Pascal Jansen must remain transparent and honest for the rest of 2026
The weight of the world is likely on Pascal Jansen's shoulders as New York City FC's 2026 struggles continued this past weekend. After losing the Hudson River Derby, the Pigeons desperately needed a win on the road against Atlanta United FC. However, the match ended in a draw after an awful goalkeeping mistake by Tomás Romero led to dropped points.
Mistakes have been prevalent this season for NYCFC, and they are one of the top reasons why the team sits in ninth place at the moment. Based on the season's trends, it is easy to believe that the Bronx side might continue to lose out on wins. If that happens, then Jansen must continue to be real and honest with the fans.
Pascal Jansen must remain honest
The reason is simple. Former NYCFC Head Coach Nick Cushing was not always transparent with the fans and would get defensive about criticism. Too many times, he was all talk and told the media that the team would get better, but they did not. His tenure was not a good one, both on and off the pitch.
Hence, one aspect of Jansen's tenure is that he is honest and transparent. He is not vague like his predecessor and does not become defensive. As such, he must stay this way, no matter what happens during the rest of the 2026 campaign.
The likelihood of questions turning toward Jansen's game management and tactics could easily become a trend during the final matches of the season. Yes, the injury problems still remain, and Jansen cannot be blamed for that. Yet, the poor mistakes and self-inflicted errors, which the head coach has discussed, will not go away. He has also made some questionable substitution decisions as of late.
So, is the head coach part of the blame of why NYCFC is struggling? That is surely something that can be looked into, especially at the end of the year.
But if and when the questions arrive, he just needs to continue being himself, which he has done so recently. Even after the Atlanta draw, he made it clear that the loss lay with Romero's spill of the ball. If he continues to do that, then fans will continue to respect him as a person, regardless of the poor results. He also cannot become defensive like Cushing was.
Jansen should also not be afraid to clearly state what went wrong when NYCFC does not win. If he does that, then his relationship with the media and fans will not become sour like it was with Cushing. No matter what happens, the head coach wants to be remembered as a transparent and honest man who was willing to take the harsh criticism.
