Ted Lasso Season 3 has been a rollercoaster ride for fans of the popular AppleTV show and everyone is eager to see how it will all shake out. But, as these latest Ted Lasso episodes are seemingly set to be the final chapter of these characters’ storylines, could Nate Shelley take over as AFC Richmond’s head coach before the season’s end?
In the latest episode of Ted Lasso Season 3, which was titled “International Break,“ we saw the players depart to play for their countries in international competition, the return of the Nigerian billionaire Edwin Akufo, and we also learned that Nate Shelley has left his role as manager at Rupert Mannion’s West Ham side.
Nate’s departure is perhaps one of the most overlooked elements of this new episode, with much of the focus on the proposed “Super League”. Although it seemed like Rupert had a big plan to keep Nathan Shelley tending to his every demand, the West Ham owner has turned a corner as of late. This leaves Nate’s future wide open, but what will he do next?
What will Nate do next in Season 3?
After quitting his job, Nate the Great has been struggling to find motivation for much else. We have seen him moping around with his new girlfriend Jade and, later, alone at his parents’ home. Like some of the players, the young coach took this “International Break” episode as a much-needed rest, before landing on his feet again.
The penultimate episode revealed that Coach Shelley will return to Richmond for the final game of Season 3. While he won’t have much impact on the team’s overall success this season, this move could be setting things up for the finale and beyond, in the case that Ted might retire at some point. Aside from that, it is difficult to predict precisely what else he will do, his relationship with Jade seems to be another major focus in his life that he will want to pursue.
The Wonder Kid has proven to be a gifted coach, but any lingering animosity between him and the team could make things difficult for him to re-integrate at A.F.C. Richmond. There are also questions about his ability to handle the pressure, as he has crumbled behind the scenes once at West Ham. We saw him feeling as though he doesn’t truly belong in West Ham. So, hopefully, during his time at Richmond, he can surround himself with that strong core that will support him and keep him afloat.
Will Nate replace Ted Lasso at Richmond?
There is only one more episode left and, as this is meant to be the final season of Ted Lasso’s story, there is much that needs to unfold to resolve all these character story arcs. Many have speculated that Ted Lasso is going to step away from the team to potentially move back to the States or for a potential relationship with Rebecca, this might be what Ted’s ‘Truth Bomb’ at the end of episode 11 alludes to.
For Ted’s departure to happen, Richmond will need a new head coach replacement. While we have been introduced to a few suitable candidates, with the likes of Coach Beard and Roy Kent already at the club, could Nate Shelley make the most sense of any character in the Ted Lasso series?
Nate would know about the club structure and team formations better than most, but his main trouble would lie with winning the trust of players back entirely to steer them forward. But, if anyone can get a team to believe in the impossible and have faith in him again, it will be because of Ted Lasso.