Phil Neville: Portland Timbers part company with the boss

The Portland Timbers have confirmed they have parted company with head coach Phil Neville by mutual consent.

Neville’s final match in charge was Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes that left the Timbers third from bottom in the Western Conference, eight points off an automatic MLS playoff spot.

Speaking on Monday, Neville, 49, thanked everyone involved at the club for his time at Oregon but admitted he had failed to deliver the results needed this term.

“I understand that we are in a results business, and the results have not been what this football club expected,” Neville said.

Former defender of England and Manchester United Joined Portland Timbers in 2023 Five months after being fired from Inter Miami.

She was previously in charge of the England Women’s team, leading them to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup.

And while the club set a new scoring record and he led the Timbers to the playoffs in his first two seasons at the helm — before losing in the first round and first round, respectively — the timing of the decision came as the league went on a World Cup break.

Ned Grabavoy, general manager of the Timbers, added: “Phil brings enthusiasm and passion to the role, and has been a pleasure to work with. We wish Phil well in his next opportunity.

“This off-season we talked about the areas we wanted to build on and improve on

“Ultimately, we did not see the progress we needed, and most importantly, the results fell short of expectations.”