fire Nick now. Since Nick was hired the club lost 5 of its top 8 goal scorers and arguably replaced none of them. At best they replaced 2-3 of them poorly. And the top scorer from 2022 has gone unreplaced through 2 windows. I agree the club should be better anyway and Nick bears blame. But if you're assessing the situation as a potential hire from the outside it does not look good. Sure, everyone is confident and thinks "I can fix it." That's why they're in the profession. NYCFC can get someone, and maybe get lucky like with Ronnie, but not someone with options.
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With the firing of Bob Bradley today, four out of the five bottom teams in the Eastern Conference table have fired their coach. Take a guess at the one that has not.
Nick isn't going anywhere though. I'd be shocked if they let him go at this point
I think if we miss the playoffs, Nick and the club “mutually agree to part ways”
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