It might be time for NYCFC II to part ways with Matt Pilkington

Matt Pilkington has been the head coach of New York City FC II since 2022, when MLS Next Pro had its inaugural season. During his tenure, there have been some positive aspects to having him as the head coach, especially because he is so focused on development. His goal, as stated in 2024, was to get players ready for the next level.

He has also had some good moments with the team, like the U.S. Open Cup run in 2024 and leading them to their best season point-wise in 2026, with 47 points. However, despite some of the positives, it might be time for NYCFC II to part ways with Pilkington.

It is time for Matt Pilkington to leave NYCFC

In simple terms, the reason is that he has been here for five years, and the Baby Pigeons' best finish in the Eastern Conference was fifth place in 2022, and overall, their best finish was tenth place, which they did in 2022 and 2026. For the most part, the team has either had bad seasons or years that were just okay. In addition, they only made the postseason in two of the five years under Pilkington.

Sure, the focus might be on development, but success with NYCFC II could lead to success with NYCFC. Remember, the club as a whole wants to create a winning culture. That cannot happen unless both the MLS Next Pro side and the first team are winning. And winning can aid with development.

The fact that the head coach has not found success and that the team has only played two playoff games in five seasons should not be good enough. The club should find a fresh set of eyes to take over the team, possibly from outside of NYCFC and even City Football Group.

There are two things to take into consideration. First, with MLS Next Pro moving to a schedule similar to Major League Soccer, the league will have a Sprint Season. NYCFC II could take their time to find the right replacement for Pilkington. Then, next summer, the team is moving to New Jersey, and there will be a full rebrand of the team name and colors.

With that in mind, it would be a perfect time to have a "rebrand" of the head coach. Truly, he has been a vital part of NYCFC, and it was good that his focus was on making the players better. But in reality, with the exception of Jonathan Shore, who still plays fewer minutes than he should, who has been a star on NYCFC II and jumped to the first team and become an everyday starter? In the end, nobody has done that, and one cannot count Shore since he has not played that much this year.

Some might argue that Kevin O'Toole is someone who developed with NYCFC II. However, he was not with the second team that long. Some might also bring up players who have left, like Christian McFarlane. They might argue that he is someone who was successful since he went from the Bronx to Manchester. However, he is currently on loan with Leicester City F.C. in League One, and he does not start often.

As such, Pilkington has not developed players the way fans expected him to. He is a good coach, but it is time for NYCFC II to say goodbye to him.

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