The Philadelphia Union is not in a competitive place as a team. They placed in the twelfth spot in the east, the lowest spot in the table the team has ever placed in the club’s history. Yes, It’s easy to write off the next few seasons as rebuilding time but although the team did pretty badly on the table, they have been in worse form. No, the team does not have a coach as of now and very little squad depth but fans must keep hope.
Former coach Jim Curtin was let go in what most fans think was the club ownership using the firing of Curtin as a scapegoat situation to make up for the team’s poor performance. Many rumors have spread online about the new coach. Some say the position will be given to an unlikely candidate, former Atlanta United interim coach, Rob Valentino. Not much is known about him because he has minimal coaching experience and a poor record. It’s fair to say that he will likely not be the head coach.
One other possibility is that German coach Thomas Letsch could get the job. He most recently coached at German side VfL Bochum. Letsch has a better record and experience winning trophies which quite frankly is what this Union team needs to do. However, one thing about Thomas raised a red flag: He worked at Red Bull Salzburg and is rumored to be friends with Philly Union sporting director Ernst Tanner, who is seen in the eyes of most fans as inferior in his job and not well-liked. The most logical person to get the position is the Union II coach, Marlon LeBlanc, who has a great record in the MLS Next Pro league and even made it to the final last season with star boy Cavan Sullivan.
The Union lost many players in the off-season so far. Many Union fans are still mourning the tragic and early passing of twenty-five-year-old backup goalkeeper Holden Trent. Philadelphia also let go of midfielder Leon Flach, who arguably should have stayed along with center-back Jack Elliot who moved to the Chicago Fire as a free agent. But those weren’t the only players let go by the club. Defender Matt Real, striker Sam Adeniran, center-back Jamir Berdicio, and midfielder Joaquin Torres were all released.
But it’s not all bad news for Philly fans. The club has lots of money and young talent, therefore there are many routes the club could go when it comes to new players. Some rumors predict a big center-back signing coming from Argentine side Newel’s Old Boys to replace Jack Elliot. Not to mention the new contracts for veteran Alejandro Bedoya and right-back Olivier Mbaizo.
All in all, there is a lot of work to be done with the Philadelphia Union and only a couple of months to get it done, but good squad or not I’m sure Subaru Park and the River End will be full on opening day.