3 reasons Jim Curtin would be the perfect hire for St. Louis City | OneFootball

After parting with manager Olof Mellberg earlier this week, St. Louis City earned a 2-1 victory over the visiting San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon. But the club brass shouldn't make the mistake of believing the result is a sign the club should give interim manager David Critchley an extended run in the job.

The hosts were fortunate to earn a late penalty resulting in part from a poor decision by reserve goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. And while San Jose has been one of the Western Conference's best teams in May, it was also significantly depleted without DeJuan Jones and Cristian Arango.

The bigger issue, though, is that there is a rather obvious replacement currently on the job market, who probably won't be for long. And the Missouri club brass should move as quickly as possible to try and lure former Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin to Mound City.

His accomplishments in his previous job with the Philadelphia Union -- where he won a Supporters' Shield and reached four major finals -- speak for themselves.

But further, he'd specifically be a great fit for St. Louis. Here's three reason why:

Experienced in a similar philosophy

Reading between the lines in sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel's quote in the team's statement that followed Mellberg's dismissal, it seems pretty clear that, in addition to not earning results, the Swede had strayed too far from City's preferred higher pressing style.

While the St. Louis philosophy under Pfannenstiel hasn't quite been as rigid in adhering to a press-at-all-times approach as the famously manic New York Red Bulls, it's clear he would prefer his clubs adopt a pressing posture more often than not.

That describes, almost to a tee, the dynamic Curtin shared in his previous role with Union sporting director Ernst Tanner. It was pressing most of the time, with a bit of pragmatic possession when required.

It's probably no coincidence then that former St. Louis manager Bradley Carnell has enjoyed such a strong start as Curtin's successor in Philadelphia.

Previous success at a new-ish club

Curtin spent 11 seasons in total in charge at Philadelphia, under two different sporting directors. When he began, the club was only in its fifth season, and it was clear the goal was a long-term team build.

By the time he finished, he'd reached the playoffs seven times and come within one very famous goal by Gareth Bale of earning the team its first MLS Cup title.

In short, he succeeded in a situation very similar to the one he would find at a St. Louis club that is currently in its third MLS campaign.

And his track record is such that he would bring some automatic clout to push back against a front office that, given its mixed track record so far, probably needs some in-house constructive criticism from a voice with MLS experience.

History with Hackworth

D.C. United v Philadelphia Union | Drew Hallowell/GettyImages

John Hackworth served previously as an interim manager of St. Louis City after Bradley Carnell was fired in the middle of the 2024 campaign, and he's now its technical director in the top personnel role beneath Pfannenstiel.

He also has a connection with Curtin, naming the former Chicago Fire defender as an assistant coach when he took over as the Union's second manager. Curtin was promoted when Hackworth lost the job in 2014.

That previous working history could be invaluable for a club looking for some stability after now seeing four different men manage the team in total.