In the first week of 2025, New York City FC announced that Pascal Jansen would be the sixth head coach in club history.
The London-born Dutchman joined NYCFC with a strong European resume, most notably in the Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar. Jansen was a member of Arne Slott’s coaching team before the future Liverpool FC coach departed leaving Jansen to be promoted to head coach, which understandably brings with it high expectations. Jansen doesn't have the longest track record as a head coach – he took over AZ in December 2020, was dismissed at the start of 2024, then moved to Hungary's Ferencváros TC that same June – but his pedigree is impressive.
How that will manifest itself at New York City is yet to be seen. Jansen was brought in to deliver on the promise of this young squad, and to do better than his predecessor, Nick Cushing. The results so far are good, if mixed.
Inconsistencies persist
Fast forward six months from that January announcement, and Jansen is 17 matches into his Major League Soccer tenure. NYCFC now sits 10th in the Eastern Conference with seven wins, four draws, and six losses.
The team's form has been shaky, with great wins followed by lifeless defeats. Looking at the table, NYCFC is undefeated when playing the top teams in the conference. But they have lost to some of the biggest under-performers in the league. To put that into numbers, the average point total for opponents that have beaten NYCFC is 20.1, while the average point total for opponents that NYCFC has beaten is 25.6.
That inconsistency is an indication of both the inexperience in this group, and the potential.
Youth movement
It would be an understatement to say that Jansen has relied on young players these 17 games. So far, the head coach has fielded three teenage Academy products in Jonny Shore, Seymour Reid, and Maximo Carrizo, along with MLS SuperDraft selection Nico Cavallo.
No other head coach in club history has shown such faith in the youngsters. It isn't always by choice. Injuries and a quiet transfer window have forced Jansen's hand when it comes to making the team's lineup on many occasions. But the players are rewarding Jansen's decision to play them.
That's especially true when it comes to Shore, who is now a regular starter.
Tactical challenges
Tactically, Jansen usually lines up in the same 4-3-3 formation Cushing played. NYCFC continues to maintain a possession-based style, holding the ball more than 50% on average this season.
Right now, the team is relying heavily on the creativity of 38-year-old midfielder Maxi Moralez and the finishing of Costa Rica international Alonso Martinez. It can be effective when it works, but when it doesn't the team can look lost.
But Jansen’s full tactical vision is still to be determined, as it’s clear he’s been dissatisfied with many of the performances from key pieces this season so far. In interviews, he’s blunt about his expectations, and he will clearly explain where the team is succeeding and where it is falling short. His honesty in interviews is a breath of fresh air after elusive responses from Cushing in years past left many in the fanbase frustrated.
But despite the mixed results, Jansen looks like a good fit. Culture-wise, he’s holding players accountable for on- and off-field errors, and by giving opportunities for youngsters to develop he's also helping build their confidence. It’s clear that he’s getting the best out of a far-from-perfect roster that he inherited at the start of the season. And it's exciting to think about what kind of firepower could be brought in during the summer transfer window.
Right now, there are few doubts that Jansen is the right guy at the helm After all, the first notable result of his tenure, a 2-0 defeat of an in-form New York Red Bulls at Citi Field, flipped the script on the MLS Cup Playoff loss last year that led to the demise of Cushing. Now he just needs to keep developing young players, and ironing out those inconsistencies.
