If you're ever in the company of Angus McNab, York United FC's CEO/President and GM, it's customary for a chorus of sounds to soundtrack the conversation: the chime of a fresh email (or four), relentless pings of WhatsApp messages across a wide array of chat groups and a steady stream of calls too.

It goes with the territory.

It's been a complex few years, as everyone has delicately stretched to full activation again in the aftermath of a traumatic and prolonged interruption. Somewhere in the chaos and confusion, McNab navigated a club rebrand and rebuilt various rosters as a litany of post-Covid administrative issues ensured some best laid plans needed fine-tuning. When Martin Nash arrived as Head Coach for the 2022 campaign, a wave of optimism swept through the club. There was a genuine belief that the campaign could conjure something special.

After five games, they were second in the table and had already secured a first-ever win over Cavalry FC and another impressive victory against Forge. Then, everything fell apart. With Nash already cursing a costly preseason that saw one ACL and two concussions, injuries began to wreak unprecedented havoc on the squad. Senior players were ruled out for six weeks, eight weeks, unspecified periods in some cases. Somehow, the group kept games close. In six successive league fixtures, they conceded just three goals. But those goals cost them three games. Across a long and lonely two-month period, The Nine Stripes failed to win a league game. And yet, during that same period, they managed to dig deep and reach the Canadian Championship semi-finals, losing narrowly to MLS powerhouses Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place.

Of course, the story is well documented now. The opening of the July transfer window ensured the club could finally bring in reinforcements and a bunch of mid-season arrivals hit the ground running to inspire a magnificent resurgence. From the final 10 games, York United won five and drew two and were the second-best side in the second half of the campaign, though still missed out on the playoffs.

So, all that considered, it's inevitable that getting the balance right is the theme of McNab's recent interview with revered football publication fcbusiness Magazine where he discusses the club's last few years, the development of young players and the skeptics that often scoff at the notion of a different approach.

"I don't mind people accusing me of playing Championship Manager in real life or trying to apply a Moneyball approach to football," he says.

"It is an acknowledgment that we're operating with a plan and some rigour, and it's working. Yes, we've had a high turnover of players, but that's to be expected coming out of a pandemic and having a league that's working very hard to establish its product. That experimenting has been calculated, and it's necessary to establish the game in Canada."

McNab also highlights the pathway that the club is providing for emerging talent, pinpointing Ronan Kratt, Lowell Wright, Isaiah Johnston and Diyaeddine Abzi as success stories.

"We've built a reputation for providing opportunities for young players and the last year has been positive for us."

You can read the entire interview right here.

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