Phil Neville is out at Portland. A 3-1 home loss to San Jose on Saturday was the final straw, ending a tenure that finishes 27-31-24 and leaves the Timbers stranded in 13th place in the Western Conference.
Two-plus seasons. A record below .500. And a squad that looks, right now, like a team without a clear identity or direction.
What went wrong
Neville arrived ahead of the 2024 season replacing Giovanni Savarese, a coach who took Portland to the playoffs in four of his five-plus years in charge. That's a tough act to follow — and Neville never really got close. His previous stop at Inter Miami ended at 35-42-13. Portland is the second MLS club that's moved on from him, which raises questions that won't disappear with the next appointment.
To his credit, Neville's parting statement had some genuine warmth in it. "To the Timbers Army — you are the reason I felt inspired to try and bring success to this club," he said. "I will miss you all." That'll land with supporters, even if the table doesn't.
Owner Merritt Paulson was effusive in his praise, calling Neville one of the people he's "enjoyed working with most" in nearly two decades of ownership. Fine. But sentiment doesn't fix a squad sitting nine points off the pace in a crowded Western Conference where the playoff picture is already getting tight.
What comes next
The timing of the search is awkward. MLS is currently on a break for international fixtures and the men's World Cup doesn't kick off until June 11, which means Portland have some runway to identify a replacement without the pressure of an immediate match. No interim has been named yet.
That search matters more than the departure itself. The Timbers' Western Conference odds for any kind of postseason run look thin at 4-8-2 — whoever comes in needs wins quickly, not a project rebuild. Portland are in the business of salvaging a season, and the window is narrowing.
Neville played 59 times for England and won trophies at Manchester United. None of that translated into consistent results in MLS. Sometimes a good footballer and a good person still isn't the right coach.
