Steve Nicol: A legend moves on

The longest serving head coach in MLS, Steve Nicol, left his post with the New England Revolution on Monday. Here, Simon Furnivall tells the story of the former Liverpool man’s time in Foxborough and how the early years of success faded away into mediocrity.

On Monday it was announced that Steve Nicol, the longest serving Head Coach in MLS, would not have his contract renewed with the New England Revolution. Described as a “mutual parting of ways”, it brings to an end of the most successful and storied partnerships in MLS history, and as a Liverpool fan it is sad to see a legend of the club lose his job. As in football everywhere else, however, results are the be all and end all, and having not made the play-offs in either 2010 or 2011, there was only so long that Nicol could continue on the strength of past glories. It was a parting that had perhaps become inevitable.

When Nicol moved across the Atlantic, initially as a player-coach with the now defunct Boston Bulldogs of the USL A-League, there were probably few thoughts that the man from Irvine, on Scotland’s west coast, would become one of the most respected coaches in North America. It’s fair to say that he was already a respected name in the game, but that is no kind of predictor for coaching success.

Signed for Liverpool by Bob Paisley in October 1981, Nicol went on to make 468 appearances in the famous red shirt, lifting the European Cup in 1984 and making himself a regular fixture of those great ’80s teams. Having played under Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish, there perhaps shouldn’t be too much surprise that he picked up some useful management tips along the way, and his quick rise to the Revolution was evidence of that.

By 2002, after a spell as assistant, Nicol was appointed as head coach of the New England side. Initially on an interim basis, he was soon given a permanent contract, and that faith was rewarded with unprecedented success. in 2001 the Revs had failed to make the play-offs, but under Nicol’s guidance in 2002 they finished top of the Eastern Conference and made it to the MLS Cup, the showpiece final of the soccer season in North America. A fairy tale ending wasn’t to be, a 113th minute goal from the LA Galaxy’s Carlos Ruíz ensuring that, but Nicol was named Coach of the Year and a bright future lay ahead.

In his first six seasons as Head Coach in New England, Nicol saw the team to four MLS Cup games. They fell short in 2003 and 2004, losing in the conference final each time, but in 2005 they returned to the main event. Again they faced the Galaxy, who likewise hadn’t been to the MLS Cup since 2002, but who had, earlier in the season, lifted the US Open Cup and made it a double with another extra time win over the Revs, this time Guillermo Ramírez striking the winner in the 105th minute.

Nicol’s Revolution made it to each of the next two MLS Cups as well, a period of success which can justify, although they never lifted the trophy, their claims to have been the team of the decade. Their best chance of winning the Championship match came in 2006 when they faced Houston Dynamo, and once again, after a 0-0 finish to the 90 minutes, extra time was needed. On this occasion the Revs took the lead, Taylor Twellman striking left-footed across goalkeeper Pat Onstad and into the corner of the net. Given the cagey affair that the game had been, that should have been enough for New England, but they switched off from the restart, and 42 seconds later, Houston’s Brian Ching converted a header from eight yards out. For the first time in MLS Cup history, the game would be decided on penalties, and misses from Pat Noonan and Jay Heaps ensured that the trophy went to Texas, prolonging the Revolution’s pain.

The two teams returned in 2007, the final held at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., and again Twellman gave the Revs the lead, but on this occasion only 90 minutes were needed for Houston to claim back-to-back victories. Goals from Joseph Ngwenya and Dwayne De Rosario again saw Nicol foiled, and in what was to be their final MLS Cup appearance.

Nicol’s success had been built on the basic formula for MLS success, with the strive for parity in the league meaning that good use of the draft and trade systems were key. For the Revolutions’ owners, the Kraft family, that suited their lack of willing to spend, but the introduction of the Designated Player rule in 2007 changed all that. As other teams began to spend, and with the number of overseas players allowed rising, the Revolution were left behind. Astute draft picks such as Clint Dempsey and Pat Noonan left for better leagues or higher wages and the career-ending run of injuries suffered by Twellman did little to help. Nicol managed still to guide his side to the play-offs in both 2008 and 2009, but on both occasions they fell at the first hurdle against Chicago.

Nicol didn’t leave the trophy cabinet at the Gillette Stadium entirely empty, however. In 2007, as they looked to bounce back from two straight MLS Cup defeats, they went hard after the US Open Cup and they beat FC Dallas in a five-goal final, with Wells Thompson scoring what proved to be the winner in the 57th minute. Their 2007 success ensured that they qualified for the 2008 SuperLiga, in which they gained some measure of revenge on Houston. After a 2-2 draw, the two sides were again headed to a penalty shoot-out and this time the Revolution were victorious, marking themselves out as the only American side to win the tournament, a fact that will remain given its discontinuation in 2010.

That was to be the last hurrah for Nicol’s side though. With his side progressively dismantled through its own success, and without the finances to adequately replace those who had moved on, he couldn’t stop the Revolution from sliding down the table. Their run of play-off appearances came to an end in 2010, and when they finished 17th of 18 in 2011, bettering only debutant side Vancouver Whitecaps, it was evident that Nicol’s time had run out.

His departure comes as a shock to nobody, though with a heavy heart to many. Nicol had carved out a position for himself as one of the great coaches to work in MLS, even though his sides were never quite able to take that final step and lift the biggest prize. He is still a young man, however, shy of his 50th birthday, and his next move will be an interesting one to watch. Will he stay in the US and hope for another crack at MLS Cup success or move back to his native shores, where his achievements are perhaps not given the recognition that they fully deserve? Wherever he ends up though, one this is for certain, fans of the New England Revolution will never forget the little man from Irvine.

Simon writes regularly on the Premier League for The Football Project and can be found on twitter @SFurnivall.