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Club World Cup triumph has transformed ambitions but departures will be needed to balance books and fund more signings
Guardian writers’ predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Michael Butler’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 4th
With protests planned for the start of the season, the FSA chair believes only fan consultation will help address grievances
“I’m a bit younger, so this is all I’ve known,” says Nick Clarke, “but something that defines this moment is the feeling that it’s our last chance. You know that phrase: ‘The game’s gone’? I think the game is genuinely going away. It’s excluding traditional supporters and the communities that built the clubs in the first place.”
Clarke has just celebrated his 30th birthday and is coming off the back of a big season. As one of the four season-ticket holders behind the MCFC Fans Foodbank Support, Clarke has been active among the Manchester City fanbase and in the community since the pandemic. With the growing concern over the pricing and provision of tickets at his club last year, he helped coordinate protests by fans whose rivalries go back generations, but whose problems are increasingly shared. Supporters of Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United and others joined City fans under the banner “Stop Exploiting Loyalty” and in doing so became part of a new wave of supporter activism.
NWSL expansion team set to debut in 2026
Cushing returns to US after time in MLS
Nick Cushing, the former Manchester City women and NYC FC manager, has been appointed as the first head coach of the expansion National Women’s Soccer League team Denver Summit FC, who will play their inaugural NWSL season in 2026.
Cushing, who won the 2016 English top-flight title during his first spell in charge of Manchester City, will begin work with Denver immediately, as they prepare for NWSL life after it was announced last December that they had been awarded a franchise spot as part of the division’s expansion to 16 clubs for 2026. Boston Legacy FC are also joining the NWSL as a new outfit.
The Colorado club announced its new name and unveiled its crest and kit colour in July. They have been backed by high-profile investors, including the American skiing icon Mikaela Shiffrin, who is from Colorado, and they have plans to move to a new 14,500-seat purpose-built stadium in 2028.
Cushing won six major trophies, including two Women’s FA Cups, three League Cups, and Manchester City’s sole women’s league title to date during his six-year spell at the helm of the English club. He left in 2020 to take up an assistant role at MLS side New York City FC, where he was elevated to head coach in 2022. He returned to Man City as the Women’s Super League side’s interim head coach in March 2025, overseeing a fourth-placed finish after the sacking of Gareth Taylor.
It is understood the chance to return to life and work in the United States with his family was something the 40-year-old particularly wanted, preferring this unique proposition from Denver over interest from other English clubs.
Cushing said: “Denver Summit FC’s commitment to building a world-class soccer organisation really inspired me. We have a passionate, committed fanbase and we have to put a team on the field that replicates that. Our team will play an attacking form of the game that excites our stadium and makes things difficult for our opponents. We want to create a winning team as well as a great experience for all of Colorado.”
Prior to Cushing’s appointment, the new club named Curt Johnson as their general manager. The former North Carolina Courage GM added: “In order to be successful right away, you need people that have experienced environments like this, have built organisations, and have had success. Nick brings world-class experience, a passion for player development, and a tactical vision that will excite Summit supporters. He’s won major trophies and is the right leader to guide us into our first season and beyond.”
Newly promoted club face a major challenge to stay up with the loss of key players including James Trafford hindering their chances
Guardian writers’ predicted position: 20th (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 2nd in the Championship
A group of leading experts anonymously give the lowdown on how players are bought and sold, including the transfer market’s peculiar quirks
The whole system is lubricated by agents: how they work and how they make things work. At my club, we have closed the door to that now. We used to say we were open to what agents sent our way but in our experience only around one in 100 suggestions were useful, let alone successful.