When Phil Neville arrived at Inter Miami back in 2021, he would have been hoping that it would be the start of a fairytale partnership with his former teammate and friend David Beckham.
However, fast forward a couple of years and the appointment now looks to have been misguided, with the former England defender's spell having turned into nothing short of a nightmare at the club owned by his former Manchester United colleague. Although the duo had shared years of success as players at Old Trafford, they were unable to recreate the magic of yesteryear, with Beckham having been left with seldom choice but to wield the axe after Neville's side fell to a fourth straight defeat in MLS on Wednesday.
In truth, the project as a whole seems to be at the teething stage, with the club still in its infancy having only been inducted into the league back in March of 2020. That said, the halting of action as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic within the same month would prove prescient of what the next three years would, ultimately, have in store, with tangible progress having been stop-start in the period since.
The lack of gate receipts as a result of the pandemic meant that the Herons started life behind closed doors, with this disconcerting genesis accompanied by five consecutive defeats in their first five MLS matches. Fortunes would eventually recover, with coach Diego Alonso leading the team to 10th place in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the play-in round of the playoffs - but he would leave in January of 2021.
There is no doubt that Neville's subsequent appointment raised some eyebrows, particularly given the former Everton player's patchy CV, which included a caretaker role at Salford City and an unspectacular stint in charge of the England women's team. In many ways, the connection with Beckham and a general perception that his appointment was as much a result of his relationship with the former LA Galaxy player as his managerial proficiency did appear to linger throughout his tenure stateside.
Beckham seemingly had zero uncertainty about the wisdom of his appointment at the time, however, with the Inter Miami co-owner having spoken in glowing terms about the incoming coach's work ethic and loyalty. He explained: "I've had a long history with Phil, on the field off the field. I know what he's like as a personality, I know what he's like as a coach and I know what he's like as a human being. He's trust-worthy, he's loyal and he's hardworking.
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"I think to bring that into our club, not just to work with our first-term but to also work with the academy, the USL guys, our staff and everyone within this club. Because we have to indent a DNA that runs through this club, that's why we've made the moves and decisions that we've made."
In retrospect, it does seem as though Beckham was willing to be patient in the hope of Neville eventually finding his groove, while instilling a much-needed identity within the franchise. An 11th-place finish in 2021 under his former teammate represented something of a regression compared but it did appear that his long-term vision was starting to gather pace after a promising 2022 campaign which resulted in a sixth-place finish, alongside qualification for the first round of the playoffs.
One could posit that a run of six games without a win at the start of this season was rather telling, with Beckham deciding to show loyalty to the coach he appointed two years previously. Whether Beckham's loyalty to his friend and former teammate, ultimately, played a part in this, he will only know but the decision to stick with the coach does now appear unwise.
Ultimately, Neville's results following this dismal start to the campaign were simply not consistent enough to warrant more time in the job to turn things around. When the former Premier League defender clashed with a reporter last month following a 3-1 loss to rivals Orlando — their eighth defeat in 13 MLS matches — he appeared to be a man under a great deal of pressure and, in hindsight, pretty much doomed to lose his job.
The fact that Inter Miami still remain in contention in the US Open Cup had a possibly meant that Neville was afforded more time in the hotseat. However, fans made their feelings known the other owners during the 1-0 loss to New York Red Bulls which left them sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Furthermore, Neville's criticism of the team's supporters after they booed the coach's son as he was introduced from the bench in the fixture also told of a relationship that had fractured beyond repair. Clearly, the fans were no longer on the ex-Lionesses manager's side, with a parting of ways having become inevitable.
It is interesting that Beckham mentioned the need for the DNA to be 'indented' at Inter Miami back in 2021, with the appointment of Neville an attempt to instil some true football pedigree at the fledgling franchise. However, two years on from the appointment of his former teammate, it does appear as though this sense of identity is still very much lacking at the MLS outfit.
All things considered, it appears that Beckham and his partners are still attempting to find Inter Miami's place in the world. The football icon essentially played it safe with Neville, bringing in someone he knew who he had worked with before as a player, but he may need to be more daring and radical with his next appointment.
