Revolution players reflect on the first season under Caleb Porter

The 2024 season didn’t go according to plan for the New England Revolution, but the players are the ones taking the blame instead of passing it on to their head coach.

While no one could have expected the Revolution to be one of the worst teams in MLS, having a new head coach presents some challenges. This is especially the case when that coach brings in a new style of play.

Porter wanted his team to build defense, dominate possession and put pressure on opponents. This was very different to Bruce Arena, who liked to play direct, free-flowing football.

Matt Polster believes the blame falls on the players for not adapting or performing well to Porter’s preferred style of play.

“At the start of the season I think he [Caleb Porter] I really wanted to emphasize the gaming aspect. Again, I think maybe we didn’t execute this the way he envisioned. Then we have to change things a little, maybe play a little more direct, make it a little more varied, sometimes play short or sometimes longer. But overall I think the vision was there, the ideas were there and I think it was down to the players not being able to execute them.”

Additionally, Polster said the team is confident in Porter’s vision and believes in the head coach and his staff.

While Porter’s system was different, the formation New England used was no different. The Revolution played in a 4-2-3-1 formation for most of the year, which Arena also primarily used.

Similar to Polster, Dave Romney believes that it shouldn’t be difficult to get used to the system and that players should perform better.

“I think it’s not like a form of football that takes getting used to or anything like that,” the centre-back said. “Most of the stuff you’ve seen in clubs before and it’s very black and white. We don’t play a complex formation. It was largely a 4-2-3-1 system and the boys have played in that formation for most of their careers, so I’d say it’s not hard to get into. I would say that I and others need to be more clinical or better in certain spots that make game-winning plays possible, be it offensively or defensively.”

While some players had problems, Alhassan Yusuf had no problems. The summer signing looked great in the seven games he played in. Yusuf was all over the field and was able to demonstrate both his passing skills and his work rate.

Porter’s playing style suits the Nigerian perfectly.

“It’s really good,” Yusuf said. “It’s my style of play to try to play, press high and switch. Yes, of course we didn’t win many games. It didn’t work out this season. But for me we just have to wait and see what it will be like next season. I hope nothing changes with this style, so you just have to believe in it and trust it and see what’s to come.”

While the players taking the blame are commendable, the pressure will be on Porter from 2025 onwards. If New England continues to struggle, the head coach will be in trouble.

So with a full off-season and no continental competition on the agenda, the revolution needs to start strong from the start. Players are motivated to correct the mistakes made in 2024. The question is: Can Porter and his vision bring the revolution back to the promised land, or will the coach have to adapt to be successful next year?