The NYCFC experiment for Jason Kreis is over.
After just one season in New York Kreis was relieved of his duties as coach of New York City Football Club by their management on Monday. Assistant coaches Miles Joseph and C.J. Brown were also fired on Monday.
In a statement released on their website the club stated that “Prior to the start of the season, it was agreed with the coaching team that the securing of a playoff place was an appropriate target for this year. A win rate of less than one in three games and a points tally which was the second lowest in the league is clearly not in line with the targets that were agreed. ” NYCFC finished in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 10-17-7 (wins-losses-draws).
Their statement would go on say that, “While the challenges of building and integrating a new team are recognized, it was felt by the Board, following a comprehensive review, that there was not enough evidence of the dynamics required to improve the performance of the team for the next season and beyond.”
To say that NYCFC’s 2015 campaign was a mixed bag wold be an understatement. Large crowds at Yankee Stadium and the emergence of fan favorites like David Villa, Poku, and Patrick Mullins was mixed in with the tremendous disappointment of Mix Diskerud and the Frank Lampard saga. A loss to local rival New York Cosmos in the U.S. Open Cup and winning just one match in their first fifteen matches did not help the club in reaching their very high expectations.
But this was a club that was improving at the end of a season, a telltale sign of expansion clubs learning how to play with one another. After an abysmal 1-7-5 start to their season the club played near .500 ball during the their last twenty matches of the season (9-10-2). Given that the club just started play in March was adding players like Lampard and Andrea Pirlo during the middle of the season NYCFC’s record was not as bad as it would first seem.
So with Kreis gone where does NYCFC go for their next manager. The team is reportedly interested in former England manager Fabio Capello. Capello’s experience in the international game is obviously well documented and certainly of merit. However his lack of experience in non-European football should be of a concern to NYCFC supporters.
As for Kreis he immediately becomes of the top coaching free agents in the league. As of right now only Chicago currently has an open spot but with the season winding down more openings may come up.
If there is anything that can be learned from this experience it is that NYCFC management is in”win-now” mode. Kreis was always an interesting choice given City Football Group’s history with Manchester City in the Premier League and that Kreis came from Real Salt Lake, a small-market club that focuses more on developing young players than buying expensive Designated Players. But after so many hype videos from NYCFC and MLS about the great Kreis-NYCFC relationship and the long-term plan it appears that the team is going back to square one.
