In a move that raised a few eyebrows, Phil Neville, Inter Miami’s former manager, was hired as the new coach of the Portland Timbers. In two and a half years with Inter Miami, Neville produced an uninspiring 35-42-13 record with one playoff appearance in 2022 on a 14-14-6 record that season.
Neville’s time at Inter Miami was poor to disastrous at times, in the Englishman’s defense it was before the club made significant roster investments and was hurt by MLS sanctions due to Inter Miami’s front office cheating on roster salary and cap space. Neville did not have Jordi Alba or Lionel Messi to fall back on rather pinning his club’s hopes on the disinterest of Gonzalo Higuaín.
Now with the Portland Timbers, whose supporters met the news feeling uninspired, Phil Neville gets a chance to coach one of MLS’ most passionate fan bases.
Phil Neville to coach Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers are coming off of not qualifying for the MLS postseason two seasons straight after finishing runners up in 2021, losing to NYCFC.
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After firing Giovanni Savarese, who won an MLS is Back tournament, the club is also still moving on from the core group that defined the club for almost a decade in Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco, and the Chara brothers.
Diego Valeri with the Timbers (Getty Images)
The club is looking to build around young players like Evander, Claudio Bravo, David Ayala, Antony, and whoever is signed moving forward, the Timbers have spent on their rosters, although not as high as a Atlanta United, the club has gained notoriety for finding gems on a budget.
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The Portland Timbers statement read, “We are thrilled to welcome Phil Neville as the new head coach of the Portland Timbers, and we look forward to making Phil and his family feel at home in Portland,” said general manager Ned Grabavoy. “Phil’s character makes him the right person to lead this team forward as we continue to reshape the group with a goal of returning to sustained success. His leadership qualities, diverse experience as a coach, and ambition to evolve made him a terrific fit here with us in Portland.”
