We are pleased to introduce the new St. Bradley Carnell as the Louis CITY head coach. He is very real and will play a key role in the team’s style, recruitment, and development. Carnell is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. He played for Germany’s Bundesliga as well as the South African national soccer team. But it was while he was interim head coach at the New York Red Bulls, that he first got to see what his new job would be like. He also has a connection with CITY sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel. Carnell was a student at a coaching course Pfannenstiel teaches in Germany. Carnell, who was the interim coach of the Red Bulls at the time, fostered a culture that rejected entitlement. CITY is a brand new concept. What will he do to set the cultural tone? He says, “We used to say, “Leave the jersey at a better location because the club will stay here a lot longer than you will.” “I met [CITY] owners and had in-depth discussions with them. The core values of the club are honesty, hard work, and humble people. It is my responsibility now to transmit those messages onto the field, but with a passion and intensity that makes it exciting.
Can you give us an idea of the playing style? It’s the intensity of the game and the passion. Although I have never been to professional hockey games, I can see similarities in the fast pace and chaotic style of play. We pride ourselves on being proactive, on top of things, and working together. We strive to be positive, aggressive, and exciting. This means that we create scoring opportunities and win the ball in favorable areas.
What is the difference between the best and the right players for CITY’s team? If we think about transition, how do we react when the ball is lost? Do we all run back, get behind and defend our goals? Our approach is slightly different. We believe that the ball is ours if it’s lost. We want it back so we are going to hunt it down quickly. This is known as a counter-pressing operation. This is why we attract players to our team when we are scouting people. Do they want to run? Are they energetic? Are they quick? Do they have the physical ability to hold on to the intensity of our game for 90 minutes?
You used the term “relentless.” What is your strategy for keeping the players healthy? We collect daily on-field data. We have to be careful about how we monitor workloads because of the nature of our game. We also have data in the scouting section, which helps us track and possibly lure players with certain characteristics. It is important to get to know your opponent and to improve your play style. Germans have a saying that “The Opposition Never Sleeps”.
