Nick Cushing interview: New York City head coach on MLS playoffs, Cole Palmer, Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi

Nick Cushing turns 40 on Saturday, the day of his New York City team’s MLS playoff decider against FC Cincinnati. There will be little time for him to reflect but speaking to Sky Sports on the eve of the contest, he is reminded of his long coaching journey.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis has just received a first England call-up. “I had Taylor at five.” A pre-teen Cole Palmer was in his Manchester City group too. “To see what Cole is doing is fascinating. You see the talent but never know what will come out at the other end.”

Cushing has worked within the City Football Group from its inception, predating the ownership at Man City. He was 21 when he arrived, coaching the youngest boys before switching to guide the women’s team to victory in the Women’s Super League in 2016.

“I probably am a product of our system. It developed how I saw the game as a young coach. You learn what your own beliefs are, how you see the game and the skills to be able to coach that. I have been really lucky to work with some incredible people.”

From his office in New York, he talks of early influences such as Alex Gibson, Scott Sellers, Rodolfo Borrell and Brian Marwood. There was Ronny Deila, the head coach he assisted for two years in MLS before taking over the top job himself.

Lessons from Guardiola

But it is the influence of Pep Guardiola that intrigues given how his philosophy has permeated the entire City Football Group. Cushing saw up close how that shaped the club – and his own ideas. “My biggest takeaway was around possession,” he says.

“Everyone talks about having 65 per cent of the ball but just having the ball does not mean you are a threat. How are you going to create chances when the opposition is organised? How do you develop the training to coach that, stitch it into your language?”

Cushing insists that those principles have “definitely made my teams better” but the challenge has been adapting that to MLS. It is a competition with a salary cap. “You have to take account of the style of the league and the group of players,” he concedes.

“I am really proud of the identity. We want to be a team that controls the game with possession, but one that plays attacking football, create chances and win games. We looked at our possession numbers last season and we were not creating enough.

“We looked at how to create chances when we did not have the ball, whether through high pressing or counter-pressing moments. That has definitely improved our team. Having a goal threat in every phase of the game has been huge for us this season.

“A lot of people think possession is about scoring every time with eight, 10, 12 or 14 passes. Maybe possession gets you into dangerous areas more but you still have to equip your team with the ability to score goals within three or four passes too.”

Adapting to MLS culture

Now in his fifth year in New York, two as Deila’s assistant, three as head coach, these are ideas that have evolved. He is a different coach now, one better able to impact his players than when he arrived having known little else beyond working in Manchester.

The culture shock, he admits, was significant even within City Football Group. “My team at Manchester City Women was very English. We had Steph Houghton, Jill Scott, Karen Bardsley, Izzy Christiansen, Toni Duggan. Here, there are a lot of different cultures.”

Cushing’s team includes players from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Costa Rica. It presented a coaching challenge. “You have to develop your ability to communicate in a different language and that has definitely improved my leadership ability,” he explains.

“A big part of my coaching has always been around language, connecting, using emotion to drive the culture and intensity within the group. That was difficult for me at first. I do not think I could give Ronny the best version of me in 2020. I reflected on that.

“It had always been a big strength of mine. I do not think you can drive the idea of a high energy, high intensity team if you are not that guy. I came back and threw myself into it in 2021. I am still not fluent in Spanish but I can communicate, build that rapport.”

Santi Rodriguez, a 24-year-old talent from Uruguay, certainly responded in the second game against Cincinnati, scoring a Panenka-style penalty to keep New York City’s hopes of MLS glory alive. “Santi has the potential to do whatever he wants in his career.”

Facing Messi’s Miami

If that is to include winning the MLS Cup, it is likely that they will have to beat favourites Inter Miami along the way – and that means stopping Lionel Messi and his pals. But Cushing’s side have fared particularly well against the superstars already this year.

“We have played them four times now and not lost.” In their most recent meeting, City equalised late on in front of a near-45,000 crowd. “When you play this game, you are not only facing the champions but everything that comes with it,” says Cushing.

And the challenge of shackling Messi? “There is extra motivation because they win most of the time but I am sure every coach for the last 15 years has tried something. This guy is the greatest, right? And you have Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets too,” he explains.

“For us, it was about doing all our defensive work high up, keeping these guys as far away from our goal as possible, and when you have to defend the box, keeping the lines tight. Do not give them time to get their eyes up and find passes. It worked really well.”

Before that, if they can overcome Cincinnati, there is the carrot of a one-off semi-final game against New York Red Bulls, a team they beat 5-1 away from home just recently. “It would be a derby in our own stadium. It is a great incentive and a huge opportunity.”

But first, there is that decider in Ohio this Saturday. They have lost all three away games against Cincinnati so far. “We have done a lot of work on why, now we have to execute and flip that script,” adds Cushing. “We believe we can do it. We have a clear plan.”

One developed in Manchester and honed in New York.