The ultimate Pascal Jansen review after his first year in charge of NYCFC

In 2023 and 2024, New York City FC fans had quite a bit of frustration with former Head Coach Nick Cushing.  It did not matter whether it was his tactics, player decisions, or comments in press conferences, for the coach just did not do a great job with the Bronx side.  So, when Pascal Jansen was brought in as the new head coach, fans hoped he would be different.

Thankfully, he was, and in many ways, too.  In his first year as the NYCFC head coach, he led the Pigeons to a 17-12-5 record in Major League Soccer and 18-15-5 record overall.  Notably, 11 of the wins came in the second half of the season. The losses were still not where the team wanted to be, but winning 18 times in his first season is something supporters might not have expected.  There were also a few losses that could have been wins or draws.

Plus, some of the losses should not have happened, like the two against CF Montréal and the home loss to D.C. United.  Both teams ended the season in 13th and 15th place, respectively.  However, there were also some great results, like the road draw to Inter Miami CF to begin the season, the wins against FC Cincinnati, and the wonderful Hudson River Derby sweep.

Pascal Jansen had a good first season with NYCFC

Of course, NYCFC fans will focus on the great playoff run that saw the team make the Eastern Conference finals.  They won both their road matches against Charlotte FC, which were the first wins at Bank of America Stadium.  Then, they shocked the MLS Supporters’ Shield winners, the Philadelphia Union, to book a place in the last game before the MLS Cup. 

Sadly, they lost terribly to Inter Miami, ultimately ending the season with a punch in the gut.  Still, Jansen led this team to that point, which is a great accomplishment.  One might argue that Cushing did the same.  However, fans will remember that it was in 2022, and Ronny Deila led the team for half of the season.  Cushing took over and did not get much of a chance to change things, which did not work out when he did.

The wins, though, do not show the full story.  Fans could clearly see the way Jansen was trying to institute his tactics, which did take some time.  They still aligned with the City Football Group way, aiming to play possession-based football.  The difference between him and Cushing, though, is that Jansen is willing to change his tactical approach depending on who the team is playing.

Sometimes he will have the team play more defensively, and even have them play using the counterattack now and again.  Other times, he will have the team play more directly, focusing on getting the ball into the final third with crosses and longer passes compared to using possession to move the ball. 

In addition, his substitution choices are better.  He will put players on that will change the pace of play and add to the attack.  He will make changes to the lineup that are influential and adjust the tactics.  The big thing is that Jansen was willing to change how the team was playing and the players midgame, rather than being stubborn like his predecessor.

Sure, Jansen, like any coach, can be stubborn in trying to institute what he wants.  But he does not wait and tells the media that things will get better and that eventually things will click.  Instead, he is honest and expresses when he is not pleased with the team.  NYCFC could win a game by a few goals, and he will nitpick things that did not work or aspects of the match that he is not pleased with.

Pascal Jansen has refreshed NYCFC

The head coach does not hide or blame anyone during losses.  He looks at what went wrong and will be transparent with everyone.  The honesty is one of the aspects that fans like about him.  It is a refreshing change compared to the last few seasons. 

Moreover, he is also changing the culture.  There is something different in the air at NYCFC, and it feels like the desire to win is even greater.  There have also been no issues where one could see that certain players were not fond of Cushing.  Rather, Jansen commands the respect of his players and rewards those who put in the work.

Another aspect that he has done well with is developing and trusting the youth.  Cushing had some success, but one can argue that some of that stemmed from Deila.  But Jansen has taken Justin Haak and turned him into an everyday starter.  He polished the midfielder/ defender into someone who multiple teams are trying to sign.  He also gave Jonathan Shore a chance, and the young midfielder played many matches in the first half of the season.

While still not to the needed level, Julián Fernández and Agustín Ojeda were arguably better in 2025 in how they played, with Ojeda being about the same statistically.  It could be possible that the two young players will not turn into what many thought they would, and maybe a move away from NYCFC is in the cards.  Still, if they are willing to stay, then Jansen and the club should not give up on them yet.

All of the above aspects of Jansen’s first season as the head coach have resulted in him having a strong first start with the Pigeons.  Yes, there is still much to improve on, and even changes with some of the roster can enhance the performances and production on the pitch.  The club also needs to replace some of their long-term injured players for the next season.

Nevertheless, he has done a lot of good with NYCFC, and it is exciting to see what he will do in 2026. The potential he showed to start the season has turned into something that could be magical in the upcoming years.