Man City not ruling out Cushing staying on as boss

Manchester City women's director of football Therese Sjogran says she has not ruled out the possibility of interim head coach Nick Cushing staying on this summer.

Cushing, 40, took over on an interim basis until the end of the season following Gareth Taylor's sacking last month.

Sjogran also said the timing of Taylor's departure in the lead up to the Women's League Cup final was "not great" but added that it was the "right" decision.

Cushing rejoined City for a second spell at the club where he spent seven years between 2013 and 2020.

When asked about Cushing's future, Sjogran told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: "The initial approach was an interim and we are in the process of trying to find the right coaching staff for next season but you never know."

Asked if he could be part of the discussion, she said: "Maybe."

Cushing previously helped City win the Women's Super League and the FA Cup, plus the League Cup twice, before moving to MLS side New York City.

Former Sweden international Sjogran says Cushing has had "a lot" of impact since his arrival and has allowed players to have more freedom on the pitch.

"He really came in within a lot of energy, more attacking football than we had before," she said.

"So I just felt like he gave the girls more passion and let them be a little bit more free in their roles.

"He was the right person to come in at that time because he knew the club, he loves the club so it was an easy transition for us."

Since returning to City, he has overseen five matches with four of those coming against Chelsea, including a League Cup final defeat and a Champions League quarter-final exit.

Former head coach Taylor was sacked just five days before the Women's League Cup final, which City lost 2-1 to Chelsea in Cushing's first game back in charge.

"The timing is never going to be perfect," says Sjogran, who joined the club in October. "I just felt like we had to do something.

"The timing was not great but we could not wait and I wanted to give the team the best opportunity and chances to really go for the four games against Chelsea.

"The decision we made I truly believe was the right one, even though we didn't [win the games] we gave the team a chance, and also the coaching staff. For me the decision was right."

City face rivals Manchester United on Sunday at 15:00 BST for a place in the Women's FA Cup final.

"Of course I think we are the better team and we should have a great chance to win the game if we perform at our level," Sjogran added.