That won’t be the case for Phil Neville. After success as England Women’s national team coach, the former United player would take the step into the “men’s world”. David Beckham brought his buddy in 2021 to the newly established Inter Miami (before Messi and the gang), but in 2023 Becks realized that Neville was not giving expectant investors the performance the club was rigged for. Neville stayed in MLS, has had a few seasons with the Portland Timbers, but was again weighed too lightly this week.
Phil Neville is done as Portland Timbers coach after a weak run of results in MLS. The former Manchester United defender leaves the club, third bottom of the table in the Western Conference and eight points behind the automatic play-off places.
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Neville’s tenure with the Portland Timbers came to an end after Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. The club confirmed on Monday that Neville had left the club “by mutual consent”.
The decision comes at a crucial time in the season, with Portland hoping to revive the season during the upcoming World Cup break. Neville joined the Timbers in 2023 after leaving Inter Miami. Despite leading a squad that was considered capable of challenging higher up the table, Portland struggled to keep up and was unable to resolve persistent defensive issues throughout the current season.
Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy admitted that the club had not made the expected progress under Neville.
“We appreciate Phil’s dedication and efforts during his time with the Portland Timbers,” Grabavoy said on the club’s official website. “Phil brought enthusiasm and passion to the role, and it was a pleasure to work with him. We wish Phil all the best in his next opportunity.”
“This offseason, we had sharp discussions about the areas we needed to build on and improve. Ultimately, we haven’t seen the progress we needed and, most importantly, the results have been far below expectations.”
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