MLS managers on the hot seat: Is Greg Vanney's time running out? And should Bradley Carnell be worried about his tenure at Philly?

There are perhaps two reasons Vanney still has a job. The first is that he has been without his best player for more than a year. Riqui Puig, without question, carried the LA Galaxy to MLS Cup in 2024. They are nowhere near the same team without him and could face another full campaign in his absence after the Spaniard required a second knee surgery in as many years. The second reason is that he still has plenty of credit. The Galaxy were a struggling franchise until Vanney took charge, and even if he is hardly a tactical visionary, the American brought them back to the top of MLS. It is difficult to let go of that.

After a morbid start in 2025, the Galaxy handed him a new contract. At the time, it seemed fair enough. This was, after all, the coach who had won MLS Cup less than six months earlier. But now there appear to be few excuses. Vanney’s record in charge stands at 80 wins, 51 draws and 74 losses, and his winning percentage has dropped below 40 percent. Injuries are certainly a factor, but the Galaxy missed the playoffs by 11 points last year and are not tracking to do much better this season. It may not be fair, but Vanney feels one bad run away from the sack.

This year feels like a complete reset for St. Louis. Change is afoot across the organization. The club lost its high-profile sporting director midway through last season and has been steadily rebuilding since. In November, St. Louis appointed Corey Wray as sporting director and tasked him with turning things around after the team finished 14th in the Western Conference.

His first move was hiring Damet, Wilfried Nancy’s top assistant during a successful run with the Columbus Crew. It has been a difficult start for Damet. St. Louis has drawn one and lost two of its first three games and has scored just once this season.

There are complications, though. For one, the squad is lacking attacking punch. There is little goal threat, and the team could use more creativity from wide areas. The other issue is that the fixture list has not been kind. Charlotte, San Diego and Seattle make for a brutal opening stretch for a new manager. Realistically, how many points could St. Louis expect from those three matches? Dismissing him now would be immensely harsh.

For now, the focus will be on bouncing back and picking up a few positive results. Otherwise, the pressure will arrive soon enough.

How frustrating must it be to coach the Philadelphia Union? One moment, you are top of the Eastern Conference, MLS Cup favorites and in position to make a deep playoff run. The next, you have lost some of your best players, failed to fully replace them and are managing a squad that suddenly looks far thinner. So yes, Carnell will feel he has been dealt a difficult hand. But some of the results this year have been inexcusable.

D.C. United may have invested this winter, but they are still an inferior side — yet the Union lost 1-0. They should certainly be picking up points at home against San Jose (Timo Werner notwithstanding). They also shot themselves in the foot with a needless red card against NYCFC.

The only real hope may be the CONCACAF Champions Cup, but the Union lost 1-0 to Club América at home in the first leg of their round-of-16 matchup. A struggling side now needs to win in Mexico. Good luck with that.

+ Tata Martino, who is winless in his return to Atlanta United after three games. He backed himself to succeed in a second stint, but his sophomore album is not exactly off to a flyer.

+ Henrik Rydström, who has discovered that impressive credentials in the Swiss league do not necessarily translate to MLS success. His Columbus Crew are struggling to gel. 

+ Marco Donadel. Yes, Montreal got rid of a coach last year, but Donadel has been there in some capacity since 2023. They have struggled for a few years now, and a fresh face may be required at some point. Fans in Montréal have witnessed a revolving door of leaders since the club joined MLS in 2012, cycling through 10 coaches in that span.