St. Louis City SC has announced the firing of manager Olof Mellberg. This decision comes after Mellberg’s second season with the team, during which he recorded a disappointing 2-8-5 in league play, placing the team at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. His tenure included a recent 1-0 loss to FC Dallas.
Interim Management
The club plans to appoint an interim manager soon. David Critchley, who has been leading CITY2 since November, will take over as interim manager until further notice. Under Critchley’s leadership, CITY2 has shown significant improvement this season, achieving six wins out of nine games played.
St. Louis City SC expressed confidence in Critchley, stating, "We are confident that David will bring stability and success to our team." However, no official quote from Critchley has been provided.
Team Performance
St. Louis City SC’s attack has struggled this season, scoring only 11 goals in league play, which is the second-worst record, just ahead of CF Montreal’s ten goals. Critchley is expected to focus on revitalizing the team’s offensive performance during his interim tenure.
Background
Mellberg’s departure follows reports of player frustration regarding his tactics during training sessions earlier this month. He took over the managerial role from Luchi Gonzalez last December after Gonzalez left for Austin FC. Prior to joining St. Louis City SC, Mellberg managed IF Brommapojkarna and IFK Norrköping.
In related news, former US national team player Clint Dempsey recently resigned from his position as technical director at Austin FC, amid speculation that he would join Inter Miami CF. Dempsey had been working alongside Gonzalez at Austin FC before moving to Inter Miami CF shortly after being named technical director there. Austin FC has since hired Chris Armas as its new head coach, following Armas’s previous tenure with New York Red Bulls, which ended after an eight-game losing streak.
St. Louis City SC has not yet responded to inquiries regarding potential additional changes within their front office or coaching staff following Mellberg’s departure.
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