If you are a fan of English football, you probably know who Phil Neville is. He is one of the most decorated players in the history of the game, having won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one Champions League and many other trophies with Manchester United. He also played for Everton for eight years, and represented England 59 times at international level. But did you know that he is also a manager? And not just any manager, but the head coach of Inter Miami CF, the MLS team co-owned by his former teammate David Beckham. How did he get there? And what are his strengths and weaknesses as a manager? Let’s find out.

Phil Neville’s managerial career started in 2012, when he joined the England under-21 coaching staff as a temporary assistant to Stuart Pearce. He then became a first-team coach at Manchester United under David Moyes, his former boss at Everton, in 2013. However, he left the club after Moyes was sacked in 2014, and took a break from coaching until 2015, when he briefly served as a caretaker manager of Salford City, the non-league club he co-owns with some of his ex-United colleagues.

In 2016, he returned to Spain, where he had played for a season with Valencia in 2005-06, to join his brother Gary’s coaching staff at the same club. However, this was another short-lived stint, as Gary was sacked after four months in charge, and Phil left soon after. He then worked as a pundit for BBC Sport until 2018, when he was appointed as the head coach of the England women’s team.

This was a surprising and controversial choice, as Neville had no previous experience in women’s football, and had not applied for the job initially. He also faced criticism for some sexist tweets he had posted in the past, which he later deleted and apologised for. However, he quickly won over the players and the fans with his positive and ambitious approach, leading the Lionesses to their first SheBelieves Cup title in 2019, and a fourth-place finish at the World Cup later that year.

However, things went downhill after that, as England lost seven of their next 11 games, and failed to retain their SheBelieves Cup title in 2020. Neville also faced questions about his commitment and motivation, as he admitted that he would walk away if he felt he was not “motivated enough” to continue. He was supposed to lead Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, and then England at the Euros in 2021, but both tournaments were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In January 2021, Neville announced that he would leave his role as England women’s manager earlier than planned, and take over Inter Miami CF as their new head coach. He said that this was an opportunity that he could not turn down, and that he was excited to work with Beckham again. He also thanked the FA and the players for their support and trust during his time with England.

So what can we expect from Phil Neville as a manager of Inter Miami CF? Well, based on his playing and coaching career so far, we can identify some of his strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

  • He has a winning mentality and a high level of professionalism, having played under Sir Alex Ferguson for most of his career.
  • He has a good understanding of the game and its tactics, having played in different positions and systems throughout his career.
  • He has a good rapport with players and staff, having been a captain and a leader on and off the pitch.
  • He has a global network of contacts and connections, having played with and against some of the best players and managers in the world.
  • He has a passion for developing young talent, having worked with youth teams at Manchester United and England.

Weaknesses:

  • He lacks experience and consistency as a manager, having only managed three teams so far, none of them for more than two years.
  • He lacks familiarity with MLS and its rules and regulations, having never played or coached in North America before.
  • He faces high expectations and pressure from fans and media, having taken over a team that finished last in their conference in their debut season.
  • He may struggle to balance his loyalty to Beckham with his own vision and style of management.
  • He may face criticism for his lack of diversity and inclusion in his coaching staff, having hired only male support staff