Cushing’s ‘tactical masterclass’ as Man City put one foot in semis

Nick Cushing, interim manager of Manchester City, has been away for a while.

With only five days to prepare, Cushing had to lift his team up to face the same team again in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals after suffering a painful defeat at Chelsea in the Women’s League Cup final.

With the help of substitute Vivianne Miedema’s double, he did more than lift them, leading them to a remarkable 2-0 victory at Joie Stadium.

Chelsea went on a 31-game unbeaten run, ending their first defeat of the season in all competitions.

“Of course, winning is important, but just being back here in front of our fans… For the first time since [2019], Cushing said, “I’ve been here.”

Cushing expressed his full emotion as he applauded the crowd and walked around Joie Stadium in a beaming smile.

As they sang “Blue Moon” and chanted “City, City, City,” he stayed back to soak up the praises.

Izzy Christiansen, a former City player, called it a “tactical masterclass” from Cushing, but he claims that the foundations were laid and that it is based on faith.

“It was about making sure we could compete against the best teams,” I thought. You must defeat the best to win awards, said Cushing.

We must present ourselves as a threat at every level of the game. How do you win tight, crucial games?

City quickly asserted control of possession, but the momentum persisted throughout the first half.

In the second half, Cushing changed formations, shifting from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2, and substituting Miedema for him to make a significant impact.

Miedema believes his side showed up in the cup final and he demanded that they show bravery and confidence.

Miedema told BBC Sport, “Champions League nights at the Joie Stadium have been pretty special so far, so I’m really happy that we won.”

You always want to start, but I can’t play four lots of 90 minutes straight. We must think intelligently.

On his return to England, Cushing started four back-to-back games against Chelsea.

Cushing had not played women’s football for five years, so the club made a bold decision to sack Gareth Taylor in the week of a cup final.

However, Karen Carney, a former Chelsea player, claimed that Cushing was “the difference” in City’s 2-0 victory.

He must take a lot of credit, he says. I believed Chelsea would continue to do what they do at half-time, according to Carolyn, who told TNT Sports.

The Manchester City manager made a significant difference this time. He came out of each game plan with the best of them.

“City pressed]Chelsea.” They used brute force. Miedema had two moments of genius when she was sucked in. Outstanding from the manager.

Cushing asserts that Sonia Bompastor presents a tactical challenge to him.

Steph Houghton, a former England captain, and he have added to his coaching staff, as well as making changes to their formation and encouraging them to be more aggressive.

“It’s not ideal to visit during the summer.” It’s definitely not the best time to play a team four times in a row without losing in a cup final, Cushing said.

“But the more challenging it becomes, the more exciting it becomes. We lost the extremely challenging final, but we won tonight and advance to the next one.