NYCFC Season Discussion 2023: We Know What We Are, But Not What We May Be

[gbservis]

By the way, I came across this passage in a post-derby Guardian article on Manchester United:



I truly wonder how much of this ethos is in our organizational DNA.

I must admit, for the longest time I thought we were an independent operation with a financial relationship to City Football Group. From an executive standpoint, I always assumed they weren't very deeply involved and left us to work with MLS without much input from overseas. Basically, treating us like the single-entity franchise we are rather than an autonomous club.

Now, I'm not so sure.

I think CFG strongly believes they have successfully integrated the CFG ethos into the DNA of NYCFC. Intentional or not I would say it happened in 3 phases.

Phase 1 CFG executive vision and control - In the early years Ferran Soriano was much more present in the business of NYCFC. He talked about NYCFC fairly frequently in interviews often mentioning goals and organizational vision for the team. Soriano and other CFG/MCFC leadership would occasionally be at NYCFC games. There were always rumors that the team needed signoffs on player decisions from CFG and that there was some tension as a result of this level of control between the NYCFC front office and CFG.

Phase 2 Onfield Style Integration - This phase started with the arrival of Viera and continued up through Ronny. This was the peak of "playing the city way" talk. We still hear about it occasionally now but it was mentioned much more frequently a few years ago. Every coach that got hired talked about playing the city way. The team went to Manchester for preseason. The intention to play the city way was engrained into everything.

Phase 3 Insiders Only - This phase started with the replacement of Reyna with Lee and then the appointment of Cushing as head coach. Reyna was the last hybrid part MLS part CFG insider. At this point, I think CFG executive leadership is less involved than ever because Lee and Cushing are their guys and they trust them to run things the way they expect. It's also why neither was ever at any risk of being fired this season. Even player acquisition has shifted to be heavily insider-based with the team getting more and more players from CFG sister clubs and very few intra-MLS player transfers or signings.

I think you are on to something that the CFG ethos is fully entrenched in the DNA of NYCFC but the executives are actually less involved than they were at the start because the club is organizationally where they want it to be. They now have a ton of other newer clubs in the CFG umbrella that need more of their attention and they have mostly moved on.

 

[mgarbowski]

I think CFG strongly believes they have successfully integrated the CFG ethos into the DNA of NYCFC. Intentional or not I would say it happened in 3 phases.

Phase 1 CFG executive vision and control - In the early years Ferran Soriano was much more present in the business of NYCFC. He talked about NYCFC fairly frequently in interviews often mentioning goals and organizational vision for the team. Soriano and other CFG/MCFC leadership would occasionally be at NYCFC games. There were always rumors that the team needed signoffs on player decisions from CFG and that there was some tension as a result of this level of control between the NYCFC front office and CFG.

Phase 2 Onfield Style Integration - This phase started with the arrival of Viera and continued up through Ronny. This was the peak of "playing the city way" talk. We still hear about it occasionally now but it was mentioned much more frequently a few years ago. Every coach that got hired talked about playing the city way. The team went to Manchester for preseason. The intention to play the city way was engrained into everything.

Phase 3 Insiders Only - This phase started with the replacement of Reyna with Lee and then the appointment of Cushing as head coach. Reyna was the last hybrid part MLS part CFG insider. At this point, I think CFG executive leadership is less involved than ever because Lee and Cushing are their guys and they trust them to run things the way they expect. It's also why neither was ever at any risk of being fired this season. Even player acquisition has shifted to be heavily insider-based with the team getting more and more players from CFG sister clubs and very few intra-MLS player transfers or signings.

I think you are on to something that the CFG ethos is fully entrenched in the DNA of NYCFC but the executives are actually less involved than they were at the start because the club is organizationally where they want it to be. They now have a ton of other newer clubs in the CFG umbrella that need more of their attention and they have mostly moved on.

This is really on target.

 

[FootyLovin]

I think CFG strongly believes they have successfully integrated the CFG ethos into the DNA of NYCFC. Intentional or not I would say it happened in 3 phases.

Phase 1 CFG executive vision and control - In the early years Ferran Soriano was much more present in the business of NYCFC. He talked about NYCFC fairly frequently in interviews often mentioning goals and organizational vision for the team. Soriano and other CFG/MCFC leadership would occasionally be at NYCFC games. There were always rumors that the team needed signoffs on player decisions from CFG and that there was some tension as a result of this level of control between the NYCFC front office and CFG.

Phase 2 Onfield Style Integration - This phase started with the arrival of Viera and continued up through Ronny. This was the peak of "playing the city way" talk. We still hear about it occasionally now but it was mentioned much more frequently a few years ago. Every coach that got hired talked about playing the city way. The team went to Manchester for preseason. The intention to play the city way was engrained into everything.

Phase 3 Insiders Only - This phase started with the replacement of Reyna with Lee and then the appointment of Cushing as head coach. Reyna was the last hybrid part MLS part CFG insider. At this point, I think CFG executive leadership is less involved than ever because Lee and Cushing are their guys and they trust them to run things the way they expect. It's also why neither was ever at any risk of being fired this season. Even player acquisition has shifted to be heavily insider-based with the team getting more and more players from CFG sister clubs and very few intra-MLS player transfers or signings.

I think you are on to something that the CFG ethos is fully entrenched in the DNA of NYCFC but the executives are actually less involved than they were at the start because the club is organizationally where they want it to be. They now have a ton of other newer clubs in the CFG umbrella that need more of their attention and they have mostly moved on.

Very good analysis. Though, TBF, 3 of the 5 coaches have been insiders. That didn’t just happen with Cushing.

 

[gbservis]

Very good analysis. Though, TBF, 3 of the 5 coaches have been insiders. That didn’t just happen with Cushing.

Yeah, Viera and Dome both came from within CFG but both had much more diverse backgrounds across multiple organizations than Cushing. Cushing is the poster child of CFG Insider. Both Dome and Viera helped with the installation of playing the city way but Cushing is the final form. Just look at the differences in their backgrounds, no one at CFG is losing sleep at night worrying the Cushing is going to go rogue and start slipping in some new tactics.

 

[KevinJRogers]

This is really on target.

Spot on.

 

[LionNYC]

Q&A | David Lee on 2023, Next Season & More | New York City FC

Following the conclusion of New York City Football Club's 2023 season, Sporting Director David Lee sat down to reflect on the year and discuss a number of issues related to the Club.

www.nycfc.com

We see his talent as a coach every day on the training pitch and by the players developing under Nick’s coaching, and the way he wants to play the game very much aligns with our coaching philosophy of playing attacking, exciting football.

I can't agree with this, at least what has been seen on the field. Less pressing up from like has happened from 2016-2022 and most players regressed (Talles, Sands, Parks, Gray in particular).

 

[moogoo]

Q&A | David Lee on 2023, Next Season & More | New York City FC

Following the conclusion of New York City Football Club's 2023 season, Sporting Director David Lee sat down to reflect on the year and discuss a number of issues related to the Club.

www.nycfc.com

We see his talent as a coach every day on the training pitch and by the players developing under Nick’s coaching, and the way he wants to play the game very much aligns with our coaching philosophy of playing attacking, exciting football.

I can't agree with this, at least what has been seen on the field. Less pressing up from like has happened from 2016-2022 and most players regressed (Talles, Sands, Parks, Gray in particular).

100% bullshit to justify not sacking him. That's all it is.

 

[Gene]

Well, I've never been one to shy away from beating a topic into the ground. . . . . . .

It's all well and good to mention bringing in a lot of new players, but if they're going to continue their policy of hiring guys who are still eligible for any particular "U" team from their home country, 2024 isn't going to be much different from 2023.

 

[LionNYC]

Added a poll...

 

[moogoo]

I voted cushing above. why?

While acknowledging the incompleteness of the roster, it's cushing's responsibility to get the most out of the players he had. While we were missing a #9 and arguably - better wingbacks, I believe we still had enough talent on the team to easily make the playoffs where 9 teams qualify.

Regression in key players is a coaching thing.
Conservative tactics is a coaching thing.
Starting XI picks and subs that didn't make sense - coaching thing.

All that being said - I give cushing credit for keeping the locker room from devolving into a shitshow. Despite the lackluster season, the team still looked like they were fighting for every last minute down the the last minute of the season. That's definitely an indication of a good locker room dynamic.

 

[LionNYC]

 

[ZYanksRule]

Thought that was a really good interview. I really hope Nick has success next season with an improved squad, because I really do believe that he's a good coach who was dealt a bad hand this year.

 

[FootyLovin]

Cush interviews the way he coaches. Plodding and cautious, almost never scoring.