Just 1.00 ppg this season
It feels like an overdue move; Inter Miami CF have released head coach Phil Neville. The club announced the decision on Thursday after Inter Miami started the season with five wins and ten losses. The club has won just one of their last five games, and even a five-win winning spell earlier in the spring included two wins against USL Championship sides Miami FC and Charleston Battery in the US Open Cup.
“When we appointed Phil, we knew he would give Inter Miami his all, and I have watched him work incredibly hard and with real commitment towards the ambitions we set out for the club,” co-owner David Beckham said in a club statement. “He and his family embraced Miami, and he has devoted himself to the drive to bring success to the city and to our fans. Phil has made a real contribution to the culture of our club with his qualities as a leader and knowledge as a coach. Sometimes in this game, we have to make the toughest decisions, and sadly we feel the time is right to make a change. I want to personally thank Phil for his hard work, his passion for our Club, and for his integrity as a person.”
Indeed, many close observers of the organization felt that it was Beckham, in particular, who was protecting Neville. After all, the 46-year-old averaged just 1.32 points per game in the 90 games he was in charge at the club. This season that point average dropped to just 1.00 point per game in MLS.
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In charge since 2021 – Neville one playoff round not enough
Under Neville, Inter Miami CF failed to reach the playoffs in 2021, finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference with just 41 points from 34 games and a goal differential of -17. The club marginally improved in 2022 when the Florida-based club finished sixth to make the playoffs with 48 points but was eliminated by New York City FC in the first round (3-0).
With all that in mind, even Neville’s friend Beckham was unable or unwilling to protect his friend. Furthermore, Inter Miami CF are on the verge of a potentially significant transfer summer in which the club remains linked to Lionel Messi. Messi, who will have several options, will want to have a clear perspective and a top coach in charge should he pick Miami as his next destination. The same can be said for target Sergio Busquets. Either way, the Beckham club once again faces a major overhaul in the coming months in which they will try to salvage a season that has been anything but ideal.
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