The Portland Timbers may soon have a new, big-name manager. Reports by The Athletic (also corroborated by The Oregonian/Oregon Live) suggest that the team is close to hiring Phil Neville as its fifth head coach of the MLS era.
There’s no denying he’s well-known on the beautiful game’s global stage. As a player, Neville won the Premier League multiple times with Manchester United (as a teammate of David Beckham), while also playing for the Three Lions.
However, his managerial career has been noticeably less illustrious. During his stint at the helm of England’s women’s national team, Neville won just over half of the matches during a tenure that was rife with controversy. And in June 2023, he was fired as head coach of Inter Miami FC when the team was bottom of the MLS.
It also appears that Miles Joseph, who was interim head coach following the dismissal of Giovanni Savarese, will be retained on staff as an assistant.
