Nick Cushing: Man City return is an amazing challenge

Manchester City interim head coach Nick Cushing says he is excited for the challenge as his side prepare to face Chelsea in the Subway Women's League Cup final.

Cushing arrives at Manchester City following the dismissal of head coach Gareth Taylor earlier in the week. The former New York City FC manager said he is prepared for the daunting task ahead as he returns to the club for the first time since 2020.

"I've been having some real positive conversations with with leadership here at CFG [City Football Group], and I've been here a very long time, so my relationships with the leadership, I'm really close with people here," Cushing said.

The 40-year-old rejoins Man City after his departure from MLS side New York City FC in the closing stages of 2024. The American men's side relieved Cushing of his duties following the team's sixth-place finish in the 2024 season.

"I was having conversations over the time about staying involved with the group and taking up a new role, a coaching role. I want to be on the grass coaching and early in the week this opportunity came up, and it's a really good challenge for me on that coaching side.

"I spent seven amazing years here previously fighting for trophies and trying to create a team that Manchester City fans could be proud of. Going over to New York and representing the group in New York and leading the team there was an amazing experience, an amazing challenge, and developed me in many ways.

"Having the opportunity to come back for our organisation and try and create another winning team, try and continue the great work that's been done here. The most amazing thing about our organisation is the people here. The group of girls in there are really good people with a real hunger to continue to win."

Cushing will be forced to jump into the deep end as Manchester City travel to Pride Park Stadium this Saturday to face Chelsea in the final of the Subway Women's League Cup. Despite the challenge, the interim head coach believes that he is well-equipped to face the pressure.

"If I reflect on my career, in 2014 when I took the women's team in the WSL, my first game was Liverpool, the champions, live on BT Sport, and I'd come from the under-12 boys. So I then went over to New York, and we won the championship in 2021 and all of a sudden I was head coach in 2022 of the champions. So I think I've been able to take these moments in my stride.

"I've had some real good mentors and some real good advice over time, and I just had some advice before this press conference that was essentially go and enjoy it, it's a great challenge. I think as coaches, we want to create our teams, and we want to prepare our teams to go against the best. The next four games are the ultimate challenge for our group, so we've got to embrace it and attack it."

After a turbulent run of form in the Women's Super League (WSL), City will now have the chance to add silverware to their trophy cabinet for the first time since the 2021/22 campaign.

"It would be definitely an achievement in the sense of coming in," Cushing said of winning silverware in his return game. "But, it's about the group. I said to the group, my opinion of winning leagues and trophies and being in winning positions, it's about getting there. I couldn't give this group enough praise for getting where they've got.

"Of course, the league position [fourth] is not ideal, and it's not where probably we set it out to be at the start and where we would really want it to be at this stage of the season. The reality is, we're in all four competitions, and the Champions League place is still achievable. So I'm not going to get caught up on it on Saturday, because the next game is right around the corner."

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