It has been two weeks since Tom Bogert’s report that Thomas Letsch was the front-runner for the available Union job, but a lot can change in two weeks. Just two days ago, Red Bull Salzburg fired their manager, Pep Ljinders, and the Austrian side has already decided on a new manager, bringing in Letsch.
Therefore, you can cross his name off of the Union shortlist of available managers. But when one name leaves, another joins the same day. José Nuñez of AAT Sports reports that former St. Louis City manager Bradley Carnell is now the leading candidate to become the next manager of the Philadelphia Union.
Who is Bradley Carnell?
Union supporters might know more about Carnell than they did about Letsch, as the South African manager has spent some time in Major League Soccer already. But prior to joining the MLS, Carnell spent time in South Africa, being an assistant manager for two clubs in, FS Stars and the Orlando Pirates.
After his time in South Africa, he came over to Major League Soccer, becoming assistant manager for the New York Red Bulls in 2017. The South African eventually became the interim manager for the Red Bulls after Chris Armas was sacked.
Carnell was then announced as the manager of MLS expansion side St. Louis City, where he led them to first place in the Western Conference with a record of 17 wins, 5 draws, and 12 losses. St. Louis would sack him on July 1st of 2024, after a rough patch of form.
When looking at tactics, Carnell runs his teams exactly how you would expect him to after knowing what Ernst Tanner is looking for. He runs the 4-2-3-1 high-press, which is highly known within the Red Bull system. Along with the systems aligning, another thing that Carnell has done throughout his career is developing the youth of his team.
As everyone knows, the academy seems to be the focus in Philadelphia, with players such as Cavan Sullivan, Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan, Nate Harriel, and more making the move to the first team from the second team/academy. The Union has a lot more talent coming through the ranks, so prioritizing a manager who can develop these players makes sense for Ernst Tanner and the Union.
Is Carnell a good fit for the Union?
After the fallout that seemed to occur between Jim Curtin and Ernst Tanner, getting a manager who aligned with what Tanner wants in his team seems to be a priority for the club. Both of the two managers have been linked to the Union job and have run the same type of system that Tanner wants, and also have a passion for developing the youth in the team.
These seem to be two core values that Tanner looks for in his next manager, and Carnell fits both of them. In addition to the values matching, one that Carnell has is experience within Major League Soccer. He has coached with both the New York Red Bulls and St. Louis City, giving the Union someone who knows the league already.
Carnell seems like he will be a good fit for the Union on paper, as he checks off all the boxes in what Tanner is looking for.
