underperformance and were keen for
change, and the local match-going
fans, who were fully invested in the
Lampard project.
Currently of course, there are no
match-going fans, and this may be
to Tuchel’s advantage. In the past,
Chelsea supporters have wasted no
time in making their feelings known
against unpopular appointments –
Rafael Benitez was jeered by huge
swathes of the crowd during his first
home game after taking interim charge
of the Blues in 2012, while Andre
Villas-Boas and Maurizio Sarri faced
pressure from the stands too.
Chelsea’s most popular and
successful bosses of the last 20 years
–Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and
Antonio Conte – valued solid defences
and ruthlessly efficient attacks; Tuchel’s
opening game saw the team complete
820 passes in a 0-0 draw with Wolves.
If the team are not playing winning,
attacking football when fans return
to the stadium, it could be a hostile
environment for the German.
As for the players, who will be the
winners and losers from the change?
Chelsea were said to have specifically
targeted a German-speaking coach,
so naturally much is expected of
Havertz and Werner in the new
regime. Although Lampard
championed academy graduates,
Tuchel is unlikely to discard them.
Mount and Abraham both started in
the new manager’s first win – a 2-0
victory over Burnley – while Callum
Hudson-Odoi has, if anything, been
more involved under the German.
The new manager has inherited
a squad that is the envy of most of
Europe, without the huge egos he
was burdened with in Paris. His sharp,
tactical mind and coaching ability
should make for a successful
combination.
As for Lampard, questions remain
as to where he will go next. He has
shown enough promise to land another
job at the top of the Championship
at the very least. Clearly he needs
more experience to become an elite
manager. Yet having already landed his
dream job, does he have the appetite
to build his way back up to the top?
Only time will tell.
Jamie Evans
P
hil Neville launched
his career as head
coach of Inter Miami
by stating: “One thing
that really excites me is
to prove people wrong.”
The former
Manchester United, Everton and
England player will get plenty of
opportunity to do that in Florida, with
most observers suspecting he only
got the job because of his long-time
friendship with co-owner and club
president David Beckham. Others
query whether a foreign coach can
succeed in winning MLS. The only one
to do so in the last decade, Gerardo
Martinez with Atlanta United in 2018,
had two decades’ experience behind
him and came to MLS after roles at
Barcelona and Argentina.Neville’s CV consists of three years
in charge of England women following
brief coaching spells at Manchester
United and Valencia, and a match
co-managing Salford City.
This is a fairly thin resume for the
demanding task awaiting him in Fort
Lauderdale – where Inter Miami
actually play while their planned
$996m stadium continues to inchtowards fruition (ground is yet to be
broken on a site contaminated with
arsenic). In their debut MLS season
Inter Miami finished tenth of14 clubs
in the Eastern Conference, winning
seven games out of 23. They failed to
make the play-offs after being knocked
out in an elimination round by fellow
expansion team Nashville 3-0.
For a team featuring Gonzalo
Higuain and Blaise Matuidi, this was
underwhelming. Thus the exit of
Uruguayan coach Diego Alonso, who
came to the club after winning the
CONCACAF Champions League with
Mexican clubs Pachuca and Monterrey.
Neville would not appear an obvious
upgrade but Beckham insisted: “We
don’t just employ our friends. We
employ the best people. We’re running
a serious soccer club here and we hire
people we think are best suited. Phil is
a natural leader, and I believe now is
the right time for him to join.”
Co-ownerJorge Mas added: “The
fact that he’s David’s friend is a reality
that we don’t hide from, we embrace it.
But he wasn’t handed this job because
of that. He earned it.”
For his own part Neville, 44,
said of Beckham: “He is my friend,
but from two to three weeks ago he
has been my boss. There will be times
when we have difficult conversations.
To build something here that can be
bigger than anything we have done in
our careers or our lives is something
that excites.”
Both men spoke of bringing
through young players, but at most
clubs staying around to achieve such
long-term goals requires short-term
success. Mas suggested Miami will be
no different when he said: “We won’t
settle for mediocrity.”
To that end, while Neville talked
of winning cultures, hard work and
immersing himself in the job and
city, perhaps as important is the
simultaneous hiring of Chris
Henderson, previously of Seattle
Sounders, to be chief soccer officer
and sporting director. Neville faces
a steep learning curve. Henderson’s
contacts and experience may help him
climb it. If not Neville and Beckham
could be having one of those difficult
conversations.
Glenn MooreReunion...Beckham
and Neville came
through the
Manchester United
academy togetherPhil Neville
Manager leaves England women to reunite
with team-mate David Beckham at Inter Miami
PEOPLE AND PLACES IN THE NEWS“We don’t just employ our friends.
We employ the best people. We’re
running a serious soccer club here
and we hire people we think are
best suited”
Inter Miami owner David Beckham